Category Archives: Judgement

Swallowed Up Death

He will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 25:8

As Easter (Resurrection) Sunday has just passed, it’s a great time to remind ourselves what Christ has accomplished for us. Jesus defeated death forever, and he rose as the eternal King of Kings , that will rule Gods kingdom where there will be no more pain, sorrow, tears, or death forever

So why is there still death today since Jesus defeated death over 2,000 years ago? Because God doesn’t want anyone to perish , but to come to repentance and accept Jesus Christ for salvation (2 Peter 3:9) The old broken world still continues today because God provides Free Will to all and doesn’t force himself on anyone.

However time will be running out for Satan and this sinful world. And when the day comes when Christ returns, time is up for the wicked. There will be a day, when God will restore his kingdom and The New Heavens and Earth come together, to complete paradise for all of us who are saved through Jesus Christ.

And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” Isaiah 25:9

There will be a day when we rejoice and say this is our God, Jesus Christ, whom we waited for to return and bring Heaven down with him. Without the work Christ did on the cross or in the tomb, the New Heavens and Earth would not be possible for us wretched sinners!

Thank you Lord Jesus for swallowing up death forever Amen!

Free Will

“If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. Matthew 18:13

Often Christians are criticized by non-believer for worshipping an “Angry God” that is wrathful and hateful, the reality is , it couldn’t be farther from the truth. As we look at this parable about how God rejoices over just one person repenting and coming to Christ

God loves us enough to not only forgive us for our sins and disobedience , but he was willingly to lay down his life for you, there is no greater love than what God displayed on the cross

“So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. Matthew 18:14

It is not Gods will for anyone to perish, it is our will that determines if we perish. Since the beginning of time, God has granted us “free will” that allows everyone to choose, good or evil, God or Satan, this is a choice everyone gets to make

However even after all God has demonstrated to us , some will still reject Christ and refuse to repent or change their ways. When you make your choice ,you must also be willing to accept your fate, which will be the Lake of Fire

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Many people mock at the delay of Christ return, however God is doing this purposely allowing people time to come to repentance. However God is just and eventually justice will be served!

Come to repentance , come to Christ, who is the only one who can redeem you of your sins and restore your soul in Jesus name Amen!

Revelation Chapter 1

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw–that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:1-2

Notice that this is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ”, this is not the Revelation from John or anyone else. The words in this prophetic book are from our Lord and Savior directly!

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near Revelation 1:3

What a message , “Blessed is the one who reads and hears the words of this prophecy!” This is why studying Revelation is so important as a Christian, to know no matter how out of control the world may seem, we still have victory in Jesus Christ!

John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, Revelation 1:4

Here we see Jesus is giving a message (letters) to seven individual churches in the province of Asia, why seven? Seven is the number of completion in the Bible, for example creation was completed on the seventh day. You will see the number seven used throughout the book of Revelation.

We notice the “Seven Spirits” also, this is reference to The Holy Spirit. We remember Paul describing the “Seven gifts of The Holy Spirit ” (1 Corinthians 12) , remember 7 is symbolic for completion. So at this moment we have the Father, Son , and Holy Spirit at the throne.

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

Here we see a couple key passages, first it confirms Jesus is the firstborn from the dead, meaning Jesus physically died during his crucifixion and was resurrected back to life. This is important because there are some groups who don’t believe in a physical resurrection.

