Breaking News Headlines Coming Soon.

 

This world is looking for a politician to pull them out of their woes. Not only America, but the world is looking for a super politician. There is a prime minister in Belgium, Paul-Henri Spaak, who has stated with all the issues in the European Union not coming together as well as they would have liked and the falling of the Euro especially in light of what has happened in Greece, that he has stated he doesn't care who comes as long as they can pull them out of the mess they are in. We don't care whether he is a devil or a Christ as long as he is a deliverer. This prayer will be answered in the form of the Antichrist in the not too distant future. The world is going to have to be in a place of hurting. This man will come to deliver humanity from it's dilemma and we are seeing the stage being set even now.

The world today in 2015 is in a political, economical, and void of leadership, borders are erasing around the globe, and the world is desperate for a deliverer. The world doesn't care who it is, as long as they do what is needed, but as believers, we know that only Jesus Christ can do just that!

Remember as we get back into our study today that from Revelation 10 to Revelation 11:14, this entire portion of Scripture is called a parenthetical pause, a break in the ongoing storyline to give the reader some much needed information before continuing on in the events during the Tribulation Period. This is perhaps the biggest challenge I faced when reading Revelation the first couple of times, was I never knew what was going on with these interruptions in the events, that we found first in Revelation 7 and now again in Revelation 10-11:14. God is pausing the story as if to give us some much needed information to help us process the rest of the events. This is why so many people simply give up their study into this amazing Book of the Bible, is because it doesn't seem to flow right. When you study it and understand what is happening, you can truly appreciate what is happening and make sense of it to further your understanding of the book of Revelation.

You also have to understand that the Book of Revelation begs us to have a deep, deep understanding, especially from Revelation 10-11:14 of the Old Testament. We can't understand the events and meanings without seeing how the Old Testament plays a role into this Book! Remember too, that as a believer in Jesus, we do not have to be a part of this time in history. We can completely avoid the entire Tribulation period as a believer in Jesus Christ. That is the most important thing to understand in this study. Thus the urgency in sharing the gospel with others. The Bible makes is perfectly clear that believers will be gone from the earth before the Tribulation begins. These things wait an unbelieving world. The reason God brings this judgment upon the world is because they have rejected Christ's sacrifice upon the cross.

If you are a Christian, where was our sin judged? On the cross. The Bible says that that being so, there is no judgment left to us any longer. The Tribulation period is a time of judgment upon the earth, for those that have rejected Christ and the cross. You need to make a decision this morning, will you experience these things which we are reading about in Revelation of the coming judgment or will you take advantage of the opportunity that Christ has given to you, that He died on the cross for our sins, taking upon Himself our judgment. I don't know about you, but that is a good deal!

We learn that as God's final witness He gives a very specific warning of events.

Revelation 11:1-2 ~ "I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months."

We looked last time that there will be a temple built in Jerusalem because the apostle Paul and the prophets have said so. Jesus said so as well. There is a coming temple to Jerusalem. We studied that just north of the Dome of the Rock, there is a vacant area that can house the square footage of the space required to build the Temple or Solomon's Temple if you measured it that way. We learned that in both the Old and New Testament, there will be a dividing wall between the area of the Gentiles that is defiled and the area in which the Temple will be built during the Tribulation period. The outer area is an area that is an abomination to God. It's not acceptable to Him. It is a defiled area.

They already have the plans and have begun to process of creating the items to be used in the coming Temple. They have been assembling the people who have the last names of Levi or Levy or Kohan. These names that can be traced back to the Levitical priesthood. They are being instructed in priestly operations. The implements that will be used in the temple that have been created are currently under lock and key because they are made out of pure gold, pure silver and solid brass. Israel is excited for the day when they will have the Temple once again. We know that the days are coming because this talk is already happening and it is exciting to see this happening even now. It means the time is drawing closer. We already know that beheadings are on the rise around the world and it is only going to increase in the last days.

Information travels around the world now in a flash thanks to modern advances in technology. Anytime anything happens on the Temple Mount it makes national news! It is the most hotly contested piece of real estate in the world. Something will happen in the future where Israel will be granted access to build their Temple again. There is going to come an announcement that this will be happening and it is a promise you can bank on. These are some future headlines that are coming to the world in the near future.

Israel will sign a 7-year peace treaty with the United Nations that will allow them to build a temple in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount.

How do we know this. It's found in the Bible in Daniel 9, Matthew 24, Luke 21, Mark 13.

This agreement will allow certain rights and privileges to the Muslim people to practice their ancient pagan worship system of Ancient Babylon, the worship of the moon god. What will be happening on the Temple Mount will be a co-existing worship system of the Jewish Temple and the Dome of the Rock Mosque with the crescent moon on top of it, to worship the Babylonian moon god. They don't know his name or reference his name, but in Arabic they just call him God, because it is his title not his name. Allah is God is Arabic. This will take place there and it will happen.

How do we know this? It is found in Revelation 11 which we will study more in depth later.

These two systems of worship happening at the same time, will offend the God of heaven. Revelation 13, Daniel 2-3. This will be a divided yet united practice that both these groups will worship on top of God's holy mountain.

The Bible warns that there will be a global "church" of lost souls during this time. A one world church. That it will have the outward appearance of Christianity but be anything but deny the power of God.  (Luke 13, 2 Corinthians 11, 2 Timothy 4, Matthew 7).

That there will be a global economic system of commerce and it will be cashless system where by transactions will be made electronically via a numbering system with a certain numerical prefix = 666. Look at any bar code today and you will find those numbers in the beginning, the middle and on the end of the bar codes. It may not be 666 but if you turn it over it is 999. Interesting how this is happening even now. There will come a time however that in order to buy or sell without that prefix of 666. (Daniel 8, Revelation 13, 2 Thessalonians 2, 1 John 2).

That Europe will once again be resurrected in a demonically energized godless government of nations that will ultimately produce a representative, a man, who will swoon the world into a false sense of peace and hope.  Hasn't God tried to warn us over and over again of this happening. How many times has Europe tried to produce a global leader? Interesting if you know European history. It will happen again. This guy will be somewhat successful because Satan will dwell within him. (Daniel 7, Revelation 12, Daniel 8, and Daniel 11).

