Free Will

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“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 Son of Man Revealed

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The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. v1-2

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! The author is clearly identified at the Apostle John, the same author of the gospel of John, and the Epistles of John.

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. v3

Interesting how God says “Its a blessing to study the book of Revelation, yet many won’t or don’t because they claim they can’t understand it!

Also notice “the time is near”, the Church has always believed in the imminent return of Christ

John, to the seven churches which 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, v4

Here we see Jesus is giving a message (letters) to 7 Churches in the province of Asia, why seven? 7 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. These messages are for the entire Church, past, present, and future

We notice the “Seven Spirits” also, this is reference to The Holy Spirit. We remember Paul describing the “Seven gifts of The Holy Spirit ” (Isaiah 11:2-3) , remember 7 is symbolic for completion. So at this moment we have the Father, Son , and Holy Spirit at the throne.

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; Isaiah 11:2-3

and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, v5

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.

And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence. Colossians 1:18

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 kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. v6

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

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. v7

This is a clear reference to Daniel 7 , which Jesus also revealed to the religious leaders in Matthew 24. Jesus is clearly revealing He is the Son of Man, God in the flesh, who will return to bring judgment upon the world. This is a reference to his 2nd Advent, the physical return of the Church and not the Rapture event of 1 Thessalonians 4

In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. Daniel 7:13

At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:13

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” v8

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

Who has performed this and carried it out, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD—the first and the last—I am He.” Isaiah 41:4

I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. v9

Here again, the Apostle John is identified as the author of this book. Also it reveals the location , on the island of Patmos, where John was banished by the Roman government for persecution.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, v10

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.

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight. Acts 20:7

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!

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

saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.” v11

Once again Jesus revealing His Deity, quoting Isaiah which is a reference to God

Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me. Isaiah 44:6

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.

Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. v12-13

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 and also Jesus is our High Priest, the fulfilment of the Levitical Priest line

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. Hebrews 4:14

His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; v14-15

This is the glorified Christ, this is not The Lamb who came during the First Advent, this is now the Lion of Judah, who rules and reigns. 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.

Again we see the comparison to the Son of Man in Daniel 7, Jesus Christ is the One the prophet Daniel has seen and foretold about

As I continued to watch, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. Daniel 7:9

He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. v16

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)

The stars symbolic of the messengers/angels of the Churches, notice all authority is in Christ

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

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

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

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. v17

What will you do when you meet Jesus face to face? You will fall on your face! The holiness of The Lord is overwhelming!

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

Thus says the LORD, the King and Redeemer of Israel, the LORD of Hosts: “I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God but Me. Isaiah 44:6

I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. v18

I AM He, This is a statement and title that Identifies Jesus as the Great I AM, God in the flesh. Christ has identified himself as the I AM 7 times in the gospel of John

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” Exodus 3:14

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. Notice death is the state and Hades is the location

Hades typically means grave or realm of the dead. Its sometimes confused with Hell but has a totally different meaning, Hell is referenced as the Lake of Fire later in Revelation

Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. v19

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)

The Preterist view of Revelation is highly unlikely, as many events need to still take place, including the physical return of Christ, the Millennial Reign, the binding and elimination of Satan, the battle of Armageddon, the restoration of Israel, the final judgment, and the New Heavens and Earth

The mystery of the seven stars which 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 which you saw are the seven churches v20

Jesus reveals the symbolism of the 7 stars and 7 lampstands

7 Stars = Angels/Messengers of the Churches

7 Lampstands = Churches

7 Churches = Body of Christ

7 Spirit = Holy Spirit

 

The Good Shepherd (Psalm 23)

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The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, he came for us the lost sheep to bring us home! Because of everything Jesus provided us on the cross, we have no need to want anything  from this world. God has given us the greatest gift, eternal life through Christ

He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. Psalm 23:2

Jesus is the Living Water, through him is peace and rest. Anyone living in turmoil, come to the living water and you will never thirst again and he shall give you rest

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Psalm 23:3

Jesus makes all things new, he restore and guides us to righteousness, The blind received sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised (Matthew 11:5) Through Christ we are made a new creature!