Second it says “Jesus loves us” in present tense. This is the only place in the Bible where its stated in present tense. What a wonderful message!

and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father–to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. Revelation 1:6

Every translation has the same thing, we were all made to be priests to serve God. Not just your local pastor but every Christian. What the means is what Jesus commanded at the great commission ” Go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19) Share the gospel to everyone whenever you have a chance

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. Revelation 1:7

When Jesus Christ returns , there will be no mistake! Every eye in the world will see him. Some people falsely teach that Jesus already returned, No you will know when Christ returns

And “all peoples on earth” meaning unsaved “will mourn because of Christ”. It will be a horrible day for the unsaved as judgement is coming to everyone on Earth. This is why it’s important to be “Priests for God” to save as many people as possible through Christ

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8

Jesus is revealing his deity here, Alpha and Omega are the first and last words of the Greek alphabet, so Jesus is saying he is the beginning and the end (Isaiah 41:4) Meaning Jesus has always existed, he was not created as some false teachers preach

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Revelation 1:9

John is the author of Revelation , who was banished on the island of Patmos because of Christian persecution. Most are in agreement that this is the Apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of John and Epistles of John.

On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, Revelation 1:10

This is an important scripture here as John was writing this on “The Lords Day”, which is Sunday the day Jesus was resurrected. This confirms that “The Lords Day” was established and recognized by the first century church.

Those who oppose this view confuse “The Lords Day” with “Day of The Lord” which are totally different. “Day of The Lord” would be referencing Revelation 6:17 when Jesus Christ returns for judgement!

which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” Revelation 1:11

Remember earlier the number 7 is symbolic for completeness, so even though there are more than seven churches in the Asia Minor, Jesus will address only 7 to symbolize the complete “Body of Christ” hence these letters are relevant to all Christians just as all the other Epistles are.

I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. Revelation 1: 12-13

John is now about to come face to face with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. First he sees 7 golden lampstands, these can be described better as “Jewish Menorahs” As revealed later in the Chapter, the lampstands are symbolic for The Churches.

John begins describing Jesus appearance, Son of Man which was a common phrase for Christ (Matthew 24:30) which Jesus himself described himself fulfilling the prophecy of Daniel 7:13

The robe and golden sash are symbolic for Jesus authority and royalty as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords

The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. Revelation 1:14-15

Here we get some symbolic descriptions of who Jesus Christ is. The whiteness is symbolic for his holiness and purity, while his eyes are a blazing fire, meaning he has come to bring judgement upon the unrepentant sinners.

Bronze is symbolic for Gods judgement. His voice was so authoritative and intimidating sounds like rushing waters.

For those of you who haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, don’t delay any longer. I would not want to face the wrath of the King of Kings!

In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. Revelation 1:16

Here we see 7 stars in the right hand of Jesus, remember right hand is very symbolic in Jewish culture meaning “special place of honor or authority” as Jesus sat at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19)

Jesus is the living Word and Truth, everything he speaks is like a double edge sword as described in Hebrews 4:12, his truth cuts to the bone of sinners and scoffers, that’s why the Bible is so offensive to the ungodly

Jesus is The Light of The World (John 8:12) is holiness, truth , and righteousness radiate as the Glory of God

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. Revelation 1:17

Again Jesus reveals his deity , Jesus is omnipotent meaning he has no beginning or end ( Isaiah 41:4) Notice also when John fell to Jesus feet to worship him, Jesus did not rebuke him but acknowledged him

I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Revelation 1:18

Again Jesus confirms his bodily resurrection, as he confirms he was dead and now alive forever! This is important because if Christ didn’t die and be raised again, then we would have no hope for ourselves. As Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 15

Jesus holds the keys to death and Hades (grave) Jesus holds the only hope for our souls, only through him can we obtain eternal life

Hades typically means grave or realm of the dead. Its sometimes confused with Hell but has a totally different meaning

Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. Revelation 1:19

This is important to understand that some things in Revelation already happened, some things were happening right then, and many things are prophetic (will be happening in the future)

Remember Jesus said when he is coming “every eye will see him”, don’t fall for a lot of false prophets about the end of the world ect. When Christ comes you will know when the end is near!

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

Jesus reveals the symbolism of the 7 stars and 7 lampstands

7 Stars = Angels of the Churches

7 Lampstands = Churches

7 Churches = Body of Christ

7 Spirit = Holy Spirit

 

And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ Mark 7:6-7

I think one of the interesting things about Christianity, is Jesus came to abolish religion yet man made another religion out of his teachings.  The Pharisees were supposed to be experts of the scriptures, however they couldn’t even identify The Messiah right before their eyes.

