Friday, June 29, 2012

Faithful And True -Revelation 3:14

Revelation 3:14 ESV
14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

From the faithful and true witness is the word addressed to ones untrue and unfaithful. God brought forth creation saying "Let there be". The answer resounded in the word Amen or "Let It Be". Truly it unfolded and truly it was made, for it was uttered by the Great Amen. Just as He is the beginning and purpose of creation , so will creation find its end in Him. The word will not come back empty, but from it will flow a new and eternal creation.



2 Corinthians 1:20-21
For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us,

Deuteronomy 21:17
but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the son of the unloved, by giving him a double portion of all that he has, for he is the firstfruits of his strength. The right of the firstborn is his.

John 1:2-3
He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:18-20
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

John 18:37-38
Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world— to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.

Colossians 1:15-18
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Revelation 22:13
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Isaiah 55:4
Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.


Thursday, June 28, 2012

New Name -Revelation 3:12-13

Revelation 3:12-13 ESV
12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. ’

The name we receive is the name of the living God. It is His name that He alone knows. We trade our name, stained with impurity, for His name of righteousness and truth. We exchange our nature marred with sin for the beauty of His Holiness.
The word is His name, written on our hearts and filling our minds, the fullness of God present with us. He makes His home with us, the temple of the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ. We are the very stones of this new temple, leaving these temporary tabernacles of mortality for mansions of immortality.



Isaiah 62:1-5
1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

Ezekiel 48:35
The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”

Hebrews 13:14-15
For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

Psalms 27:4-5
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.

Jeremiah 1:18-19
And I, behold, I make you this day a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you.”

Psalms 48:8
As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God will establish forever.
Selah

Isaiah 65:15-16
You shall leave your name to my chosen for a curse,
and the Lord God will put you to death,
but his servants he will call by another name.
16 So that he who blesses himself in the land
shall bless himself by the God of truth,
and he who takes an oath in the land
shall swear by the God of truth;
because the former troubles are forgotten
and are hidden from my eyes.

Ephesians 3:14-19
Prayer for Spiritual Strength
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Hebrews 12:22-24
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Revelation 22:4
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

“Do you do well to be angry?”

Jonah 4:1-4 ESV
1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. 2 And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. 3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” 4 And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”

The Lord has mercy on many we might feel do not deserve mercy. His mercy has even come to us. It is easy for us to behave like the older brother of the prodigal son, displeased at the compassion and joy of the Father upon a son's return.
It helps to remember that none of us deserve anything from God other than judgement. Any soul turned to God is a worthy addition to God's household.

Let us pray for those we deem unlovely. May we seek the salvation of our enemies. At one time we were ignorant of God's love. Though we are loved by God, we love imperfectly. May we experience His love more richly as it moves within us and is poured out to others.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

You Have Received Mercy

Hosea 2:21-23 NASB
“It will come about in that day that I will respond,” declares the Lord.
“I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth,
22 And the earth will respond to the grain, to the new wine and to the oil,
And they will respond to Jezreel.
23 “I will sow her for Myself in the land.
I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion,
And I will say to those who were not My people,
‘You are My people! ’
And they will say, ‘ You are my God! ’”

1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Romans 9:25-26
As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved. ’”
26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God. ’”

And God will hear the groaning earth and the moans of longing that pass the lips of fallen man. He will open the door of heaven and sow the seed of a new harvest. He will cause living water to refresh the land and provide bread to sustain it. The new wine of the new covenant shall fill their cup and the oil of His Spirit will never run dry. All those who call on His name will be saved.

The wine has been poured. The bread has been broken. The Spirit has been given. He has done this marvelous thing in our sight.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

I Will Keep You -Revelation 3:10-11

Revelation 3:10-11ESV
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

We see here another instance of Jesus fulfilling a promise as a result of the action of the believer, here translated using the "because, I also" structure. Their keeping of His word reaps the promise of Jesus in keeping His word. They will reap what they sow. He will reap the harvest of His word.
Verse ten speaks of the coming trial that will be visited on those who are earth dwellers, a frequent term for non-believers. Whether we are present or not is not clear, but our safekeeping is confirmed. "I will keep you".
He encourages them to hold fast to the word in their lives. In doing so, the crown of life will remain secure on their heads.



