Podcasts about in revelation

Welcome to today's message. There is something dangerous about being close enough to God to look spiritual, but far enough away that your heart has grown cold. In Revelation 3, Jesus gives a serious warning about lukewarm faith. This message is not about condemning people. It is about examining our hearts, waking up spiritually, and returning fully to God. Let's talk about what lukewarm Christianity looks like, how it happens, and how we can come back to the fire of God.   Bienvenidos al mensaje de hoy. Hay algo peligroso en estar lo suficientemente cerca de Dios como para parecer espiritual, pero lo suficientemente lejos como para que tu corazón se haya enfriado. En Apocalipsis 3, Jesús nos da una seria advertencia acerca de una fe tibia. Este mensaje no se trata de condenar a las personas. Se trata de examinar nuestro corazón, despertar espiritualmente y volver completamente a Dios. Hoy vamos a hablar de cómo se ve un cristianismo tibio, cómo llegamos a ese punto y cómo podemos volver al fuego de Dios.

In Revelation 2:12–17, Jesus commends the church in Pergamum for holding fast to their faith in a culture hostile to Christ, yet rebukes them for tolerating compromise within the church. Pastor Matt challenges us to consider where we may be trying to live in two worlds—following Christ while becoming comfortable with the things He hates. There is a difference between struggling against sin and making peace with it, and faithfulness requires us to stand firm, refuse to compromise for acceptance, and allow all of God's Word to shape our lives. Jesus calls His church to repent, hold fast to the truth, and trust that what He promises is far better than anything we could gain by compromising with the world.

Revelation Episode 14: Babylon and 666 Today we see the final conflict between the Kingdom of God and the Babylonian system. The final conflict is deeper than a struggle between individual nations or political rulers. Revelation presents a profound conflict about who has the right to define humanity, receive its worship and determine its ultimate destiny. On one side stands the Kingdom of God, a covenantal reality established through humility and truth; on the other stands Babylon, humanity's attempt to construct an identity and establish security entirely independent of God. (Camera angle 5) Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication." Babylon is more than just an ancient city. In Revelation it becomes the final expression of a system involving religion, politics, economics, commerce, human power, spiritual deception and rebellion against God. The story of Babylon begins in Genesis and develops progressively through Scripture. Its pattern can be traced from the Tower of Babel to ancient Babylon with Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel, to the Beast of Revelation chapter 13, and finally to the worldwide Babylon of Revelation 17-18. At the heart of this system is the declaration in Genesis 11:4: 'Let us make us a name.' God creates humanity in His image and gives humanity identity in relationship with Himself. Babylon reverses that order. Humanity attempts to create itself in its own image, establish its own identity and authority, and construct its own system of worship. The fundamental contrast between God's Kingdom and Babylon can be mapped as follows: God's Kingdom — Babylon Hallowed be His name — Let us make us a name God's glory — Human glory Dependence upon God — Independence from God Servanthood — Power The Lamb — The Beast The Bride — The Harlot The Origin of Babylon and Let Us Make Us a Name The roots of Babylon reach back to the tower of Babel after the Flood in Genesis 11, with humanity gathering to build a city and a tower reaching toward heaven. Their stated purpose was: 'Let us make us a name.' Humanity's identity becomes its own image. The "Babylonian Principle" operates as a threefold structure of independence that seeks to occupy every sphere of human life: • Religion: The use of spiritual language and ritual to serve human pride, authority, and institutional glory. • Politics/Power: The establishment of universal systems of control and authority that demand absolute allegiance. • Economics: A structure of commerce and prosperity where wealth is the ultimate measure of success, detached from divine stewardship. Babylon Is Not Merely a False Church It is a comprehensive world system capable of incorporating religion, politics, economics, culture and commerce into a structure of human self-exaltation. Revelation does not identify Babylon as 'the apostate Christian church' or as any Christian denomination or organisation. It is reconnecting people's souls to a primal darkness. John describes Babylon as the great harlot, a centre of spiritual corruption, a persecutor of God's people, a power intertwined with kings and merchants, and