See The Pharisees even though they loved God and the concept of  him, their hearts were far from God. Instead of them listening to the teachings of the Son of God, they judged him based on their manmade rules and opinions. They were hypocrites just as Isaiah prophesied they would be. They talked the talk but they didn’t walk the walk. Sadly we see many Christians doing the same thing today

And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ Matthew 22:38

Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. If the Pharisees really loved God they would have given Jesus a chance. Instead of condemning him because he ate with unclean hands, or scolding him because he healed the sick on the Sabbath. Or if they were truly seeking God then they would have recognized Jesus is The Messiah

But their hearts were far away from God even though they talked like holy people. Don’t allow your heart to wander from God, love him with all your heart, soul, and mind in Jesus Name Amen!

Days of Noah

But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark– you and your sons and your wife, and your sons’ wives with you. Genesis 6:18

Covenant – A contract between two parties

Throughout history God has made covenants with humanity.

  • The Covenant of Marriage (Genesis 2)
  • Covenant of Abraham (Israel) (Genesis 15)
  • The New Covenant of Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 31 , Luke 22)

In the days of Noah, when the world was full of wickedness and evil, God made a covenant with Noah and his family; through the ark he provided salvation for humanity. God made a promise to provide a way even though humanity didn’t deserve it.

While Noah showed obedience to God, the world mocked him. The world continued there sinful ways and didn’t repent or listen to Noah, because of there human pride, they all lost their lives.

“For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. Matthew 24:37

Just as God provided a means of salvation by a wooden ark, Jesus gave us salavation from a wooden cross. On the cross, Jesus said “It Is Finished”, establishing the “New Covenant” that provides us salvation from sin and death.

Just like in the “days of Noah”, Christians are being mocked and ignored. But just like the “Great Flood” the day of Judgement is coming. Your only hope for salvation is through  Christ, don’t be the wicked and foolish who rejected Gods salvation in Jesus Name Amen!

Fear God

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. Ecclesiastes 12:13

A person who doesn’t  “Fear God”, is the most dangerous person in the world. Because without the Fear of God there is no morality or love. With all the violence and blood shed happening around our country and world, the “Fear of God” needs to be brought back more than ever

Everyone is looking for a reason and a solution to all the madness happening in our society today. They want to blame it on guns, blame it on mental illness, blame it on our authorities, but the core of the issue is , with no respect or knowledge of God, there will be no cure.

We were all made in Gods image, we were taught by Jesus Christ  to “Love our Neighbor as ourselves” . But when society removes Jesus and tells our children that God doesn’t exist, then society starts to collapse. Where does our morality come from then? What is the purpose for the human race?

The Hebrew word for “Fear” is “Yirah” meaning “Awesomeness” or “Reverence” . When we “Fear God” we don’t react to him like a dictator, we stand back and look at the sky and the ocean, and stand in awe of his Creation. We stand in “Reverence” that even though we were sinners, Christ went to the cross and died for us out of love.

If we want to bring this country and world back, we need to bring us back to “Fear God”, to understand we are created in our Heavenly Fathers image, to know he counts every hair on our head, to know right from wrong, to know Christ has given us eternal life in Jesus Name Amen!

 

Are You Ready? #Eclipse2017

“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Matthew 24:42

Could the Great Eclipse be a sign of the Return of Christ? If Jesus came today would you be ready? Jesus clearly stated that nobody will know the day or hour of his return, however he did tell us to be ready for his return.