Paul told us of this time that we are studying in Revelation 11.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 ~ "While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape."

Israel will love this point in the Tribulation. They will finally have peace with their neighbors, there are no more attacks in their nation, they have their Temple on the Temple Mount again. Things are great in their eyes. They will believe that they are in a time of safety but it will not be. It will be at a mid-point in the Tribulation period that Israel will see what they couldn't see earlier.

Matthew 24:17-22 ~ "Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be a great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened." 

This is a warning to Israel. He is saying in Revelation 11, that there is a deception coming to Israel.

Revelation 11:2 ~ "But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because is has been given to the Gentiles." 

As long as there is a Muslim presence on the Temple Mount, and the Jews wanting to build a Temple on the Temple Mount, this coming leader will strike a deal to make that happen. Think about what would have to happen to make this a reality. With the European Union, the U. N., the United States, all of the Arab nations around Israel? How will this happen? No one has been able to pull this off no matter how much they have tried in the past. It will take Satan, himself, dwelling inside a human being to strike a demonic deal, that is called in the Bible, a 7-year peace treaty. Satan will pull this off through his indwelling of a human being. A man we refer to as the Antichrist. The Bible calls him the Son of Perdition. The Old Testament calls him the Beast. He will be amazing because people will be deceived by what he says and does. He will bring incredible prosperity to the world. He will bring all kinds of peace to the world. He will be the master politician like this world has never seen.

This deception will not only come upon the whole world but Israel specifically. There will come a time when human government will reign.

Revelation 11:2b ~ "it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months." 

Luke 21:24 ~ "They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled." 

We know that 7 years will be the time until the Gentiles are fulfilled. The Tribulation Period marks that quite clearly. The Bible says when human government ends that Jesus will return. To establish His kingdom and to put an end to human government.

Zechariah 14:3-4 ~ "Then the LORD will go out an fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountains moving north and half moving south."

Daniel 2:34, 44 ~ "While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. In the time of those kings, the God of Heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever."

This is a reference to the return of Christ in Daniel 2. A time when human government will cease. How can you look at the events in Revelation 11 and not see the comparison to what is happening in the world today? It's easy when you dig a hole and put your head in the ground. The Bible tells us that the sons of Issachar observed the times in which they lived, and determined what Israel ought to do. No one should be more attuned to what your family should be doing next or the pastor in your church should be the one leading your church in the community, because we, as believers, are discerning the times in which we are living in. We should be engaging more than ever. As we look around and see the signs of the times and seasons, we want to know our Bibles, get excited to know that the Lord is at work, and live for Him because it's time to go full throttle for Jesus.

Time is Running Out!

 

We know that the coming world leader will attempt to cohabitate the religions of the world. We are already seeing the bumpers stickers "Coexist" that is a step in that being looked at as being acceptable. While the Antichrist might not be physically empowered just yet, the spirit of the Antichrist, according to 1 John states that it is already at work. God is watching this happen as Satan begins to get things set up for this to happen. The stage is being set for the portion of Scripture we are going to study today. It hasn't happened yet, but things are being put in place for it to happen at a future time.

If you have one of those "coexist" bumper stickers on your car, you might want to remove it. You may want to research a bit about the man who created those stickers as well. You need to find out what it's all about. There is even a new one now called "tolerance." While he is making millions off these bumper stickers he firmly believes in anything but co-existence. You're driving around with an impossibility on the back of your car, because there is no way the religions depicted there on the sticker, could ever tolerate each other because its a collaboration of hostile world views and religious biases. All of those symbols will gang up and eradicate one of those symbols that are on that sticker and that is Christianity.

There is a time coming when deception will happen. This very specific warning of events involves a coming deception to the nation of Israel.

Revelation 11:2a ~ "But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles."

The Old Testament says that the outer court area of the Temple is defiled. The next time the Temple is rebuilt there will be a dividing line between something that it unclean, something that God says belongs to the Gentiles, something that is defiling, and something that the Jews will herald as the Temple. This is why I believe that the Dome of the Rock, that mosque will stay during the 7-year Tribulation Period. Here is the reason why, the Antichrist will engineer a peace agreement and its Muslim enemies. So how can the Temple Mount be used that is palatable to both the Jews and the Muslims? Somehow and someway, the Antichrist will appease the zealot spirit of the Muslims on the mount and at the same time, he will appeal to the zealousness of the Jews that want to worship on the Temple Mount. There will be a wall in between the two and I believe we are seeing hints of that wall today in Israel where they are building a defense wall, which is working tremendously. I think this is a forerunner to the wall that will be built between the Dome of the Rock and the Temple of the Jews.

God has stated that the area outside the Temple, is defiled. Now what would make it defiled? False worship? Misguided faith? Practices of an occult? Absolutely these things would. But the fact remains that all around, written in Arabic, on the Dome of the Rock mosque, in tiles says,"God is not begotten, and neither does God have a Son." No wonder God says to leave it out. Leave it out. A term for non believer.

Proverbs 30:4 ~ "Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!"

People might say this is a contradiction, but I will go with what the Bible says any day! The Bible says that when this man comes on the scene there will be a great deception and Israel will be deceived. This is the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation Period.

Matthew 24:21 ~ "For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now - and never to be equaled again." 

Jeremiah 30:7 ~ "How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it. "

We know that Jacob got a new name and it was Israel. This is referring to the nation of Israel during the Tribulation Period.

Daniel 12:1 ~ "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of the nations until them. But at that time your people - everyone whose name is found written in the book - will be delivered."

John is giving us an insight as to how the tables are turning from the first 3 1/2 years to the second 3 1/2 years. He is making a connection. When this mid point happens there will come an end to human government. The Gentiles will tread the holy city underfoot for 42 months. This 42 months is a code word for Bible students,

Luke 21:24 ~ "They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations, Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled."

