Podcasts about in revelation

In the 1870s, Charles Taze Russell began leading Bible classes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a small group that came to be known as Bible Students. In 1879, he began publishing a Bible journal later known asThe Watch Tower.Then, in 1884, he incorporated what became the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Through Russells publishing work, the movement spread beyond Pennsylvania and eventually laid the foundation for what later became Jehovahs Witnesses under Joseph Rutherford. Russell rejected several historic Christian doctrines, including eternal conscious punishment in hell and, most seriously, the doctrine of the Trinity. After Russell died in 1916, Rutherford became president of the Watch Tower Society in 1917. Under his leadership, the movement became more centralized and aggressive in its evangelism, and in 1931 the name Jehovahs Witnesses was adopted. The Watch Tower Society is not merely another Christian denomination. It is a cult that rejects essential doctrines of the Christian faith, including the Trinity and the full deity of Jesus Christ. To be clear, misunderstanding Revelation 7 or using poor hermeneutical principles does not automatically mean someone will develop a cult or reject the core tenets of the Christian faith as Russell, Rutherford, and the Jehovahs Witnesses have done. Many faithful Christians have differed over the meaning of the 144,000. But the Watch Tower Society shows us why careful interpretation matters. When Scripture is mishandled repeatedly and forced into a system, the results can be spiritually dangerous. Revelation 7 is one of the passages central to their teaching. Jehovahs Witnesses teach that the 144,000 in Revelation 7 and 14 are a literal number of anointed Christians who will be resurrected to heavenly life to reign with Christ as kings and priests. They also teach that the great multitude in Revelation 7:912 is a separate group with an earthly hopethose who survive Armageddon and live on a restored earth. I mention this because Revelation 7 shows us why context matters. When this chapter is separated from the question at the end of Revelation 6, it can be made to say things John is not saying. John is not trying to create two separate classes of Gods people. He is answering the question,Who can stand?So as we come to this passage, we need to pay careful attention to what John hears and sees, allowing Scripture itself to serve as our primary commentary before we look to any system to determine the meaning of the text. The People of the Lamb are Sealed by God (vv. 1-8) At the end of Revelation 6, with the opening of the sixth seal and the first description of the Day of the Lord, we are left with one of the books most haunting questions:for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?(Rev. 6:17). The kings of the earth cannot stand. The powerful cannot stand. The wealthy cannot stand. The strong cannot stand. Neither slave nor free can stand, as all hide among the rocks and mountains, begging creation to conceal them from the face of Him who is seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. So who can stand? Revelation 7 gives the answer. Before the seventh seal is opened, John is shown another vision, but do not think of this vision as occurring strictly after the sixth seal and before the opening of the seventh. Instead, if the seals were acts in a theatrical production, what happens in Revelation 7 shows us what is happening behind the curtain sometime during the sixth seal and before the seventh. Throughout Revelation, the visions often pause, circle back, or open a new window to help us understand more clearly what God is doing. In this case, Revelation 7 functions as an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals, answering the question raised at the end of chapter 6. John then sees four angels who arestanding at the four corners of the earth,each holdingback the four winds of the earth(v. 1). We are told they do this so that no wind blows on the earth, sea, or any tree. What John sees is not four angels manipulating the weather. Likewise, the four corners of the earth is not a description of the earths shape or design. As you are aware, the number four often points to the created order in Scripture. What you may not be aware of is that the four winds frequently symbolize judgment. Because Revelation is a picture book rather than a puzzle book, the image John sees is one of restraint. The message conveyed is that judgment is being held back. Listen, every day before the final Day is a day of mercy, a day of restraint, and a day for the Lamb to gather His people. What is being shown and communicated to us in these verses is that we are living in a time of divine restraint as we move closer to the Day of the Lord. The world is not free from judgment, but the final winds of judgment have not yet been unleashed. What judgment is being held back? The judgment described in the sixth seal. As to why it is being held back, we do not have to wait long for an answer, because in the very next verse we are told that a fifth angel, ascending from the rising of the sun, declares with a loud voice:Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads(v. 3). Do you now see why context is so important? The angels declaration answers the question,Who can stand?Those who can stand are those who belong to God. Before judgment is unleashed, God marks His people as His own. The earth, sea, and trees are not harmed until the servants of God are sealed. This does not mean Gods people will avoid all suffering, for we have already seen in the fifth seal the souls under the altar crying out in a loud voice,O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long...(Rev. 6:10). What it does mean is that the coming judgment will not sweep Gods people away under His wrath, for He knows who belongs to Him. The four winds of Gods judgment do not descend upon the earth in blind rage. When God executes justice, His wrath is holy, measured, and righteous. He does not fly off the handle. Before the wrath of the Lamb is poured out, the people of the Lamb are sealed by the God who embraces them as His children. This distinction is not new in Scripture. In Exodus 12, God distinguished His people from Egypt by the blood of the lamb. A stronger parallel appears in Ezekiel 9, where God marked those who grieved over Jerusalems sin before judgment fell on the nation. In both cases, God identified those who belonged to Him before judgment fell on the wicked. This is what is happening in Revelation 7. The seal on the foreheads of Gods servants is not a literal, physical mark. It signifies that they belong to the living God. This language appears throughout the New Testament. Paul wrote in Ephesians 1 that those who believe in Christ aresealed with the promised Holy Spirit(Eph. 1:13). This sealing is possible because of the blood Jesus shed on the cross as the Lamb of God, and it is received by faith (Eph. 2:19). The seal is Gods mark of ownership, assurance, and future inheritance. It is not first a statement about the strength of our faith in Him, but about the certainty of Gods possession. He promises never to let His redeemed go (John 10:2730). Those who belong to the Lamb are not hidden from God, forgotten by God, or abandoned in the day of trouble. They belong to God. This all seems clear enough, but the passage can become confusing when it says that those who are sealed are also numbered. Verse 4 says,And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel(v. 4). Here, we must not only pay careful attention to the context of Revelation 7 but also do what Revelation has already taught us to do: pay attention to what John hears and what John sees. What John hears isthe number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel(v. 4). Many have understood this as a literal number of ethnic Israelites, primarily because John goes on to name the tribes in a specific order. Some believe the 144,000 are a specific group of ethnic Jewish Christians who come to faith in Jesus during a future seven-year tribulation and serve as evangelists after the rapture. I understand why many read it that way, but there are some problems with that interpretation. First, Revelation 7 functions as an interludea symbolic pause within the visionrather than a chronological sequence following the great Day of the Lord described in 6:1217. Second, Revelation often follows a pattern in which what John sees clarifies what he first hears. So before we assume the 144,000 is a literal headcount, we need to pay attention to how numbers and images function in this book. Listen, the number twelve is associated with the people of Godthe twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The number one thousand signifies immensity, fullness, and completeness. This is why the psalmist describes Gods ownership by saying,For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills(Ps. 50:10). It is not that God only owns the cattle on one thousand hills and not hill number one thousand and one. The point is fullness. Everything belongs to Him. Likewise, when Moses speaks of Gods covenant faithfulness, he says,Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations... (Deut. 7:9). So, what do you get when you take the twelve tribes of Israel, multiply them by the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and then multiply that by the fullness of the covenant-keeping faithfulness of God (12x12x1000)? You get144,000. In other words, this is not about limiting the people of God. It is about showing us that every one of Gods people is known by God, sealed by God, and secure in God through the blood of the Lamb. This is also why the tribes John lists begin with Judah. Reuben was the firstborn, but Judah is listed first because the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered. The people of God are numbered, sealed, and secure because they belong to the Lamb who came from Judah. Even the list itself urges us to read carefully. John is not simply giving us a standard tribal roll call; he is showing us the complete people of God through the imagery of Israels tribes. The People of the Lamb are Gathered by God (vv. 9-12) Now, if you miss what I am about to say next, you will miss the point of Revelation. John hears the number of the sealed people of God described as 144,000 from the tribes of Israel, but when he looks, he seesa great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages(v. 9). John hears of 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel, but when he looks, he sees a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language. What John sees is not a different people from the 144,000; it is the reality of Gods promise to Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, to David, and to Mary. What John sees is the promise of God to every generation of His people coming into full bloom. The Lamb who was slain has purchased people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, just as Revelation 5 declared. This should not surprise us, because the salvation of the nations was never Gods contingency plan. It was His purpose from the beginning. When God called Abraham, He promised thatall the families of the earthwould be blessed through him (Gen. 12:13). That blessing comes through Abrahams Seed, who is Christ (Gal. 3:2629). So Revelation 7 does not show us Israels replacement but the fulfillment of Gods promise through Israels Messiah, gathering Jews and Gentiles into one redeemed people before the throne. This is also where Revelation 5 helps us understand Revelation 7. In Revelation 5, the elders sing that the Lamb purchased people for God by His bloodfrom every tribe and language and people and nationand made thema kingdom and priests to our God(Rev. 5:910). In Revelation 7, John sees that kingdom of priests standingbefore the throne and the Lamb. What was promised in Genesis is now seen in glory:a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages(Rev. 7:9). So when John sees the nations gathered before the Lamb, he sees Israels hope fulfilled and expanded through Israels Messiah. The Lamb has gathered a people from the nations, and now they stand where no one in Revelation 6 could: before the throne and before the Lamb. Conclusion I want to leave you with the three As of Revelation 7, and here is why: eschatology does little good in the Christian life unless it affects your ethics. We are called to live each day in light of the Day that is coming. So, here are the three As: Assurance If you believe in Jesus Christ, confess Him as Lord, and desire to follow and obey Him, then you are sealed by God. Here is what the Bible says:if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved(Rom. 10:910). If this is true of you, then you are sealed by God, and if you are sealed by God, then 1 John 3:1 is for you:Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!(1 John 3:1, BSB). If you belong to the Lamb, then you are known by God, sealed by God, and secure in God. Allegiance If you call yourself a Christian, does your life show that you belong to the Lamb? If you are a Christian, your identity is now in and with the Lamb of God. To belong to Jesus means that you are not an acquaintance of Jesus, but an apprentice of Jesus. Jesus said to all who would seek to follow Him:If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple(Luke 14:2627). The seal is not merely about future security; it is about present identity. If you belong to the Lamb, your loyalty cannot ultimately belong to Babylon, comfort, approval, politics, money, or self-preservation. Action We have been saved and sealed, and now we are sent to join the mission of the Lamb as He gathers peoplefrom every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages(Rev. 7:9). The question is: Are we living on mission with the Lamb? We were purchased by the blood of the Lamb not to be passive about the nations, our neighbors, or the lost. Jesus did not suggest that we engage His mission; He commanded us to do so:Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age(Matt. 28:1920). Today is a day of mercy. Today is a day of restraint. Today is a day for the Lamb to gather His people. Today is the day of salvation! We are living in a time of divine restraint as we move closer to the Day of the Lord. So live in the confidence of your salvation, make sure your allegiance to the Lamb is clear, and commit your heart to action by dedicating your life to His mission.

Our chapter (32) in Isaiah starts, “Behold a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice.”  This surely visualises God's king, the Lord Jesus, at last reigning over the earth.   There will also be “princes” reigning  who ”will rule with justice.” At last the world will experience true justice.  The words of the prophecy imply the “reign” will initially be against a scene in which the world has become “a dry place” and “a weary land” [v.2]The “princes” who “will rule” will provide “a shelter from the storm” that occurs as the world is transformed and comes to accept the fact that there is an all-righteous king reigning. True justice will at last happen, “the fool will no more be called noble, nor the scoundrel said to be honourable.” [v.5]   Human hearts will no longer be “busy with iniquity to practice ungodliness, to utter error concerning the LORD.” [v.6] May we, by the grace of God, be there among the “noble (who) plan noble things…” [v.8]  The time will  then develop “when the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness quietness and trust forever” [v.17]    Jesus told his disciples, “when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” [Matt. 19 v.28]   In Revelation he said, “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations” [Rev 2 v.26], surely these are the “princes” mentioned in our Isaiah chapter who “will rule with justice” as we read in v. 2..We must make sure we are God's people now who “hold the faith in Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” [James 2 v.1, also today's reading].  And then in that day, looking at v.18 in our Isaiah chapter, we will be among those of whom God says, “My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”  

