On this last day of our forty day journey we find that there is a lot of chaos going on.  Blasphemy, idolatry, prostitution, retribution, blood, astonishment, thunder, lightening, and many voices speaking all coincide amidst a confused society. 

            Sometimes it seems like everybody is doing the same thing.  Sometimes in life we do things in accordance to everybody else – everybody cheats on their spouse so we cheat on our spouse; everybody steals so we steal, and everybody lies so we lie.  But our prescribed text today in the midst of all the judgment, all the plagues, all the disdain, and all the unrighteousness, you find those who have not accepted the mark of the beast on their forehead or hands.  They have displayed their faith, refused to be cowards and endured to the end and they were blessed – Can you endure? Is your name going to appear in the Lamb’s book of life?  If the Lord will give to us according to what we have done, so what will you receive?           

Jesus says, surely I am coming soon. Is your testimony: So be it, Come, Lord Jesus?

Woe, Woe, Woe to the inhabitants of the earth who do not have the seal of God on their forehead…            

What is the seal of God? 

Sometimes the doing work of God is like eating a morsel of honey, but once you are done you get a bitter feeling in your stomach because there is so much work left to do.  The bitterness should be enough to make you want to continuously do the sweet work of God.

Doing the work of God, however is not always easy, for the devil is hot on your hills, breathing fire on your neck, reminding you of the bitterness you receive after the taste of honey – The devil will always find the bad in all situations and try to get you to continuously focus on that in order to prohibit you from worshiping God. 

Here is a call for endurance and faith of the saints – you should not have the number 666 on your forehead but a stamp of Faith, Strength, and Endurance – the seal of God

For the Time is Near!!!

Has God’s presence ever overcome you to the point where you felt God has spoken to you?  Has God ever shown you a sign of confirmation?  Can you tell when something is wrong?  Can you tell what does not have God’s seal of approval on it? Can you tell when God’s hand is in something and when God’s hand is absent? 

            I believe John was answering all these questions about the churches of his time.  John describes many things about the churches.  Most of things John reported were bad – immorality, worship of idols, having potential but not living up to it, having what it takes to bring people to Christ but dead – not working; yet some of the reports were good.  The smallest church with the least power received a good report because they have endured and were using all that they had to glorify the Lord.

            Many people avoid reading or even looking at Revelation, because it is supposedly an account of the end of time which is not far-fetched and even sounds just like the times we are in.  Constantly you see those who have ears listen – so why do we avoid Revelation?

            Maybe this is an insert in the Good Book to help us further know and to confirm what we should be doing here in what sometimes seems like a hellish environment.  Maybe we should start standing up and endure until God says well done.  Maybe if we constantly had the words: “holy, holy, holy, the Lord almighty” in our mouth regardless of our situation we might prosper spiritually and be physically better off.  Maybe if we all fell down and worshiped Jesus, and offered our greatest possessions to Jesus, he might open up our scrolls and let us know what it is we should be doing to fulfill the will of God – which will allow us to obtain our greatest happiness.

We have so much good (gifts, talents, unknown abilities) in us for Jesus is with us, but until we acknowledge Jesus and Jesus’ power, Jesus cannot remove the seal of these blessings because we will not use them effectively nor use them to the honor of the Lord our God.   For people think that they can pinpoint who is good, who can do what, who will be saved, what will happen to those who do good or righteous and what will happen to those who ignore the Lord – but the fact remains that God is all knowing, all-powerful, and in Control and the Lord will be our guide and lead us to the springs of the water of life, wiping away all our tears of struggle, frustration, strife, bereavement, anger, and loneliness. 

The Time Is Near For Us To Acknowledge Who Is In Control

IF SIN IS INESCAPABLE, JESUS MUST BE AN INESCAPABLE NECESSITY           

Yes, I believe the saying is somewhat correct that you are a product of your environment, and we are all products of this worldly environment full of sin.  If every person gave in to their environment, however, the oppressive nooses and traps set by our capitalistic society would certainly leave many piled up in a stack of uselessness.  If it is not possible to escape your environment, we would not have the celebrity, community, and rags-to-riches success stories.  We do not have to give in to sin or our worldly environment because we know Jesus, because we are children of God and we shall be like God, because Jesus died for our sins, because we can stand firm in the hope that we can try to be sinless just as Jesus, because we have the Perfect Example of how to live-JESUS

Do not let sin keep you from doing what pleases the Lord – all we have to do is believe in Jesus the Son of God and love one another unconditionally – live in Jesus by the Spirit for Jesus is in all of us because Jesus knows that we need a little help in this wicked, sinful environment.

Jesus is in us, therefore, Jesus hears us and if we believe in Jesus we know that we will have eternal life just as Jesus.  So if you believe that, you should have undying confidence that if we ask anything according to God’s will, we can be assured that the Lord hears us.

Eternal Life – means life that does not decease – which means despite what you are going through…life goes on – despite your circumstances…life goes on – despite your pile of bills…life goes on – despite your little sickness, ailments and pains…life goes on – despite your broken heart…life goes on – despite your inability to fathom what God is going to do next…life goes on – and life goes on regardless of what people may try to do to you, but if you stand firm faithfully believing in Jesus you know that as life goes on it only gets better …Your testimony will begin to resemble a song by Alicia Keys:

“You and me together, through the days and nights, I don’t worry cause everything’s gonna be alright. People keep talking they can say what they like but all I know is that everything’s gonna be alright” 

“NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING, AND TO MAKE YOU STAND WITHOUT BLEMISH IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS GLORY WITH REJOICING, TO THE ONLY GOD OUR SAVIOR, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, BE GLORY, MAJESTY , POWER, AND AUTHORITY, BEFORE ALL TIME AND NOW AND FOREVER. AMEN”

In this  you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith – being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire…

            In this… what is THIS?  THIS (in the verse above) is the faith we should have as a result of Jesus dying on the Cross for us.

