Heaven is imagined to be many different things by many different people, yet scripture guarantees the glory of heaven is worship of the LORD forever. Scripture also describes heaven as Holy. Christ Jesus IS the only way we will live to worship God in heaven forever.
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:14
Matthew 10:11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you.
IF anyone will not listen.. Shake off the dust of your feet when you leave that house.. It will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah. + “Jesus – Matthew 10:14-15
35 For I have come to set a man against his…
… nearest and most beloved family members.
Rejection! Rejection by loved ones for taking up your cross…
His Cross… and His reward.
36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.
41 The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.
10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves…
Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you…
10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say,
11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’
16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
The Light in You
Luke 11:33 “No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light…
35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.”
Acknowledge Christ Before Men
Luke 12:8 “And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, 9 but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
You Must Be Ready
35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.
Not Peace, but Division
49 “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!
50 I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! 51 Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52 For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.
Repent or Perish
Luke 13: There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
The Narrow Door
22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”
And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’
26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’
27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…
Temptations to Sin
Luke 17: And he said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. 3 Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, 4 and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man.27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.
28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,
29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all
— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.
The Death of Jesus
Luke 23:44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus,calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
Luke 24: Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them,“Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit…
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things…
The Ascension
50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.
The Risen King has sent them out…
It will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah
A servant of the Lord comes to you. He needs a room. He needs work. He needs food. He asks for your love and friendship. And he shares Christ Jesus, his Lord with you.
He invites you to be part of His family and fellowship of lasting true love.
you will pour forth great gratitude for God’s grace
and the cross of Christ.
Revelation 18: For your merchants were the greatest in the world,
and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
24 In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people
and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”
So warns Christ’s Revelation to John of Babylon, a home for demons – the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit. Even Ezekiel had warned Jerusalem of these same evils (perhaps appropriate warning to a 21st c. church).
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Disclaimer & Caution
Researching the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John reconfirms a need for a note of caution to the reader.
MUCH false teaching, speculative interpretation and agenda-driven preaching will easily mislead and confuse most believers, except believers well-versed scripturally in apologetics. Perhaps one of the greatest dangers is to accept an interpretation of just one man on the many important symbols John presents in Revelation – especially in the following chapters.
May I suggest that you take my interpretation of scripture (or anyone’s interpretation) under consideration of:
the Holy Spirit
Scripture (including, possibly root meanings of the Greek or Hebrew)
prayerful consideration of application to your life and those in your life
Roger Harned
Central
to the Judgment of Christ Jesus
in the Apocalypse of John.
Revelation is misunderstood and much misrepresented. Will the deception of these last days not increase with the pervasiveness of sin?
BABYLON, the Harlot Queen,
sits upon the scarlet beast –
Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.
SIN is pervasive!
Revelation begins with warning to the churches. Should the churches of these last days not heed the warnings of a time so near?
The Apostle John describes Heavenly visions (none of which I will describe today):
The Scroll and Seven Seals (ch. 4-7)
Seven Angels with Seven Trumpets (ch. 8-11)
Seven Symbolic Histories (ch. 12-14)
Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath (ch. 15-16)
All of this leads up to the drama of punishment, with its great symbolism. All of Revelation leads to a drama:
CENTERED ON EVIL vs. GOOD
SATAN vs. CHRIST JESUS.
Though the FINAL BATTLE does not take place until Revelation 19, the familiar opponents of God confront the believer and unbeliever alike with the great symbolism of Revelation 17 and 18. What Jesus reveals is what our Lord has always revealed to those with ears to hear.
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.
11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
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…
23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.
24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Do NOT be deceived:
1 Corinthians 6:9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality {note: The two Greek terms translated by this phrase refer to the passive and active partners in consensual homosexual acts.}
2 Timothy 2:12-13 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
1 John 2:26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
Do you with ears to hear understand how the world is being deceived?
Heed the warning of the punishment for those who partake of the sorcery of the Harlot:
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, G5332 and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Let us continue to proclaim Christ crucified; for He IS and He will return in victory over Satan, the Harlot, and all the armies of evil which surround the believer every day.
We have Great Grace in Christ Jesus and His Blood of the Cross, where by His death and resurrection we are victorious over sin and death.
Christ Jesus our Lord has defeated the enemy. These last days will end and the faithful will be most thankful for the grace of the Cross.
In my previous post on grief, I ended with a series of questions about how Christians generally respond. I did not get many responses so I would like to briefly answer my own questions in hopes that it provides some insight for those who may not have much experience dealing with grief.
Let’s look for a moment at the case of Job and how his friends reacted to his tragedy:
When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him…Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words. (Job 2:11-13 excerpts)
We often give Job’s friends a hard time for their words in later chapters but before they “spoke inaccurately” about God, they sat with Job for 7 days without a word and mourned with him. One of the biggest lessons I learned in school and in my internship was the power of presence. It is often more powerful than any words could ever be.
This will probably go against the instinct of most people but your first comment should NOT attempt to be one of comfort, it should be one of support. When you are dealing with someone who has just recently lost a loved one or gotten a divorce or gone through any kind of struggle, they do not want to hear “it’s ok” because to them, it’s not ok. They often need to hear FIRST that their situation is difficult and they have a right to be sad.
The next thing they need to know is that they’re not alone. They need to HEAR it but it is even better if there is a tangible way to SHOW it. At the church I attended when I was in college, there was an entire committee just for providing food for people who had a sickness or death in the family and another committee for sending cards to members of the church for all occasions, happy and sad. In that small town Baptist church, people always know they are cared for and are not alone but, in a lot of churches, that kind of awareness of individual situations is not there. When you know someone is having a rough time, can you offer to get them groceries or make a meal for them? Maybe you can offer to babysit their kids so they can have alone time. Even something as simple as giving them a non-judgmental listening ear has incredible value. There are many ways, verbal and practical, to help show people that they do not have to go through a difficult situation without support from other believers.
Now, we can remind them of the HOPE we have in Jesus. BUT, be careful how you word that. Don’t discount the fact that what they are going through is difficult but you can tell them that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, even when they can’t see it. Remind them that God blesses those who mourn and that He does promise eternal life for whoever believes in Him but just remember as you tell them that this life is still painful and it’s ok for them to mourn that.
Finally, don’t just pray FOR them, pray WITH them. I am convinced that when tragedy strikes, people either draw closer to God or they push Him away but they never stay in the same place. You could be that influence that pushes them towards God instead of away from Him. I am much less likely to pray when I am in my “Life isn’t fair” mindset so having someone else pray with me is a good way to re-focus on God’s character and his presence in that moment.
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