An angel who sounds a lot like Jesus gives John a little scroll. In this sermon, we will see the parallel to Ezekiel and Exodus events. I tell us the importance of taking in God's Word and sharing it with others.
The monsters of Revelation 9 have a number of interpretations. Might they be fulfilled in multiple ways? Are those powers already at work? Most importantly, what are we to do about it today?
When the final seal is opened there is a pause before the tribulation trumpets begin. God's judgments are similar to the plagues on Egypt, turning the hearts of mankind away from the temporal and to the eternal.
Affliction is something that every human being experiences in this life. What distinguishes Christianity from humanity is that the Church is guaranteed hope and comfort in affliction. This hope is not based on something passing in the temporal, but the incorruptible in the eternal. Earth is not the believers permanent residence and a greater inheritance awaits us on God's eternal shores.
This passage in Revelation describes the wonderful conclusion of God's work in us. He is able to make us stand, to endure to the end, and to see us safely to our promised land where we will worship and serve in His glorious presence.
The sixth seal is opened and forecasts utter devastation. Chapter six ends with the question, "Who can stand?" Chapter seven answers the question with the 144,000. But who are they? Jews? All believers? Various interpretations are addressed.
The mercy of God understands our weakness, and meets us in our frailties; The sovereign magnificence of God fulfils his own purposes without adjustment or alternation – from beginning to end. In spite of all his excuses, Moses obeyed. God used him because he obeyed. Because the Lord is truly sovereign over all things, then the only reasonable response to his call on our lives is to trust him. It is his omnipotence that matters, not our incompetence.
Seal five on the scroll is opened by the Lamb and we see the souls under the altar asking, how long before they are avenged and justice is executed? This is followed by a seal six that previews the final judgment that will come after the last soul comes into the kingdom of God.
As Jesus opens the seals horsemen are released causing war, famine, and death. There are various interpretations, some of which are covered in the message. But we know the theme is that God oversees it all to judge the wicked and purify the believers lives. What we see as disaster is often God bringing His people home while judging the wicked. We are in a spiritual war!
The resurrection revealed a mystery that was hidden in God. God's plan was always to redeem the lost, but until the disciples saw the risen Lord, the plan was not fully understood. Many Jews even thought there was no afterlife. Jesus' resurrection not only proved that there was, but that faith in His death on our behalf was the way to eternal life.
The death and burial of Jesus are central events in Christian theology. Jesus was crucified and died on the cross. This act of burial was done in haste due to the approaching Sabbath, during which no work could be done. The accounts of Jesus's death and burial are found in all four canonical gospels, with each providing unique details to the narrative. These events set the stage for what is considered the cornerstone of Christian faith: the resurrection of Jesus.
Will there ever be justice in the earth? Will pain and suffering and heartache go on forever? Will the kingdom of God ever be established as an experiential reality on the earth? Revelation 4 introduced us to the throne room of God. Revelation 5 reveals the Victor who bring all these things to pass. All of creation comes together to praise the Lamb of God for the victory He is ushering in.
After the letters Jesus had John transcribe for the churches, John was caught up into the heavenly realm. There he saw what others in the Old Testament saw, the throne room of God. The descriptions are awe inspiring. The intent is to help us see that there is so much more than what we see on this earthly plane. From that realm God reigns supreme over the affairs of man. It is meant to have us lift our eyes from our earthly troubles and realize that the God who loves us is the focus of heaven and...
Confession and repentance are two essential aspects of the Christian life. Confession means admitting our sins to God and asking for His forgiveness. Repentance means turning away from our sins and changing our behavior to align with God's will. When we confess and repent, we receive God's grace and mercy, and we restore our relationship with Him. Confession and repentance also help us grow in holiness and maturity as followers of Christ.
The church of Laodicea was a very affluent city. The church enjoyed their physical prosperity to the extent that they had impoverished themselves spiritually. Wealth and comfort can be a hindrance to our spiritual life in Christ. We can rely on wealth instead of relying on God. We can become so focused on comfort that we avoid doing what we know the Spirit of God is directing us to do.