John 17:6-7 Revelation 1:9
9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.

Keep - τηρέω [etym. complex] – 1. ‘maintain in a secure state’ – a. w. focus on personal interest or obligation keep Mk 7:9 v.l.; J 2:10 ; 17:11 f; 1 Cor 7:37 ; 2 Cor 11:9 ; Eph 4:3 ; 1 Ti 5:22 ; 2 Ti 4:7 ; 1 Pt 1:4 ; Jd 1 , 6 ; have on hand J 12:7 (CGEL)

Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Walk Together

Amos 3:1-3 ESV
1 Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel, against the whole family that I brought up out of the land of Egypt:
2 “You only have I known
of all the families of the earth;
therefore I will punish you
for all your iniquities.
3 “Do two walk together,
unless they have agreed to meet?

A reminder that the Lord disciplines those He loves. To him who has much, much is expected. If we take His name, we take on responsibility of that name. When we agree to become part of His household, we agree to live in that household.

Fortunately we do not have to guess what that life entails. We have the word. Unfortunately for those who disregard the word, there is less excuse for living outside the word.

Let us choose this day to walk with Him as best as we can with our understanding and our hearts given to Him.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Who Say -Revelation 3:9

Revelation 3:9 ESV
Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.

Everyone will bow before the Lord. If we are in the Lord, we will rule with Him. The world will know, they will learn the truth. People can say anything though not everything said is true, if you can accept that God is true. In the end His truth will become evident to all and will not be denied.
There is much to learn of His love for us. May our knowledge and experience of that love increase everyday.

A lie is the calling card of Satan, with hate and death following close behind.



Behold. ἰδού * idou * id-oo' *
This word implies more than see or look at something. It is a serious call to perceive and understand and have faith in what the Lord will do. This same word was used in the preceding verse. When the Lord says He will do something, it is as good as done.

ἀγαπάω * agapaō * ag-ap-ah'-o love. (CWS).
This same word is used for God's love for us and our love for Him. His love is characterized by grace, ours by obedience. It is the dynamic between Creator and man.



Isaiah 43:4-5
Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.


Isaiah 49:23
Kings shall be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.
With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you,
and lick the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
those who wait for me shall not be put to shame.”

John 17:23
I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

Romans 8:37-38
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,


Revelation 3:10-11
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.


John 17:6-8
“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8 For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

2 Timothy 2:12-13
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.

2 Peter 2:9
then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

Matthew 24:14
And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Revelation 17:8
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.

Revelation 22:20
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

We Are To Judge Angels

1 Corinthians 6:2-3 ESV
Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!

Paul condemns the church in Corinth for taking each other to court, asking how can this be when we are to be judging angels in the new creation? Paul seems to imply here that we will have authority over angels. We are told elsewhere we will sit on thrones, a royal priesthood. It does not appear as outlandish to say we will be superior to angels in some way. Not that we seek this, but it is part of our inheritance.

He Grew Proud

2 Chronicles 26:16-21 ESV
16 But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. 17 But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, 18 and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” 19 Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. 20 And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him. 21 And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king's household, governing the people of the land.

A sad story of a king who followed the Lord until he became strong in his own eyes. Then the weakness of flesh took over. When this was pointed out and was opposed, he became angry instead of repenting. The mark of his sin appeared on his forehead for all to see. He had placed himself before God. In his pride he lost his kingdom and life.

Lord, may You find us humble in your presence this day and everyday. Keep us rooted in your kingdom and our steps on your path. Amen.

Behold

Behold, this is the day the Lord has made. We are made for this day and for the Lord. Come and join with the great things He has done.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

The Flesh Of A Little Child

2 Kings 5:9-14 ESV
So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

God accomplishes His will in ways that often surprise us. He will move us to a place not of our choosing and work in ways that we find disagreeable, but then He told us His ways are not our ways. His purpose is carried out whether we are able to see it or not. We become clean only through obedience to His word.

Jesus said the kingdom belongs to those that become as a child. Humbling ourselves before Christ enables the shedding of the sin inherent in flesh. We become a child of God, no longer dominated by fallen flesh, but walking in His light.