Our Spiritual Growth (1) (audio) David Eells – 6/3/26 Glory of a Child Peter - 03/04/2008 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I found myself sitting at the side of a road, on the curb, and it was gloomy and dark. There were two gray wolves or beast-like creatures with massive fangs that subtly approached me from behind. (The beasts or wolves represent wicked men: (Luk.10:3)... I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves. (Ecc.3:18)... It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.) They tried attacking me, but I don't remember if I tried to fight them off. What I do remember is that I ran into a dull red mini caravan, which so happened to be on the road, for protection and safety. (The van may represent a means of mobility having protection and safety. The dull red color represents the blood of Jesus.) As I was shutting the passenger door, one of the beasts lunged at me, but I managed to slam the door on it. (Enclosed in the blood) As a large portion of its body was caught in between the closed door, it suddenly morphed into a naked man inside the van (I could only see the upper body). This man had streams of blood running down from all over his body. (The persecutors wear as their works the blood of the saints. Eze.22:4 Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed, and art defiled in thine idols which thou hast made.) During the entire time, I was panicking and fearful for my life and trying to survive. (David: As I have meditated on this dream, I see that the first man above is the natural man who is in total fear of losing his old life at the hands of the wicked. His reactions are natural but not based on the Word. The man below is the spiritual man, who is 'Christ in you' and whose actions are based in the Spirit and faith in the blood of Jesus. Together these make up who we are. We can choose to be led by either man, but the latter preserves life and promotes the Kingdom of God in and around us, making us safe. A confirmation that these two men are Peter, is that they are both sitting upon the curb.) Then my attention was suddenly drawn outside the van to a child who was sitting on the curb. (Mar.10:15) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein.) He had a large volume of golden curly hair. (Golden hair represents submission to the Lord [1Co.11:3-16] which strengthens us and sets a crown of glory upon us. (Jdg.16:17)... if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man. The blessings of the Lord, riches, honor and life [Pro.22:4] are set upon His people as a crown of fine gold [Psa.21:3]. The child was sitting curled up in a ball (Representing humility and weakness; (2 Cor.12:9)...my power is made perfect in weakness.... (Jer.13:18)... Humble yourselves, sit down...), with his arms wrapped around his knees and with only his eyes to be seen. His eyes were emphasized, and I believe they were large and beautiful. (This represents spiritual eyes. (Son.4:1) Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are [as] doves behind thy veil... Doves represent seeing as the Holy Spirit does. We must see that we have been saved and sanctified. (2Pe.1:3) seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue). The lower part of his face (chin, mouth, nose) was tucked in behind his knees. (When attacked, we are not to defend ourselves by speaking foolishly. (Ecc.5:2) Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. (Isa.7:4)...Take heed, and be quiet; fear not.) He was innocent and harmless. He was clean. (He represents Christ in you, the spiritual man.) After I had finished observing, I noticed the same two beasts sneaking up behind him. At this point, there was no awareness of the man being in the van. (The spiritual man is not in danger and gives us a good example that we should not be in fear.) As I was still locked in the van for my own protection, I was filled with fear, yelling and screaming from the top of my lungs, trying to warn the child that he may run into the van. (Fear and anxiety, both a reflection of unbelief, only locked or bound me in the van. I was without any peace; I only had uncontrollable fear and anxiety. We must give in to the spiritual man and hold fast to the Gospel). I was hitting the window of the van to get his attention. He acknowledged me but didn't make the slightest movement, just sitting very still. (Exo.14:13)... Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.) The beasts lunged at him, and there was still no movement on his part. The beasts were trying to bite him, but they couldn't get a grip. Their teeth were sliding off him. The beasts swung their claws at him, but there was no critical damage, only tiny scratches on the child, which were brought to my attention. (Innocence and submission to the Lord are his defense. (Pro.10:2)... righteousness delivereth from death.) Again, I was aware that I was still in the van, but I was also outside in the child's presence. The child still remained in the same sitting position as I had described and remained still for the entire time. He said nothing and didn't react in any way to defend himself. The beasts couldn't harm him. (Mat.5:39) ...resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.) Suddenly, I looked behind this scene, and I noticed in the distance a small white house on a green grassy mount. (The house the spiritual man lives in is Christ [Heb.3:6]. We are to abide in Him, the Word, the secret place of the Most High.) In front of this house, there was a woman in a white robe inviting me, or beckoning, to partake of something. (The Bride's invitation to partake of the protection of resting in the (Psa.91) Passover by abiding in Christ.) The dream ends. I had the impression, maybe during or after the dream, that this lady looked like my Godmother (I come from an Orthodox Christian religion). Peter's Interpretation The woman in the white garment/robe who resembled my Godmother may very well be reflected by: (Pro.6:20) My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother. The commandments of the Father, based on the New Testament, are life eternal (Joh.12:50), to believe in the name (meaning in Greek: “nature, authority, and character”) of Jesus Christ and love one another (1Jn.3:23). (Of course, the Word defines the steps of love.) I find that these commandments are united to be the same with one another. The law of the mother, based on the New Testament, is the law of faith (Rom.3:27), law of the Spirit of life (Rom.8:2), and the law of Christ (Gal.6:2). Like the commandments, these laws are the same with one another and can be united. Based on the order of events of the dream, I believe the child represents a manifestation and the fruit of the law of faith, of the Spirit, and of the commandments of the Father. All of these are certainly Christ. The child's characteristics and nature reveal the principles of living by faith and the Spirit of life in Christ, which are one with the commandments of the Father. If we submit to the Lord, remain humble, restrain our tongue, and see through our spiritual eyes or senses, we will be walking in Christ, fulfilling the spiritual laws (of faith and of the Spirit of life) and the commandments of the Father. All these spiritual laws are represented by the woman in the white robe who appeared to be my Godmother. She is associated with the white house on the grassy hill or mount. It may have seemed she was inviting me to partake of what was in the house, which is Christ. Just as that little child is associated with the woman, he must have been partaking from that house as well. If the woman represents all the spiritual laws and the commandments of the Father, she must also represent the spotless, blemishless Bride who is in perfect obedience to the laws and commandments of the Father. The Bride is the Word of God, who has manifested Jesus Christ. Her white robe must represent the righteous acts of the saints (Rev.19:8). The righteous acts are works of faith -- walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh. The child and the Bride are one nature because they manifest the wisdom of God, the Word of God; hence, Jesus Christ. Only as a 'child' can we enter the kingdom (Mar.10:15) and only those who walk in the Spirit. Those who are likened unto a child walk in the Spirit. One verse can describe this dream: (Exo.14:13) And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you to-day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. Whenever we are in tribulation or trial of any form, we should fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. Use our imagination, see it spiritually, believe what the Word says about you. Rest. He has already saved you. Humble yourself, and He shall never forsake you because He is your Father. A father never forsakes his child (Psa.18:2; 94:12-14). (Mat.7:11) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? Thank you, Father, for Your grace and love! I pray that this dream has helped you renew your mind and imagination of who we truly are in Christ. May God bless you all.   Fighting the Old Man Eric - 10/11/2006 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I was in a classroom, and an old man was teaching the class. (We can't let the old man teach, which in Christianity is most often the case. The class includes ourselves and all who associate with us.) He said to the class, “I don't like that Eric guy. I'm going to challenge him to a wrestling match.” (If we let the old man speak through us, he will gain confidence and strength against us and he will bring us under the curse.) Then he got up and came over to my desk and, looking down on me, said a second time, “I challenge you to a wrestling match”. He was about 7 feet tall, so I followed him outside. (The giant of our old life will challenge us and lead us into battle.) I noticed that nobody in my class was interested in watching the fight. (Most onlookers don't even know the battle between the spirit and flesh is going on inside us.) When I got outside, everything seemed deserted like a ghost town so we walked over to a playground. (As far as man is concerned, we are all alone in this battle.) We began to fight, and he threw a wild right swing at me and missed. (The right side symbolizes spirit, and the arm symbolizes power. This is a fight of spiritual power; the evil spirits in our flesh against the power of the Holy Spirit within us, joining together with our spirit.) I swung back with an uppercut, but missed his jaw because of his height. Then he got me in a headlock but I broke free and grabbed him in a headlock, and he also broke free. (The flesh and spirit taking turns controlling the mind is a double-minded life.) Then we separated and began to circle each other like two wrestlers. We cried out as warriors would cry in a battle and smashed into each other as two sumo wrestlers, but being equally matched in strength, we were both unable to get an advantage. We wrestled like this for what seemed like an hour, and finally we disengaged from each other, very exhausted. (In order to win this battle we must repent of our sins and confess them, which conquers the old fleshly man. 1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Then we must believe the promises of our crucifixion and life in Christ, which strengthens the spiritual man. Without this, there will be no spiritual victory, only exhaustion. (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me...) Looking over, he said to me, “I think this is a draw”. Replying, I said, “I think you are right”, so we both proceeded back to the class, and he announced to them that the battle was a draw. (We can't afford to believe or speak that there is a draw for this leaves us unevenly yoked to the old man in a lukewarm life.) He then said arrogantly, “Eric stood up to me, but I have friends in high places, and I'm going to bring trouble for Eric; you wait and see!” (Gal.5:17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.) Suddenly, I found myself walking in a city I've never seen before. Somehow, I understood I was walking to my house. I remember the whole city was white, both buildings and cars, but the people walking around were dressed in black. (The unseen “kingdom of God has come nigh” but the people are walking in darkness.) When I arrived at my house, police lines were blocking my way. All manner of law enforcement officers were there. (If we don't beat the old man but leave him in control of the class, we break God's law and have to pay the penalty.) One who appeared to be in charge came up to me and asked, “Are you Eric?” I answered, “Yes, I am, but sometimes I'm not sure”. (We never really know who we are until the old man is dead.) He then said, “You are evicted, and you have to walk around in the street”. (The carnal man has taken over our house.) So then I looked toward heaven and cried out, “Lord, what am I to do without a house?” Then the dream ended. (This is a good teaching the Lord has given to us through Eric. We either put to death the old man, or we eventually lose controlling interest in this house we call a body, and maybe even the house we call a home. A more primitive lifestyle, enforced by the beast, is coming to the Church as a whole because of this lukewarm draw.)   In Weakness We Win M.W.- 10/14/2008 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I was at a football game. I was part of a team. We were wearing white jerseys, and my teammates were younger kids, for the most part. I remember thinking when I saw my younger teammates, We are going to get killed! The field was on a hill, and it seemed like we were at a higher elevation. As we approached the field, I saw a sign that had the opposing team's name on it. The sign read “ASU”, which is Arizona State University, but during the dream, I didn't think about that; I just noticed “ASU”. If you look up their mascot, you will find that it is the Sun Devils; it is a picture of a devil with a pitchfork. So it was us versus the ASU Sun Devils. Right before the kickoff, I remember being very anxious and again thinking that this might not go well. At first, the field was muddy because I remember our uniforms having some mud on them. We received the ball first and, on a series of plays, marched down to the end of the field of the Sun Devils. I remember that as we moved toward their goal line, it seemed like I was a lot bigger than the ASU players. On the last play that scored the touchdown, I remember thinking, 'Should I play quarterback and maybe throw the ball?' Instead, it was a running play, and I was running just ahead of the running back blocking. It was interesting because I was a grown man, and it was like I was blocking little kids. I blocked several opposing players during the last play, and we scored. It started raining about then, and the Sun Devils forfeited the game. The score was 7-0. After we scored, we were so excited, and it was disappointing to see them forfeit, but it was a relief in a way. I remember watching the last van loaded with gear pull away in the rain and head down the hill. Many are wondering just before the big tribulation game against Satan's fearsome team, how such a small, weak, and immature-looking bunch on God's side could possibly survive, much less win. God's “power is made perfect in weakness.” “Not by might and not by power but by my spirit, saith the Lord.” It is “by my Spirit,” or another way to say it, it is the rain, the Latter Rain, and our weakness that will cause the enemy to forfeit the game. Remember Gideon's army, which God whittled down to 300 men so that in their weakness they would take on an army that was said to be, “like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the sea-shore for multitude.” And what was God's reasoning? (Jdg.7:2) And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. (3) Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. So, children are the best to go against the enemy like little David went before Goliath. (Mat.18:3) and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. (4) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. We must be children in our own strength but wise beyond our years in God's strength. (1 Cor.14:20) Brethren, be not children in mind: yet in malice be ye babes, but in mind be men. (Eph.6:10) Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. (11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual [hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. (13) Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil [one]. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (18) with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. The Battle begins... My daughter had a dream, too. She and her grandmother were on a big roller coaster ride, which, in the natural, is scary and goes up and down, which represents the conditions many are about to endure. In the dream, I went up into a tower that overlooked a city. (Zion is called “the tower of the flock” and represents the Bride who will be over the rest of the people of God, as in Esther.) She said that I had a very serious look on my face. I was watching over the city, which I was charged to do by the military. (God's Generals will set watchmen for the enemy.) She joined me in the tower, but later she did go back to the roller coaster. The people in her dream were barefoot. (The Church will return to her primitive roots by not departing from the original Word given. Like Moses, they will take off their shoes to not be separated from Holy Ground.)   The Lord Shows His New Models Amos Scaggs - 12/07/2008 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I was in a large showroom of a national car company. They were planning and redecorating for a promotion that would be so spectacular it would top any that had been done in the past, and it would keep escalating once it started. (The Lord is about to come out with His new models to show everyone what they, too, can drive. I believe the first-fruits Man-child ministry will be this demonstration. Jesus appeared to show what regeneration looked like.) I had my work done and books organized on my shelves, waiting to see what was going to transpire from this. (We've done the studying and put it in order. Now we are waiting to see what the Lord will show.) I knew it was going to be the biggest thing the world had ever seen, and it was only the first part of the year. I thought, since this is so early in the year, what will the end of the year look like? (The words, “What will the end of the year look like?” implies that something great will grow from this. The baby is born but matures quickly. Many models will be duplicates, symbolizing a revival. In Revelation chapters 12 & 14 the 144,000 man-child body will be duplicates of Jesus to do the greater works He spoke of.) As I was wondering what to do next, I met the Governor, whom I knew. (Jesus will govern from the throne in His earthly body of end-time Davids in a repetition of His-story. (Isa.9:6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.) As I was concerned about what to do next, the Governor said, “Don't worry about a thing. Watch me and you will be doing the same things as I do very soon.” (The Governor is a role model and is coming in His Man-child company to be a role model for others to follow in His same steps. (1Jn.2:5) but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him: (6) he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. The Governor said, “This is what I have planned; this is the beginning”. (The words, “this is the beginning,” imply many vehicles will be produced like these models, meaning a revival will spread from here.) I also thought I had something to do with the Buick showroom. David Buick was an inventor and also formed the Buick Mfg. Co. He and William Durant formed the Buick Motor Co., which is now known as General Motors. Durant was a productionist, and Buick was a perfectionist. Buick left the company in 1906 (because it fell short of his expectations) and died broke in 1929. Had Buick been able to keep his shares in 1921, he would have been worth $10 million and today it would be incalculable. Kind of reminds me of Jesus. (He was also a perfectionist, desiring quality not just quantity in His models. He was disappointed in the direction the early Church took and lost His shares in it. He lost out to the productionist's assembly line Christianity mentality.) Buick was quite the ingenious type who had it all but died broke and still formed a new thing that no one had seen before (but we will see Jesus' new thing again very soon :0).   Invincibility in Jesus G. W. - 11/20/2010 (David's notes in red) I was in a dream where David Eells and I were in the same house. He was explaining to me that we can get into a car crash and nothing will hurt us. I understood him to be teaching about faith. He then said, “Let's go down this hill to try it out”. We both agreed that we would get into this white truck. It began rolling violently down from the top of the hill. We both were outside of the truck cab in the bed -- I was in the front, and David was toward the back. All of a sudden, we both flipped off. David went backward, and I went forward. As it approached me, the nose of it was facing the ground while the bed of the truck was in the air. I knew that the back section was coming right at me, but I had plenty of time to get out of the way. Instead, I just lay there and watched this disaster come toward me. The whole weight of the truck came crashing down on my midsection. As I looked down, I wondered if this truck had cut me in two, but I felt no pain. David came over and pulled me out from underneath. I stood upon my feet, completely whole. David said, “It can't hurt your rib cage”. Naturally speaking, this seemed impossible; however, I realized that I never felt fear as the disaster unraveled. I had been given a dream very similar to this about invincibility a couple of years ago. Jesus and the Two Witnesses had this gift until it was their time to go. Jesus said, “No man takes my life; I lay it down”. We truly have God's protection if we abide in Him, just as Psalm 91 says. So this is not just a gift to the Man-child but something the Davids, as Man-childs, will teach to the saints, as the dream above appears to say. Some will enjoy this until the Lord comes. This invincibility can take many forms. Around the time of this dream, I was driving home from a meeting at night. I wasn't particularly sleepy, just slightly. As I got close to my house, I suddenly found myself waking up out of a sound sleep, seeing headlights bright in my face. Without thinking, I jerked the wheel to the right and swerved quickly into my own lane, just in time to miss the oncoming car. I was amazed that I could have been asleep at the wheel because I didn't even remember feeling tired enough to have to fight it off. I realized that this was supernatural and that the Lord had shown me that He would protect me without my even knowing about it. It was seconds before it would have been too late to miss a head-on collision. I also noticed, as G.W. did, that I never felt fear. After receiving G. W.'s dream, my daughter, Deborah, and I were on the porch swing talking. It was a common bench-type steel swing. It had a chain coming down from a wooden frame on each end of the bench to an S-hook. From there, a chain went to the front bottom of the bench, and another went to the back top of the bench on each end. As we spoke, I was suddenly thrown backward on my back on the deck, but my head slammed into the metal top of the AC unit, which was off the deck, but the top stuck up about six inches higher than the deck. It was with such force and noise that one would have thought my neck would have broken or my head crushed. On my side of the bench, as one chain held the front bottom, the other that held the back came out of the S-hook. This caused my side of the bench to flip violently backward. My daughter was holding on to her side with her legs wrapped around the bench seat. When she heard the noise and saw me down there, she asked, with big eyes and loudly, “Are you all right?” As I reached up to brace her, I was surprised to be able to say, “I'm just fine”. I then laughingly said, “The Lord said He would give His angels charge over me, lest I dash my foot against a stone, but He didn't say anything about my head”. She asked again, “Are you sure you're alright?” I said, “I'm sure”, as I reached back to feel the back of my head and felt no pain nor even a bruise. As I stood up, I realized that indeed the angels had perfectly protected my head and neck, which easily could have been broken. I never felt any fear, just joy. My daughter said, “There is no blood on the back of your head”. I said, “There isn't even a bruise”. As I began to examine the bench and chain, I saw something even more supernatural. The chain that came loose was in perfect shape, like new, with no wear and no broken links. It was the kind of chain most often used on swings. Each link had a partner, and they were stitched in the middle so that if one link broke, it was still tied to one more link. I was amazed to see there was no broken link. Naturally speaking, this would mean the chain had to come out of the S-hook. However, I examined the S-hook, and it was still closed in the S where the chain was missing. “WOW”, I said, “this is supernatural”. The chain could not be put back in the S because it was still closed up, so I grabbed a screwdriver to spread it open so the chain could be reinserted, but I could not pry it open at all; it was too thick to bend. So I put the S next to the post that held the swing and hammered the screwdriver into the S to spread it so I could put the chain in it. I had to drive it in about 3/4” to get it open enough. How did the chain get out of the S-hook? Only supernaturally! I thought, either the devil just tried to kill me and failed due to Father's faithfulness, or the Lord was just showing me He was keeping me safe. I am sure both were true. I indeed had been in a crash, and the Father kept me perfectly. PTL! By the grace of my God, I have been shot at, at close range by a professional assassin, but my angel slapped the bullet down as he told me. The one who sent the assassin confirmed this. In a wreck, I was thrown from a car going 70 mph, slid about 70 feet on concrete without a scratch, with witnesses. My tractor flipped on the side of our mountain and was going to roll, but impossibly straightened back up with me still in the seat. I believe in Father's guardian angels! More recently, Michael and I were unhitching a back blade, a heavy piece of steel, from the tractor. I got off the tractor and was standing about 15 feet from the blade. Michael was on the other side releasing it, and supernaturally it came flying very fast straight at my head. It hit me right on my nose with force and knocked me back another 10 feet to the ground. Michael said he knew I was dead, but to his surprise, I jumped to my feet like nothing had happened. I told him that what I felt was a finger on my nose pushing me to the ground very fast. My angel, no doubt. In the natural, because of the speed at which it came at me, I would have been dead anyway, but I never felt any pain or incurred any damage. Some of this was because the faction had come together to throw witchcraft at me, but failed. Many of them are dead now. Do you find it hard to believe that spiritual powers, good or bad, can take authority over the natural laws, as seen with this S-hook, my head and neck? Many have been learning that they have authority over physical laws concerning the body and laws of nature, through faith and the spoken Word. In the testimony section of our site are multitudes of testimonies of the saints' healing machinery, bodies, cars, and other physical things, changing weather, changing minds, etc. Jesus taught His disciples to take authority over the laws of nature and to teach others to do so because they are not under the curse. (Gal.3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (14) that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Mar.11:23) Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. (24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. (And repent of any sin so you will have power.) (25) And whensoever ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any one; that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (26) [But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses.] Jesus commanded His disciples to make disciples of all the nations and teach them to obey all things He taught them, even unto the end. (Mat.28:19) Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations ... (20) teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Now we, as His disciples, must teach disciples to obey all the teachings of Jesus and take authority over the physical laws of the curse to proclaim the Gospel. Amen.

Revelation 1:9-3:22 Have you ever felt the temptation to compromise and assimilate with the world? In Revelation 1:9–3:20, Jesus speaks personally to seven churches in Asia Minor facing pressure from persecution, half-heartedness, false teaching, and the temptation to assimilate to the values of the world around them. Amid all their struggles, there was one thing they especially needed to know.

In Revelation 12:7-9, we discover that God sends warrior angels led by the Archangel Michael to fight for us in the spiritual realm. While we face challenges that seem overwhelming, heavenly armies are waging war on our behalf—not just to win battles for us, but to empower us to overcome.The incredible truth? Through the blood of Jesus Christ, you don't have to be the victim. You can be the victor. God has already won the greatest victory, and now He's enabling you to triumph in every area of your life. Even in your darkest moments, when fear and anxiety grip you, angel armies are fighting for you in the heavenlies.

In Revelation 20, many people focus on timelines and end-times debates about the thousand-year reign of Christ. But this passage ultimately reveals something greater: Jesus is reigning now, Satan cannot stop the kingdom of God, and the church still has a mission to accomplish. This message explores how Revelation gives believers confidence, courage, and hope to remain faithful to Jesus until He returns.

In Revelation 20, many people focus on timelines and end-times debates about the thousand-year reign of Christ. But this passage ultimately reveals something greater: Jesus is reigning now, Satan cannot stop the kingdom of God, and the church still has a mission to accomplish. This message explores how Revelation gives believers confidence, courage, and hope to remain faithful to Jesus until He returns.

The writer to the Hebrews said this. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Heb 4:12-13Motives matter to God, beloved. Nothing can be hidden from Him. The Lord God knows the true thoughts and secret motives of our hearts. This truth of Scripture is revealed in the motives of the multitudes who saw firsthand the miracles that Jesus did (John 6:2) as well as the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Jesus knew that the people were fixated on the product of the miracle, not The Person Who performed the miracle. The multitudes were fixated on the bread that satisfied their earthly need instead of The Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus told the multitude back then and the multitude who may be reading this devotional, Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed (John 6:27).Does that mean that Jesus does not care about our daily physical needs? Of course not. Read Matthew 6. Jesus simply does not want us to be neither anxious about them nor covetous for them. Jesus wants our hearts. He does not want anything or anyone to take His place in our heart. The multitudes were craving the miracles from Jesus instead of a relationship and intimacy with Jesus.Can the church fall into the same sin as the multitude? Is it possible that the church or individual Christians can be doing the right things with the wrong motives? In Revelation 2:2&3, we read that the church of Ephesus did many wonderful things, but The Lord Jesus said that they did them with the wrong motives. Listen to Jesus what Jesus Himself said to this church. Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left (not lost) thy first love. Paul had once commended the church at Ephesus for its love for God and others (Ephesians 1:15), but here they are many years later and according to Jesus they were heartlessly going through the motions. They were a very busy church, but they were “serving God” with wrong motives.Beloved, whatever we do “in The Name of The Lord” must be motivated by love for God and for His glory or it is nothing more than wood, hay, and stubble at the Judgement Seat of Christ (1 Cor 13:1-4). Jer 17:10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.My dear church family or my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, motives matter. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him (Col 3:17). And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance; for ye serve the Lord Christ (Col 3:23,24).May God give unto us as a church family the grace that we need to do whatever we do with thankful hearts of worship and praise to our Glorious King. SelahKoinonia FellowshipSundays at 8:30a and 10:30a500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445koinoniafellowship.com

The Chaos of History Preacher: Mal Gill Date: 31/05/2026 Series: Church Camp - Revelation Reading: Rev 6-7 What happens as history unfolds? In Revelation 6–7, Malcolm walks us through the four horsemen and the strange comfort of God's judgement. If the world feels chaotic, where is it all heading? This message explores how we might follow the lamb when everything seems uncertain.

In Revelation 11, John is told to measure the temple and set boundaries around it—and Dr. Michael Youssef draws out the spiritual comfort behind the imagery: this is not merely about a physical structure, but about God placing protective boundaries around His people—His living temple—who are sealed by the Holy Spirit and kept secure. Even persecutors can only go so far. They may attack the body, but they cannot touch the soul. The outer “temple” can be harmed, but the inner sanctum belongs to the Lord—safe in His sanctuary and under His fortress-like protection (Psalm 91:1–2). Yet protection doesn't mean passivity. Dr. Youssef warns that one of Satan's cruelest strategies is counterfeiting spiritual language—masquerading as a voice of “truth” while actually accusing and crushing you. That's why it's essential to distinguish: The Holy Spirit convicts to draw you to repentance and restoration, Satan accuses to drive you into despair and keep you from God. When accusation rises, don't entertain it. Change the channel—praise God for salvation, run to Him in prayer, and ask the Holy Spirit to send the enemy fleeing. God has not left you unguarded. You are sealed, protected, and equipped to live in victory. Prayer: Father, thank You for protecting me and sealing me with Your Holy Spirit. Help me to discern Your voice and to turn to You and repent. May I be sober and alert to the schemes of Satan so I can serve Your Kingdom, arrayed in Your spiritual armor. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.  “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:19-20).  Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef's sermon Revelation for Today, The Beast vs. the Lamb: LISTEN NOW| WATCH NOW The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.