The church of Philadelphia was one of only two churches that did not receive a rebuke. They had a little power, and they kept the Lord's word and had not denied His name. They stood firm, refusing to compromise with the world. The Lord Jesus was setting before them an open door. To those who kept the word of patient endurance, Jesus' promised to keep them from the hour of trial. And to the conquerors, He gave the promise of making them pillar in the temple and to put His name on their foreheads.
The city where gold was once in abundance, home of Croesus and Aesop, had a church that had a reputation for being alive, but it was dead. God sees the heart. We can be mister perfect Christian on the outside but be an impatient, selfish brat at home when no one sees. That means all the praise of man for our good works is misplaced. But God is not fooled. Time to wake up!
Jesus' letter to the church of Thyatira starts off with a recognition of their love, faith, service, patient endurance, and how their good works are more than before, but from there it is all downhill. The fact that they tolerated a faction in the church approved of eating food offered to idols and fornication and even taught the deep things of Satan meant the elders were not guarding the flock. The Lord promised to deal with each according to their works. Our works come from our heart. It is a ...
The church in Pergamum had seen one of their brothers martyred. They stood their ground and held firm to the name of Jesus. But they had among them a faction that compromised with the Roman culture in a way that was ruining the testimony of the church. Find out how it applies to us today.
Smyrna was a beautiful city that was very much into emperor worship. It had a street called Golden with a temple to Zeus on one end and Cybele on the other. Christians were excluded from guilds because of their refusal to worship the gods. That meant they were in poverty but Jesus said they were rich. One of them, Antipas, was martyred for his faithful witness. What we see as wealth is shaped by our worldview. There was no reprimand, only a warning of more persecution to come and an encouragemen...
The first letter from Jesus to the churches in Asia Minor went to Ephesus. It was a large city of decadence because of the temple to Diana. The church had superstars of the faith that established it, and forty years later they were still doing lots of good works and careful to kick out false teachers. But they had lost their first love. It is a warning to all Christians who are faithful to walk the walk but who have forgotten the passion they once had for Jesus.
Our passage today includes John's description of the glorified Christ, and Jesus' own self-description. What an introduction to the seriousness of the letters and the prophecies that follow!
Revelation opens with a declaration that the Trinity is giving John a letter for the churches that were in Asia, which is now Turkey. Then God tells us He is the Alpha and Omega who was and is and is to come. He is declaring the letter is from Him, the timeless One. That means it is for the church of every age, preparing us to face the persecution that is inevitable, and to show us the grand conclusion is worth suffering with Christ.
James gives us step by step instructions on how to make agreements, what to do when we are sick, when we are happy, and when someone strays away from fellowship. The last is instruction is the very purpose of his letter.
Almost 300 years ago, Charles Wesley wrote the hymn, Hark, The Herold Angels Sing. The message and the poetry were thoroughly Biblical. This year's Christmas message is an explanation of what he penned so long ago.
When faced with those in the church who are not acting as they should, what are we to do? Life is often difficult and we expect the church to be a refuge. So how should we respond to ungodly behavior toward us? Those James was writing to were being abused by the wealthy, even to the point of fraud and what James calls murder. Hear his inspired instruction.
This sermon's passage is the harshest warning against the misuse of wealth in all of Scripture. Money is one of the chief, if not the chief, competitor for our affections. It promises security, comfort, enjoyment. So what is the balance of using it while keeping Jesus as our priority and source of satisfaction? Listen and take the challenge.
In this sermon, James is telling us of our tendency to do our own thing without considering God's will. We make plans and even arrogantly boast about them, when God had something much better for us to do. We act as if we control our lives when God has already planned every day before we were born. He has a better plan for our short lives than what we would naturally desire. But we must seek Him and acknowledge Him.
Submission and humility are not terms that our culture values, but the Bible tells us that they are essential to blessing and exaltation. In this brief but memorable passage, James confronts our insincerity and challenges us to be the people God can bless and exalt.
In a culture dominated by worldly pursuits, it is important that followers of Christ take time to consider the wonder of the eternal unseen blessings that are ours in Christ. In the message Counting My Blessings, Pastor Paul tells of the top ten things he is grateful for, all of which have an eternal value. The message challenges us to do this regularly.