Friday, June 22, 2012

We Will Also Reign

2 Timothy 2:11-13 ESV
The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.

The word "if" denotes our choice, our continuous choice of walking with Jesus. It is choosing and remembering Him, in obedience to His word.
This is the way of life eternal that is accomplished through death, by joining with Him in His death and resurrection. We now find life in Him, but it is life that will be fully realized when He comes again. We have life in the Spirit now, but we will receive resurrected bodies as well. God's plan for His
children will be complete.

There are numerous references in Scripture to our reigning with Christ. At the core of this understanding is that we are in Christ and filled with the same Spirit that descended upon Him at His baptism. We participate in that union of life in God, in communion with the Trinity via the Holy Spirit. It is that Spirit which will bring us to the throne of God. From there we will reign with Him.

One thing leads to another. Our sacrifice of self leads to life. Continuing in that life leads to our reign with Him.

An Open Door -Revelation 3:8

Revelation 3:8 ESV
“‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

Paul says in 2Corinthians, "When I am weak, I am strong". In our weakness we are able to more clearly experience the power and strength of our Savior. It is from that position and posture that we are more likely to know more of the depth of His love, to feel His arms around us, and to rely on His way and not ours. His strength then becomes ours. It is our need which begins to open our eyes to His grace and love. The church in this city has little power, yet it is overcoming the world. They are doing this by holding on to His word and His name. We recognize His voice and follow after Him as He leads the way. They demonstrate love for God in their obedience.
Jesus opened the door to life and these Philadelphians walked through that door into the very life of God. They have not grown faint in the face of persecution, but persevere. By persevering they flourish in their faith.

Able -δύναμαι * dunamai * doo'-nam-ahee * Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible: - be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, might, be possible, be of power. (CWS)
He is more than able.

λόγος * logos * log'-os. Word.(CWS) The Divine expression of God.
His manifestation in the world. When we keep His word, we too give expression of the Living God. When united with His Spirit we are joined within the fellowship of the Trinity. We are one with Him. This the word, the living word.


θύρα * thura * thoo'-rah. Door or gate.(CWS)
The same word Jesus used in speaking of His sheep. His sheep enter His pasture, or rest, through door He provides. Other sheep try to enter another way.


Acts 14:27
And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

1 Corinthians 16:8-9
But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

2 Corinthians 2:12-13
12 When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

Colossians 4:3-4
At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.

Job 12:14
If he tears down, none can rebuild;
if he shuts a man in, none can open.

Job 11:10-12
If he passes through and imprisons
and summons the court, who can turn him back?
11 For he knows worthless men;
when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
12 But a stupid man will get understanding
when a wild donkey's colt is born a man!

John 14:20-21
In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 15:20-23
Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master. ’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also.

John 17:6-7
“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7 Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you.

2 Timothy 4:7-8
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

He Will Abundantly Parden

Isaiah 55:6-9 ESV
“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Seeking God involves rising above our own thoughts, interests, and view. He is nearest when we distance ourselves from our ways and sit in His presence. This rising takes place as we are able to kneel at His feet.
There we find compassion and love. Though we can experience this through His Spirit and know this to be true, we will be unable to exhaust our understanding or fully plumb the depth of the riches of this unmerited gift.

Who Has The Key -Revelation 3:7

Revelation 3:7 ESV
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

He who has the key of David is the key that has opened the door to heaven. He is the key and has the keys of life. He has made a way where there was not a way. He is holy and true because He is from God and is God. To Him it is given to judge heaven and earth. He will do so with justice and all righteousness and will be merciful to all who seek His mercy.
Even the demons recognized Him, yet so many do not. Many share the position of demons in their rejection of the Holy One of God. In doing so, they will also share their end.



Revelation 6:10-11
They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Job 12:14
If he tears down, none can rebuild;
if he shuts a man in, none can open.

Matthew 16:19-20
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Mark 1:24
“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are— the Holy One of God.”