“There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, Luke 21:25

Jesus taught that God uses the heavens to give us signs, a giant billboard from Heaven. With all the attention and excitement generated for the Great Eclipse , could God be using this to get everyones attention? Even if Christ doesn’t return on Monday, their should still be a call to repentance. With all the violence and evil going on in this world, there is no better time than now to return to The Lord

“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ Matthew 7:23

If Jesus did return and you are standing face to face with the Holy One, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. What would he say to you? Would he say “Good work my faithful servant (Matthew 25:23) or will he say “Depart from me I never knew you! Lawlessness by Biblical definition is sin. Any sin is an act or rebellion against God.

Did you repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Time might be running out, you don’t want to be “Left Behind”, Jesus is your only way to salvation! Keep your lamps lit and eyes in the sky!

Stumbling Block

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. Romans 14:13

Are you a stumbling block for others coming to Christ? Jesus has called us to be his disciples and spread the gospel to all the nations  (Mark 18:15) however many times we often push people  away from Christ because they don’t fit into our perception of what a Christian should be or look like

We must remember that Jesus came to save the world (John 3:16), everyone who calls upon Jesus shall be saved (Romans 10:16), and though Christ we are all one (Galatians 3:28) So its important for us to set aside our own egos or perceptions of what a Christian should be and let the Holy Spirit guide them to the cross.

We must remember that judgement is not our (Matthew 7:1) when we condemn others we are condemning ourselves. (Luke 6:37) Jesus has been given all power and authority by God (Matthew 28:18) its our job to lead people to Christ, and it’s Christ job to be the ultimate judge.

Does that mean we should be accepting of blasphemy or evil? Absolutely not! The Word of God was given to us for teaching, training, correcting and rebuking (1 Timothy 3:16) Anyone who is filled with the Holy Spirit declares Jesus is Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3) Nobody who is filled with Demonic Spirits declares Jesus is Lord, therefor if a brother or sister is leading people to Christ, don’t be a stumbling block for them or thier ministry.  Remember we are all one body of Christ, there is only one God and one Heaven. Love your neighbor as you love yourself and you fulfilled the law of Christ(Galatians 5:14) in Jesus Name Amen

Know Your Enemy

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. Genesis 3:4

When tragedy strikes who do we blame? Many times when we suffer, we blame God. He is the first to get the blame for everything and usually the last to get thanks for anything. But what about Satan? Did he not tell us we will not die? Even though God warned us not to eat from the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:3) we ate it anyway and when the wages of our sin which is death comes upon us (Romans 6:23), we curse our Creator who warned us.

Know who your real enemy is , Satan, the thief that only comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) Your enemy the devil who prowls around like a lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8) But Jesus came to give life (John 10:10) so why don’t you follow him?

Jesus overcame on the cross and put all our enemies under his feet, including the last enemy to be destroyed which is death (1 Corinthians 15:26) Jesus is the resurrection (John 11:25) the living water (John 4:14)  the truth life and only way to God and eternal life (John 14:6)

So know your enemy , we are in a spiritual warfare for your soul put on the whole armor of God stand against the schemes on Satan (Ephesians 6) in Jesus Name Amen

Eye For Eye?

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. Matthew 5:38-39

With all the violence and hatred in the world today, how do we react? The normal human reaction is for us want an “Eye for Eye” but with this approach when does it end? Jesus taught us to “Turn the other cheek”, instead of answering violence with violence we should try to resist .

Obviously this is not easy and not very popular. Its natural for us to want to avenge our enemies, but the questions is when will it stop? So how as Christians can we apply these teachings Jesus wants us to follow?

Remember Jesus said we must first deny ourselves (Matthew 16:24) before we become a disciple, isn’t violence mostly about human ego and greed? If we truly are a Christian, we must not only Deny Ourselves but also Love our Enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28

One of the most powerful scriptures in the entire Bible is this one, Satan can threaten you with violence or even death, however we should not fear them. See God gives life and can take it away, he is the only one. Even if your physical body is dead, your soul will live as long as God says it will.

This is why Fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom and understanding, because our Heavenly Father, creator of the Heavens and Earth is truly in control. So resist violence, turn the other cheek in Jesus Name Amen