a system ultimately destroyed by the Beast and the final ten kings. Therefore we should distinguish between the actual prophetic Babylon of Revelation and essential Babylonian characteristics. A Christian organisation can display Babylonian tendencies if it becomes dominated by wealth, prestige, political power, institutional ambition, manipulation, celebrity status, control, religious performance, empire-building and spiritual exploitation. But even that still does not provide sufficient biblical grounds to declare any one Christian organisation to be the prophetic Harlot. The better question is: What does Babylon represent, and are any of us participating in its values? This is particularly important because Revelation 18:4 declares, "Come out of her, my people." The presence of 'my people' within Babylon indicates that God's people can become entangled with Babylonian values and must respond to God's call to separate themselves from her ungodly culture and behaviour before that culture claims them. Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon's First Great End Time Pattern In Daniel chapter 3, the historical Babylonian kingdom provides a remarkable prophetic pattern. Nebuchadnezzar erects a great golden image and commands the peoples, nations and languages of his empire to worship it. Political authority, religious authority and enforced worship become united. The pattern is striking: a powerful ruler, a humanly constructed image, universal political authority, religious worship, governmental enforcement, economic and social consequences, and death in a fiery furnace being threatened for those who refuse. The Babylon of Daniel 3, and the demand of Nebuchadnezzar to worship his image gives us a model of Revelation chapter 13 for the image of the Beast. The three Jewish men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrate that God's people can exist within Babylon without belonging to Babylon. They were physically within Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, but Babylon could not possess their worship. They were thrown into the furnace, and while the attendants were consumed by fire, the king's aide said, 'Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth man is like the Son of God.' This becomes an important principle for God's people in the final conflict: Babylon may surround God's people, threaten God's people and try to destroy their bodies, but it cannot possess those who belong to God. The conflict is therefore not merely political. Behind the visible structures of the final world system stands a spiritual power seeking to destroy God's purposes and God's people. The Woman, the Church, is found in the midst of this conflict, yet she is preserved by God. Revelation chapter 12 does not portray the Church simply disappearing from the earth. The Woman is given the two wings of the great eagle and carried into a 'wilderness' - a prepared, vacant and 'marked out' place (topos), out of the way of danger but still in the midst - where she is nourished for three and a half years. That is an important parallel with Daniel chapter 3: in the fire but unharmed. The central question becomes: Can Babylon penetrate and possess the people of God? The answer is ultimately no. God preserves His people even as the Babylonian system develops around them. Revelation 13 and the Beast the Image and the Mark Revelation 13 now brings the political manifestation of this system into view. The First Beast rises from the sea and receives authority over the nations. The Dragon gives him his power, throne and great authority. The second Beast, as the false prophet, exercises religious influence and directs humanity toward worship of the first Beast. Here in Revelation, what we saw in Daniel 3 is brought to a final expression: Beast -> image -> religious worship -> universal authority -> economic control -> persecution -> death for refusal. The Beast is therefore not merely a political ruler. His system demands allegiance, worship and economic control (the two horns of the false prophet). The mark of the Beast, 666, is associated with the right hand or forehead - what you do and what you think. We now have two competing identities: the Beast's name, mark and number versus the name of God and the Lamb. Babylon 66 and 666 and the Completion of Human Autonomy This is where the connection between Daniel 3 and Revelation 13 becomes especially significant. Nebuchadnezzar's golden image was sixty cubits high and six cubits wide: 6 and 6, or 66. Revelation 13 brings the pattern to its ultimate expression in 666. Revelation 13:18 666 is "the number of a man." Six can be understood symbolically as falling short of seven, the number associated with divine fullness and completion. Within this theological framework, the three sixes can be viewed as representing humanity's attempt to occupy the whole field of existence apart from God. Humanity is tripartite, spirit, soul and body, so the Beast's system seeks total control: • The Babylonian spirit says: "I will establish my own identity." • The Beast says: "I will establish my own authority." • The image says: "I will establish my own object of worship." 