Packinghouse's Sunday evening worship service from May 24, 2026. In Revelation 22, the final chapter of the Bible, we are given a breathtaking picture of eternity with Jesus—where the curse of sin is finally removed, death and sorrow are gone, and God dwells forever with His people . This study walks through the beauty and hope of heaven, reminding believers that Revelation is not meant to produce fear or confusion, but confidence that Jesus wins and keeps His promises. The message also emphasizes the open invitation of the gospel: no matter how broken, guilty, or far from God someone may feel, Jesus still says, “Come,” offering forgiveness, restoration, and eternal life freely through grace. At the same time, believers are challenged to live lives transformed by the truth of God's Word as they wait expectantly for the return of Christ. - Rick Cornejo - Sunday, May 24, 2026

In Revelation 3, Jesus confronts the church with a piercing warning:“You are neither hot nor cold.”In this powerful FIRE NIGHTS message, Pastor Jonathan Lambert challenges the modern church to reject comfortable Christianity and return to radical devotion, holiness, and spiritual hunger.The world is changing.Culture is shifting.The time is unfolding.But the call of Jesus remains the same:Carry your cross.Stay connected to the source.Live fully surrendered.This is not the hour for lukewarm faith.This is the church age.And it's time to burn again.Sundays at 9AM & 11AMRose Church — Winnipeg, Manitoba#Jesus #Revival #HolySpirit #Christianity #Church

What is true worship, really? In Revelation 4, John gets pulled into the throne room of heaven and sees something that completely redefines what worship is supposed to look like in our everyday lives.In this message from our series on the book of Revelation, we walk through the three movements of worship we see from the 24 elders around God's throne: they bow, they worship, and they lay down their crowns. And it forces a question most of us avoid — am I actually worshiping God on Monday the same way I worship Him on Sunday? Or am I praising God with my mouth and then managing my life without Him the rest of the week?If you've ever felt the tension between believing God is in control and still gripping the steering wheel of your own life, this one is for you.Support the show

In Revelation 20 we see the enthroned King who reigns and judges.

In Revelation 20 we see the enthroned King who reigns and judges.

Have you ever wondered what sits at the centre of it all? In Revelation, we're given a glimpse of heaven—where everything revolves around the throne of God and worship overflows. This Sunday, we explore how Jesus completes the story—not just the story of the world, but our stories too. When He is at the centre, everything begins to make sense: our purpose, our identity, our hope. If you are new to Community Church, WELCOME! We would love to get to know you. Please fill in the following form and we look forward to connecting with you: https://bit.ly/cc-new-connect You can find all timely and relevant links from this service on https://bit.ly/cc-links You can also find out more about us at https://communitychurch.hk/ ================ This Week's Scripture: // Revelation 4:1-11 (NIV) // The Throne in Heaven After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come.” Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were and have their being.”

In Revelation 19, we witness a powerful transition from judgment to celebration, from the destruction of Babylon to the triumphant hallelujahs of heaven. This chapter invites us to consider where we stand in relation to God's sovereignty and His ultimate victory over evil. The four hallelujahs sung in heaven remind us that salvation, glory, honor, and power belong exclusively to God. What makes this particularly relevant to our lives today is the question: Does God truly reign in our hearts? Are we giving Him the highest influence in our daily decisions, or have we allowed other systems and values to compete for that throne? The chapter challenges us to examine whether we're living as bond servants who have chosen to stay in His service, not out of obligation, but out of love and recognition that life with Him is the best life possible. As we await the fulfillment of these prophetic events, we're called to live with intentionality, preparing ourselves as the bride prepares for her groom, not knowing the day or hour but remaining faithful and ready.

It's Wednesday, May 20th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Nigerian Muslims killed 13 Christians including three pregnant mothers Morning Star News reports that Muslim Fulani herdsmen killed 13 Christians in central Nigeria on May 8.  Unbelievably, the gunmen killed three pregnant women. They also injured dozens of Christians and displaced hundreds more. Such attacks are common in Nigeria's Plateau State. A leader at Evangelical Church Winning All commented on the recent killings of Christians. He said, “They were martyrs whose lives were claimed by the ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria. They died exactly where they chose to stand in the line of duty, lamps burning, voices lifted, refusing to abandon the post God had given them.” In Revelation 2:10-11, Jesus said, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. … He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” Top ISIS leader killed in northeast Nigeria U.S. and Nigerian forces killed a top ISIS leader in northeastern Nigeria over the weekend. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki was the second-in-command of the Islamic State. The terrorist planned many attacks and hostage events, especially attacks on Christians. On Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote, “He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS's global operation is greatly diminished.” Texas Children's Hospital ended transgender surgeries last week In the United States, Texas Children's Hospital agreed to end its transgender operations on minors last week. The Department of Justice, in coordination with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, secured the historic settlement.  The hospital agreed to pay $10 million in damages for performing mutilating procedures on children. Five doctors at the hospital lost their jobs as part of the settlement.  Texas Children's Hospital will now establish the first-ever de-transition clinic. The clinic will provide care for the victims of transgender drugs and surgeries.  Trump created $1.7 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund The Trump administration created a $1.7 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” this week.    The fund would compensate Americans who faced unjust investigations and prosecutions by the Biden Justice Department.  Listen to comments from President Donald Trump. TRUMP: “This is reimbursing people that were horribly treated, horribly treated. It's anti-weaponization. They've been weaponized,. They've been, in some cases, imprisoned wrongly. They paid legal fees that they didn't have. They've gone bankrupt. Their lives have been destroyed, and they turn out to be right. I mean, it was a terrible period of time in the history of our country.” 37% of U.S. adults say religion is gaining influence in American life A new survey from Pew Research asked Americans what they think about religion in government and public life.  The survey found that 37 percent of U.S. adults say religion is gaining influence in American life. That's up 19 percentage points over the last two years. And just over half of Americans have a positive view of religion's influence.  Also, 17 percent of respondents say the federal government should declare Christianity the official religion of the U.S. That's up from 13 percent in 2024. Council of Nicaea affirmed doctrine of Trinity 1,700 years ago And finally, this month marks the anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, over 1,700 years ago. In late May A.D. 325, 300 Christian leaders convened in the city of Nicaea, located in modern-day Turkey.  The council dealt with the doctrine of the Trinity. In particular, the church at the time had to refute the heresy of Arianism. The heretical teaching denied that Jesus is fully and eternally divine.  The council went on to affirm the divinity of Christ in the Nicene Creed. It is recited by churches around the world to this day.  The creed says there is “one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by Whom all things were made.” John 1:1 and 4 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ... In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, May 20th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In Revelation chapter 1 is one of the most amazing portraits of Christ in all the Bible. That's where we see Jesus in the fullness of all His glory. There is a very important reason this portrait appears here, before we get to Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Let's find out about that reason—here, on Foreshadows Report!Learn more about Steve and his books at https://SteveMillerResources.comProduced by Unmutable™

We all wear glasses in this room. I am not referring to your contacts or the physical glasses your eye doctor prescribed. I am referring to your worldviewthe lenses through which you interpret everything you see: God, yourself, others, suffering, evil, history, the purpose of life, and the future. In our world today, people use a wide range of worldviews to make sense of reality. Theism holds that a personal God created and rules the world. Naturalism holds that the physical universe is all that exists. Pantheism identifies God with the world or sees God as present in everything. Postmodernism treats truth as personal, socially constructed, or tied to power. Nihilism holds that life has no ultimate meaning, purpose, or moral order. Most people do not wear only one pair of glasses. They switch lenses depending on what suits thema little theism for comfort, a little secularism for control, a little skepticism against authority, and a little self-rule for freedom. It may feel meaningful in the moment, but it cannot finally correct the vision problem. It still leaves reality blurred. One of the clearest symbols of modern humanitys hope was the World Trade Center. It took twelve years, from the earliest design stages in 1961 to the ribbon-cutting in 1973, to complete the Twin Towers, at a cost of about $900 million. The chief architect, Minoru Yamasaki, said the World Trade Center should become a living representation of mans belief in humanity, his need for individual dignity, his belief in the cooperation of men, and through this cooperation his ability to find greatness. That is a remarkable statement. The towers were meant to say something about us: our greatness, dignity, cooperation, and our ability to build a better world. Yet on September 11, 2001, it took less than two hours for those towers to fall, and nearly 3,000 lives were lost. Brothers and sisters, that is not merely a tragedy in American history. It is a parable of the world we inhabit. We live in a world of conflict, bloodshed, injustice, suffering, and death. We build towers and call them peace. We create systems and call them progress. We trust power, wealth, cooperation, technology, politics, and human greatness to bring stability. Yet again and again, the world proves unable to save itself. What we need is a biblical worldviewa way of seeing the world through the lens of Gods Word. Revelation pulls back the curtain on human historypast, present, and futureso we can see things as they really are. In Revelation 6:18, that curtain is drawn back on the world we know all too well: a world marked by conquest, war, famine, injustice, suffering, and death. Yet Revelation does not show us these things to make us despair. It shows us these things so we will see that the horsemen are permitted to ride only because the Lamb has the authority to open the seals. Before we go any further in this sermon, do not miss who opens each seal. It is not the horsemen. It is not the devil. It is not the antichrist. It is not kings, nations, armies, or empires. The Lamb alone has the authority to open the seals and to allow the horsemen to ride. As the Lamb opens the first four seals, do not think of the horsemen as strange figures waiting to be released in the distant future. Instead, think of them as the symbolic unveiling of the very world Jesus told us to expecta world marked by conquest, violence, exploitation, and death. Yet Revelation 6 shows us something the evening news never can: the horsemen ride only because the Lamb opens the seals, and He alone is worthy to do so. The Horsemen and the World Jesus Told Us to Expect We are now entering a section of Revelation that may challenge how many of us have been taught to think about the end times. For many Christians, passages such as Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 have been interpreted almost entirely as future events, often within a framework known as the seven-year tribulation. Many have also been taught that the church will be removed from the earth before that tribulation begins. I realize that, for some of you, that may be the only framework for understanding the end times you have ever known. Faithful Christians have held different views on these matters, so my goal is not to mock what you have been taught or force you into a different system. My goal is simply to ask you to do what the Bereans didto search the Scriptures and see whether these things are so (see Acts 17:10-11). What I want to show you is that Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 are not describing realities completely disconnected from the churchs present life. Jesus Himself told His disciples what this present age would look like: And Jesus answered them, See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead many astray. 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. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. (Matt. 24:4-8) Revelation 6 is not describing a strange world the church has never seen. It pulls back the curtain on the age Jesus describeda world marked by conquest, violence, exploitation, suffering, and death. The four horsemen symbolize realities that have marked human history since Christs ascension and will end when He returns. Yet Jesus words also keep us from hopeless despair. These things are not the end. They are birth pains. And as painful as birth pains are, they remind us that something is coming: the kingdom of Christ in all its fullness. Until that day, the horsemen ride. Like birth pains, the realities they represent continue throughout this age and increase in frequency and intensity as history moves toward the return of Christ and the birth of the new creation. But understand this: they do not roam at their own leisure. The Lamb reigns, and He alone has the authority to open the seals. So when the Lamb opens the seals and the four horsemen are revealed, we are shown the world Jesus told us to expect. But we are also shown what the world cannot see: conquest, violence, exploitation, and death are not rogue realities, nor do they unfold outside His sovereign will and authority. The White Horse: The Lust for Conquest (vv. 1-2) There is some debate about what the rider on the white horse represents, largely because certain features seem to mirror the way Jesus appears in Revelation 19:1116, particularly the white horse He rides and the crown He wears. Others believe the rider represents a false Christ or even the antichrist because he seems to mimic Jesus appearance. The problem with these views is twofold: first, Jesus is the One who opens each of the seals; and second, the remaining horsemen clearly represent forces of destruction rather than specific individuals. There are other suggestions, but the context of Revelation 6 suggests that the rider on the white horse belongs with the other three horsemen: war, famine, and death. Together, they represent the destructive realities that mark this present age. This connection may be reinforced by the first living creature who announces this horse and rider. Notice that the first living creature has the face of a lion, representing strength, majesty, and power among the wild creatures. It is this creature that introduces the rider on the white horse. If there is a symbolic connection between the creature who speaks and the horseman who appears, then the first horseman fittingly represents conquestthe lust of kings, nations, empires, and rulers to expand their power, secure their kingdoms, and impose their will on others. Unlike the kingdom Jesus will bring, this rider represents fallen humanity grasping for dominion apart from God. This horse and its rider promise peace but never deliver it. Their creed is simple: If we can gain enough territory, enough power, enough influence, enough control, then we can secure the future. But Revelation shows us the truth: conquest does not lead to peace. It prepares the way for the red horse. The Red Horse: The Vandalism of Peace (vv. 3-4) The Lamb then opens the second seal. In response, the heavenly creature with the face of an ox, representing domesticated strength, service, and laborthe kind of creature people use to bring forth life from the earthsays, Come! Then the red horse appears, and its rider is permitted to take peace from the earth so that people may slay one another. If the white horse represents the lust for conquest, the red horse reveals what that lust produces. The world promises peace through power, but Revelation shows that power seized apart from God does not preserve peace; it vandalizes it. When God gives sinners over to themselves, the restraints that hold back violence are removed, and the human heart is exposed as it is and what it is capable of. This is why the rider is given a great sword, symbolizing violence, bloodshed, and the destructive force of war. From the first murder in Genesis 4 to the wars and rumors of wars Jesus said would mark this age like birth pains in Matthew 24, human history has been stained with the blood of those created in Gods image. Nations rise against nations. Kingdoms seek to outdo kingdoms. Brother turns against brother. Neighbor turns against neighbor. When sin-cursed humanity seeks dominion apart from God, even in the name of peace, peace is among the first casualties. Make no mistake: the rider on the red horse is not rogue. He is only permitted to take peace from the earth because the Lamb has authority to break the second seal. He does not seize the sword; he is given a great sword. The breaking of the second seal shows that even the violence of this age is not outside the sovereign hand of the Lamb. While the serpent of old was a murderer from the beginning and is the father of lies (John 8:44), Humanitys propensity toward violence is the result of its fallen nature; it is mankind that robs the earth of the shalom it was created to experience. Yet even this violence remains under the authority of the Lamb. The Black Horse: Exploitation of Need (vv. 5-6) The Lamb opens the third seal, and the living creature with the face of a man says, Come! The irony is that while man symbolizes wisdom, reason, and the stewardship God entrusted to humanity, the black horse and its rider represent the exploitation of creations needs by mankind. The rider is seen holding a pair of scales, and a voice is heard saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius, and do not harm the oil and wine. The scales symbolize measurement, rationing, and scarcity. In Johns day, a denarius was a days wage, so the announced prices of wheat and barley reveal a world where food is available yet barely affordable. A person could work all day and still barely survive. Meanwhile, the command not to harm the oil and wine suggests that while daily bread becomes burdensome for the poor, others comforts and luxuries remain protected. Human need becomes an opportunity for human greed. The black horse reveals that much of the worlds suffering stems from the corruption of human stewardship. Humanity was created in Gods image to cultivate the earth, care for one another, and administer justice for the good of mankind and the rest of creation. But when people seek dominion apart from God, the needs of the earth and those who live on it are twisted into opportunities for profit. When mankind is given over to itself, human beings exploit one another and anything else in creation that offers an opportunity to get ahead of their neighbor. Yet even here, the rider is not sovereign and does not ride beyond the authority of the Lamb. The Pale Horse: The Dominion of Death (vv. 7-8) The Lamb opens the fourth seal, and the creature with the face of an eagle says, Come! Consider what an eagle represents: swiftness, height, watchfulness, and the realm just above the earth. When John hears this single word, he sees a pale horse, and its rider is named Death, with Hades following him. While the eagle soars over the earth, the pale horse gathers what mans lust for conquest, readiness to kill, and greed producenamely, death. The horses color is disturbing. The Greek word translated pale (chlōros) denotes a greenish hue, suggesting the sickly color of decay, disease, and death. There is little left to the imagination with the name given to this rider. He is Death, and Hades follows behind him like a grave, collecting what death has taken. This is the world east of Eden, where sin has brought decay to everything God created good. Death follows kings and nations. Death follows war. Death follows hunger, poverty, disease, and the neglect of creation. Death is the final enemy, and no human kingdom, political system, technological advancement, or amount of wealth or power can ultimately escape it. But while the pale horse and its rider may terrify us, they are not sovereign. The Lamb is the One who breaks the seal. Death rides, yet the Lamb reigns. And all who belong to the Lamb are assured that in a world where the four horsemen are permitted to ride for a time, the One who opens the seals also says to His people: Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades (Rev. 1:1718). Conclusion What the apostle John and the seven churches likely found most reassuring in the vision of the four horsemen is the reminder that it is the LambChrist Himselfwho breaks each seal and permits the horsemen to ride. The power wielded by rulers and nations is granted by the One who sits sovereignly on the throne. Revelation 6:18 is given so that we might see the world as it really is and see the Lamb as He truly is. The horsemen do not ride because chaos reigns. They ride because the Lamb opens the seals. And when the four living creatures cry, Come! their summons echoes the prayer Jesus taught us to pray: Your kingdom come, your will be done... (Matt. 6:10). The Lamb gives mankind over to its wickedness, not because evil is sovereign, but because He is accomplishing His sovereign purposes until His rule and reign are fully manifested on earth as it is in heaven. The four horsemen reveal to those who belong to the Lamb that Gods kingdom is indeed coming. Gods kingdom comes not only through salvation, but also through judgment upon everything that ruins His creation.

God does not always give His people great strength, great numbers, or great recognition, but He does open doors that no man can shut. In Revelation 3, Jesus speaks to the church in Philadelphia and reminds them that He holds the key, He sees their faithfulness, and He is able to make a way that opposition cannot close. This message looks at what it means to trust Christ with the doors of our lives, our witness, and our obedience.In Revelation 3, Jesus speaks to a faithful church with “a little strength” and promises an open door that no man can shut. This message reminds us that Christ holds the key, sees faithfulness others may overlook, and opens doors for His people according to His authority and wisdom. Even when strength is small and opposition is real, the door Christ opens remains secure.What do we do when doors close, opportunities seem uncertain, or our strength feels small? In Revelation 3, Jesus reminds the church in Philadelphia that He is holy, true, and sovereign over every door. This message explores the comfort and courage that come from trusting the One who opens and no man shuts.

Every exile ends. Every longing finds its answer. In Revelation 21, the Apostle John is given a vision of the new creation — and at the center of it is not a place, but a promise: God himself will dwell with his people. Jesus is calling his church home, and home turns out to be him.

In Revelation 17, the Apostle John warned of the mystery of Babylon, the great mother of harlots. Join us as Steve Gallagher unpacks this profound chapter and warns us of how if we do not separate ourselves from the lawlessness of this world that has even crept into church culture, we will be seduced into the spirit of Babylon.