Remember prior to 1948, Israel was not a nation. Then it became a nation. In 1967, they took control of Jerusalem, then the Temple Mount, but then turned around and gave it back that same week. Why didn't they hang on to it? Because it wasn't time yet according to God. The time of the Gentiles was not yet complete. The "Time of the Gentiles" has two meanings. (1) It is certainly the control of the Gentiles over Israel, meaning that Israel does not have sovereignty over its own nation, nor its capital. That is true today in many ways. (2) A time would be given to the Gentile nation to hear the gospel and respond to the salvation message. The Bible says that time is running out. It will conclude. It will terminate.

Just like in the days of Noah, he had to wait. Noah had to wait 7 days after he built the ark for it to rain. The Bible says it had never rained before and that the water came up from the ground to water the plants. It had never rained before. The people were outside mocking Noah until the Bible says that God closed the door of the ark. We know that the clouds began to form, and imagine what people thought of that and then it began to rain and it didn't stop. There was a great earthquake and the bowels of the earth opened up and let the water out. We now know scientifically that there is more water beneath the earth, than above the earth. Did you know that? There are bigger rivers beneath the earth than are on the surface of the earth.

Zechariah 14:3 ~ "Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. ON that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem and, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from the east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountains moving north and half moving south."

This will happen at the culmination of the 7-year Tribulation Period to culminate human government. At the end of Tribulation Period, God will end human government and He is sending out warnings. Human government fails every time. We should not be looking for political leaders to provide all the answers, but look to the Lord. We should vote. People died so we can vote. To honor the dead and the veterans, we should all vote. If you're not sure who to vote for, vote for the lesser of the two evils. Even though God knows the outcome, He has asked us to be involved. Be salt and be light. The result, we leave up to God. Either not enough of us voted or a lot of us voted, but God made up His mind in 2000 anyway. Who put Bush in office? Not the Supreme Court. God put him in office. God says He raises up kings and He pulls kings down. Whoever God puts in office next will tell us what is coming next. Think about it!

God has given us through John, a window into the future. When you read or study the Bible consider this, the same Holy Spirit that was alive when all this happened, is alive in you today. Ask God to allow that Spirit to show you what it was like during that time, to see the things they saw, to feel the things that happened, to smell the smells and hear the sounds. Perhaps that is one of the reasons so many treasure hunters or archaeologists love what they do. It's exciting because you never know what you will find. What we are looking at right now, has never happened before. We've been allowed today to discover, to explore, to uncover, to see things that no one has ever seen before in our study. God gives us just enough to know about this upcoming event.

As we will study next week, we will look at these two witnesses, who they are, where do they go, where did they come from and what is up with their powers. It will be extremely important to know certain portions of the Old Testament to understand the ministry of these two witnesses. That is the point about the whole book of Revelation. God is basically saying, I've written down the future for you in my Book and you might want to take a look at it. No other man made gods of the religions of the world have done such a thing. 27% of the Bible is devoted to future events. He is saying, "Here is the future."

We will be studying more about the 42 months, which is 1,260 days according to the Biblical calendar which is equivalent to 3 1/2 years of the later end of the Tribulation Period. He is telling you that you can trust Him with your eternal life.

What Are You Worshipping in This World?

 

For nearly two decades now there is a group in Israel known as the Temple Mount Faithful that run the Temple Mount Institute who have been making preparations to get ready for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. They have rebuilt many of the tools to be used in the Temple as well as the menorah, and have been researching the red heifer, which they have now discovered as well as those who fall in the lineage of the Levitical priests, from the gowns the priest will wear, this group is taking this extraordinarily serious. The have it all down to the finest minute details from the exact color dye for the priests gown derived from a sea snail. We know that at this time, there is no Temple Mount in Jerusalem but in our study today we are learning that there will be. God says that one day there will be.

There are those who refuse to believe in the New Testament but through their actions, they are working on efforts that one day they believe it will be built again. This is just another indicator of last days events. God's Word is always true. You can even use Google Earth to check this area out where the Temple will one day be built again. It is just to the left and north of the Dome of the Rock. It is a vacant lot where it will one day be rebuilt and prophecy to be fulfilled.

Remember in our study yesterday, we concluded that God is issuing a warning throughout the Book of Revelation and even during the Tribulation Period when it comes, that He loves us so much, He doesn't want us to have to go through these things we are reading about and studying today. Don't lose sight of that.

As we continue our study this morning, we know that the warning God is providing of a very specific event comes a temple to the city of Jerusalem. One day in the last days, the Bible is assuming that a Temple will be rebuilt in the city of Jerusalem. There is not a temple there today, but the Bible clearly states that one day one will come. Scholars will argue that this is not what this portion of scripture is referring to and it must be something else because a temple will never be rebuilt there. Israel as we know is making serious preparations for this to happen even though they refuse to read the New Testament portions of the Bible. The priestly gowns have already been made right down to the most minute detail. The menorah for the holy of holies is already made. The altar has already been created. They are teaching those of the Levite lineage how to perform the priestly duties. Israel is planning on building a Temple.

They can't build it at this time because of the Muslim/Palestinian world would go crazy. It would be the catalyst for the next world war. It won't happen today, but Israel is moving in that direction. We know that there is a coming Temple because Jesus said so.

Matthew 24:14-15 ~ "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. So when you see standing in the holy place, 'the abomination that cause desolation,' spoken through the prophet Daniel - let the reader understand - "

There will be a rebuilding of the Temple in what looks to be the area just north of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. I believe that the Dome of the Rock will still be there because Scripture talks about a wall being built that will separate this holy place away from a defiled area. Why would the Bible mention this Temple Mount area as being defiled? God says in the last days, a Temple will come to Jerusalem. However a lot of political things have to happen before that could ever be true. There are motions and work taking place to brings these things about when that day comes. There is a flat area just north of the Dome of the Rock that can easily allow for the Temple to be rebuilt right behind the Golden Gate, that the Tribulation Temple will be built.

When John was given this vision in 90 A.D., the Temple did not exist either. In 70 A.D. it was destroyed by Titus in the invading Roman Empire to sequester an uprising in Jerusalem during that time. Jesus predicted this would happen when He said not one stone would be left unturned when the Temple was destroyed. The Bible says a day is coming when a man, the Son of Perdition, some scholars refer to him as a Prince or a Western Prince, will arise out of the ancient borders of a once great Roman Empire.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 ~ "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God."