666 represents the culmination of that human-centred system in spirit, soul and body. The Lamb as God's Answer to the Beast Revelation presents the Lamb and His people as the true answer to the Beast's counterfeit kingdom, but this has wider scope than the polarities of the two marks on the forehead that we saw in the study of the 144,000. The issue is therefore not simply who controls the world politically. It is whose image and whose name humanity will carry. Revelation 17 and the Harlot and the Beast Revelation 17:15 Then he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are the people, multitudes, nations, and different languages." Only after the Beast's system has been established does Revelation 17 unveil Babylon in its fullest prophetic form - a woman sitting upon a scarlet Beast having seven heads and ten horns. The Beast represents the political and imperial power. The harlot woman represents Babylon's religious, spiritual, economic and seductive dimension, and initially they cooperate. The woman, Babylon, rides on the Beast, showing that religious and spiritual influence becomes joined to political authority. Babylon gives the Beast legitimacy and influence, while the Beast provides the power by which Babylon operates. Yet this relationship is temporary and the very political powers supporting Babylon will ultimately turn against her. The Seven Heads the Seventh Kingdom and the Eighth Revelation 17:9-11 Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition (lake of fire). This explains the mystery of the seven heads. The seven heads are associated with seven mountains and seven kings, which represent successive world kingdoms associated with the Babylonian-Beast system. These are Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome (the one 'that is' for John). Then there is the one to come who continues for a short time: the Beast who has the likeness of the lion, bear and leopard, is of the seven geopolitical rulers, suffers a mortal wound that is healed in a counterfeit resurrection, and is also the eighth who goes into the lake of fire. The Ten Horns and the Final Coalition Revelation 17:12 identifies the ten horns as ten kings who receive authority for a limited period with the Beast. They represent a final political coalition united around the Beast. These are the ten toes of another image in Daniel chapter 7, which we will consider in the next episode (15). Revelation 17:13 These have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. This apparent unity is temporary. The Great Reversal and Babylon Destroyed The alliance between Babylon and the Beast eventually collapses. Revelation 17:16 declares that the Beast and the ten horns will hate the Harlot, make her desolate and burn her with fire. The political system that once supported Babylon eventually destroys her, and God has sovereignly permitted this to accomplish His purposes. The Final Contrast Between Babylon and the Bride The destruction of Babylon prepares the way for the final revelation of the Bride. Revelation chapters 17-19 establishes a profound contrast between two women. The Harlot — The Bride Seductive, wealthy, politically powerful, materially magnificent, spiritually corrupt, intoxicated with influence, practising persecution and finally destroyed — Prepared for Christ, faithful, clothed in righteousness, united with the Lamb and ultimately revealed in glory Babylon can operate through religion, politics, economics and culture, but the final issue is not politics. It is religion and worship, identity and allegiance. It is the question of whether humanity will receive its identity from God or create its own. Religion Bonding and Allegiance I have been mentioning Religion quite a lot today, and I'd like to end with a few words about what religion means. Religion comes from the Latin word religio (root word religare). Ligare means ligament. A ligament binds bone to bone and bone to muscle. It allows bodily movement and it allows the inner bone and inner physical bodily framework to move into action and strength. Just as biological ligaments serve as the connective bonding that holds the body's framework together, true religion is a relational bonding that ensures a person is anchored in belief and truth. Therefore, re-ligio is the re-bonding that occurs when the binding has been lost, damaged or neglected. When people get a revelation of the goodness and grace of God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, they get re-ligamented, re- connected to life and truth. But when Babylon seduces people