Maranatha: Our Lord is Coming! The Rapture of the Church    In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:1-3) The scene is etched forever in the sacred record of Scripture. It is the night of betrayal. The Passover supper has been eaten. The traitor has gone out into the darkness. The eleven remaining disciples sit in stunned silence as the weight of impending loss presses upon their souls.    Their Master has spoken plainly of His departure. He has washed their feet. He has given them the new commandment of love. And now, with the shadow of Gethsemane already falling across His face, the Lord Jesus Christ turns to address the deepest fear in their hearts. He does not offer vague religious platitudes. He does not speak in the language of uncertainty. Instead, He utters words that carry the full force of divine certainty, words that have echoed down through two thousand years of church history as the unbreakable promise of His personal return.   Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.   These verses stand as the cornerstone of the doctrine of the Rapture of the church, the blessed hope that has sustained persecuted saints, comforted grieving families, and ignited holy urgency in every generation of believers. Yet the full power of this promise is often missed in English translation.    The blazing heart of the passage lies in the Greek construction of the words “I will come again,” and it is there that the exposition must linger with scholarly precision and devotional weight. The verb translated “I will come again” is the present indicative active of the Greek word erchomai—literally, “I am coming.” It is not the simple future tense that one might expect for a distant event.  It is the present tense employed in a manner called the futuristic present tense. This is no grammatical accident. It is a deliberate choice by the Holy Spirit through the pen of the apostle John.    In classical and Koine Greek, the present tense can be used to describe a future action when that action is viewed by the speaker as so certain, so inevitable, and so imminent that it is as good as already unfolding before the eyes. The futuristic present tense does not weaken the promise; it intensifies it. It lifts the event out of the realm of mere prediction and plants it squarely in the realm of divine declaration. Jesus does not say, “I might come someday if conditions allow.”  He declares with the full authority of the Son of God, “I am coming.” The present tense shouts certainty. It breathes imminence.    It carries the weight of a future so fixed in the eternal counsels of the Godhead that the Speaker can speak of it as already in motion.   This futuristic present is not unique to this verse, but its placement here is profound.    The same construction appears elsewhere in the Gospel of John when Jesus describes events that are absolutely assured in the divine plan. The grammar itself becomes a theological hammer, driving home the truth that the return of Christ for His own is not a distant possibility but a present reality in the mind of the Savior.    He is even now, from the vantage point of eternity, in the act of coming. The promise is so certain that the tense of the verb collapses the future into the present. This is the grammatical foundation upon which the entire doctrine of the Rapture rests. The Rapture is not an afterthought in the plan of God.        It is the next great event on the divine calendar for the church of Jesus Christ, an event so fixed and so near that the Lord Himself can announce it in the present tense: “I am coming.”   The Rapture of the church is the personal, visible, and audible return of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds to receive unto Himself every believer, both living and dead, and to take them to the place He has prepared in the Father's house. It is distinct from the Second Coming, which will occur at the end of the Tribulation when Christ returns to earth in power and great glory to judge the nations and establish His millennial kingdom.  The Rapture is the moment when the Bridegroom comes for His bride before the wrath of the Lamb is poured out upon a Christ-rejecting world. It is sudden. It is secret to the world but glorious to the saints.    It is the fulfillment of the promise given in the Upper Room, and it stands as the great hope of every blood-bought child of God.   No passage of Scripture unfolds this event with greater clarity and comfort than the words of the apostle Paul in First Thessalonians chapter four, verses thirteen through eighteen.    These verses were written by divine revelation to correct the ignorance of the Thessalonian believers concerning those who had died in Christ. The apostle writes: But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.   Consider the weight of each phrase. The apostle begins by lifting the veil of ignorance. Death is not the end for the believer; it is merely sleep for the body while the spirit is present with the Lord.    The sorrow of the Thessalonian Christians is real, but it is not hopeless sorrow. It is sorrow anchored in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because He died and rose, those who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. The dead in Christ are not left behind. They will not miss the Rapture.    Their spirits, already in the presence of the Lord, will be reunited with their resurrected bodies at this moment.   Then comes the heart of the revelation: “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord.” This is not human speculation. This is not apostolic opinion. This is direct revelation from the ascended Christ Himself.  The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven. Notice the personal emphasis. It is not an angel. It is not a representative.    The Lord Himself— the same Jesus who walked the shores of Galilee, who hung upon the cross, who burst from the tomb, who ascended from the Mount of Olives—He Himself shall descend. And He shall descend with a shout.    The Greek word for “shout” is keleusma, a military command, a royal summons, a cry of authority that will pierce the heavens and shake the graves.    Accompanying that shout will be the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. The trumpet does not signal judgment here; it signals assembly. It is the signal for the final gathering of the redeemed.   The sequence is precise and powerful. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Their bodies, sown in corruption, will be raised in incorruption.    The graves will surrender their prey. Then—and only then—we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them. The word “caught up” is the Greek harpazo, a word that means to seize, to snatch away by force, to carry off suddenly. It is the same word used in Acts 8:39 when the Spirit caught away Philip, and in Revelation 12:5 when the man child is caught up to God.    It pictures a violent, irresistible removal from this earth. No believer will be left behind. No one who has trusted Christ will miss this moment. Living and resurrected saints will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The meeting place is not on the earth. It is in the air, in the clouds, the very atmosphere where the Lord will receive His own unto Himself exactly as He promised in John 14:3.   And then the final, glorious declaration: “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Not for a thousand years. Not for a million years. Forever. The Rapture is not a temporary event.    It is the beginning of an eternal union. The bride will be taken to the place prepared in the Father's house, and there she will remain with her Bridegroom throughout the ages of ages. This is the comfort with which the apostle commands believers to comfort one another. It is not a doctrine for debate. It is a doctrine for consolation in the face of death and for courage in the face of life.   The same apostle who received this revelation also unfolds the mystery of the bodily change that will occur at the Rapture.      In First Corinthians chapter fifteen, verses fifty-one and fifty-two, he writes: Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.   This is the mystery that was hidden in ages past but is now revealed. Not every believer will die. There will be a generation of Christians alive at the moment of the Rapture. Those believers will not sleep; they will be changed.      The change will be instantaneous—“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” The Greek word for “moment” is atomos, from which we derive the English word “atom.”    It means an indivisible unit of time, the smallest possible fragment of a second. Faster than the eye can blink, faster than the mind can comprehend, the transformation will occur.  The corruptible will put on incorruption. The mortal will put on immortality. The bodies that have groaned under the weight of sin and sickness will be glorified, conformed to the image of the risen Christ.    The trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised, and the living will be changed. This is the power of the Rapture. It is not a gradual process. It is a sudden, sovereign act of God that will leave the world stunned and the saints transported.   The early church lived in the constant expectation of this event. They faced persecution, imprisonment, and death with the cry of “Maranatha” upon their lips. That single Aramaic word, preserved for us in First Corinthians chapter sixteen, verse twenty-two, carries the heartbeat of New Testament Christianity: If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.   “Maranatha” is not a curse. It is a prayer. It is a declaration. It means “Our Lord, come!” or more literally, “The Lord is coming!”    The persecuted believers of the first century did not merely believe in the return of Christ as a distant doctrine. They cried out for it as the solution to every trial. They lived every day with the expectation that before the sun set, the trumpet might sound and the Lord might appear. That same expectant cry has been the distinguishing mark of every faithful generation since. The futuristic present of John 14:3 fueled their hope. Jesus is not merely going to come.    He is coming. The present tense makes the future certain and the certain future near. Additional passages of Scripture reinforce this truth with unyielding clarity. The apostle Paul describes the Rapture as the believer's “blessed hope” in Titus chapter two, verse thirteen: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. It is not the appearing of wrath. It is the appearing of the great God and our Savior. It is blessed because it delivers the church from the hour of trial that is coming upon the whole world.    It is glorious because it reveals Christ in His full majesty to those who love Him.   The apostle also writes in Philippians chapter three, verses twenty and twenty-one: For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.   The word “conversation” means citizenship.    The believer's true home is in heaven, and from that heavenly realm the Savior is expected at any moment. The transformation described here is the same as that in First Corinthians fifteen. The vile body—literally the body of humiliation—will be fashioned like unto His glorious body.  The power that will accomplish this is the same power that will one day subdue all things under His feet. Nothing is too hard for the One who spoke the universe into existence.   The doctrine of the Rapture is further confirmed in the closing words of the New Testament.    In Revelation chapter twenty-two, verse twenty, the ascended Lord Himself declares:   He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. And the response of the apostle is immediate and fervent: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.   Once again the language of certainty and imminence rings out. “Surely I come quickly.”    The same Lord who used the futuristic present in the Upper Room now seals the entire canon of Scripture with the promise of His soon return.   This constellation of biblical texts forms an unbreakable chain of truth. The futuristic present of John 14:3 is the grammatical foundation.    The detailed revelation of First Thessalonians four is the doctrinal exposition. The mystery of First Corinthians fifteen is the physiological description. The cry of Maranatha is the devotional response. The blessed hope of Titus two is the purifying motivation. The citizenship of Philippians three is the practical orientation. And the final prayer of Revelation twenty-two is the expectant climax.   Taken together, these passages challenge every believer to live in the white-hot expectancy of the Lord's return. The Rapture is not a doctrine to be debated in academic halls while life drifts on in complacency. It is a command to holiness.  The apostle John makes this explicit in First John chapter three, verses two and three: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.   The hope of seeing Christ and being made like Him is not an abstract idea. It is a sanctifying force. The one who truly believes that Jesus may come at any moment will not toy with sin. He will not waste his days on the trivial and the temporal. He will purify his life with the same purity that characterizes the Lord Himself.    Expectancy produces urgency. It produces separation from the world. It produces devotion to the Word. It produces zeal for the gospel. It produces love for the brethren.  It produces a life lived with eyes fixed on the eastern sky.   The early church understood this. They did not build elaborate systems of prophecy to delay the return of Christ. They did not resign themselves to the idea that the Rapture was for some future generation. They lived as though today could be the day. That same spirit must characterize every generation of believers until the trumpet sounds.    The futuristic present tense in John 14:3 is not a curious footnote for Greek students.  It is a divine declaration that resounds through the corridors of time: “I am coming.” The Lord is coming. Maranatha.    The Bridegroom is on the way.   The Rapture will be a moment of indescribable glory. In one atom of time the graves of the righteous dead will burst open. Bodies long decayed will be reconstituted in splendor. The living saints will feel the sudden surge of immortal power coursing through their veins. Then, together, they will be caught up. The clouds will become their chariot. The air will become the meeting place.  The Lord Himself will receive them. No more sorrow. No more pain. No more death.    Only the eternal embrace of the One who loved them and gave Himself for them. The place prepared in the Father's house will at last be occupied by the redeemed of all ages.    The marriage supper of the Lamb will begin. The church will be presented faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.   Until that day, the Scriptures call every follower of Christ to live in the light of this imminence. The doctrine of the Rapture is not an escape clause for the lazy. It is a summons to vigilance. It is a call to watchfulness.    It is a mandate to occupy until He comes.    The believer who has fixed his hope on the appearing of Christ will order his life accordingly. He will speak the truth in love. He will labor while it is day. He will warn the wicked. He will strengthen the weak. He will lift up the hands that hang down. He will keep his garments unspotted from the world.  He will cry out with the saints of old, “Maranatha—Our Lord, come!”   The futuristic present tense of John 14:3 still echoes across the centuries. Jesus is not planning to come. He is coming.    The grammar itself testifies to the certainty. The supporting texts confirm the details. The early church embodied the expectancy. And the Holy Spirit today stirs the hearts of all who will listen with the same urgent cry: the Lord is coming. Maranatha. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  The promise stands. The place is prepared. The trumpet is ready. The Bridegroom is at the door.   Let this truth sink deep into the soul. Let it shape every decision. Let it fuel every act of obedience. Let it purify every motive. The Lord Himself shall descend. The dead in Christ shall rise.    The living shall be changed. The redeemed shall be caught up. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. This is the Rapture. This is the blessed hope.    This is the promise of John 14:1-3, sealed by the futuristic present tense and proclaimed by the infallible Word of God.    Maranatha. Our Lord is coming. Amen.

The cannibals! You will be eaten by cannibals! That was the warningJohn G. Patonreceived when he announced his call to take the gospel to the New Hebrides. An older man in his churchknown simply as Mr. Dicksontried to dissuade him. From a human standpoint, the concern was understandable. Patons ministry in Glasgow was thriving. Hundreds gathered each week, lives were being changed, and the work was fruitful. Why would anyone leave such a place? The New Hebrides were known as one of the most dangerous mission fields in the world. Just nineteen years earlier, in 1839, missionariesJohn WilliamsandJames Harrishad landed there and were killed within hours. Their deaths were still fresh in the minds of many, and the opposition Paton faced came not from enemies of the gospel, but from concerned Christian friends. Reflecting on this moment, Paton later wrote, The opposition was so strong from nearly all that I was sorely tempted to question whether I was carrying out the Divine will This also caused me much anxiety, and drove me close to God in prayer. Paton replied to Dicksons warning: Mr. Dickson, you are advanced in years now, and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave, there to be eaten by worms; I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving and honoring the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms; and in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer. The danger was real, the opposition was understandable, and the cost was highbut Paton was convinced that Christ was worthy, even there. When Paton arrived in the New Hebrides in 1858, the cost became immediate. Within weeks of landing on the island of Tanna, his wife, Mary, and their newborn son both died of fever. Paton buried them with his own hands and even slept on their grave to protect it. It would have been understandable for him to leave. Yet he did not abandon his calling. For over forty years, he labored among those islands, convinced that Christ was worthy and that even the hardest soil was not beyond the reach of Gods saving power. Patons story did not end with his life. It helped fuel a missionary movement. The gospel did not stop in the New Hebrides; it continued to spread across the Pacific, eventually reaching places likePapua New Guinea, where the cost remained high and the danger real. Even today, the fruit of that gospel work remains. Why would a man risk everything for such a mission? Paton went because he believed Christ was worthy of whatever sacrifice it would cost to bring the gospel to those who had never heardeven at the risk of his own life. Revelation 5:610 shows us why. The Lion is a Lamb (v. 6) Remember what the scroll represents. In Revelation 5:14, Johns attention turns to a scroll in the right hand of Goda scroll that contains His sovereign plan to judge evil, redeem His people, and restore all creation from the curse of sin. It is held securely by the One who rules history with perfect authority. Within it lies the full scope of redemptive history: Gods judgments, the vindication of suffering saints, the defeat of sin and death, and the final restoration of all thingsincluding the new heaven and new earth. It holds both justice and hopethe outpouring of Gods wrath on evil and the fulfillment of His promises to save, dwell with, and rejoice over His people forever. But as a mighty angel asks, Who is worthy to open the scroll?, a crisis unfolds. No one in heaven, on earth, or under the earth is found worthy, and John begins to weep. And rightly sobecause if the scroll remains sealed, Gods promises go unfulfilled, sin goes undefeated, and redemption never reaches its goal. At that moment, everything hangs in the balance. Then a voice breaks the silence: Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered (v. 5). The answer is not found in human strength or angelic power, but in a personthe promised King, the fulfillment of every promise of God, the One who alone has the right to redeem. And it is this Lionthis conquering Kingthat John turns to see. Yet when he turns, he is confronted with something utterly unexpected. Between the throne and the four living creatures stands a Lamb as though it had been slain. The promised Lion reveals Himself as the sacrificial Lamb of God. Victory has not come through crushing Gods enemies but through the crushing of the Son of God, who willingly and obediently went to the cross like a lamb that is led to the slaughter (Isa. 53:7), bearing the iniquities of sinners. What John sees is not a contradiction but the key to everything. The Lion has conqueredbut He has conquered as a Lamb. He stands triumphant, bearing the marks of the cross. John understood what this meant, and we must understand it as well:the One who is worthy is the One who has given Himself for you. However, John not only sees a Lambhe sees a Lamb with seven horns and seven eyes. In Scripture, horns symbolize power and kingship, and seven signifies divine completeness. This Lamb possesses perfect, sovereign authority. His seven eyes represent complete divine wisdom and perception, corresponding to the sevenfold Spirit of God sent out into all the earth. Nothing escapes His sight, and no judgment exceeds His wisdom. These are not random detailsthey are a testimony. The One who stands at the center of the throne is not merely a symbol of sacrifice but the One of whom Jeremiah spoke: Yahweh our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6). He is the Lion of Judah, the Lamb who was slain, and the sovereign Lord over all. Yet this is not all that John sees and experiences. The Lion who is a Lamb is also the Redeemer. The Lamb is the Redeemer (vv. 7-8) This Lamb is worthy not only because of who He is but also because of what He has done. The Lamb is the Redeemer. In the Old Testament, a kinsman-redeemer was a family member who could step in when everything had been lost. But not just anyone could serve as a redeemerhe had to be a close relative by blood, possess the resources necessary to redeem, and be willing to do so. That is why Boaz could redeem Ruth, yet Boaz was only a shadow of a greater Redeemer to come. Naomi had lost everythingher husband, her sons, and her security. The land that belonged to her family was in danger of being lost forever. But Boaz, as a relative, stepped in. He had the means and was willing. By marrying Ruth, he redeemed the land, restored the family, and provided an heir. What was lost was restored, and what was empty was made full. But what humanity needed most was not merely the restoration of what was lostwe needed the reversal of the curse, reconciliation with the God we sinned against, and the renewal of all things. When Adam sinned, all was ruinedsin entered the world, death followed, and creation fell under the curse of his rebellion. What was needed was a true and better Redeemerone who could stand in the place of fallen humanity and restore what had been lost. This is what makes Jesus worthy to open the scroll. He became one of us so that He could be the Kinsman-Redeemer we need. He has the power to redeem because He is fully God. His willingness to redeem was demonstrated in that He embraced the cross, bearing our sin and becoming our curse. That is why, in Revelation 5, He steps forward and takes the scrollbecause He alone meets every requirement.He alone is the Kinsman-Redeemer. Through His incarnation, Jesus shares in our humanity. Through His divine Sonship, He possesses infinite authority as One equal with the Father. Through His willing sacrifice, He demonstrates beyond question His desire to redeem.The wounds of the Lamb are the proof of His willingnessand the scroll in His hand is the declaration of His worthiness. Now, do not miss what happens in verse 8! Upon taking the scroll, the four living creatureswhose appearance represents the created orderfall before the Lamb in worship. The same creatures who, in the previous chapter, declared of the One on the throne, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come (4:8) now fall before the Lamb to worship Him! And if that were not enough, the twenty-four eldersrepresenting the people of God in both the Old and New Testamentsalso fall before the Lamb in worship. How do we know they worship Him? Because they serve Himoffering songs to Him and presenting the prayers of His people before Him. They fall before the Lamb because He is the One who stands as our High Priest. For all of Scripture testifies, Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:14-16) Do not miss the significance of this moment. InExodus20, God commands: You shall not make for yourself an idol You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God (Exod. 20:45; BSB). Worship belongs to God alone. All of Scripture is clearno created thing is worthy of worship. Yet in Revelation5, all creationrepresented by the living creaturesfalls before the Lamb. The elders fall before the Lamb. Heaven itself erupts in worship directed to the Lamb. What does this mean? It means the Lamb is not merely part of creationHe is the reason creation exists. The Lamb whom heaven worships is the One Scripture testifies to: For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesall things were created through Him and for Him (Col. 1:16). The Lamb is not a created beingHe is the Creator. And the worship given to Him is the worship that belongs to God alone! The Redeemer is Worthy (vv. 9-10) The moment the Lamb takes the scroll, heaven erupts in worship. Instantly, the four living creatures fall down in awe before the Lamb. The twenty-four elderswho had already surrendered their crowns before the thronenow bow in reverence, presenting the prayers of the saints as a fragrant offering to the Lamb. A new song breaks forthnot a song of anticipation, but of accomplishment: Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. (vv. 9-10) This is not a song of anticipation, but one of accomplishment! The Lamb is worthy because He was slain so that a people undeserving of the mercy of God could be ransomed for God. The Berean Standard Bible translates this verse this way: Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. The Lamb is worthy because He alone can restore to redeemed humanity all that was lost through Adam, serving as the true and greater Adam who brings full restoration and hope to those He has saved. Dear brothers and sisters, our worthy Redeemer did not stop there. Sinners are not merely rescuedthey are restored. We are not only forgivenwe are brought near. You are not only savedyou are given purpose, identity, and a future. All who are redeemed by the Lamb have been made a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth. In this moment, all of heaven is united in awe. The question that brought John to tears finds its answernot in an explanation, but in the person of Jesus. The scroll will be opened, history will unfold as God intends, and redemption will reach its glorious fulfillment. Jesus Christthe Lion of Judah and the slain Lambis worthy to redeem, restore, and reign forever. The question of heaven was asked: Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?And the answer is clear: Jesus is worthy because He was slain. Jesus is worthy because He has redeemed. Jesus is worthy because He reigns. So how do you turn your eyes from worthless things (Ps. 119:37)? You turn from what is worthless to the One who is worthynot only of the worship of heaven, but of all of you. He is worthy of your attention. He is worthy of your obedience. He is worthy of your trust. Some of you are clinging to things that cannot save, cannot redeem, and will not last. But there is One who was slain, who has redeemed, and who now reigns. He alone is worthy. So turn to Him. Trust Him. Worship Him. Follow Him. One day every knee will bow before Himso bow before Him now, while you still have time. Today is the day of salvation.