Isaiah 6:3
And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”

Psalms 16:10-11
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Isaiah 41:14-16
Fear not, you worm Jacob,
you men of Israel!
I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 47:4
Our Redeemer—the Lord of hosts is his name—
is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 48:17-18
Thus says the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you to profit,
who leads you in the way you should go.
18 Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments!
Then your peace would have been like a river,
and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;

Isaiah 49:7
Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nation,
the servant of rulers:
“Kings shall see and arise;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves;
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Acts 3:14-15
But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

Revelation 19:11-13
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

Revelation 20:1-3
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Book Of Life -Revelation 3:5-6

Revelation 3:5-6 ESV
The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

There is one book of life of life, just as there is one way to life. We do not get a sense here of "once saved, always saved", but the idea of enduring and persevering which constitutes the victorious life. This is not the "cheap grace" we see often see, but the ongoing and redeeming grace found in the living water of Christ. The roots of the tree finding this water run deep in the fertile ground of the manna from heaven.
The name of that person is spoken of twice in these two verses. The first says that name will never be removed from the book of life. If we clothe ourselves with the righteousness of Christ, we dress ourselves in robes of white instead of the stained rags we wore before. Next Jesus tells us that if we lift up our lives to Him, He will lift us up before our Father. If we acknowledge Him, He will acknowledge us before the throne of God and His angels.
How beautiful and wonderful it will be to hear our name on the lips of Jesus Who is the word of God and Son of the Most High, even God. May we hear a word from Him today, to each heart as needed. We are indeed a new creation for the new creation.


Daniel 12:1
1 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

Exodus 32:32-33
But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written.” 33 But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.

Luke 10:20
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Matthew 10:32-33
So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Revelation 20:15
And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 17:8
The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.

Malachi 3:17-18
“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Revelation 21:27
But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

Revelation 13:8-10
and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
10 If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Will Walk With Me -Revelation 3:4

Revelation 3:4 ESV
Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.

There are a few who have held close to Jesus. They will walk with Jesus after He returns because they walk with Him now. Their garments are clean as they walk in His purifying light. The oil of the Spirit is present in their lives. These are the sons and daughters of the resurrection. They will stand before God and not be afraid.

soiled - μολύνω * molunō * mol-oo'-no * Probably from G3189; to soil (figuratively): - defile. (CWS). The stains of this world can only washed from our garments by the blood of the L7amb.

white - λευκός * leukos * lyoo-kos' * From λύκη lukē ("light"); white: - white. (CWS). The white of our garments comes from our being with Him and will be whiter and brighter than anything we can produce. Just as the face of Moses glowed after spending time in the presence of God, so will we be clothed in the radiance of the Lord. Corruption will give way to incorruption, and mortality will be exchanged for immortality.

Ecclesiastes 9:8
Let your garments be always white. Let not oil be lacking on your head.

Luke 20:34-36
And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

Luke 21:36
But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Because

Psalms 91:14-16 ESV
“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Because we know the name through whom all must be saved and hold on to His name, we will live. We can rely on Him and find salvation.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Wake Up- Revelation 3:3

Revelation 3:3 ESV
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

We seem plagued in remembering. We are often consistent only in our inconsistency. What we receive from Christ can fade as we are weathered by the cares and toils of this life. If we have plenty, it is easy to forget our poverty before the Lord. That it is why Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom. Not long after being delivered out of Egypt, alone in the wilderness while Moses met with God, the people reverted to their old ways and crafted a golden calf and fell before it in worship. This they did after seeing the mighty hand of God reach out on their behalf.

The young man who fell asleep in a window as he listened to Paul and then fell out of the window to the ground below serves as an image of the danger of such slumber. Paul covered him with his own body and revived him. Jesus covers us when we repent and hold fast to His word. We will see him soon one way or another. The time of his coming is uncertain, as is the time of our passing, but there is no question of both happening. He will come or we will go. Those watching will not be caught off guard when He returns and will have oil in their lamps for the journey home.

Remember - μνημονεύω * mnēmoneuō * mnay-mon-yoo'-o * From a derivative of G3420; to exercise memory, that is, recollect(CWS).
Remembering is an ongoing activity, necessary in knowing who we are and what has been done on our behalf. It is an exercise of our faith which keeps us strong and growing in life.

Wake up - γρηγορεύω * grēgoreuō * gray-gor-yoo'-o * From G1453; to keep awake, that is, watch (literally or figuratively): - be vigilant, wake, (be) watch (-ful).
They began to slumber, to no longer watch for the Lord and attend to His word, but had become careless if not uncaring in following the Lord. They do not sleep resting in the Lord, but in some foreign pasture.