Even though we have a conglomeration of nations within the Europe Union right now, the Bible says that 10 nations will rise out of the 25 nations that are within that group right now. Within that 10, there will be a predominate group of 4 leaders that will be the spokespersons for these nations. Out of the 4, the Bible says that 1 will rise up and that will be the "western prince" or Son of Perdition or Antichrist and he will speak convincing words to the world that the world will believe. He will turn around the world's economy so that it will be the most prosperous time that the world has ever known. This time period will last for about 3 1/2 years. He will cause the environment to be rejuvenated to some degree but he will not convince all the world. It appears that China and parts of the Asian world will come to war against him, and we will study more about that in greater detail in chapter 13. This man will be the greatest politician the world has ever seen.

In the United States right now, our own independence is an affront to the entire global community. Did you know that? It is not liked and is jealously disdained in Europe. The independent spirit in Americans is not well received in the world. We are labeled as "free thinkers," "independents,"  and are marked as renegades in the global community. Ronald Reagan even received flack for being labeled as a "rogue cowboy." The world is getting a mind set of globalism. The United States is an affront to that and it doesn't easily bow to the whims of the United Nations. But something greater than the U.N. is coming. The European Union is gaining strength, even their dollar is worth more than our currency now. There will a continued decrease in the dollar and the yen, and you'll see more countries embracing the Euro as the European Union continues to grow in power and influence in the world.

The European Union is taking its cue from the United States and is following suit. There is one huge difference, God is being left out of their constitution, their flags, and their currency whereas the United States at this time has God in the midst of it all when He founded this nation. He is in the middle of our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, our Declaration of Independence. What comes out of Europe must have a vacancy of God for this man to rise to power. The Bible says that he will stand in the Temple of God during the Tribulation Period and declare himself to be God. The Bible says that the people of the world will fall under the deception and believe him. He will sign a 7-year peace treaty with Israel and its warring neighbors in Daniel 9.

They will vote with their pocketbooks because they want prosperity in their lives and they want the environment to be restored, all the environmental groups will love him. Don't mistake the belief that Christians should be the greatest custodians of God's creations. But look around you and you can see the extremes people are taking these activities now. The difference is we don't worship creation, they do. The world is being groomed for this time to come.

Revelation 11:1 ~ "I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there."

I can understand measuring the Temple of God, the altar but counting the worshipers? We know that Jesus Christ is our High Priest, Jesus Christ died on the cross once and for all, and Jesus ascended to heaven to present His blood upon the altar in heaven. The temple was destroyed because it wasn't needed anymore. God is not into earthly temples. God is no longer into earthly altars. Jesus is now resurrected and is now enthroned in heaven. When we pray do we face a temple? We don't do this because as Christians, we have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and our God is enthroned in heaven. We can pray any way we want to, any time we want to, any where we want to. Our salvation is not connected to an earthly temple.

When John is asked to measure the temple, this is the temple the Antichrist will use. Even though it says it is the Temple of God, that is how the Jewish people reference it. God has not declared it to be His temple. The Bible says that won't happen until Jesus returns to earth and He establishes His own temple in Jerusalem. This is the temple to be commandeered or stolen by the Antichrist. It's a false temple and needless altar.

Now it comes to measuring the worshipers and in the Greek it is metreo which means: to measure, to ascertain in size, to make note of detail. To determine size, scope and influence. The word here is both figuratively and actual it just depends on the application. How do you measure people? John is told to measure their hearts. Who are they? What do they know? In what form are they worshiping? Where are they with God? God measures the worshiper right now! God is always measuring our desire or passion for worship.

If you read your Bible carefully, Christians are prone to worship! If you want to find a Christian who is worth anything to hang around with, find one who is a worshiper! Christians should be worshiping and praising God! It's what we are going to be doing in Heaven! It's good practice. God might not count the physical number of people worshiping in church but He measures each one of us. Do you ever notice that sometimes when you are singing worship songs, you might be mouthing the words, but your mind is someplace else. Sometimes if you are like me, you have to close your eyes to get rid of all distractions. When you worship alone, do you do that? We should understand that when we worship corporately in church, what a blessing that is. The music in church has nothing to do with us. As a Christian, we need to make worship a priority, not something you show up just after its almost over or leave just as it begins at the conclusion of service and you head out so you don't have to be stuck trying to get out of the parking lot. God measures His worshipers.

Distraction is an easy thing, especially in worship. Every Christian has experienced this. It is attacked with distractions. Anytime we try to do something for God or spend time with God, our minds have a tendency to wander. While we are involved in a spiritual devotion with God, it is foreign to this world. It is foreign to our nature. It is foreign to our life in this world. It is all about us worshiping the Lord and that is why it is so difficult. When we worship God, there is a beautiful death that takes place to us, our self, our demands, our wants, and we lose track of us, which is always a good thing. Worship causes us to see God bigger.

If you remember in the movie, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy tells Aslan that every year he gets bigger. Aslan is the picture of Jesus in C.S. Lewis' classic novel. He doesn't get any bigger, its that Lucy worships him more. When we worship God, He gets bigger to us and that is why we need to do that. We lose ourselves in His presence. In the worship of God.

Are You Looking for Warning Signs From God?

 

Today as we enter a new chapter into the study of the Book of Revelation, we are going to see how technology plays an important role in what will be happening as God uses two witnesses to preach not only His message of repentance, grace, and mercy but also as a last warning of sorts to those still living in a Christ-rejecting world. We know that this prophecy was written more than 2000 years ago and the Bible assumes that the world would have the technology available so that they would be able to see what is happening around the world, without anyone having to be in Jerusalem to witness what is happening to these two men. We know with satellite television, the internet and smart phones, this is a very real possibility and as it advances, it will only make this even more real when it happens.

If you had someone in your life that you truly cared about, wouldn't you want to warn them that danger is coming? This is just what God's plan is in these final moments of the Tribulation period. His grace, love and mercy are so evident that He is giving us these final opportunities to come to know Him, as it was never His intention that anyone should be separated from Him. It will be our own choice to make the decision. God doesn't force Himself on anyone. He wants everyone to make that decision on their own.