“The Triumph of the King: Christ's Victory in Revelation 19”In this two-part series, we step into one of the most powerful and climactic chapters in all of Scripture—Book of Revelation chapter 19—where heaven erupts in praise and Christ is revealed as both Bridegroom and conquering King.In Revelation 19:1–9, we hear the thunder of heaven's hallelujahs as God's righteous judgment is celebrated and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is announced. This is not merely future hope—it is the present reality of the Church Triumphant, rejoicing in the finished work of Christ.In Revelation 19:9–21, the scene shifts from wedding to war. The same Christ who redeems His bride now rides forth in righteousness to judge and make war. This passage confronts us with the certainty of final judgment, the defeat of all opposition, and the absolute authority of King Jesus.

“The Triumph of the King: Christ's Victory in Revelation 19”In this two-part series, we step into one of the most powerful and climactic chapters in all of Scripture—Book of Revelation chapter 19—where heaven erupts in praise and Christ is revealed as both Bridegroom and conquering King.In Revelation 19:1–9, we hear the thunder of heaven's hallelujahs as God's righteous judgment is celebrated and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb is announced. This is not merely future hope—it is the present reality of the Church Triumphant, rejoicing in the finished work of Christ.In Revelation 19:9–21, the scene shifts from wedding to war. The same Christ who redeems His bride now rides forth in righteousness to judge and make war. This passage confronts us with the certainty of final judgment, the defeat of all opposition, and the absolute authority of King Jesus.

Why Confession and Repentance Are Essential for Christian GrowthAuthor: Dave JenkinsShow: Anchored in the Word with Dave JenkinsDate: April 30, 2026Show SummaryWhy are confession and repentance essential for Christian growth? In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins explains why repentance is not merely the beginning of the Christian life, but its ongoing rhythm. Drawing from passages such as 1 John 1:9, Mark 1:15, Psalm 32, Romans 8:13, and James 5:16, Dave shows how confession restores fellowship with God, repentance produces spiritual fruit, and the grace of God leads believers into deeper holiness, joy, and assurance in Christ.Audio PlayerVideo PlayerKey Scriptures1 John 1:9Mark 1:15Revelation 2–3Matthew 3:8Psalm 32Romans 8:13Ezekiel 36:26–27Hebrews 12:6James 5:16Acts 11:18Romans 2:4Episode HighlightsRepentance is the ongoing rhythm of the Christian lifeConfession restores fellowship with GodRepentance is more than simply saying “I'm sorry”Unchecked sin hardens the heart and hinders communion with GodRepentance produces humility, joy, and spiritual clarityThe Holy Spirit empowers believers to put sin to deathRepentance and assurance go togetherConfession within Christian community helps strengthen believersFull ArticleEvery Christian desires to grow. Every believer wants to mature in Christ, to walk more faithfully with the Lord, and to know deeper fellowship with Him. But the Word of God is crystal clear: there is no spiritual growth without repentance, and there is no close fellowship with God without confession of sin.Repentance is not something we do only once when we first come to Christ. It is the ongoing rhythm of the Christian life. Martin Luther famously said that the entire Christian life is one of repentance, and John Calvin likewise emphasized that repentance is not merely the start of the Christian life, but the Christian life itself. Scripture confirms this truth. In 1 John 1:9, confessing sin is taught as a continual practice. In Mark 1:15, Jesus begins His ministry by calling people to repent and believe the gospel. In Revelation 2 and 3, the risen Christ calls entire churches to repentance. Repentance is not optional. It is essential.Confession restores fellowship with God. When a Christian sins, his union with Christ is not broken, but his fellowship with God is hindered. Our security in Christ remains sure because it rests on the finished work of Christ, but our communion with the Lord can be interrupted by unconfessed sin. This is why confession matters so deeply. First John 1:9 tells us that God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Confession is not informing God of something He does not know. It is agreeing with God about what He already knows and sees.Biblical repentance is more than saying, “I'm sorry.” Repentance involves acknowledging sin honestly, without excuses or blame-shifting. It means turning away from sin with a deliberate break from it, and turning toward Christ in faith. Repentance is not merely stopping sinful behavior; it is returning to the Lord. Matthew 3:8 makes clear that repentance bears fruit. It produces change—not perfection, but real direction toward God.Christians must practice continual repentance because sin blinds and hardens the heart. We do not always see our sin clearly until Scripture, the Holy Spirit, or faithful believers bring it into the light. Left unchecked, sin becomes increasingly comfortable. We begin to treat it lightly, even respectably, instead of seeing it as the rebellion against God that it truly is. Repentance breaks that pattern. It humbles us before the Lord and reminds us daily of our need for the grace of God in Christ.Repentance also leads to joy. Psalm 32 shows that unconfessed sin crushes the soul, but forgiveness restores gladness and peace. Repentance is not the enemy of joy; it is the pathway to it. The believer who walks in repentance is not walking in despair but in the freedom of grace.This repentance is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Biblical repentance is not self-improvement or moral reform. Ezekiel 36:26–27 tells us that God gives a new heart and causes His people to walk in His statutes. Romans 8:13 teaches that by the Spirit believers put sin to death. We repent because God is at work in us, giving us grace to turn from sin and walk in obedience.Repentance and assurance also belong together. Many Christians struggle with assurance not because they are outside of Christ, but because they are not walking in the light of repentance. Hebrews teaches that the Lord disciplines those whom He loves. His discipline is not cruel or distant. It is fatherly, loving, and purposeful. God disciplines His children because He cares for them and desires restored communion with them. Repentance brings renewed clarity, peace, and confidence in Christ.Confession is also important within Christian community. While private confession before God is essential, James 5:16 teaches that believers are also to confess their sins to one another. This is not about public humiliation, but about accountability, prayer, help, and restoration. God often uses mature believers and faithful pastors to help us see our sin clearly and walk in repentance more fully.At the heart of all of this is the gospel. Repentance is not punishment. It is grace. Acts 11:18 calls repentance a gift. Romans 2:4 says that God's kindness leads us to repentance. The Lord does not call His children to repentance to crush them, but to restore them. In Christ, repentance is not a burden to dread but a gift to receive. It is God's gracious invitation away from sin and into renewed fellowship, peace, holiness, and joy.Christians do not outgrow repentance. They grow through it. The more we walk honestly before God, confessing our sin and turning afresh to Christ, the more we grow in humility, assurance, and joy. Repentance is not a sign that grace has failed. It is one of the clearest evidences that grace is at work.Takeaways / Reflection QuestionsDo you view repentance as a burden, or as a gracious gift from God?Are there sins you have been minimizing instead of confessing honestly before the Lord?How does 1 John 1:9 encourage you to walk in daily confession?In what ways does repentance restore joy and fellowship with God?Who are the mature believers or pastors in your life who can help strengthen you in repentance and accountability?Related ResourcesAnchored in the Word ArchiveAnchored in the Word YouTubeCall to ActionThank you for listening to this episode of Anchored in the Word with Dave Jenkins. We pray this episode helps you remain anchored in the truth of God's Word and anchored in Christ. Please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with others.

In Revelation 21:1-7 we see that the Risen Jesus will bring about a new creation, free from sorrow, where the redeemed will live with Him forever.

In Revelation 5 this week, we see Jesus take a new posture and what that does to and for all of creation.

In Revelation 2:18–29, Jesus comes to the church at Thyatira and we see the concern that he has for her and for her leaders. Jesus confronts the church, not because he's impatient, not because he doesn't care, but because he does care and he loves her and he doesn't want her to hide. Listen as Pastor Josué Pernillo preaches on this passage, showing that Jesus can see all, even the things we try to hide, so he calls us to repent that we may live holy lives in him. Part of a series on the book of Revelation. From Sunday Worship, April 26, 2026. ------------------------------- allsoulspca.org All Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.

In Revelation 19:11-16 we see that the risen Jesus rules over history now and will one day return to defeat evil and establish His righteous reign.

We live in a day when worship is often treated casuallybut Scripture makes it clear that God does not take worship lightly. And yet, many of us rarely stop to consider what is actually taking place in heaven right now what true worship really looks like before the throne of God. Last week, we were given a glimpse into that throne room, where everything centers on the One who sits upon the thronesurrounded by splendor, power, and unshakable sovereignty. But as Johns vision continues, our attention now shifts from the throne itself to the worship that surrounds it. After the Lord delivered Israel from the clutches of Pharaoh by parting the Red Sea, Moses and the people sang a song of praise. At the center of that song is this question: Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exod. 15:11). It is here that we are reminded why we existnot for ourselves, but for God, whose holiness sets Him apart from all else. Scripture repeatedly shows us what happens when that holiness is not regarded. Nadab and Abihu approached God in worship on their own termsand they were consumed (Lev. 10:12). Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the arkand he was struck down (2 Sam. 6:67). These are not isolated incidents. They are warnings. Worship that disregards the holiness of God is not merely deficientit is dangerous. For as the Lord has said, You shall be holy, for I am holy (Lev. 11:44; cf. 1 Pet. 1:16). And it is precisely this holinessthe holiness that cannot be ignored, redefined, or approached on our termsthat fills the throne room of heaven in Revelation 4, where unceasing worship rises before the One who is holy, holy, holy. The worship we see in Revelation 4 is not casual, and it is not optionalit is the only right response to who God is. So if Revelation 4 shows us what true worship looks like in heaven, then the question we must ask is this:Why is God so worthy of that kind of worship? We Worship the LORD Because There is No One Like Him (v. 6a) Revelation 4 shows us that the experience of Gods presence is not rooted in what we feel, nor is it produced by the latest worship songit is grounded in the truth of who God has revealed Himself to be in His Word. Do you remember what I said about the sea of glass before the throne of God? The sea represents chaos and opposition to Gods purposes, and it is from the sea that the beast comes. Yet here, before the throne, the sea is stilled, reminding us that what threatens creation elsewhere is powerless in His presence. In the presence of the One on the throne is where the redeemed find shalom (peace). What John sees in Revelation 4 is not only a display of powerit is a revelation of who God is. He is the Lord Almighty who rules over all things. He is a covenant-keeping God who keeps His promises. And He is a worship-worthy God before whom all of heaven bows down. And what is heavens response? Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power He is worthynot because of what He gives, but because of who He is. There is only one other place in Revelation where the sea of glass is referenced, and it appears in Revelation 15the fourth of the seven heavenly throne-room scenes in Johns apocalypse. There, John describes the same sea of glass, but with an added detail: And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fireand also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands (v. 2). At the Red Sea, Gods presence stood between His people and their enemiesbringing light to one and judgment to the other (Exod. 14:1920). In Revelation, that same reality is intensified as the sea itself is mingled with fire (Rev. 15:2)symbolically pointing us back to Exodus 14, where God prevented Egypt from pursuing Israel (Exod. 14:2425). After allowing Pharaoh and his army to begin crossing the parted sea, He then consumed the enemies of God by bringing the waters of the Red Sea upon them (Exod. 14:2628). This connection is not incidental. The redeemed stand beside the sea with harps in their hands and sing what John calls the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb (v. 3). Just as Israel stood on the far side of the Red Sea and sang of their deliverance, so now the people of God stand victorious and sing once moreonly this time, their deliverance is final. And just as the plagues of Egypt preceded Israels redemption, so here the song is sung on the threshold of judgment, just before the seven bowls of wrath are poured outjudgments that unmistakably echo the plagues that fell upon Egypt. For now, lets focus on a single verse from the song Israel sang after crossing the Red Sea: Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Exod. 15:11). In Revelation 15:34, a similar song is taken up and directed to the Lamb: Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. What began as a song of deliverance at the Red Sea becomes, in Revelation, a song of final redemption before the throneand at the center of both songs is the same unchanging truth: there is no one like Him. We Worship the LORD Because He is the Creator of All (vv. 6b-7) We are now introduced to four living creatures whose praise echoes that of the seraphim inIsaiah6, who declare of the One on the throne: Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory (Isa. 6:3). Like the seraphim, these creatures have six wings, but unlike them, they are described as being full of eyes in front and behind. These eyes symbolize unceasing awarenessnothing escapes their sight as they live in continual service before their Creator. At the same time, each creature is distinct, representing a different realm of creation and reflecting the goodness of the One who made all things. There are four creatures because they represent the fullness of creation, yet each highlights a distinct category of created life. The creature like a lion represents the wild animalsstrength, majesty, and power. The creature like an ox represents domesticated animalsservice, endurance, and strength under authority. The creature with the face of a man represents humanityintelligence, reason, and the image of God. The creature like an eagle in flight represents the birds of the airswiftness and dominion in the skies. Together, these four living creatures represent the strongest, wisest, most powerful, and most majestic forms of created lifeand all of them are oriented toward the worship of their Creator. Some scholars have also noted a possible connection between these four living creatures and the way Israel was arranged in the wilderness. InNumbers2, the twelve tribes were divided into four groups and positioned around the tabernacle, with the presence of God at the center. Later Jewish tradition suggests that each group bore a distinct imagesuch as a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagleimages that closely resemble the creatures described here. If this connection is valid, it adds another layer of meaning: the living creatures would not only represent the fullness of creation, but also reflect the people of God gathered in ordered worship around His presence. In that sense, they may point to humanity as it was always meant to bea community centered on God and devoted entirely to His glory. Whether these creatures are the cherubim described elsewhere in Scripture or a distinct class of heavenly beings, the point remains clear: they represent all of created life, and they perform the very function that all of creation was designed to fulfillwhich is worship. And like the seraphim, they never cease to say: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! (v. 8). We Worship the LORD Because He is Perfectly Holy (v. 8) The declaration of the four living creatures is not that He is lovethough He most certainly is. Nor do they declare that He is just, though everything around the throne testifies to His perfect justice. They do not highlight any of His other attributes. Instead, they declare the one attribute that lies at the very core of all that He isHis holiness. And they declare it to the highest degree. He is not merely holy, nor even holy, holy. Noour God is: Holy, holy, holy! This is the only attribute of God raised to the third degree in all of Scripture. But what does it mean that God is holy? To be holy is to be set apart and separate from all that is sinful, impure, or morally imperfect. As it relates to God, there is nothing like Him in all of creation, and there is nothing in Him that is flawed, corrupt, or deficient. Gods holiness is the beauty of all that He is. Stephen Charnock rightly said, Holiness is the beauty of all Gods attributes. Brothers and sisters, it is Gods holiness that makes Him gloriousit is what makes His justice just, His mercy merciful, and His power pure. This is why the worship of God is both serious and dangerous. As Michael Horton argues in his bookIn the Face of God, the danger is not in drawing near to Godthe danger is in doing so on our own terms. Nadab and Abihu approached God on their own termsand they were consumed (Lev. 10:13). Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark, assuming his hand was cleaner than the dirtand he was struck down (2 Sam. 6:67). Ananias and Sapphira were more concerned with their image than Gods gloryand they too fell dead (Acts 5:111). Why? Because the holiness of God cannot be approached casually, on our own terms, or treated as common. And, just in case you are tempted to think that these examples are extreme and ought not be taken too seriously, consider the way Jesus taught us to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Jesus did not say to recite this prayer (though that is okay), but to pray like this. We are to begin with something like: Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name. That first petition is not one request among manyit is the foundation of them all, just as holiness is for the character of the Lord God Almighty! Every other request modeled for us in our Lords prayer flows from it and serves it: Your kingdom come for the hallowing of your name. Your will be done for the hallowing of your name. Give us this day our daily bread for the hallowing of your name. Forgive us as we forgive others for the hallowing of your name. Lead us not into temptation for the hallowing of your name. Deliver us from evil... for the hallowing of your name. Do you see it? We exist for the renown of Gods holy name in every area and part of our lives because He is holy, holy, holy! This is exactly what we see in Revelation 4. Heaven is not centered on man but on God. He is the Creator, and we are the creature. He reigns from heaven, and we are on earth. He is eternally sufficient, and we are utterly dependent upon Him. All that we dohow we live, how we pray, how we worshipis to be shaped and motivated by one great purpose: that Gods name would be hallowed! As His Word reminds us, For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen (Rom. 11:36). Only when God becomes the center of your universe will you begin to see your life rightly. And only then will you experience the kind of joy and satisfaction you were created for. At the center of that reality is the question sung in victorious celebration by Moses and the rest of Israel: Who is like you O Lord... majestic in holiness? (Exod. 15:11) We Worship the LORD Because He Alone is Worthy (vv. 9-11) Notice the response of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders. They fall down before Him who is seated on the throne. Their posture shows us the proper response to Gods holinessnot pride, but surrender. The twenty-four elders lay down their crowns because they recognize that whatever authority, honor, or reward they possess ultimately belongs to the One on the throne. In response to the declaration that our unchanging God is Holy, holy, holy, the elders proclaim: Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. Everything that exists does so because God wills it. That means your life is not random, nor did it come by chance. You were created by Him and for Himand the only right response is to lay down whatever you are holding onto and give Him the glory He deserves. Listenif you approach God on your terms, you will never experience Him as you were created to. Your way of worship will always lead you to your idols and away from the living God. But when you see Him for who He truly isholy, holy, holyyou will do what heaven does: you will bow, you will surrender, and you will worship. Heaven is not confused about who it is that sits on the throne. Heaven is not distracted by lesser glories. Heaven is not divided by that which does not last. All of heaven is fixed on one reality that outweighs everything else infinitely more: God is holy, and He is worthy of it all! One day, you will join this scene that we are given in Revelation 4. One day, you will stand before the One who sits on the throne. The only question is this: Will you bow before Him now in worship, or will you bow before Him then in judgment? If you really want to experience God, if you really want to live your life for that which will last and which matters, then be determined in your heart to do this: Turn from lesser things by giving God what heaven already declaresglory, honor, and all that you are. Why? Because there is no one like Him. Because He is the Creator. Because He is holy. And because He alone is worthy.