into a false belief that declares it will assure their spiritual and social and financial survival and security they get reconnected to spiritual deception and darkness. Babylon exploits the fundamental human needs for belonging, security, and identity to create a structure of personal bondage and participation in something larger than themselves. • Babylon says: Bind yourself to this system so that you may belong and survive. • Jesus said: Take My yoke upon you, bonding you to Himself so that you may live. The religious aspect of Babylon in the end times is reconnecting people's souls to a primal darkness that is beginning to exercise its utmost destructive power. The Holy Spirit in these days is reconnecting people's souls to Himself as our new Helper and giving us an abundance of grace to become one with Jesus and with one another in the Spirit. Dimension — God's intention — Babylonian corruption Spirit — Relationship with God — Independence from God Soul — Mind, will and identity — Ideological conformity Body — Life belonging to God — Instrument of allegiance to the Beast The Seven Kingdoms and the Beast Head — Kingdom/system — Daniel/Revelation relationship 1 — Egypt — Early persecuting empire opposing God's covenant people 2 — Babylon — Daniel's first great imperial kingdom; archetype of Babylonian system 3 — Medo-Persia — Daniel's second kingdom 4 — Greece — Daniel's third kingdom 5 — Rome — Daniel's fourth kingdom; rules in John's era. Two legs of iron - East and West 6 — Final revived/composite Beast system — An emerging future manifestation 7 — Beast/Antichrist manifestation — Final geopolitical seven-ruler system 8 — The Beast himself — "Of the seven"; receives a mortal head wound and is healed in a counterfeit resurrection, then is destined for the lake of fire

It's Monday, September 28th, 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 Muslims killed Nigerian pastor, wounded his son, and killed 12 others Armed Muslims killed a pastor and a believer on their way to worship God on Sunday morning in Plateau State, Nigeria, reports International Christian Concern. The pastor's son is in critical condition.  This was not an isolated attack. Just hours earlier, five laborers in the region were shot on their way to work. Gunmen also terrorized several surrounding communities, ultimately killing 13 people.  These murders reflect the heightened outbreaks against Christians and Christian-majority areas in the country.  According to TruthNigeria, this past week, 41 people were reportedly killed, and at least 100 were kidnapped. In Revelation 6:9-10, it says, “When [Jesus] opened the fifth seal, [John the disciple] 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?'” Argentinian President: The United Nations is “useless” In a gutsy appearance before the United Nations, Argentinian President Javier Milei said, "[The United Nations] has become a useless organization whose only purpose is to sustain a caste of fatally arrogant parasites masquerading as well-intentioned bureaucrats.” Incoming Democrat Rep. arrested in anti-Israel protest Dozens of New York Democratic politicians, including incoming Democratic Socialist Congresswoman Darializa Chevalier, were among those arrested on September 24th for ignoring police orders during an anti-Israel protest of 250 people, reports The Western Journal. Chevalier is a socialist ally of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani who is expected to be in Congress come January. She was protesting the speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly whom she called a “war criminal.” She said, “As the Democratic nominee for New York's 13th Congressional District, I refuse to allow a war criminal to roam the streets of our city unchallenged. I refuse to play host to a man who has overseen the slaughter or injury of more than 64,000 children in Gaza with American taxpayer dollars.” While Chevalier has not yet won the election, a very deep blue New York 13th District practically guarantees a victory. The politician arrested for disrespecting the rule of law has previously tweeted about abolishing police, prisons, and borders, and has explicitly called for the government to seize private property.  