If you have been following this study, you may remember that when we got to chapter 10:1 all the way to chapter 11:14, we are in what is called a parenthetical insert or pause in the action of what has been happening to give us more insight into what is happening at this time in John's teaching through what he is seeing during this 7-year period of the Tribulation on earth. It's like the camera stops for a moment and then pans back to John and zooms in on him, the apostle who has been given this vision of the future. We remember that as John was attempting to write down what the voices of the seven thunders had spoken, he was told to stop.

He wasn't allowed to tell us what those voices said, because it is something so bad that is reserved only for those living on the earth at that time. They are specifically reserved for the last days only. No one knows what that is. We are only going to get through the first six verses today, because this is one of the most complex portions of scripture in the Old and New Testament combined, so I don't want you to miss anything. Scholars throughout the ages have said, this is difficult stuff.

Revelation 11:1-6 ~ "I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1, 260 days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want."

The one thing, I want you to remember is that if you are reading this, you have an opportunity not to witness this event live. If you are a believer, you will be spared from the judgment of God and will be in heaven when all this happens on the earth for a full 7 years. The Bible clearly teaches us that the church will be removed from the earth before these things happen. In every generation throughout the ages, God has always maintained a witness to His great plan. The Lord God is everlasting and His Book, the Bible, is eternal.

Isaiah 55:8-11 ~ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are you ways my ways, " declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seeds for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

God's Word always maintains a witness, even the Dark Ages, and we know that there are things done in the name of Christianity to which we can be ashamed of. We don't even have to go to the Dark Ages to find things like that. There are those that kill doctors who perform abortions because they believe they are justified in doing so because killing babies is wrong, which it is, but so is killing the doctor under the premise that because you are a Christian, you are justified to do so. That is terrorism. Yes abortion is wrong, but we are instructed not do those things, like blowing up clinics or murdering the staff that work there. That is the definition of insane. People will say that they did it in the "name of Jesus" or that "God told me to do it." God judges! God issues vengeance, not us. Many things are done in the name of Christianity, that is frankly embarrassing. We think about those Dark Ages where in the name of Christ, military operations were conducted and people were destroyed by the name or in the name of Jesus.

Even in those Dark Ages, from 1200's to early 1400's before the Great Reformation period, even when these horrible things were happening, God had a faithful witness. God is faithful to give a witness at all times.

Matthew 5:16-18 ~ "In the same way, let your light sine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

Not one little Hebrew comma, or exclamation point or hyphen of that language will pass, Jesus said, until all these things are fulfilled because God has established His witness. You, as a Christian, are a witness of Christ. There is no doubt that the Bible is God's witness to mankind! It is without error in its original language. It is perfect and He has preserved it through the ages. The Bible is in direct harmony with all that God has done. God is the Designer and Creator of all creation and we can say that creation is a witness to mankind an undeniable and great witness. Perfect creation! The scientific evidence of creation is also an undeniable witness because everything in the observable universe demands an intelligent designer.  Good theology and good science should never contradict one another. God has given us a perfect witness in His creation.

Psalm 19:1-4 ~ "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun."

We are missing this these days. We need to get out more and chill out. Get outside. Sit back in the desert where it is pitch black and stare at the skies. It just begs to have a conversation when you look at how beautiful it truly is. The greatest witness to God however is Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1:5 ~ "and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood."

John 1:1-4 ~ "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men." 

1 John 1:1-2 ~ "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Rod of life. The life appeared; we have see it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father has appeared to us."

That is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God's faithful witness. In the context of the book of Revelation, not only do we have the unveiling of Jesus Christ in the coming Last Days but it is the witness that Christ gave unto the world. That witness is that time will conclude. Civilization will cease as we know it. All of this will not continue on indefinitely. The Bible says so. God has given us signs that we are approaching those tremendous days where it will all come to an end. God's final witness is a final and specific warning of events.

Revelation 11:1-2 ~ "I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months."

Let's not make a big deal out of this measuring rod, it's really not the point or the issue. This rod or the word that was used was the rod that was found in the Jordan River Valley between Galilee, the Sea of Galilee as the Jordan River flows out of the Sea of Galilee down to the Dead Sea, and as it approaches the Dead Sea there is this area or region of reeds. Some of these reeds were used during the days of Ezekiel, Zechariah, Jeremiah, the prophets. These reeds were hollow on the inside, they were very firm and very light. Ezekiel was given a rod that measured about 9 feet high, and he was told in his vision to measure the temple. John is told the same thing. So this rod is a measuring rod that they used in construction. Guys back in those days would have used a measuring rod and a plume line in construction. Men use lasers or plume lines today to measure the uprightness of something. The measuring rods we used today bear such names like Stanley, and when we measure something out, we press a button and the measuring rod coils back up. John would use this as a staff and was used to lay it out and measure things with it.

John's given instruction by the angel to measure three things. (1) the temple of God, (2) the altar, and (3) the worshipers there. In this chapter, a warning is being given to those that God loves. Just like you would do for someone you love or even like that danger is coming. You wouldn't just keep that information to yourself. Something is coming that is detrimental to them. Something is coming. What you do with that warning however is up to you.

We are all responsible to how we respond to the warning of God. Are you going to heed the warning or are you simply going to choose not to believe it? Jesus is the only way for you to find your way to Heaven and relying on Him otherwise you will simply miss out.

Is the Bible Sweet or Bitter For You?

 

It's hard not to look around at the state of the world and see how it is slowly dying. You might think things should be getting better but when you look at the economy, the politics in the world and even in our own cities and communities, you can see that they aren't. We see churches quite literally dying on the vine as they become more concerned with growing their churches in numbers than ensuring that they are standing firm in teaching directly from the Bible. Is it any wonder than, that we see ourselves as a culture growing apathetic in what is happening as if there is nothing we can do as believers in Christ? Yet we have the blessed hope, that God is moving around the world, getting things ready for the final fulfillment of Bible prophecy as we continue our amazing study into the Book of Revelation, the only book in the Bible that offers a blessing to those that read it and hear the words!