What if everything wrong in your life stayed wrong forever—no justice, no healing, no hope—and then One stepped forward who could actually change it? In Revelation 5, heaven goes silent searching for someone worthy to hold the future, until a slain yet standing Lamb walks to the throne and takes the scroll. Come stand at the edge of the throne room and see why Jesus alone is worthy to hold your future in his hands.1) The crisis2) The answer3) The response4) The mirrorText: Revelation 5:1-14

In Revelation 5:1-14 we see that the risen Jesus reigns in heaven and is actively shepherding His people here on earth.

John 17:6-13,“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. 9 I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”John 17 is one of the most amazing chapters in the Bible because the entire chapter is a prayer of Jesus — and it's a prayer he prays for us. We know this because of what Jesus says in verse 20. He says to his Father:“I do not ask for these only [that's the eleven disciples], but also for those who will believe in me through their word [that's us, his church].”By the grace of God, we believe in Jesus through the gospel that has been passed down to us in the apostolic word (that's the New Testament!). So when Jesus prayed in John 17 — yes, the eleven disciples were right by his side and he prayed for them — but he also had us in mind.Which means: what Jesus prayed in John 17 he prays for us — and notice I'm saying “prays for us” in the present tense.For this to make sense, I think we need to understand something important about prayer itself. In Revelation 5, when the four living creatures and twenty-four elders bow down in worship to Jesus, John makes a curious statement about prayer. He says that each of these worshipers are holding “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”It's a minor detail on one hand, but it's also a clue that the prayers of God's people are collected. I think it tells us something about prayer that we can know by experience: it's that our prayers don't ever expire, but they accumulate.The more we pray, over time, those prayers shape us into a certain kind of person. The prayers themselves can change, in maturity and clarity, but basically we all become the kind of person who prays the way we do.Maybe a better way to say it is that our prayers stay with us. When we pray about something, we don't ever just ‘check the box' and move on — because prayer is not ‘one and done' sort of thing. The way we pray, even in private, gets represented by us everywhere we go. Everywhere we go, we go as persons who are praying a certain way.And we even talk this way as a church. A lot of times we'll say something like “Yeah, I'm praying about that” or “I'm praying for you” — we use the present tense. We understand that our prayers stay with us. That's true of us … and that's true of Jesus, like right now.I want you to know that the prayer Jesus prayed in John 17 is still operative. It's not a mere record of the way he prayed once upon a time. It's not left behind in the dust of history. But this is a prayer that reflects the heart of Jesus this morning. Jesus carries this prayer with him, and he wants all of this for us now like he wanted it when he first prayed it. We know the word of God is living and active! — I want you to know this prayer in the word of God is living and active!I want you to know that Jesus is praying this for you today!There are three things he's praying that I want to show you.1. Jesus is praying for us to be kept. I'm not sure what you think when you hear the word “kept” but it's got a rich biblical meaning. And it's really an image. For God to “keep you” means he holds onto you and cares for you. He doesn't let you go and he provides for what you need. That's what we hear in Psalm 121 when the psalmist says: The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. (Verses 5–7)Or it's like when God says of his servant in Isaiah 42, verse 6:“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you …” That's an image. He's saying: I'm looking out for you. I'm protecting you. I'm gonna get you where I'm leading you. In the New Testament, we see this in places like 1 Peter 1:5, “by God's power [we] are being guarded [or kept] through faith …” Or Jude 24, which we sing sometimes, “Now to him who is able to keep you … be glory!”Theologically, this idea of being kept is about endurance. It is part of a doctrine known as the “perseverance of the saints.” That doctrine teaches that those whom God truly saves he faithfully preserves. If you are in Christ, you will make it! That's the doctrine, and we see it in action in this prayer. Doctrine in ActionNotice first how Jesus describes who he's talking about. Jesus calls believers those whom the Father has given him. We can see that right away in verse 6. Jesus says, “I have manifested your name [Father] to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me …”Jesus says that's who he's praying for. Verse 9:“I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”This is a big deal. Jesus is doubling-down on a distinction: there is the world here, and then there are those out of the world that the Father claims as his own and gives them to the Son.Where Are You?Here's an important question: How do you know where you are? Are you of the world? Or has the Father given you to Jesus out of the world?That's a good question. I was thinking about this the other day. I was on the road, sitting at red light, and there were seven cars at the intersection turning left in front of me, and I decided I would just look at the face of each person as they drove by. I think people are fascinating. So I'm looking at each person, and they're all different; they're all going somewhere; they all got stories, and I thought: “I wonder which of these people have been given to Jesus?” That one? That one? That one?Here's the thing: you can't really tell by just looking at people, but I know the answer: The ones who are given to Jesus are the ones who believe in him. That's what it means to keep Jesus's word in verse 6. Or, in verse 8, to “know in truth” who Jesus is. We're asking the wrong question if we're asking: “Have I been given to Jesus or not?”The question is: “Do you believe him?” If you believe in Jesus, you are given to Jesus, and if you are given to Jesus, you are kept by Jesus. Because he's praying for that. Right now. This means, for Christians in the room, we are gonna make it! We need to remind each other of this more often, especially in the face of hostility. Church, we will endure. We will make it through. Jesus is praying for us to be kept. 2. Jesus is praying for us to glorify him. This is a very simple sentence in verse 10, but I'd love for you to see it. Everybody help me out and find verse 10. Chapter 17, verse 10.“All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.”This is the first time Jesus has ever said this. Now he's talked about his glory before, at some key places in the Gospel. He opens verse 1 of this prayer asking the Father to glorify the Son so that the Son may glorify the Father. We saw that last week. Jesus is saying:Father, make me shine, so that you shine!Magnify me so that people see you! And Jesus is referring to the cross and resurrection. That is the most vivid revelation of God's heart! It's what the entire ministry of Jesus was been building toward — when Jesus was lifted up as our sacrifice and then raised from dead to defeat sin and death! Jesus is glorified in his cross and resurrection! He's told us that. But verse 10 is the first time Jesus has ever said that he's glorified in his disciples. It's a remarkable statement. Now Mediated Glory!Last week, Pastor David Mathis walked through “the story of Jesus's glory.” He showed us that Jesus has: Pre-world glory, Incarnate glory, Crucified glory, and Resurrected glory.Today, we add one more: Mediated glory. Now, like today — after his resurrection or because of his resurrection — Jesus shines through the work he does in his disciples. Including us.Because he's not here anymore, remember? But we are. That's what he says in verse 11 — Jesus is now in heaven with the Father, but we are here, with his Spirit. And that means that now we have become the living theater of his glory in this world. Jesus is now seen and heard, and known and loved, through the nature and witness of his church.That is how he is glorified in us. We might have the impression that to glorify Jesus means we must accomplish some grandiose thing; we might think we must do something super radical that gets people's attention — but that's not the case at all.We glorify Jesus, first, simply by the reality of who we are as believers. We trust him. We are born again to a living hope.I told you last week, church, we are living miracles. Our very being — and our being together — is because of the work of Jesus Christ. He is glorified in us by our existence.And then, also, he is glorified in us when we bear witness to him — when we join his mission to make his glory known. This part is astounding. …We get to really and truly display Jesus to others. We get to acknowledge him by our lifestyles, and give him in our relationships. We get to point to him and tell of him. Our Eager Expectation and HopeChristian, look: Jesus can be glorified in you through what you do. Isn't that amazing? You can make your Savior shine! You can show him, in all kinds of ways — starting with the meditations of your heart … to the words of your mouth, from serving your family well … to sharing the gospel with the lost, from small acts of faith … to costly acts of love, from resisting temptation … to enduring hostility with a smile on your face — we can do things that glorify Jesus. And don't you want to? Just for the wondrous fact that Jesus is happy about it. That he truly shines.I believe that if we could see the smile of Jesus upon us, we could do anything. I pray as a church that our ambition would become like the apostle Paul's, who said in Philippians 1:20, “it is my eager expectation and hope that … Christ be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.”That's it. Whatever it takes! Jesus be glorified in us — and Jesus is praying that! Jesus is praying for us to glorify him. 3. Jesus is praying for us to have his joy.Take a look at verse 12. Jesus prays:“While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”Jesus says again here what we've already seen — he keeps his own. He guards his people. Judas, however, ‘went out from them because he was never truly of them' (1 John 2:19). It was foretold in the Scripture. Jesus was not surprised by this. It was no failure on his part.He has been faithful to the mission the Father gave him, and he says again in verse 13 what he's been saying this whole time: I'm coming home. Another Purpose StatementJesus is going back to his Father, and we're staying here — and he wants something for us here.In fact, Jesus makes another purpose statement about the Farewell Discourse.Notice in verse 13 he says, “these things I speak in the world that they may have…” — it's a purpose statement.The “these things” includes this prayer he's praying, but he's thinking about everything he's been teaching. Jesus is praying that everything he's been teaching will accomplish a purpose. I want you to tell me what it is. Everybody look at verse 13, Jesus says: “these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy.” He already told us he wanted us to have his peace, now he tells us he wants us to have his joy!Now you gotta go back to those people who asked you about the Farewell Discourse a couple of weeks ago, and you gotta tell them that Jesus wants us to have peace and joy! That's what he says. He wants his joy fulfilled in us.He said the same thing in Chapter 15, verse 11. He said there:“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” He wants our joy to get filled up with his joy. The Joy of JesusWe can say for sure here that Jesus is not talking about generic joy. He says “my joy.” So what does that mean?What is the joy of Jesus that he wants us to have?The joy of Jesus that he wants us to have is joy in the glory of the Trinity. It's joy in the love that the Father has for the Son, and the Son for the Father, and Spirit who is the very presence of that joy. The joy of Jesus is truly joy in God himself — it is non-derivative, infinite, independent, and inexhaustible. That's why it's so good. It's what we could call “big picture joy” — and I mean that in the most profound way you could ever imagine it. Biggest possible picture joy.Which means: it's a joy that has the ability to look beyond the immediate. It can look beyond even pain and suffering. Now this is really important: I'm not saying that this joy ignores pain and suffering. It does not pretend those things don't exist. They do. This joy can say: “Father, it if be possible, let the cup pass from me!” (Matthew 26:39).This joy can say: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)This joy can say: Father, this hurts. I don't want it. Make it stop. Bring me through it. This joy doesn't ignore pain and suffering, but it's able to see to the other side. “For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Big picture joy — the joy of Jesus — is a joy in front of us so glorious that it reaches back into our lives now and makes us make it. We're gonna make it because of this joy — and if I keep going, I'm describing the ministry of the Holy Spirit. But let me say this: Jesus wants you to have his joy — He prays for you to be kept. He prays for you to glorify him. He prays for you to have his joy.The InvitationAnd this morning, I would like for us to close with an invitation: Would you open your heart to the joy of Jesus?I mean this, first, for non-Christians: If you're here and you've never put your faith in Jesus, you are currently without this joy. You do not have Christ, but I'm inviting you to have him. Right now, you can pray: Jesus, I'm done walking down this path I've been on, save me. Trust in Jesus Christ. And for all the Christians in the room, for Cities Church: don't we want more of the joy of Jesus? For many of us, the burdens have piled up. We're weighed down. Life is heavy. We need that big picture joy! We need the joy of Jesus — and I'm inviting you: open your heart to him again. Ask for a fresh filling of his joy this morning. And you can do that at this Table. The TableAt this Table we remember the death of Jesus for us! He welcomes us again into his fellowship, into his joy. If you are a Christian, this is for you. Receive his bread and cup today and may the Lord Jesus restore to you the joy of his salvation. He's praying for you.

It's Friday, April 10th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Maunday Thursday Massacre: Muslims killed 43 Christians in Congo On April 2nd, the Islamic Allied Democratic Forces killed dozens of Christians in Mambasa Territory located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reports International Christian Concern. The attack in the African nation occurred on Maundy Thursday, a day during Holy Week when Christians remember the Last Supper. A religious freedom advocate, who wanted to remain anonymous for safety purposes, said, “The initial death toll of 43 may rise further; some victims were burned inside their homes, and others are still in the bush. The attackers surprised the population in their sleep. The victims were killed by gunfire, and several were beheaded with machetes. The images are unbearable.” In Revelation 6:9-10, “When [Jesus] opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the Earth and avenge our blood?'” White House envoy to Netanyahu: Stop bombing Lebanon Iran's new Supreme Leader issued a chilling message after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scolded by U.S. President Donald Trump for nearly jeopardizing the shaky ceasefire. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Netanyahu held a phone call between President Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, according to Axios. Witkoff reportedly told Netanyahu to “calm down” the strikes in Lebanon and open peace negotiations. Amid Trump's two-week ceasefire with Iran, Israel has continued to bombard urban population centers in Lebanon, including Beirut, killing and injuring civilians. Trump's request came as the United States prepares to meet with Iranian leaders in Pakistan to negotiate an end to the war. Iran claims Lebanon was part of the ceasefire deal with the U.S. and is now threatening to abandon peace talks and keep the Strait of Hormuz closed unless Israel stops attacking its proxy, Hezbollah, in the region. However, U.S. and Israeli diplomats deny that the ceasefire with the Iranian Islamic regime applies to Netanyahu's ground offensive against Lebanon. New evidence reveals deep pro-abortion bias at Biden's DOJ A nearly 60-page report from the Trump Department of Justice contains “evidence of collusion and unethical behavior” between the Biden-era DOJ and pro-abortion entities, including the National Abortion Federation, reports LifeSiteNews.com. According to MS Now, formerly known as MSNBC, the draft says, “Upon assuming office, the Biden DOJ shattered the public's trust by weaponizing the [Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act of 1994] to advance a pro-abortion agenda, and the DOJ's Civil Rights Division was at the forefront of this weaponization.” Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, who has seen the evidence on which the report was based, spoke to LifeSiteNews after the leak of the document. Terry told LifeSite that he and Terrisa Bukovinac, founder of Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, were granted access to the unredacted records on March 4, 2026. Bukovinac and Terry met with Trump's DOJ officials in Washington, D.C., because the documents reference Terry by name and Bukovinac's organization. Terry said the report contains clear evidence of unethical coordination between Biden lead prosecutor Sanjay Patel and pro-abortion groups, including the National Abortion Federation. At the same time, 70 attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers went largely uninvestigated and unprosecuted in the months after Roe v. Wade was overturned. The Department of Justice documents include: an email in which Sanjay Patel was helping National Abortion Federation obtain a significant financial grant, Patel allegedly suggested ways to increase prison time for pro-lifers engaged in peaceful activities, to create fear among pro-life activists. 'Gas & Glory': Tenn church gives hundreds of commuters free gas And finally, amid rapidly escalating gas prices worldwide, a Tennessee church recently pumped out free gasoline for hundreds of commuters, reports The Christian Post. Overcoming Believers Church of Knoxville, which has a membership of 1,500 people, held its “Gas & Glory” event on Saturday at a local Thumbs Up Exxon station. They blessed 400 drivers with $20 worth of free gas. Additionally, volunteers provided free T-shirts, candy for children, and invited drivers to join them for worship on Easter Sunday. Karen Swint, a spokeswoman for the church, said, “People need to see us be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us to ‘Go and make disciples.' I truly believe this is the best way to do [it]. We are to be doers of the Word, not only hearers or speakers.” James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” The “Gas & Glory” event comes at a time when gas prices worldwide have been sharply increasing amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel, rising above $4.00 a gallon in the U.S. Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, April 10th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In Revelation 1:17–18, Jesus reveals Himself as the eternal Living One who entered death, conquered it, and now lives forever with absolute authority over it. Our “death problem” has been overcome by Jesus because of His resurrection from the grave.

We live in a world that is consumed with appearances. We measure our lives by our stuff, our entertainment, our purchasing power, our sexual freedom, and when hardships come our immediate instinct is to escape it by any means as quickly as possible. In Revelation 2:8–11 we find that the church in Smyrna is experiencing social rejection, poverty, and pressures, but into this moment Christ speaks a message that turns everything on its head. Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on this passage, showing us that real life is not as it appears; life in the present is a life of fear; Jesus faced death to find life; and resting in Jesus' life frees us to face death and find true life. Part of a series on the book of Revelation. From Sunday Worship, March 29, 2026. ------------------------------- Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions: Jesus tells a church facing poverty that they are actually rich. How does this challenge the way we usually measure success or security? Why is our being rich not a fiction and mere sentiment? When you feel the poverty of your circumstances (social rejection, financial stress, or personal loss), what earthly comforts are you most tempted to scramble after to find a sense of security? How does Jesus' victory over the second death free you from having to earn a life of comfort or approval today and offer you a sense of fearless hope when you think about your future or your greatest fears? If we truly believed that things are often not as they appear—that our spiritual reality in Christ is more solid than our physical circumstances—how might that change the way we face a specific anxiety or fiery trial this week? ------------------------------- allsoulspca.org All Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.