In one now deleted September 2021 post, Chevalier wrote, “A world without borders—just like a world without prisons or police—is possible, necessary, and the only moral way forward.” Media commentator: We are not spin doctors for Democrats Appearing on PBS' NewsHour, David Brooks of The Atlantic surprised his leftist media colleagues by asserting that too many in the mainstream media have become too cozy with Democrat politicians from whom they should distance themselves. Listen. BROOKS: “Starting in 2015, we, in the mainstream media, learned that, if you bash Donald Trump, the clicks go up, the ratings go up. It became the business model. We play it straight. We do our job, but it's become the business model. “We get to go to dinners, sometimes off-the-record dinners, between journalists, columnists, and politicians. It used to be, when you were at a dinner, an off-the-record dinner with the Democratic politician, there was distance between the journalists and the Democrats, because they're politicians. Our job is to keep some distance. “In my view, at many places and in many of the dinners I have been to, there's no distance anymore. And that is a problem for the media. And that is our problem. We have got to re-establish some distance from the Democratic Party. “These are people we cover. They're not people we root for. They're not people we're spin doctors for. They're people we cover.” (You can see those comments at the 7:05 mark in this video) Supreme Court allows Trump to verify only U.S. citizens vote In a 6-3 decision on September 25th, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to resume its expanded voter citizenship verification program, which lets states use Social Security records to check voters' citizenship to ensure that noncitizens do not illegally vote in the upcoming November 3rd election, reports CBS News. That decision paused a lower court order by U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan in June that claimed that the voter verification system somehow violated federal privacy laws. Not surprisingly, Judge Sooknanan was a Biden appointee. Leftist Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Jackson dissented. New Jersey Lt. Gov. resigned over sexual harassment complaint On September 25th, New Jersey Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill announced that Democratic Lt. Governor Dale Caldwell resigned from his position amid allegations in an ethics report that claimed he violated state sexual harassment policies, reports The Epoch Times. A 61-page report, conducted by a law firm commissioned by the governor's office, found that Caldwell made an advance toward a female staffer's friend and allegedly made a crude remark to the staffer. The staffer also attempted “to distance herself from him and to avoid travel with him when possible.” Kind gesture of pizza delivery driver richly rewarded And finally, when a Domino's store in Boise, Idaho ran out of Diet Coke, the 68-year-old delivery driver, Dan Simpson, took it upon himself this past March to make a special trip to a nearby grocery store and personally pay for a 2-liter soda for the customer to accompany the pepperoni pizza, reports The New York Post. When the surprised customer heard about what happened, he offered to reimburse Dan.  Simpson refused, saying that they had tipped him well and he just wanted to make sure that their order was right. Listen to that encounter captured on the customer's Ring camera. SIMPSON: “We were out of Diet Cokes.” WILSON: “Okay.” SIMPSON:  “I stopped at the store, though.” WILSON: “Oh, you did not have to do that.” SIMPSON:  “That's okay.” WILSON: “Did you really?” SIMPSON: “Yeah, that's all right.” Brian Wilson, the man who placed the order, explained to Channel 2 News, why Dan's act of kindness meant so much to him and his wife. WILSON: “Our situation is unique in the fact that my wife and I are both visually impaired. We share the same retinal disease. Hers is more progressed than mine. “So, she doesn't unfortunately drive at all. I do still have daytime ability to drive, but at night, when you got those Diet Coke cravings, you can't just run up to the store, right? It's not as easy for us as it would be for someone else who is sighted completely.” Galatians 5:22 lists the fruit of the Spirit to include “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” According to the now viral video captured by the Ring camera, and seen by millions of people, the couple, who were dazzled by Simpson's helpfulness, created a social media donation page which raised enough money to help the pizza delivery man to retire. SIMPSON: “I checked my bank account, and there was $163,000. What a retirement gift that was!” Simpson was especially grateful because he had been juggling a full-time job in addition to delivering pizza at night for the past 13 years. In an interview with KTVB-TV, Simpson shared that he had previously abused alcohol, but had learned his lesson. SIMPSON: “I got in a lot of trouble with drinking and drugs, and I've been clean and sober now for well, this September, I think will be 24 years. I did go to prison twice for DUIs, and when I got out, I said, ‘That's it!' I knew I'd never drink again. I was just finally done. Ever since I stepped out of prison, I've basically worked two jobs and worked hard and tried to do the right thing.” Remarkably, he plans to continue to deliver pizza on the weekends, so he doesn't get bored in retirement. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, September 28th, 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 3:7–13, Jesus speaks to the church in Philadelphia and calls them to hold on to Him. When our hope is in Jesus, He is not just part of the story—He is the beginning, middle, and end of our hope. This message explores five things Jesus provides: His provision, His protection, His passion, His power, and ultimately, His person. Whatever we face, we can hold on to Jesus because He is faithful and He is enough.For more information about Integrity Church, visit our website, http://liveintegritychurch.orgConnect with us on social media throughout the week to stay up to date on events and things happening at Integrity!Instagram: @integrity_churchFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveintegrity/

At the center of heaven's worship stands Jesus—the Lamb who was slain, rose again, and redeemed people for God.In Revelation 5:1–14, all of heaven declares that Christ alone is worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing. Join us for the conclusion of Encounters With God as we lift our worship to the risen and victorious Lamb.Give Online: https://thebridgechurch.org/give/

Title: All Things in Christ Text: Ephesians 1:7-10 FCF: We often struggle praising God for the enormity of His redemption plan. Prop: Because The Father has crafted and revealed a cosmic redemption plan for all creation in Christ, we must praise the Father. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Ephesians chapter 1. In a moment we'll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 7 and going to verse 10. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, we discussed the first of God's Spiritual blessings He blessed us with. God predetermined to make a family for Himself by adopting as sons those whom He chooses to put into Christ, His firstborn Son, and to share all the promises of that covenant. God did this according to His good will to us and in His love and so that we would praise Him for His abounding grace. But before we move on from this, I want to adjust the temperature level on last week's sermon. It was clearly put forward as a sermon that would be confrontational. I knew that going in. I think I did my best to defend my interpretation of the scriptures. However, I do want to submit two things to you. First, if you aren't convinced or if you don't quite see it my way yet – that's ok. We can grow together in this. And even if we never see eye to eye. That's ok too, as long as we pursue peace and fellowship regardless. Second, I did make a point that seemed to say that disagreeing with me would be disagreeing with God. However, I want to add nuance to that. My intention was to keep us from spending all our time debating the topic rather than praising God for His work in salvation. And my intention with that comment specifically was to try to help those who might initially disagree with what was said, not to dismiss everything in the sermon and even to entertain the possibility that they could be wrong. With that being said, thankfully, the sermon today, I think, will be much less confrontational. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: All wise and knowing Father, You have declared the end from the beginning. You have determined what you will do and you will bring it to pass. Never has such a doctrine affected us so, as to the established plan and decree of redemption. You have set out a marvelous and mysterious plan to redeem and forgive sins. And at the center of this plan, You have foreordained Your Son to be its head. Glorious and all gracious Father, may we as Your people praise You today for the grace you have lavished on us in this cosmic plan for reconciliation. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “No creature that deserved redemption would need to be redeemed.” C.S. Lewis “The heart of the gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ.” C.H. Spurgeon [Slide 3] “If I had the wisdom of Solomon, the patience of Job, the meekness of Moses, the strength of Samson, the obedience of Abraham, the compassion of Joseph, the tears of Jeremiah, the poetic skill of David, the prophetic voice of Elijah, the courage of Daniel, the greatness of John the Baptist, and the endurance of Paul, I would still need redemption through Christ's blood, the forgiveness of sin.” R.I. Wheeler [Slide 4] “There can be no thought of “cheap” forgiveness when we remember that our redemption cost God the life of His beloved Son.” Geoffrey B. Wilson May these words help prepare our minds for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) The Father's riches of grace secured our redemption through Christ's atonement, so we must praise the Father. a. [Slide 5] 7 - In Him i. The section we are beginning in this doxological eulogy has not quite turned to Christ just yet. Paul is still talking about God the