Revelation 10:8-11 ~ "Then the voice that I had heard form heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

Jeremiah 15:16 ~ "Your words were found and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O LORD God of Hosts."

This should excite you! You are property of the living God. He calls you by name. You belong to Him. He knows you and you know Him. What is your joy? The fact that your name is written down in the books of heaven? That you have forgiveness for your sins?

Psalm 34:8 ~ "Oh taste and see that the LORD is good;"

Yet for some people it isn't. Everytime they open the Word of God, it tastes bitter to them. They don't like it and they don't understand those of us that love to read it. Maybe they just need to read that verse. Maybe you have been brought up in a bitter gospel, which is no gospel. Keeping certain laws or ways of living, jumping through hoops just to become a part of it or be on the staff. No wonder some people run from the Word of God. This is not how God designed it to be. Taste and see for yourself, that God is good!

John 6:35 ~ "And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."

These verses help us to understand the sweetness that can be found in the Word of God, but remember the messenger also told John about the bitterness as well.

Acts 17:30-31 ~ "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."

Jesus is coming back to judge.

2 Corinthians 2:15-16 ~ "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such as task?"

The preaching of the gospel brings bitterness to some but life to others. It's a stinky stench to some but a wonderful aroma to others. People either love the Bible or are scared to death of the Bible.

Ezekiel 2:8-3:3 ~ "But you, son of man, listen to what I sat to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your moth and eat what I give you." Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth."

God's grace is sweet, but His judgment is bitter. The Bible is either sweet to you or it is bitter. God gives His mandate to mankind, the Lord has ordained truth and justice.

Revelation 10:10-11 ~ "I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

In manners and customs of the Bible, I didn't know this prior to this study, but it is so romantic in regards to how the Jewish people are to God. When a Hebrew baby is born, the first thing the moms do, the believing mothers, they take that baby and put that baby on their breast to nurse. They are dedicated to this. As soon as the baby is born, it is put on the breast to nurse, notice this the position of the head, the ear and the mouth to the mother.  The ear is the closest thing to the mouth of the mother. As soon as the baby begins to draw milk, her mouth speaks into the ear of the baby and says, "The LORD, He is God." So that baby grows up instantly getting warmth of the mother, that baby can hear the heartbeat of mother, the nourishment of mom, and the emotional comfort that brings the baby, and the baby grows up hearing, "The LORD, He is God." Strength comes from Him, nourishment comes from Him, warmth comes from Him, the beating of the heart, life, comes from Him.

This same thing applies with the words being sweet to the mouth, in the Old Testament times, the parents would teach their children the Hebrew alphabet so that they might form words. They would put the alphabet on a slate, and they would write them out on a slate with their mother or father's finger dipped in a flour and honey like substance. They would use that as chalk. When the child began to learn the letters and put words together, and when they learned the word, they were able to take and scrape off the word and eat it. They loved it!

The word is sweet in my mouth but when you ingest the word of God not only is it salvation to those who believe, it's terrible judgment to those who resist. There is pain with that. The same rule that was given to John to take the scroll, to know it, preach it, teach it and share it with others, it applies to us as well. We are either senders or goers right? We all have to get involved. The believer is commanded to get involved, not to sit back and do nothing. The best part is when you step out to do that, fun things happen. The sweetness of God's Word, we have all experienced it. We are nothing alone, but together, we are fulfilling what God told John so long ago. God is doing something even in His own Word to those that receive what the Bible has to say. Let's pray before we close out this message today.

Father, 

We come before You and Lord more than ever in this 21st century at this time, our very existence is not an accident, and reading this message today is not an accident. You are the God of all wisdom and knowledge and You're the God of the moment, and we would ask God that You would serious take inventory to determine whether we be in the faith or not. That the fact that Jesus Christ is our assurance and is 100% true but do we have Him for real. God, search our hearts and cause us to dig deep to discover or uncover anything in our lives that would keep us separated from You, maybe even if it is religion itself or morality or good works that keeps us from knowing You. God, we pray that You would strip away and leave nothing left except that which You delight in, and Lord we even pray that after confirming that assurance, that we would get up from this prayer and become Your faithful ministers on deployments as if were, at our jobs, neighborhoods or homes, our families and to this nation, to the state we might be living in, and God that we would be faithful and more serious than ever before and yet at the same time the joy of the Lord will be our strength. So God thank You for Jesus and in Your name we pray ~ AMEN!!!

How Do You Know What You Are Investing In Now, Will Have Eternal Effects?

 

Welcome back to our ongoing study into the Book of Revelation, after a long break and I pray that today you find comfort and encouragement in this study as a believer of Jesus Christ, for the sole purpose that what we are reading is not what the believer will face but those in a Christ-rejecting world during the 7-year Tribulation Period when the believers have been raptured from the earth and are now in heaven as this judgment of God begins to unfold upon the earth.

Daniel 9 is considered the holy of holies in reference to Bible prophecy and most people don't understand it because they find it confusing but it shouldn't be. You can't possibly understand the Book of Revelation without understanding Daniel 9 or any Bible prophecy for that matter concerning End Times events. I will begin by translating the language into what it says in plain English if I can as it is referred to in your Bible as weeks, but I will translate it for you in years.

Daniel 9:24 ~ Seventy 'sevens' (490 years) are decreed for your people (the Jews) and your holy city (Jerusalem) (483 years have passed, 7 years remain in reference to the Book of Revelation) to finish transgression (the life of Christ, Jesus came to save us), to put an end to sin (the death of Christ), to atone for wickedness (the resurrection of Christ), to bring in every lasting righteousness (the offering of Christ), to seal up vision and prophecy (waiting for this to happen) and to anoint the most holy. (eternity future) "

This dovetails into exactly what we have been studying up to this point when the mystery of God would be finished. We are now approaching the end of the Book of Revelation, and the latter portion of the last 3 1/2 years of the 7-year Tribulation Period. In this chapter, time wise, we are not far from the rule and reign of Christ, in a chronological form we see in the Book of Revelation, from this chapter on to the end of the Book, it will cover a very brief period of time.