Prepared to Feed the Church (1) (audio) David Eells, 3/29/26   Meats or Empty Sweets? K.H. - March 2011 (David's notes in red) The dream began as I arrived at this large convention center. (This represents the corporate church.) I walked through the glass front doors and went over to where a group of people were standing. As soon as I walked over to the group, a young woman came and asked if I wanted to help serve food. I agreed, as I enjoy serving others, and followed her into the kitchen area. (This dream is feeding the Church.) When I entered the kitchen, I saw many other volunteers lined up to get trays of food to take to the two different rooms, so I got in line. I was first given a tray and was told to go into the first room out of the kitchen door. In the first room, there were rectangular tables of people along the walls and two rows of tables down the middle; the room was filled with very hungry people. I noticed that the men, women, and children in that room had very worn clothes and were gaunt-looking. (Most of the church is starving for heavenly food.) I went to the first table in the middle of the room and started putting down the plates of food on my tray. (If we are partaking of the body and blood of Christ, we will be dressed up with Him as our wedding garment, and we will spiritually be healthy and strong. Rom.13:12 The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof]. Notice that if we are putting on Jesus, we are putting on truth and not letting the flesh have its way.) After I finished passing out all the plates I had, I noticed that all of them had a slice of pie. (Pie is sweet and can fill you up if you eat enough of it, but you will have a sugar high and then a sugar low, and there is no substance to it.) As I watched the people begin to eat their pie, I realized that the pie slices were hollow -- there was no fruit in the pie. I was very disturbed by this and understood why they were so skinny, as they were not being fed properly. (Teaching what is sweet to the flesh is fruitless and will not make you strong in the Lord.) There were some people in the room who seemed to understand that there was no substance to their meal, but there were some who searched all over the plate and inside the crust to try to find the fruit that was supposed to be in the pie. (Some people in the apostate church are satisfied with the emptiness that they have grown accustomed to, but some are searching for the truth because they know there is more to Christianity than what they have been taught or fed.) (Man's opinions and traditions have no spiritual fruit or nourishment and do not clothe one's nakedness, so that spiritually their sin is revealed. Many don't know they are in this condition because those whom they consider spiritual seem the same way. Rev.3:16 So because thou art lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have gotten riches, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art the wretched one and miserable and poor and blind and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold refined by fire, that thou mayest become rich; and white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest; and eyesalve to anoint thine eyes, that thou mayest see. Those who do hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled. Matthew 5:6) I didn't want to continue because I began to feel so sad for those people who were still starving and not receiving what they had come for, but I felt in my spirit that I needed to deliver food to the next room. So, I went back into the kitchen and got another tray of food, and walked to the second room. As I entered the room, the tables were all set up the same way, but the people in that room had less-worn clothes and looked much healthier than the people in the other room. When I passed the plates of food out to the people in the second room, I realized that there were slices of meat, like a meatloaf. (Unlike the pie, you can become full by eating the meat and you will stay full longer without having the sugar high/low effect.) This meal seemed to satisfy all of the people much more than in the other room. (This second room represents those Christians who eat the meat of the Word and are getting fed by the true Word, not the empty gospel.) (Also, they are not just hearers of the Word deluding themselves, but doers of the Word. Jesus said that His meat was to do the will of His Father. He said that only those who hear and do the Word would have a house that would survive the waves and winds of life. Mat.7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: 25 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. 26 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: 27 and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof. It would be far better for some to stay home and read their Bible than to go to a spiritually poverty-stricken and starving church only to be fed leaven.) As soon as I woke up from this dream, the Lord reminded me of this passage in Joh.6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth hath eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Jesus therefore said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. 54 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever. (Jesus is the Word made flesh, which we must eat. It is plain that a person cannot just blindly go to “church”, as the Jews did, and not partake of the Word for himself and expect to have life.) There are so many Christians who are spiritually starving under the apostate church, and I am thankful for the Lord giving me this reminder to pray for His children who are still searching for Him so that they find the truth sooner rather than later. Only when Christ is in us through eating the Word do we bear His fruit, 30-, 60- and 100-fold, and are strong to withstand the attacks of the enemies who come to plunder us of our heritage.   Transformed to Bear Fruit in Others Judy Fahrnow - 06/12/2016 Notes: [David | Debbie Horton ] In a dream, I was in the living room, feeding a small baby boy a bottle of milk. (This represents feeding her spiritual man of “Christ in you”. 1Pe.2:2 As newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation. Mat.12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother. We are the mother of Christ if we feed our spiritual man the Word of God. In the parable of the seed of the sower, the seed of God is His Word, and our heart is the womb to bring forth the fruit of Christ 30-, 60- and 100-fold. When the baby is born, this fruit of Christ is revealed to the world for we are to look like our Father. Luk.1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. 31 And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. And Elizabeth said unto Mary, who like us was to bear the fruit of Jesus, 45 And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord.) The neighborhood kids kept coming into the house and getting out all of the baby boys toys. (Other Christians try to distract our born-again man with the things of the world so we don't grow up in Him. Eph.5:15 Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.) Col.3:2 Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. 3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. Manifested here is phaneroo, and it means “to make visible” [as in a birth]; “to cause to shine” [as the shining forth of the glory of Christ].) I didn't want all that chaos, clutter and noise as I was feeding the baby. (Because we must concentrate on the milk of the Word so our spiritual man will grow up into the meat and image of Christ. 2Co.3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.) Then I told all the other children to pick up the toys and put them away and that they had to leave. I ushered them out the door, closed it, and locked the door so they could not try to come back inside. Mat.6:33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Luk.10:41 But the Lord answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things: 42 but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Jos.1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate thereon day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Gal.5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would.) Then, as I was going back to where the baby was to feed him, I couldn't find him. Then I noticed he was bigger and walking around the room, and I thought, “Well, I can't feed him anymore from a bottle; he needs more grown-up food or a jar of baby food”. (Judy's fruit of Jesus grows quickly from the milk of the Word to the meat because she is concentrating on the spiritual and not the carnal; the Word and not the world. Heb.5:12 For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. Notice that experiencing the Word and not just knowing it is going from milk to meat: 14 But solid food is for fullgrown men, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil. We must use the Word to experience it and grow to maturity. Jas.1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves. 23 For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a mirror: 24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth away, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.) Then I was also wondering where I was going to find clothes to fit him because he was growing so fast, and he just kept growing and growing until he was very tall, maybe seven feet tall. (Our spiritual clothes are our works of righteousness and show our maturity, as in being a member of the Bride. Rev.19:8 And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright [Lampros, meaning “radiant”; i.e., glory] and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. He also had wide shoulders. Isa.9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Then I felt I needed to find my husband to tell him what had happened. (Our spiritual husband is Jesus, Who is the Word, which is the seed that brings forth His life in the womb of the natural man. Judy here represents the natural man who brings forth the spiritual man of “Christ in you”. All of God's people are called to bear the fruit of Jesus. The first-fruits of these sons of God is the Man-child who will lead God's people through the wilderness tribulation in the days to come. This Man-child will be caught up to the throne of God's authority to do this work.) He then said he needed to go to his father, and we got into the car, and he backed the car out of the driveway and drove to a big open field. Mat.13:38 The field is the world. He got out of the car and looked up, and I saw the heavens open up and he ascended into Heaven, just like Jesus did. (Our personal Man-child will live with our Father in heavenly places. Eph.1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus.... The first fruits Man-child company will now be caught up to the throne to minister to the Woman Church in the wilderness. Rev.12:5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.) The seed is in the fruit. Those who have the fruit now have the seed. The next thing I knew, I was back home in my living room. (Ready to go to work in the Kingdom.) I didn't drive back. I was just “there,” back in my home. I was feeding another baby, and he also started to grow really fast. (Once our spiritual man is grown, we are capable of feeding and raising other spiritual men so that they, too, can bear fruit quickly and live in heavenly places in Christ. Luk.6:42 Or how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me cast out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.) As I watched him grow, I had another baby in my arms, feeding him, and again he grew really fast, and another baby appeared in my arms, and I was feeding him. It was like the babies just kept coming and coming and growing up very fast. ... And then the alarm clock went off. (The time will come when the time is up to bear the FIRST-fruit in others but in the wilderness many will bear the fruit of Christ through them. Just as the disciples of Jesus, the first-fruit, grew up to bear His fruit so it will be with many others. This is what Jesus taught in Joh.12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth by itself alone; but if it die, it beareth much fruit. We must die to our own will and the toys of this world and seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. The catching to the throne of the FIRST-fruit is near.) I asked the Lord for a verse regarding this dream and opened the Bible and put my finger down on Eze.37:4 again he said unto me, prophesy over these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. (This is the way the revival will bring in the dead religious multitudes and give them life in Christ. Even as Satan's minions fight to stop us. Many have been diligent to get the Word out to others so they can grow up quickly.) (I also asked for a Word by random computer and received Pro.14:23 In all labor there is profit; But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.) (Meaning, let's talk about it less and feed the spiritual man more or we will end up spiritually poverty-stricken.)   Man-child / Bride Feed Apostate Baby Believers Missy Pollock - 04/24/2012 B. A. notes in green | David's notes in red In a dream, I was walking on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere (the wilderness tribulation), following a young man. I had a love for this young man whom I had never felt before. (In type, Missy is following Jesus in the Man-child who will lead the Bride and under her the Church through the wilderness tribulation.) This young man went into a field (the world) and when he came back out of the field, he had a baby in his arms. He was now dressed in shepherd-like clothing that was multicolored. (Having this multicolored clothing on when he came out of the field means he was anointed to be the Man-child.) (Joseph's coat of many colors represents the attributes of the light of Christ, the Man-child.) I asked him with great concern for the baby, “Where did you get that baby?” (Which represents believers in the worldly church who have not yet matured.) He didn't say anything. I kept following him with this baby. The next thing I knew, we were on the second floor of a house, walking into a room. (No longer walking on earth, walking in the first stage of the spiritual realm, walking in the light, walking in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.) In this room was a crib full of babies. I asked the young man again with great concern for these babies, “Where did you get all these babies?” He didn't answer, but I knew he had rescued these babies because he loved and cared for them. (The Man-child will rescue many baby Christians from the apostate leadership.) I was holding one of the babies, and it was cute with very dark skin. (They are very dark because they have been walking in the apostasy of the church.) I also noticed the baby had sharp claws on its hands and feet (meaning they have beastly works and walk). I asked the young man, “Are you sure this baby is human?” He said, “Yes, I'm sure”. I felt funny asking this. I said, “I hated asking that, but I wasn't sure”. (The beast nature in the spiritual land of their life keeps the believers from maturing. Exo.23:29 I will not drive them (meaning, the carnal man) out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beasts of the field multiply against thee. 30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee (meaning the spiritual man), until thou be increased, and inherit the land.) After that, I felt this dark presence of a man (representing the apostate leadership) come up from behind me, and he tried to seduce me (by speaking leavened words which are doctrines of demons). I said, “Leave me alone; get away from me”. Then, all of a sudden, I realized where the young man got the babies. I said to him, “I get it. I know where you got these babies”. He got these babies from carnal women who couldn't take care of them (because they don't have the unleavened Word of God to feed them). (Isa.4:1) And seven women (the seven churches, representing the sects of Christianity) shall take hold of one man (Jesus in the Man-child) in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name; take thou away our reproach.) I said, “You bought them from him”, meaning the dark-presence man. (The Man-child paid the price to receive the Unleavened Bread and feed the babies who were under the false prophet, apostate leadership.) Then the dark presence of this man was gone. (When you expose the darkness by speaking the light of the truth, it must go.) (When you reject the seduction of leaven, he has no power.) I then went over to the crib full of babies. With each of the babies was a birth certificate-type document showing ownership (born of God, purchased by the blood of the Lamb). I noticed one of the babies was a little chubbier than the rest and it didn't have any hair (representing, overindulging in the world and no submission to God). I picked this baby up and started taking care of it. I immediately loved this baby. I took the baby with me out of the room, into another room where there was a set of stairs that went down to the first floor. A man was standing on the stairs, almost at the bottom, keeping guard. (Watching for thieves, like the Pharisees, stealing God's sheep.) Joh.10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.) I would tell the baby, “Mommy loves you,” and I would just kiss and kiss the baby and tell it that I loved it over and over again. (I was feeding the baby with kisses, which are the Word of God. Son.1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine.) (Love of the brethren is one of the most common themes in the Word, and “Love never faileth.” Love them into the kingdom.) This room looked like the reception area of a doctor's office. A woman was standing by a desk, looking at some files in her hands. She asked me, “Didn't you use to wear glasses?” (Seeing the world's way.) I said, “Yes, but not anymore because I can see now”. She then took a card out of one of the files and put it really close in front of my face, and it was all blurry. (She is not near-sighted but far-sighted, like those with faith who see things far off as already in their possession.) She then took it away quickly and said, “You can see”. (I used to wear glasses but stopped wearing them, believing that my eyes are healed in Jesus' name. The card, blurry when I looked at it, was showing that I had learned to walk by faith and not by sight. I represent the Bride, and the test was to see if I was qualified to be in the Bride and take care of the baby.) (Only those who walk and see by faith for the babies can teach faith to them.) These are the verses that the Lord gave me: 1Co.15:27 For, He put all things in subjection under his feet. But when he saith, All things are put in subjection, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him. (28) And when all things have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all. (“Things” in this verse is italicized in the Numerics because it is the chosen people who are being brought into submission and subjection to the Father, like the overindulgent and under-submissive baby Christians that the Man-child and Bride were caring for in the dream.) 2Ch.33:3 For he (Manasseh, the dark presence leadership) built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baalim, and made Asheroth, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, whereof Jehovah said, In Jerusalem (the Bride) shall my name be for ever. 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven (He caused God's people to sacrifice their lives to demons) in the two courts of the house of Jehovah. 6 He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom (his leadership sent his spiritual children to hell); and he practiced augury, and used enchantments, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits (all forbidden knowledge and false prophecy demons), and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke him to anger. 7 And he set the graven image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God (he raised up the golden calf in God's house), of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name (Hebrew meaning: “nature, character and authority”) for ever: 8 neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from off the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances [given] by Moses. (Because of this dark leadership, the people were driven from the land of milk and honey into captivity to the beast.) 9 And Manasseh (meaning “causing to forget”) (This apostate leadership of God's people caused them to forget His Word and ways. He) seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (as the apostate leadership), so that they did evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel. Dan.2:12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. (The beast will destroy the harlot as Revelation says. He will destroy all the apostate leadership [or dark presence man] by bringing them under submission to it. In Revelation 17, the beast is a corporate body of spirits from the abyss who enter perdition or destruction, as in the corporate body of the sons of perdition.) Psa.80:18 So shall we not go back from thee: Quicken thou us, and we will call upon thy name. 19 Turn us again, O Jehovah God of hosts; Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. (Father will grant grace to many apostate babies to turn to Him because they are not as responsible as their leaders are for their sins.)   Bride to Feed the Tribulation Church Eve Brast - 01/12/2011 (RS and David's notes in red) I dreamed I was at my dad's parents' old house in Highland Park in Dallas, Texas. Their home had been built during the Great Depression in the 1930s (the world is coming to a great depression) and was surrounded by million-dollar mansions when I was young. (Eve here represents the Bride, for she was the bride of Adam, and Jesus was the last Adam. The house that Eve was raised in represents the Church, which is overshadowed by this world. The Church is returning to the depression era in the Tribulation, while being completely outclassed and encircled by the world beast.) They had refused to sell their lot. (Like Naboth, they will refuse to sell their inheritance land [their lives] to Ahab, representing the beast.) I was on what appeared to be a transparent racetrack in the air above their house. (We are running a spiritual race, which is unseen, in heavenly places, above the church which is earthly.) I was running around on this track, preparing all sorts of healthy fruits and salads for God's people. (The Bride is preparing the Word from heaven for the people.) The Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me to go downstairs and feed the people. (She was to feed them the true Gospel.) I went downstairs into the kitchen and dining area and set the food I had prepared near the double sink on the right side of the kitchen. I had a small plastic container of dried cranberries that I had prepared for myself that I set down with the other food. (Cranberries are a very healthy fall fruit, but when dried, they are preserved so they can be eaten any time of the year, like the Word that will go forth from the first-fruits Man-child ministry, preserved by many methods of recordings, so many can partake of them any time. The Bride will be first to partake of this ministry. Cranberries are the color of blood, representing those who are washed in it and have lived the crucified life.) I didn't charge anything for the food I had prepared. (The Bride gives the clean Word of God freely as Jesus comanded.) There was another fruit stand in the dining room with a sign on it that read $1.00 each. (The harlot church merchandises the Word.) Nobody was at the stand. It was deserted. Nobody was running it, and nobody was buying the fruit. (An abomination of desolation. The Holy Spirit and the righteous will be leaving the apostates who make merchandise of the Word. God's true people will not buy the harlot's food anymore.) There was a huge, polished, wooden statue of the Babylonian king standing in the center of the fruit stand. (The harlot church is united with the beast and worships its image.) It was as tall as a large tree, with a bald eagle in front of it with its wings spread back against its sides. It was all carved out of the same piece of wood. (The one world order is being carved out. The large tree was the Babylonish head of gold in the image of the beast in Daniel 2 and 3 that was hewn down and conquered.) As I was looking up at the head of the statue, I heard a faint rumbling. I became disoriented, or it seemed as if the statue was about to fall over on me. I quickly looked away from it and the fear left me. (Babylonish U.S. is about to incur devastating earthquakes; the rumblings are already being heard in fault zones. As long as we look at the physical when things begin to fall apart, we will be fearful, but if we turn to the Word, the fear will leave and we will not fall in these judgments. Isa.26:3 Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]; because he trusteth in thee.) I remembered my cranberries and went back to the sink area to get them. (The Bride will remember the Man-child teachings and will be able to feed many.) Three women who looked like my mom came and received my food joyfully and thankfully. (When the shakings above begin, many from the church who have scoffed at the Man-child teachings will receive them with joy from the Bride because they are answers and deliverance in tribulation.) I was glad they appreciated it, but I noticed my cranberries were gone! I was disappointed because I cherished eating them because they were sweet and sour at the same time. (In reality, I don't care for cranberries that much.) (The cranberries represent the Word through the Man-child: sweet in your mouth but bitter to your belly, representing death to the flesh.) I then went back over to the fruit stand, and a woman appeared in a white and black maid outfit. She was violently stirring a bowl of ingredients and resentfully preparing the “king's dainties” for him and his household, she said. I then looked over to the left of the fruit stand and saw two kings sitting and dining together. They were dressed in royal robes with their crowns on their heads. The Babylonian king was on the left, and the Persian king was to his right. Servants waited on them as they dined. As I looked at the Babylonian king, his image alternated with that of Obama's. He was pretending to be the Persian king's friend (Cyrus Trump) but secretly was intending to destroy him and the Persian kingdom (The new Republic. Alexander the Greats Grecian Kingdom conquered this. History must repeat.). (My notes here are not prophecy but an attempt to put a puzzle together.) (Obama and the D.S. who are covertly “violently stirring” the Middle East nations of factionalized Islam and, in effect, delivering them over to unceasing war, which is how they make money. The powers that be who own the capped wells in the U.S. will soon open them because of the high price of oil elsewhere. The destruction of these nations was predicted in Jeremiah 25:20-26, where at the end of this list of nations Babylon (U.S.) overthrows Iran. Along this list we can see the Philistines and Gaza (the Palestinians), Elam (Persians - Iran), Medes, and Sheshach (Babylon) falls last. History must repeat according to Ecc.1:9.) As I came up behind them, I saw my cranberries in a decorative clear glass candle holder sitting in front of the Persian king (Trump). I reached in between them and quickly took the candle holder and emptied the cranberries into my right hand and placed the candle holder back in front of the Persian king. Suddenly, a hand appeared out of nowhere and replaced my cranberries with a crimson (Blood) candle in the candle holder, escaping the notice of the kings. (The Man-child ministry served under both of these kings in Daniel, as they will today. The Bride, Eve, will partake of the fruit, but they will partake of the light, as they did in Daniel's revelation. He, as the Man-child ministry of his day, gave much light from God to the rulers.) (This reminds me of the handwriting on the wall in the book of Daniel to the Babylonian king (Obama and his puppet) that his kingdom would be given to the Medes and the Persians (Trump).) (Trump is conquering Babylon D.S. America. The Man-child, Daniel, pronounced the judgment that the Persian king, Cyrus Trump, would conquer the Babylonish eagle, but history shows he would later be conquered by Alexander the Greats Grecian kingdom. Obama is attempting his second run now. The U.S. is at the very bottom of the list in Jeremiah 25 to fall as Sheshach (Babylon) .) The candle's wick had been lit in the past and was burnt, but was not currently lit, but was soon to be lit again. (Obama's two separated terms. Jesus will soon return in the body of the Man-child to bring the light to the Church and the rulers, once again, as persecution also returns.) I then turned and walked away, eating the cranberries out of my right hand. Then I woke up. (Those who increasingly come into the Bride will feed on God's Word through the Man-child and Bride.)   Bride Not to be Captive Shelly Lynch - 01/22/2013 - 5:55 AM (Grace Multiplied) (David's notes in red) I had a brief dream this morning, the day following my trial in which I fell into sin and repented and received the Lord's forgiveness! I believe He gave me this dream to encourage me that I would be restored and content to be a doorkeeper in the Kingdom! Hallelujah! I saw the Marriage Feast banquet hall. (The Marriage Feast represents tribulation, for it is the last seven days before the Bride is taken to the Groom's home while escorted by the virgins.) I saw food served and cake for dessert, too. I saw busloads of people getting off the buses (Revival!) coming into the banquet hall, and I was helping hang up their coats and looking for more hangers, as there were so many coming in the door. (Hanging their coats is resting from their old works) I was running from the kitchen to the dessert table, taking out more cake (God's Word is sweeter than honey), as the food (truth) was disappearing rapidly. The people were very hungry (having come from a famine of hearing the Word)! (Shelly is a type of the Bride here who feeds the immature saints during the marriage feast, just as in Song of Solomon.) Then I saw a black man stand up at the podium and begin to speak to the crowd in the banquet hall. Then I woke up. (Not sure why he was a black man.) (To those unfamiliar with the sovereignty of God to teach His people with vessels of dishonor, it would come as a shock that the beast is one of the primary teachers to create sons of God. He will bring tribulation in the form of fiery trial on the apostate church to turn them to God.) Scripture given after prayer by random: Jer.52:13 and he burned the house of Jehovah, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem, even every great house, burned he with fire. (Father will use the beast to purge out unregenerate Jerusalem leadership from among regenerate, heavenly Jerusalem leadership.) I was also given: Jer.52:16 But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen. (The Lord always chooses the poor in spirit to keep and raise His vineyard.) 17 And the pillars of brass that were in the house of Jehovah, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of Jehovah, did the Chaldeans break in pieces, and carried all the brass of them to Babylon. (The brass is the least mature, 30-fold, of the three metals representing the people of God: gold, silver and brass. The brass will go to Babylonish captivity.) The new leadership is the Bride. She is also black, but for a different reason: persecution from the false brethren. Son.1:5 I am black, but comely, Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother's sons were incensed against me .... (I also got Lamentations 4:22 by random, I believe this is a promise to me personally and for the Bride. Lam.4:22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; He will no more carry thee away into captivity : (The bride will be purified in spirit before tribulation and will escape Babylonish captivity, but the Edomite Christians will go under the beast for crucifixion and to reap what they have sown against their brethren.) He will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will uncover thy sins. Another I got by random after prayer: Lam.4:12 The kings of the earth believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem. 13 [It is] because of the sins of her prophets, [and] the iniquities of her priests, That have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her. (The world and the apostate leadership do not believe that they and their followers will be taken into bondage by the beast for their sins.) Still another I got by random after prayer: Jer.52:31 And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the [first] year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison; 32 and he spake kindly to him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings that were with him in Babylon, 33 and changed his prison garments. And [Jehoiachin] did eat bread before him continually all the days of his life: 34 and for his allowance, there was a continual allowance given him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life. (This is showing that some of the apostate leadership that is not spiritually killed will repent and be given favor by the beast, for God is able to make our enemies to be at peace with us, if we please Him, as he says.)   Original Word Restores Original Church Eve Brast - 12/13/2015 (David's notes in red) When I woke up this morning, I had been dreaming of a harvest of restoration and when I looked over at the clock, it was 5:55 AM. (5 is the number of grace, which is the only way the Church will receive the restoration it does not deserve. Remember when Jesus, as a type of the Man-child ministry of our day, came and started the restoration at a time when the people were blind, sinful, sick spiritually and physically, following evil apostate leaders. They deserved nothing, but He gave everything to them; He met all their needs by grace as He is about to do in our day. “The things that have been are the things that shall be”. Hallelujah!) I dreamed that my husband and I and our boys went back to Texas (meaning: “friends”) to reclaim my Father's land that he had willed to me and that my mother had signed over to me the deed of ownership. (We are a gathering of friends whose ambition is to reclaim our Father's land willed to us through the New Testament or will. It was deeded to us by the early mother Church. The Promised Land is everything He gave us in His will, the New Testament. Joshua was told that every place in this land that we put the soles of our feet, He will give to us. Every place in the New Testament where we stand on His Word will be given to us.) This has all been stolen by a great army of plunderers, but restoration is coming by grace. Joe.2:25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker-worm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm, my great army which I sent among you. 26 And ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and shall praise the name of Jehovah your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you; and my people shall never be put to shame. 27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am Jehovah your God, and there is none else; and my people shall never be put to shame. 28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit. We had come to reclaim it from a cruel landlord who had swindled it away from me through deception and trickery. He was well known for his reputation for dishonest practices in stealing properties away from people. (Satan and his ministers have come to steal what was willed to us through the New Testament from our Father. These thieves have been talking many out of the promises because they have no faith, rather than teaching us how to live on them. 2Co.11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. 15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works. Joh.10:8 All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.) What shall we do about this theft of our land for the last 2000 years? Let's go back to our text in Joel: Joe.2:17 Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Jehovah, and give not thy heritage to reproach, that the nations should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? 18 Then was Jehovah jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. 19 And Jehovah answered and said unto his people, Behold, I will send you grain, and new wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith (Our land shall once again bear fruit unto us by promise.); and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations; 20 but I will remove far off from you the northern army (He will get rid of the army of thieves.), and will drive it into a land barren and desolate, its forepart into the eastern sea, and its hinder part into the western sea (They will be driven totally out of our land, meaning reprobation); and its stench shall come up, and its ill savor shall come up, because it hath done great things. 21 Fear not, O land, be glad and rejoice; for Jehovah hath done great things. 22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field; for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine do yield their strength. Our land shall once again bear fruit unto us by believing the promises. 23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in Jehovah your God; for he giveth you the former rain in just measure, and he causeth to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first month. 24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. (This thief of a landlord looked just like our current landlord, whose name is Doug. The name Douglas is an Anglicized form of the Scottish surname Dubhghlas, meaning “dark river” from Gaelic dubh “dark” and glais “water, river”. Douglas was originally a river name, which then became a Scottish clan name (belonging to a powerful line of Scottish earls). It has been used as a given name since the 16th century.) (This dark water river represents the deceptions that stole the promises from God's people. Jesus spoke to us a river of living water, which we also must speak. Joh.7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. 39 But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified. 40 Some of the multitude therefore, when they heard these words, said, This is of a truth the prophet. But the apostate leaders speak a river of the waters of darkness and death. 2Pe.2:17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved. The worldly will receive their river of lies, but the true Church will not. Rev.12:16 And the earth(ly) helped the woman (Church), and the earth(ly) opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. If the worldly swallow it, the righteous know it is no good. The Harlot church is a member of the body of the Beast and rides on his back. 17:3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman (Harlot) sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations, even the unclean things of her fornication, 5 and upon her forehead a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. As members of the Beast body, they and their leadership, the False Prophet body, speak the deceptive doctrines that rob God's people of their promises, their land. Rev.16:13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs: Let us agree with and speak the Word to live on our Promised Land. 1Pe.4:11 if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God (i.e., say what God says); if any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever, Amen. Isa.8:20 To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them (meaning only darkness with no new day and no light of the sun/Son). Gal.1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema (Meaning: “devoted to destruction” or “cursed”). 9 As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema. Those who preach the dark river of lies, rather than the truth of the Word, are cursed and to be destroyed by the coming destroyer if there is no repentance. 1Jo.2:18 Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. It was their last hour, for the Beast came and destroyed their nation, and now it is our last hour and, once again, the antichrist leaders are multiplied and separated from us by the Word. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us. When the Word is preached to the wicked, they can no longer hide in the Church but depart, for they do not love the Lord and keep His commandments. In this way, the Church is sanctified. God's solution is to believe only the Word to abide in the temple of God, Jesus Christ. 24 As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. The original Word is the only model to create the true Church, meaning “called-out ones”. Back to Eve's dream: My husband (representing our Bridegroom, Jesus), was an excellent negotiator and He walked the entire property with me. (Jesus will lead us on the walk of truth.) There were corn stalks on the entire property from border to border, as tall as we were, surrounding the two mobile homes in the center of the property. (Mobile homes represent tabernacles in the wilderness. Corn stalks represent the people of God, in which individual kernels must fall to the ground to bear much fruit, as Jesus said.) These corn stalks were covered with ripe honeydew melons growing in clusters of five on each stalk, like giant grapes, instead of corn. (These corn stalks have a very sweet and large fruit on them.) My husband was very pleased with the crop. It was morning, and the sky was so blue, and the sun/Son shone on the crop like bright white light. It wasn't yellow like the usual morning sunlight. (Without the pure sunlight of God's Word, Jesus Christ, there will be no fruit. All disciples who love the Lord will devour His Word.) When my husband and I came to the back of the property, we saw a large pile of rusted-out car bodies lying next to the back fence line. (Vessels representing the way and works of God's people having come under the curse of death and being rejected.) He became angry at the cruel landlord, Doug, and went over to where he was standing next to the left mobile home. My husband then began to argue my case for me (Jesus is a paracletos, meaning a lawyer) to the landlord and told him that because of the rusted pile of cars that he had piled up at the back of the property, he had no legal right to it. (According to our law, because the apostate leaders have not brought forth fruit in the people, God would give the vineyard to those who would bring forth the fruit.) He then ordered him to return the property to me and to remove all the rusted cars from the property. (Remove their fruitless people from the Promised Land.) The landlord knew that what my husband had said was right. (Because it's in the Word.) He acted ashamed and fearful and agreed to give my father's land back to me and hurriedly left. Mat.21:33 Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country. 34 And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them in like manner. 37 But afterward he sent unto them his Son, saying, They will reverence my Son. 38 But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance. 39 And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. Just as the wicked leaders do today. 40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone (Jesus, the WORD) which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes? The hated and persecuted ones will be the head, just like Joseph, David, Jesus, and the Man-child. 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust. 45 And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. And so it speaks of the apostate leaders today. 46 And when they sought to lay hold on him, they feared the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet. After this, David showed up. (Representing the David Man-child company, who are the coming reformers to bring forth the Lord's fruit.) He had with him his personal assistant, Allison. (Who is a recovery room nurse that I currently work with at the hospital. Allison's name used to be masculine and means “son of the noble one”. Recovery room nurses help the surgery patients to recover from their surgeries until they are stable enough to return to the nursing units on the hospital floors.) (The Lord is raising up many who are gifted to help the sick Church in the restoration process.) Allison had been David's personal assistant for many years, in this dream. She knew everything about David and his family. (This is a good description of many who are doing this work now, but after the coming anointing, they will be very much more successful.) She was telling me all the details about his wife and children and everything they had been through together over the years. (The Church in the past has fallen away and persecuted the Davids, as it was with Joseph and his brethren before their restoration.) (UBM has helped many people over the years recover what the enemy has stolen from them [and the greatest days are just ahead].) I walked with David and Allison into the kitchen of the left mobile home, and I saw David's wife standing near the kitchen sink. The mobile home had been extremely run-down, but now the kitchen had been completely restored. (This is a picture of the restoration of the spiritual family of the Davids. His wife here represents the restoration of the Church that once brought forth the fruit of Jesus.) She was young and beautiful, and she was wearing a white knit top with sleeves that went down to her forearms, a long skirt, and a white head covering. (Representing restoration of the Church from the curse, in righteousness, purity, and submission to her head.) She was standing with her hands clasped together and had a peaceful smile on her face. She watched with pleasure as her and David's children ran in and out of the kitchen, playing and running among the ripe crops of honeydew melons. (The individual children of the Church will come forth from the kitchen, representing them having partaken of the good spiritual food prepared by the reformers and Allison, and bear the sweet fruit.) Their laughter filled the air, along with the smell of the ripe fruit. (There is great joy in bearing the fruit of the Word.) I looked up at David, who was standing to my left in the kitchen, and I smiled at him. I felt so much joy in my heart at this restoration that was taking place. He was very tall and had a serious look of wisdom and radiance about him, but there was a sparkle in his eyes. He said, “It's time for the harvest.” (In the harvest will be the Great Reformation, even in the midst of a religious world falling apart. This is so people will have examples by which to make their decisions about who they will follow and who is the Lord. When they see the fruit, they will know who is of the Lord.) As we walked out of the mobile home, there was an old forest green farm truck with wooden slats on the sides. A carpenter was driving it. There were a bunch of other carpenters in the truck bed who jumped out with tools to restore the rest of the left mobile home, and also to help with the harvesting. (Restoring the Church to its former glory.) Some of them started to work on the mobile home, while others helped David and me and the recovery room nurse, Allison, pick the honeydew melons. We took them to an outdoor processing area behind the mobile homes. Then I heard the voice of the Father say, “You must cut off the rinds”. (The rinds are the external body or flesh that carries the fruit. This vessel is just for keeping the fruit and seeds to feed the saints. Those who bear fruit will be able to richly feed others. Whereas the apostate church only sees that their bad education and titles are the qualification.) So I went back into the kitchen, got a paring knife out of the drawer, and came back out to help cut off the rinds from the melons. David had his own special pocketknife that he used for this purpose. As we were all working together to harvest the fruit and cut off the rinds, Allison was explaining to me that David had recently gotten his car restored, and she pointed over to where it was parked behind the right mobile home. It was a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse. I was amazed and said, “That looks exactly like the very first new car I ever owned! It too was a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse!” (The car or way of progress and rest must look just like the  original way 2000 years ago.) (The meaning of the name Mitsubishi is “programmable logic controllers”.) (And this will “Eclipse” the old worldly religious programming and logic that brought forth no fruit. Rom.12:2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.) This is when I woke up. I asked Father for a verse or text for this dream and when I flipped open my Bible and was going to put my finger down, I heard the Spirit say to turn back a page, so I fumbled to flip back exactly one page and I put my finger down on Isa.60:16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the nations, and shalt suck the breast of kings; and thou shalt know that I, Jehovah, am thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. The whole chapter is a wonderful promise to God's elect. (Isaiah 60 is all about the restoration of the original, glorious Church. This text shows that Beast kingdoms will ultimately serve God's true Man-child and Bride. As Beast kings of the past kingdoms saw the glorious God of the true disciples of God, they feared and bowed to Him and served His Kingdom representatives like Pharaoh of Joseph, Ahasuerus of Mordecai and Esther, Nebuchadnezzar of the three Hebrews and Daniel, Darius of Daniel, Darius of Zerubbabel, Cyrus of Sheshbazzar, etc.