1 Thessalonians 5:2
For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

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

2 Timothy 1:13-14
Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

1 Thessalonians 5:2
For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

1 Timothy 6:20
O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,”

2 Timothy 1:13
Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:6-8
So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

Matthew 25:13
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Mark 13:36-37
lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Hebrews 2:1
1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Very Present

Psalms 46:1-3 ESV
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah

We encounter difficulties, obstacles, disappointments, and grief. It is part of life. We can enter into places that it seems there is no way out and there is no end in sight.

God is bigger than all these things. His love for us is the biggest thing we can consider and rely on. Though trials come our way, they will come and go, but He remains and is present forever.

Friday, June 15, 2012

You Are Dead -Revelation 3:1-2

Revelation 3:1-2
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.

Christ knows our works because of His intimate relationship and position in the church. Not only is He the Lord, He is the head of the living body of believers. We are ever before Him, with no hiding place. He can see through all pretense to the reality underneath. One's reputation is not important, but the reality of our heart is. It's that reality where we are judged. An outward deed is not complete in the eyes of the Lord unless it arises from a pure and loving heart. Though the leaves on a tree might appear to be green and vital, it is the fruit which reveals the truth. This tree of the church has grown hollow and the life of faith is fading in their midst. Fruit of the Spirit is hard to find.
The grace and patience of our Lord is displayed here. "Wake up" He says. Though they have erred, there is still time to turn around, return and live. It is because He loves us He does this.

Dead -νεκρός * nekros * nek-ros'(CWS). A corpse. They are the walking dead in the eyes of Christ. They breathe the air of the world, but are void of the breath of life.

πνεῦμα * pneuma * pnyoo'-mah * From G4154; a current of air, that is, breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, that is, (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) God, Christ's spirit, the Holy spirit: - ghost, life, spirit (-ual, -ually), mind.(CWS). I like the interpretation of the seven spirits of God as that "vital k,principle" of God. Christ represents God. He is the word spoken and is God. The seven spirits before the throne are possessed by Christ.


Revelation 1:4-5
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

Luke 15:24
For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. ’ And they began to celebrate.

Hebrews 12:5-6
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

Revelation 1:16
In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two- edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

Revelation 1:20
As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

John 3:34
For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

Revelation 1:20
As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Matthew 24:42-44
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matthew 23:28
So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Revelation 3:3
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Matthew 24:43-44
But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

The Morning Star -Revelation 2:28-29

Revelation 2:28-29 NIV
I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The morning star is Christ Himself. Those that walk in the light will enter the full light of His perfection. We shall be like Him. We are the light of the world because we carry Him in our hearts.
Let those that are able and willing understand these words.



1 John 3:2-3
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

2 Peter 1:19
And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

Luke 1:78-79
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Authority -Revelation 2:26-27

Revelation 2:26-27 NIV
To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations — 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’ —just as I have received authority from my Father.

Christ will share His authority with those who persevere in the faith. All authority and power is given to the Son by the Father, Who in turn shares it with those that likewise overcome the world to the end. The church is in view here, "the one who is victorious" by obeying God and following after Jesus.

We see in Luke 22:29-30 that we will sit on thrones and "judge the twelve tribes of Israel." The elders before the throne of God come to mind with their crowns and seated on thrones.


Psalms 2:7-9
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

Hebrews 3:6
but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.

Revelation 20:4
Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Jeremiah 19:10-11
“Then you shall break the flask in the sight of the men who go with you, 11 and shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: So will I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter's vessel, so that it can never be mended. Men shall bury in Topheth because there will be no place else to bury.

Revelation 19:15-16
From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

John 6:29
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Psalms 49:14
Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
death shall be their shepherd,
and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.

Luke 22:29-30
and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Deep Secrets -Revelation 2:24-25

Revelation 2:24-25 NIV
Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so- called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come. ’

The Spirit teaches the deep things of God, for He is the Spirit of God. The deep secrets of Satan originate from the bottomless pit which serves as his home. He searches the earth for those he can deceive into joining his fate. Taking hold of teaching other than what God teaches will have the same effect as Eve reaching for the forbidden fruit. It will result in death. It is crucial to study Scripture and verify what anyone says to be truth, for Satan masquerades as an angel of light when he is in fact the prince of darkness. There are many like him in his dance company that will hold out the hand of deception.


1 Corinthians 2:9-11
However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived” —
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

Acts 15:28-29
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:
29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.