Father. ii. However, rather than seeing what the Father HAS blessed us with in the past, now Paul turns to what the Father is blessing us with in the present. iii. The preposition “in” again is referring to a location. iv. But the pronoun “him” must be referring to Jesus based on the context. v. Once again Paul is relaying to us the Spiritual benefits The Father gives us by uniting us to Christ. vi. So, what other Spiritual benefits has The Father blessed us with? b. [Slide 6] we have redemption through His blood, i. Let's begin with the preposition through. It is describing to us the means or the path by which we have this next benefit. ii. It is by the means of Christ's blood, which is certainly talking about His sacrificial atoning death on the cross, which has secured for us this benefit. iii. Much like we see the sacrifices in the Old Testament being the means God used to cover or pass over the sins of His people. However, our benefit is not a covering or a passing over… iv. The benefit is redemption. v. Before we define redemption, it is important to see that this particular benefit is not something that God did in the past for us. Rather this particular benefit is something we HAVE. Present tense. The Greek present tense emphasizes the action happening at the time of writing and usually implies a continuous effect. vi. So, what does it mean we have redemption in Christ? vii. Redemption is a legal term indicating that we have been released, delivered, or ransomed. viii. Depending on the context we could see either a simple deliverance from bondage or the paying of a ransom price in order to secure that redemption. ix. Since both are taught in scripture, I think you can land on either side, but we should not see Christ's blood as the payment itself. x. If it were, Paul would have said “with” His blood and not “through” His blood. xi. His blood is a metaphor for the payment for sin, which is death. And the payment of that ransom was not paid to Satan, but was rather the cost of freeing us from our bondage to sin and Satan. xii. Sin and Satan trapped us because we were estranged to God. Christ's death brought peace with God and release from Sin and Satan. xiii. This is made even more clear in the next statement. c. [Slide 7] the forgiveness of our transgressions, i. This phrase is called appositional. What that means it that it serves to rename or re-word what was previously stated. ii. What is our redemption through His blood? iii. It is forgiveness of our transgressions. iv. We should not see forgiveness as if our transgressions are simply forgotten or ignored. Forgiveness is more of a financial term here, where the debts are paid by someone else. v. It has the idea of a formal release or pardon. vi. The reason for the release or pardon is because someone paid the debt we owed. Namely, Christ. Therefore, since the payment has been made, we are free to go. vii. But what caused our debt? viii. It is our transgressions. ix. Transgressions here is the idea of a wrongdoing, a false step, an offense, or a blunder. x. Paul uses this term and others to describe sin in general. There may be subtle nuances between the different words Paul uses, but we see him use words almost interchangeably in similar constructions throughout the New Testament. xi. Christ's atonement and sacrificial death on the cross specifically redeems and forgives us of the debt we had accrued toward God because of our sins. xii. Paul says elsewhere that the wages of sin is death. Therefore, the deliverance or the ransom paid to God for our sins against Him is to God to cancel our debt and free us. xiii. Christ's death secured our deliverance. xiv. Why would God do this? d. [Slide 8] according to the riches of His grace i. According to here is once again showing us the source of all that has been done. ii. What source led to Christ's sacrifice to redeem and forgive us for our sins? iii. It is none other than the riches of His grace. iv. “His” here is difficult to determine. We are a good way away from Paul talking about God the Father. v. We could see this as the Triune God, although that would be even more “out of left field.” vi. The most recent subject would have been Jesus Christ. vii. Certainly, Jesus can show riches in grace. viii. However, contextually, since Paul has not quite finished praising the Father, it seems better to see this as the grace of the Father. ix. And so, God the Father's uniting us to Christ in His atonement as the means to forgive and release us from our sin debt, flows out of His abundant grace toward us. x. And so once again, it comes back to the grace of the Father. His powerful favor He gives to us, His people, enabling us to do what we could never do for ourselves. e. [Slide 9] Summary of the Point: Paul's primary point is to turn to the here and now. What Spiritual benefits do we have presently from the Father? In