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

Jesus will never leave or forsake us, Greater is he living inside of me than he that is living in the world (1 John 4:4) The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter by Jesus, who will always abide with you. As you walk through this evil world, God is always with you, inside of you by the Holy Spirit

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows.
Jesus has prepared a table, come and sit down with our Savior. We were all enemies to God due to our disobedience until we repented and accepted Christ. Oil is symbolic for the Holy Spirit, that we are filled with when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:6

Jesus never promised an easy life but promised salvation in the end, what a promise that we can have peace and joy knowing we are redeemed! Jesus said “Gods House” has many rooms and he has prepared a place for us! We will dwell in the house of God forever through Christ!

Cut It Out!

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“If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. Matthew 18:8

Cut off your hand or foot! What is Jesus saying here? Often when Jesus spoke he got peoples attention. He knew how to make a point, so is Jesus instructing us to literally cut off our hands and feet? No of course not, its symbolic for cutting out our sin

Satan plants many stumbling blocks to trap us into sin, drugs, alcohol, pornography, greed, these are all stumbling blocks that cause us to lose our soul. Jesus is saying Cut Them Out! Cut out the temptations that are causing you to sin, for its better to live without the temporary pleasures of this world then spend an eternity condemned.

“If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. Matthew 18:9

Jesus goes on to say the same thing, whatever sin is causing you to stumble, Cut it out! Its better to suffer in this temporary world than to lose your eternal salvation with God. But many people continue to “live like there is no tomorrow” but for Christians there is always a tomorrow, as death is not the end but just the beginning!

Don’t lose your soul for temporary pleasures, Cut them out in Jesus Name Amen!

Who Do You Say I AM?

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He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Matthew 16:15

Who do you say Jesus is? This is what Jesus wants to know, he is not interested in what you heard from your pastor or what you read online, he wants to know what do you think? In your heart, mind, and soul who do you say Jesus is?

This is what Jesus asked his disciples, they began echoing thoughts and rumors they heard from around them. They said we heard you were John the Baptist resurrected, some were saying you are the prophet Jeremiah, others are saying you are the prophet Elijah, but Jesus doesn’t care about hearsay , he wants to know what do you really think!

Do you believe Jesus is just another prophet or do you believe Jesus is the Son of the living God? Doesn’t matter what your friends or family think , what do you think? When you have to stand before him face to face, who do you believe you will be looking at?

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:16-17

Finally Peter had the boldness to declare what is in his heart, he declared Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God. How could Peter have known this? Jesus never revealed this to Peter, all the rumors about Jesus were wrong.

It was revealed to Peter by the Holy Spirit, Peter maybe couldn’t explain it but he knew Jesus is the Messiah, God in the flesh. How do you say Jesus is in your heart?  Jesus doesn’t want to know what you were taught, he wants to know what is in your heart? Amen

Form Of God

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Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, Philippians 2:6

Jesus existed in the form of God, these are the words from the Apostle Paul inspired by The Holy Spirit. Here is a clear example of the teachings of how Jesus is God in the flesh. Its pretty clear what Paul is revealing to us, the more amazing thing is, even though Jesus was God in the flesh he denied himself to be a Suffering Servant and pay the ransom for our sins.

but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:7

Jesus emptied himself, meaning he denied all his power and authority , to become the sacrificial lamb. If people want to know why do I love Jesus so much, or talk about him so much, just read and understand what these scriptures are telling us. God loved you enough, to come down in human form, to save your life!

Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8

Jesus had a mission, to bring truth and save our souls. Was it an easy mission? The mission was so impossible that only God himself could accomplish it. The agony of thinking about his obedient death on the cross, made him sweat blood, but Christ did it for us anyway!

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, Philippians 2:9

There is no name above the name of Jesus! God in the flesh, who became the servant for you! Come to the cross and worship the name above all names Amen!