So what is the great mystery of God that we are waiting to be finished, the great rule and reign of Jesus Christ in the Millennium, when He comes back during the Second Coming. Jesus does not come to rule and reign via the Rapture. A lot of people confuse the Rapture and the Second Coming. They are diametrically opposed to one another. One is an appearance, the other is a physical coming. The one has no warnings while the other has over 300 warnings. One is to the believer only and apparently the world has no knowledge of it. The other one states that all the world will mourn and weep at His coming. The other one presupposes no prophetic fulfillment to predate it or to introduce it while the Second Coming has tremendous amounts of things that predate it. Isn't it interesting that the church looks to the coming of Christ? Those in the Tribulation Period however, dread and look forward to the coming of the Antichrist.

We are instructed as a church to be alive and to live for Christ. To be alert for His imminent return. The Tribulation Saints are told that they must die for their faith. One will be at least 7 years away from the other event.

Genesis 6:3 ~ "Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years."

We live in a time zone. Don't forget that. God is saying that there will come a day when His dealing with us is done. Our time will cease. This was signified in Noah's day by the closing of the door. The Bible says, that after Noah entered the ark, God closed the door. Time expired.

Revelation 11:15 ~ "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever."

Daniel 7:21 ~ "As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom."

Time will expire and the mystery of God will be fulfilled. You may be an atheist, an agnostic, an evolutionist, or in a cult of some sort and you need to understand that time is ticking, you can look around at this world and see what is happening, things are getting worse. As a believer we can look forward to a day when we will be with Christ. We've read the Book, we know what's coming. Remember Paul the apostle, when Jesus showed him a glimpse of heaven, he couldn't even speak about it. It was simply beyond what he could put into words. Yet you can go to any bookstore and find all kinds of books of what heaven will be like. Paul saw it and he said it is so awesome, I can't begin to explain it. Is that your assurance today? Do you have that hope today? You can, and it's a comforting thing. It is where I am going.

You shouldn't believe in a church or a specific pastor, or even a group of people. Some people might argue that they need a person in leadership that dresses up in a robe and a hat, not that I am putting anyone down because I am not, but they feel they need this resemblance in order to strengthen their faith. What? We don't want to encourage people to fall into a weakened state of their faith to be in awe of some person's robe or attire. It causes us to put forth an image that would cause someone to lean towards some earthly thing that can't do anything for you. This is very important! We want to make sure that our faith is securely founded upon Him. When God takes a break, when He pauses in His act of grace, He gives His mandate to mankind.

Revelation 10:8-11 ~ "Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

The Lord is giving His love and His righteousness, His righteous love. Throughout the Book of Revelation, John has been asked to speak it, write it, tell it to others what he has seen. Remember that John is an old man who had been left on the island of Patmos to die. God had another plan. He will be rescued and he will be taken to Ephesus. He will be the only apostle to die of natural causes by the way. He may have been an old man, but he still preached. Was he not the author of the gospel of John in the Bible? Did he not write 1, 2 and 3rd John? Did he not write the Book of Revelation? Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Bible without error! John is an author of several books of the Bible.

What you and I do as Christians, apparently will last forever! So when people ask you how your investments are doing, you can honestly answer them, they are quite effective! Make an investment today by telling people about Jesus! What we do to help further the kingdom of God will make eternal investments in the furthering of the gospel of Jesus to the world.

What is happening here is that the angel is telling John to know it, take it in, digest it, understand it. For you will experience that my Word is pleasant and wonderful to taste, because I love, save, forgive and redeem. But John the more you eat of my Word and know it more, you will see that when it is rejected and ignored, it brings terrible judgment and horrific destruction to mankind. It will make you so glad and joyous, because of My grace and mercy, and at times you will be filled with such sadness over evil and because of man's rebellion.

As a Christian, I can see where the world is going and I know what is coming. As a Christian, I am glad about a lot of things, heaven and my assurance that I will be going there when I die or when I am raptured. I am sad about the evil in the world today and how far people are going in their rebellion against God.

As a mother, I am glad that my daughters know the Lord and will be going to heaven. I am commanded to bring them up in the ways of the Lord as I am instructed, but sad to know that world they are living in and will be will only get worse in the days and years ahead.

I am glad that God is working things out by the readers who stop by here and encouraged in their faith, to pick up where they have stopped and have come back to Him after a time of being away and are growing again. I am sad when I see others I know that have lost their faith in Him because of circumstances that they feel He has fallen short of investing in their own marriages, spouses and children. They are spending tremendous efforts of time and money to buy things they want in life. They have divorced themselves from their families. Their children don't know the Lord. This is sad and an indictment on us.

What shall it profit you to gain the whole world but lose your soul?

It breaks my heart to see people giving up on God. They give up on God and His will in their life, in pursuit of more money. It's a house of cards, it's all going to come down. Talk to someone who is dying and your alignment will line up real quick. If God has blessed you, turn it around and crank it up for God. He will never be indebted to you. There are rich people, who die rich and are super rich in heaven because they have invested in God's kingdom! There are poor people, who die poor and are poor in heaven because they have invested little in God's kingdom. This doesn't have anything to do with how much you have, it has everything to do with what you do with what you have! A poor person could invest what they do have time, effort, it could be a dollar, but it is spent wisely and they are rich in heaven.

It could be a rich believer invests very little with God and it winds up that they are very very poor in heaven. It's all about making eternal investments in heaven. The greatest investment is the one in God's economy that has eternal dividends that have blessings right now. What are you investing in? God's not impressed by the millionaires status, but by the offering that comes from our heart instead.

What Is The Difference Between a Sinner and a Transgressor?

 

We have been studying the Book of Revelation and come to another pause in the chronology of the story of God's judgment as it is being poured out upon a Christ-rejecting world. God does this to infuse hope into us at this point because had He not, we might forget that God is merciful, He is loving and He is kind despite the wrath being unleashed. He reminds us that the victory has already been decided by the time we get to Revelation 10:1 to Revelation 11:14, in what is known as a parenthetical pause or insert. A pause button or interlude in the midst of what has been happening and from this point in our study, we know that God has issued a promise that there will be no more delay in dispensing forth His judgment upon the earth.