2 Corinthians 11:3-4
But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

Ephesians 6:11-12
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Before The Foundation


Revelation 13:8-10 ESV
and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
10 If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.


This does not say that we have no choice, but that God knew the end from the beginning. Just as it is written that Christ was slain before the foundation of the world, He in fact did come, was tempted, crucified, and was resurrected much later in that very creation. God seeing this before it happened does not take anything away from it happening.

The sword of truth and justice is active and His word will prevail. Those who return to the Garden will be allowed to pass by the angel wielding the sword at its entrance.

Those not choosing the freedom in Christ will remain captive to death and will be slain.

I Will Repay -Revelation 2:23

Revelation 2:23 NIV
I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Justifying ourselves to others, or even to ourselves, is an empty exercise of futility before God. It is God Who justifies and judges. Our lives are open before Him and we are transparent before His eyes.

Her children will experience the second death. The good die but once and will not perish.

Psalms 62:11-12
One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,
12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”

Jeremiah 17:10
“I the Lord search the heart
and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
according to what their deeds deserve.”

Psalms 139:1-3
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

Luke 16:15
He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

Proverbs 21:2
A person may think their own ways are right,
but the Lord weighs the heart.

1 Chronicles 28:9
“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.

Luke 13:2-5
Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? 3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. 4 Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

John 2:24-25
But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Revelation 2:11
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Monday, June 11, 2012

By Another way

1 Kings 13:7-10 NIV
And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” 8 And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came. ’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.

The prophet came to the king to deliver God's message. He was instructed not to partake of anything offered by that king then leave by another way to return.

The wise men, after finding Jesus, returned home by another way.

The Spirit usually leads by another way. God has provided that way.

Unless -Revelation 2:22

Revelation 2:22 NIV
So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.

There is a consequence for intercourse with the world. It is a bed that seems pleasant at first, but it will end badly. There is no hope for the hopeless sinner. Our only hope lies in our faith in Jesus. His love has provided the "unless" in this verse. His grace allows a return home. It is a turning back to God. The door to life is open. You don't even need to knock.

Revelation 17:1-2
1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”

Revelation 18:3
For all the nations have drunk
the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”

Ezekiel 23:28-30
“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. 29 They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity 30 have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols.

Ezekiel 23:45
But righteous judges will sentence them to the punishment of women who commit adultery and shed blood, because they are adulterous and blood is on their hands.

Jeremiah 36:3
Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”

Ezekiel 33:11-12
Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel? ’
12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous. ’

Luke 13:3
I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

2 Timothy 2:25-26
Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

The Work Of God

Ecclesiastes 11:5 ESV
As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

There are many things we don't understand and appreciate in this splendid creation before us. God has done and is doing wonderful things, of which we only know in part, a small part. This all pales when we consider what is coming. The wonder of a new creation and the children of God at last revealed will coincide with our knowing in full. Then we will understand and take joy in praise of His glory.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

She Is Unwilling -Revelation 2:21

Revelation 2:21 NIV
I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.

We all have been given time we don't deserve. Time that we might live, learn, and find God. He is willing to grant us life, but we must be willing to repent. It is the will of God to extend His mercy. Our will determines if we receive it.


Romans 2:4-5
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Romans 2:5-6
But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”

2 Peter 3:15
Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

Romans 9:22-24
What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory — 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Jeremiah 8:5-7
Why then have these people turned away?
Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;
they refuse to return.
6 I have listened attentively,
but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent of their wickedness,
saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course
like a horse charging into battle.
7 Even the stork in the sky
knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know
the requirements of the Lord.

Who Can Tell Him?

Ecclesiastes 10:12-14 ESV
The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor,
but the lips of a fool consume him.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
and the end of his talk is evil madness.
14 A fool multiplies words,
though no man knows what is to be,
and who can tell him what will be after him?

The wise man is only wise and wins the favor of the Lord when his words align with the word of God.

The foolish man is satisfied with his own counsel and is not open to the truth, for he has his own. Who can tell him?

Friday, June 8, 2012

She Misleads -Revelation 2:20

Revelation 2:20 NIV
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.

While there may have been a woman by this name in the congregation, without a doubt she symbolizes the pagan world and things contrary to God. The same spirit is present today and active in the world and our congregations. Seductive and deceptive words can weave notions appealing to our natures of flesh. This has ever been Satan's strategy for our death.