                        In this…

·        We should prepare our minds for action

·        Discipline ourselves

·        Be compassionate

·        Be humble

·        Not repay evil with evil

·        Long for the pure, spiritual milk

Jesus suffered as well, but our prescribed text tells us – “for it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil.  For CHRIST also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to GOD.”

Peter, who wants all to know that he is giving an eye witness account of Jesus not myths and creative stories, is trying to tell us to accept suffering and count it all joy for just like the rather new R&B/rap song by Fabulous/Neyo – Suffering in the name of Jesus Christ – YOU MAKE ME BETTER!!!

For the struggle is only as good as long as you continue to endure but once you begin your struggle and then revert back to your old ways you have now become worse than when you began.

How long when you have to suffer?

            The text says a day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day – but if you suffer for one day how much better will it be to reap you blessing for multiple days – thousands of years…

Because we are still yet sinners, we cause much suffering for ourselves. How much better would it be, however, if we stop deceiving ourselves, become truthful, and confess our sins while walking in the light as Jesus did?  For if we confess our sins The Lord who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  When that happens our struggle will not be in vein…

FAITH…            Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen – Hebrews 11:1

            By Faith…

            BY Faith…

            BY FAITH…

We hear of all these people doing great things by faith.  It would not be said things were done by faith if the people who did these great things knew the outcome, but they did these things out of hope and expectation.

Hope is an expectation…so the beginning verse may read “Now FAITH is the assurance of things expected… But how can you expect or hope for things you know nothing of… How can you expect the blessings and promises of God if you do not know the things promised to you?

             Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing – James 1:2-4             Every night when we get down on our needs and pray for strength, we should realize that it is our faith that is being strengthened through our trials and tribulations – so that when you receive God’s grace and mercy and make it through your struggle your testimony may be as it was all the way through – I’m stronger, I’m wiser, I’m Better SOOO much BETTER!!!

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control.  As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little was made lower than the angels, now crowned with Glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered he is able to help those who are being tested. Consequently Jesus is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what was promised.  For yet “in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay; but my righteous one will live by faith.  My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back.”  But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and are so saved. 

These four verses of Hebrews speak for themselves – Jesus has taken our place in everything and therefore leaving us no excuse to approach anything with a cowardice attitude allowing us to approach everything with faith

For God did not give us a spirit of fear or cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline Share and endure in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 

These are the two verses that really stuck out to me while listening.  We all go through many trials and tribulations but how do we approach them.  Do we approach suffering timidly, grudgingly, hesitantly, or with fear?  As humans, it is simply our nature and we cannot help but to agree with at least one of the latter as to how we approach our trials and tribulations.  Why is that though if God did not give us a spirit of fear?  Is it that we think God will just give us our blessings with out us doing work?  Are we afraid of work? Are we afraid of failure?  What is it?

The difference is as big as night and dayGood things happen in the lightBad things happen in the dark

• The things you do not want others to know about you, you do in the dark – behind closed doors, behind people’s backs – in the dark where people cannot see.
• The things you are proud of and that you know God would be pleased with, you do these things in light so that you may be looked upon righteously
  • When will the day come that we will be shining lights that have no need to hide anything in the dark?

For if you dwell in the dark it will be easy to be fooled by dim light and light that is not true…

            Is your faith ship wrecked? Are you lost in the dark on a ship being tossed and turned being torn apart in the rocky waves that are knocking you off your path and a current taking you away from where you want to go? Are you looking for some light in your situations or life? Do you need a lighthouse to get you on the right track?

            Our prescribed text tells us once again that there is only one God and there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human who gave himself a ransom for all.   Jesus Christ is our Lighthouse.  If you look for Jesus, you can find your way out of many situations…

DO NOT LET YOURSELF BECOME A YOKE OF SLAVERY

            Do not grow weary of doing good and what is right in the sight of the Lord for if you hold on long enough there will be a harvest for you to reap

            You can work diligently knowing that we are all heirs of Jesus Christ – for this reason, you should not allow yourself to become a yoke of slavery – you can do all things through Jesus Christ the Savior

            This is probably why we find Paul saying, pleading, begging, urging and proclaiming all to “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.”  The hard thing about the latter is many of us have not focused our attention on our callings but rather on how to survive in our worldly environment – sometimes unaware of our submission to the yoke of slavery.

            It is easy to become a slave to:

·        Money

·        Sex and Lust

·        Your Job

·        Society

·        Debt

·        Luxuries

·        Being an Idolater

But if you put on the Full armor of God you can combat and shrug of all yokes standing firm on the days of evil.  Paul is not trying to scare us into doing right by having us believe that we have to live a straight and narrow walk but he wants us to dive head first in to our duty of being a 5 star Christian.  Do not be afraid for if you are not willing to die then you are not ready to live.

FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO BELIEVE IN JESUS COMES WITH THE PRIVILEGE TO STRUGGLE WITH CHRIST…