No one is immune from burnout. It comes in our jobs, friendships, and even our church life. Sometimes our hobbies become dry and tedious!But in Scripture, God gives us hope for the future. John 7:38 says, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”Jesus is telling us that in Him alone is true life. He is always pointing us to the future, to a time when that dry creek bed will be filled forever.In Revelation 22, He showed John a river flowing with the water of life, crystal-clear and coming from the very throne of God.The whole picture is one of healing and new life. He promises us that this scene will be very real and very permanent! The key is what we read in John 7:38…we must choose to believe! If you long for a new start and a bright future, you will find everything you need and want in the person of Jesus Christ.The living water He offers is perfect, and the supply is limitless.Jesus is the well that never runs dry.Let's pray.Lord, you are calling to each of us to follow You and let You lead us to a place of perfect paradise. We eagerly look forward to joining you in Your Kingdom. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

In Revelation 2:1–7 we learn from Jesus' words to the church in Ephesus that this once thriving church had one major problem: they had abandoned their first love. Listen as Pastor Josué Pernillo preaches on this passage, addressing three questions: What is the diagnosis? What is the prescription? And what is the encouragement? Part of a series on the book of Revelation. From Sunday Worship, March 22, 2026. ------------------------------- allsoulspca.org All Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.

What happens when the curtain pulls back and we see the throne room of God? In Revelation 4, John shows us a reality that changes everything—where every crown comes down and every voice cries “holy.” Join us as we discover why the cure for spiritual drift, idolatry, and empty religion isn't more effort—it's a bigger vision of God.The throne...1) What it conveys2) What it calls for3) Why it's neededText: Revelation 4:1-11

The last book of the Bible opens with a vision. It's not a vision of judgment meant for explaining at a prophecy conference. It's a vision of the Sovereign Savior meant for sustaining churches, ordinary local churches like Ephesus, Thyatira, Pergamum, Laodicea, and even Heritage Bible Church. After an opening greeting of grace, a colossal vision of a cosmic Christ comes at us in Revelation 1. And that is no accident. More than anything else, we must see Jesus. In Revelation 1:8–20, God provides a surprising vision to sustain us in our work and witness. Here is a vision of Christ to sustain the work for Christ. Listen to this sermon by Brad Baugham, lead pastor at Emmanuel Bible Church in Mauldin.

The final words of the Bible aren't just information—they're an invitation.In Revelation 22, Jesus makes one last promise: “I am coming soon.”The question is—are you ready?This message will challenge you to stop drifting, start living ready, and respond to God's invitation today.Come to Jesus. And don't come alone.

Who are the Nicolaitans mentioned in the Book of Revelation — and why does Yeshua say He hates their deeds? In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, one of the strongest rebukes given to the seven churches is against the Nicolaitans. But what does this mysterious term really mean? Is it a historical sect… or a spiritual system still active in churches today? This teaching will challenge you to examine your faith, your fellowship, and your leadership structure — whether you gather for Sunday church or Sabbath services. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @aroodawakening Watch more on the Michael Rood TV App! https://bit.ly/2X9oN9h Join us on ANY social media platform! https://aroodawakening.tv/community/s... Your Donation keeps these videos going! Thank you! https://aroodawakening.tv/donate/ Support us by visiting our store! https://roodstore.com/ Support us with purchases on Amazon!* https://amzn.to/3pJu9cC Have Questions? Ask us Here! https://aroodawakening.tv/support/con... "PLEASE NOTE: This is an affiliate link. This means that, at zero cost to you, A Rood Awakening! International will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Revelation 3, Jesus called out the church at Laodicea for their complacency, lukewarmness, and total ineffectiveness. As we listen to Jesus rebuke lukewarm believers, what is most needed by complacent Christians in today's world?  How can you avoid settling into a complacent, comfortable Christianity that serves self instead of the Savior? (Seven Letters, part 8- Conclusion)

The Book of Revelation doesn’t begin with beasts and plagues. It begins with a warning to believers. In Revelation chapters 1–3, Yeshua speaks directly to seven real congregations — offering praise… but also correction, rebuke, and serious consequences for those who refuse to repent. In this powerful teaching, Michael Rood challenges us to stop pointing fingers at “the church” — and start looking in the mirror. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @aroodawakening Watch more on the Michael Rood TV App! https://bit.ly/2X9oN9h Join us on ANY social media platform! https://aroodawakening.tv/community/s... Your Donation keeps these videos going! Thank you! https://aroodawakening.tv/donate/ Support us by visiting our store! https://roodstore.com/ Support us with purchases on Amazon!* https://amzn.to/3pJu9cC Have Questions? Ask us Here! https://aroodawakening.tv/support/con... "PLEASE NOTE: This is an affiliate link. This means that, at zero cost to you, A Rood Awakening! International will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angels play an important role in Revelation. In Revelation 15, we are introduced to a new series of seven angels with seven plagues in the seven bowls of wrath. The repetition of “seven” whispers to us of completeness. These seven angels leave heaven's temple and the throne of mercy and act for God, administering justice instead of mercy.

Have you ever wondered what Jesus would say to the church? In Revelation 2:12-29, Jesus pastors his people with words that carry both warmth and weight. His message gives encouragement that inspires faithfulness, correction where compromise has crept in, and promises that strengthen us under pressure. The spiritual direction that Jesus offers is not only for the early church. His words continue to affirm, refine, and motivate all who are willing to listen now.