Recent surveys reveal that the beliefs within the walls of our churches differ little from those outside those walls. Many will say there is more than one way to God. They are either unfamiliar with the word of God, or dismiss it as incorrect and unenlightened. While this does not reflect the true church, it can serve as a stumbling block for those seeking the truth or those who are weak in faith. It is one thing to rebel against the Lord, but quite another to bring others down with you. Their blood will be on your hands.

We are to be a holy and distinct people. How else can we be the light and salt of the world?


1 Kings 16:31
And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.

1 Kings 21:7
And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

2 Kings 9:7-10
And you shall strike down the house of Ahab your master, so that I may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord. 8 For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 9 And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah. 10 And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and none shall bury her.” Then he opened the door and fled.

Exodus 34:15-16
lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods.

Acts 15:27-28
We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:

1 Corinthians 10:18-21
Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

1 Corinthians 10:28-31
But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29 I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? 30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

A Time

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NIV
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

We were born for such a time as this. Nothing is truer than the passing of time and that our time will end. The question becomes what will we do with the time we have?

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Chasing The Wind

Ecclesiastes 1:12-17 NIV
12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;
what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

Notice his attention and energy was focused on those things "under heaven" , or the world. If God is left out, all is vanity and in vain. Solomon had everything the world could offer, yet his life was empty without the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is a gift from God. Without this gift, we are not able to know God. Like the wind which we can't see coming or going, it moves around us beyond our grasp and understanding.
Attempts to find the wisdom of God on our own is like chasing the wind, or a dog chasing after its own tail.

I Chose To Put My Name

1 Kings 11:34-36 NIV
“‘But I will not take the whole kingdom out of Solomon’s hand; I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of David my servant, whom I chose and who obeyed my commands and decrees. 35 I will take the kingdom from his son’s hands and give you ten tribes. 36 I will give one tribe to his son so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put my Name.

Solomon, for all his wisdom, disobeyed God and did not repent. He loved foreign women and provided for their idols.

God repays Solomon for his unrighteousness, but ensures that His word and promise will endure. The light of Jerusalem remains, dimly now, but still the city of God. When the Jesus returns He will sit on David's throne and rule with justice,truth and all wisdom.

Love And Faith -Revelation 2:19

Revelation 2:19 NIV
I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

Love and faith are the hallmarks and the seal of the believer, and is an ongoing work made possible by the presence of the Holy Spirit. It pleases the Lord as our life in Him increases and grows, for life is not static but moves in some direction. Our charge is maintaining a direction toward God.


Job 17:9
Yet the righteous holds to his way,
and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger.

Psalms 92:14-15
They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
15 to declare that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Proverbs 4:18-19
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.

John 15:2-4
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

2 Peter 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Colossians 3:14-15
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

1 Thessalonians 3:6
Timothy's Encouraging Report
6 But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you—

2 Thessalonians 1:3-4
Thanksgiving
3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

1 Timothy 1:5-6
The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion,

2 Peter 1:6-8
and knowledge with self- control, and self- control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Son Of God -Revelation 2:18

Revelation 2:18 NIV
18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

Identified as the Son of God by John, confirmed by God after the Holy Spirit settled on him at his baptism, then resurrected by that same Holy Spirit, Christ himself confirms the title here. He is the Son of God.

His eyes blazing like fire remind us of the light and purity of God. There is nothing hidden before His eyes, for they penetrate the darkest of places. Just as fire is used in refining bronze, so is the gaze of these eyes on our hearts.

The bronze feet may symbolize the refining work of Jesus as he walked on the earth. He became like one of us and yet overcame the world. From the elements of our humanity, Christ was refined and resurrected into perfection.

Those in Thyatira would be familiar with bronze making as they had a bronze guild in their town. They would understand the process involved in this metaphor.


Daniel 10:4-6
On the twenty- fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river ( that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.

Revelation 1:14-15
The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.

Matthew 3:16-17
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 27:54
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

John 10:36-38
do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

John 3:35-36
The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Psalms 2:7-9
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Hidden Manna -Revelation 2:17

Revelation 2:17 NIV
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.

Jesus said He was the bread of heaven. He is hidden now until He comes again. We partake of that hidden manna today in the form of the Holy Spirit. When He is revealed, so will we.