If you were to read the Book of Revelation from the beginning to this point in our study, you might find yourself a bit mixed up without understand what is happening and why it is happening through a parenthetical insert at this point. It would make sense to understand that confusion as I did when I read through Revelation the first time, without really studying the context and content of what is happening. Now it begins to make sense a bit more and I hope it is for you as well.

Anytime in Bible doctrine, before God sends judgment, He has always sent messengers or an announcement before it happens. He always gives people an opportunity to repent before it happens. I believe that God is sending that message to all of us today, especially in America to turn back to Him and repent of its evil, the church for its laziness, nationwide America is asleep spiritually, and we need to wake up before its too late. We see Christianity under attack like never before, from marriage, to sexual orientation, to privacy issues, in every facet of our lives. It is fine for other religions to stand for what they believe but no where is there more intolerance than when it comes from a Christian perspective. Don't think it will stop there. It will come to your door. Down south, the ACLU recently won a battle to prevent public baptisms from taking place in a city park, and even now in California the debate is on for the issue of privacy in public restrooms, showers and locker rooms to keep boys on their side and girls on their side, despite what gender they might identify with. I can't even imagine how this would even be an issue, but it is. The fight is far from being over. We, as a body of believers, need to stand up, wake up and get to work. Our very rights and freedoms are on the line and I believe this is God's chance for believers to stand up for what this country was founded on.

We know as we remember at the beginning of this chapter that there is a debate among scholars on who this mighty angel is in the first verse. Some commentaries would argue that it is Jesus, while still others believe it to be Michael, the archangel. We are missing the point however, the message or the origin of the message comes from heaven. This messenger is of divine origin. Who it is is irrelevant, it is the origin of the message that is important.

We know based on the description found in Revelation 10 about the appearance of this mighty angel that this is where so many scholars believe that it is Jesus. His face like the sun, his legs like fiery pillars, robed in a cloud with a rainbow above his head. No one knows the answer for sure. When God desires to speak to man, He speaks from above. We saw that through the prophets and the fathers of the faith before us. We saw it when Jesus was baptized and the Holy Spirit came down and the Father spoke from above. We know that when Jesus was born, the angels descended from heaven and that they spoke.

Not only does the angel have a divine description, he also has a divine duty. Before he speaks his message, we have to note his posture. He puts one foot on the land and one foot on the sea, holds his hand up to heaven and swears an oath unto God. We know that only God can keep His oaths, man is not able. We need God's help to remember our promises we make to Him. We need to be dependent on The Promise Keeper. When God promises something, He will always keep His Word. When God swears an oath, you know that He will keep it. The angel is standing in a position of great authority.

We learn that what John sees and hears at this point in Revelation, he is commanded not to write down or speak of. We will not know what this means, what he heard. Despite the many commentaries written about what they think it might be, the only ones who will know for certain what it is, are those living on the earth during the final years of the Tribulation Period. It's not for us to know. We know that this messenger swears on oath on a divine promise from verses 5-8 in Revelation.

Revelation 10:5-7 ~ "Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."

God never changes. Despite what is written in the Bible, we can rely on the things we read and rest in the assurance that God won't change. He remains consistent.

Hebrews 6:17-18 ~ "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged."

Isn't it wonderful the know what our hope is anchored to? What hope does the world have and to what is it anchored to? People might place their hopes in the stock market, that it will continue to rise, but we all know it won't stay that way. People might hope that despite all their planning that they will stay healthy, but we know at some point, despite all their efforts, they will die one day. Know this that one day all the things of the earth will end eventually.

As a Christian, we don't have to hope as the world does. Our hope is sustained in two unchangeable things, that God the Father and God the Son, swore an oath to save me. That will NOT be broken. Even though I am a sinner, I still have hope in eternity. Jesus Christ paid the price. I couldn't afford the ticket. I get to go, because He said so. Don't take that as arrogant, because it is not about what we can do to get us there, it is all about what Jesus did. I can't save myself, Jesus did that for me. This is why I can be assured that won't hope it will be alright in the end, I know it will be alright in the end. My hope is guaranteed on the basis of the cross, the resurrection, the fact that He ascended back up into heaven, that the Holy Spirit arrived on the day of Pentecost to assure us that Christ arrived in heaven, remember He said when He got there, He would send us the promise of the Father. If you're a Christian, we know that the Holy Spirit lives inside our heart.

If Christ comes back to day to rapture the church or I die today, I know I am going to heaven. I have that 100% assurance by my faith in Jesus. Now let us understand the "mystery of God."

Colossians 2:1-2 ~ " I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,"

It's that Jesus Christ, alone, saves us.

Ephesians 2:5-9 ~ "made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."

Notice it doesn't say sin? It says transgressions. If sin is bad, transgressions is worse if you could place a meter on it. Sin in the Greek, means to miss the mark. It's an archery term taken from the Olympics. When he pulled out his arrow and missed the target, he was called a sinner. Back then, no one got offended and went back home. He simply didn't hit the target, he missed the mark. Now when we think we are doing things our way, living life to the best of our own expectations, doing what we think God wants, it is the Holy Spirit who calls out to us, "Sinner!" We might say we will pray more, attend church more, live up to the 10 Commandments better, but each time, the Holy Spirit calls out to us, "Sinner!"

For a transgressor, it is like this, God draws a line in the sand, God hands us His Bible and tells us for example, not to have sex before marriage. It will mess you up both spiritually and physically. We see the line in the sand, we know that it was placed there by God for our own benefit because He knows what is best for us, and we take our own will into consideration and cross the line, willfully knowing what you are doing is wrong, but you do it anyway. It's not that you missed the mark, you saw the line, knowing what it meant, and basically said, "I don't care," and walk over it anyway. Your will not God's. That is transgression.

Jesus died for us even when we were transgressors, 2000 years ago. For both sinners and transgressors alike. The Old Testament called transgressions "sins of the High Hands," or to boldly sin against God. You know what you are doing is wrong. It's our sin nature and we are rebels without God's control in our lives. We love to admit that we are sinners, but I wonder how many of us would admit that we are transgressors. We demand our own way and that is the problem with the world today.