A white stone was given to victorious athletes for admission to victory banquets in Roman days. Jesus will give us access to His banquet table and we will celebrate with him.

The new name could have something to do with being a unique and distinct child of God. Perhaps it is this name we receive as we are reborn into the kingdom of heaven and is written in the book of life.

Adam named all the creatures on earth. Jesus will do the same for those who believe.


Psalms 78:24-25
and he rained down on them manna to eat
and gave them the grain of heaven.
25 Man ate of the bread of the angels;
he sent them food in abundance.


John 6:49-51
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Isaiah 56:5
I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.

Isaiah 62:2
The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.

Revelation 19:12-13
His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

Revelation 3:12
The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.

If We Do

God told Abram to go and he went.
God blessed him for his faith.
Jesus calls us to come.
If we do, we are blessed.

Our response to God determines our destiny.

Grow Closer

We can grow closer to God only because He came near. Because we have been reborn, we can grow. Jesus makes this possible and, working with our faith, produces fruit that is in keeping with His word.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Sword Of My Mouth -Revelation 2:16

Revelation 2:16 NIV
Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.


The sword of His mouth has two edges. It can cut in two directions. His breath can give life or give power to words of judgment. From His mouth come words of comfort and rest for those who repent. Refusing to listen will bring its own consequence.

Numbers 31:16
Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the Lord.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10
Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
We are reminded again we are in the last days, for "soon" He is coming. God's time is different from our own sense of time, for our time is part of creation and is outside creation. There is a day that is "fixed", just as there was a day for Christ to be born. Just as He was predestined for resurrection.

Revelation 1:16
In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two- edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

Revelation 22:7
“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Acts 17:30-s31
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Isaiah 11:4
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Ephesians 6:17
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

Revelation 19:15
From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

Nicolaitans -Revelation 2:15

Revelation 2:15 NIV
Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

We have little information as to this teaching of the Nicolaitans. We do know it was hated by Jesus and contrary to the gospel. Yet some in the church had embraced this teaching. We must be careful and sensitive to the word and Spirit to ensure our walk remains on the path to God. Being careless or foolish can cause us to step off the path of life and we can end up where we might not want to be.

Revelation 2:6-7
Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

To Entice -Revelation 2:14

Revelation 2:14
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.

It was not the food itself that was the problem, but how it was being used that was the problem. It is not the body or sex that is the problem, but the misuse and abuse of this gift from God. God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply, and it was good.

The serpent enticed Adam and Eve to disobey God in the Garden. Their sin was not in the temptation, but their decision to act on that impulse aroused by temptation. The bedrock of that impulse is the gravity of self which draws us down to the mire of the earth and away from the life above.

In the Matthew verse below we are told that "it is necessary that that temptations come". This is in harmony with the the existence of the forbidden tree in the Garden. Among the good and pleasant things of the earth, God provided choice. It may seem out of place at first to find the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden. Why was it there?

Remember that God created everything and it was good. The good of this tree was that it enabled our choosing of God, which enabled our loving response to our loving Father. It became bad when only when man did not choose God and ate of the fruit of this forbidden tree. Love is demonstrated by our obedience to His word.

Jesus faced temptation in the wilderness, but He did not eat of its fruit. He did what Adam was not able to do, and because of that, we ourselves now have the choice to eat from the tree of life. We walk in the wilderness of this world and forbidden fruit is all around us, but if we choose Jesus we are able to share in His victory over the world.


Matthew 18:7
Temptations to Sin
7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!

Numbers 25:1-2
1 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

Numbers 31:16
Behold, these, on Balaam's advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.

2 Peter 2:15-16
Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

1 Corinthians 10:20-22
No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

1 Corinthians 6:13-15
“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!

And Rises Again

Proverbs 24:16 ESV
for the righteous falls seven times and rises again,
but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

Everyone falls, but it is the righteous that gets up again. A heart turned toward God in repentance is able to take hold of the hand of grace and get back on his feet.

Most Precious Possession

Proverbs 22:1 ESV
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.

There is one name by which all must be saved. It is His favor we seek and is the most precious possession.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

This Is The Testimony

1 John 5:11-12 NIV
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

An undiluted statement of either-or, of there being one path to life.