this, Paul reveals that out of the riches of grace of the Father, He has secured our redemption and forgiveness through the sacrificial atonement of Jesus Christ, His Son. God has given His powerful favor to do what we could not do and atone for our sins and secure our pardon. God has released us from sin and death by providing the atonement and payment for our sins. Is there any other response that a believer can offer to this, than praising God? Transition: [Slide 10 (blank)] But providing to us a redemption is not the only Spiritual blessing the Father has given in His grace that we enjoy today. What else has God's grace done for us? II.) The Father's abounding grace has made known to us His redemption plan in Christ, so we must praise the Father. a. [Slide 11] 8 - which He caused to abound to us i. Still speaking of the Father's grace, Paul continues on his quest to show how praiseworthy God is for His blessing us. ii. Literally the Greek text says, “Which abounded to us” iii. Because this is a little weird sounding in English, many translations including the LSB add a word to try to help. “Which He made to abound”, or “which He richly poured,” or as here “caused to abound.” iv. All of this is an attempt to bring the thought over to English readers. v. But we get the idea, mostly because Paul has already talked about how God has lavished His grace on us. vi. However, the way in which He has done so is different here as he continues. b. [Slide 12] in all wisdom and insight, i. Scholars are fairly divided over how to read this. There are basically three ideas. 1. First, that God sourced our redemption in His grace which He abounded to us with His wisdom and insight. Meaning that this provides the motive or the manner in which God gave us grace and redemption. a. God is most certainly all wise and discerning. b. His plan of redemption reflects masterful planning and execution that certainly baffles the minds of men and angels. c. This is an attractive option because it refers back to what He has already said about the predestination, election, and redemption of His people. d. However, I'm not fully convinced that Paul is talking about that necessarily. 2. A second idea goes forward, in that God's wisdom and insight has made known to us the mystery of His will. a. This would mean that God uses his divine wisdom and discernment by making known to us what His cosmic plans are. b. This is an attractive option because this is more or less what Paul prays for the church in Ephesus in verse 15-22 of chapter 1. c. However, I'm not fully convinced of this one either. 3. A third option is that these are actually further Spiritual benefits to those whom God has redeemed. a. This would mean that God has actually given wisdom and insight to us in order that we would know and understand God's eternal purpose in redemption. b. And also, that we would know and understand God future plans for our redemption. c. This has the advantage of looking back and forward in the context of Ephesians. d. This is the interpretation that I will preach from, but know that the others are fully biblical views as well. ii. God the Father's grace was given in abundance to us in that He has given us wisdom, which is the use of knowledge and experience. iii. His grace has also given us insight, which is our capacity for rational thought, inference, or discernment. iv. But it is not simply these gifts, because in some ways He has given these things to all men as image bearers. v. Instead, these gifts are especially abounded in grace so that we would know, experience, and understand what He makes known to us… c. [Slide 13] 9 - making known to us the mystery of His will, i. Making known is another circumstantial participle which conveys to us that this making known is related to God's causing of grace to abound to us. ii. In other words, it is directly connected to His grace given. iii. In His abounding grace He has given us wisdom and insight by making known to us the mystery. iv. Mystery refers to a divine secret or secret doctrine. v. Today, we would be very wary of “secret doctrines” because the scriptural canon has been closed and we believe that the fullest revelation of God's Word to us is in Jesus Christ. vi. But Paul writes of that very thing happening. That Christ came and revealed doctrines that were veiled in the Old Testament that are now unveiled. vii. But what is the mystery of God's will? viii. Scholars almost unanimously agree that this points us back to God's plan to save His people. ix. Paul is again referencing what he has discussed in verses 3-8. x. This mystery which was not fully known, has been made known to us. xi. God's grace abounded to us, giving us wisdom and insight to understand this divine mystery of God adopting us and choosing us in Christ, redeeming and forgiving our sins through Christ's atonement. xii. The only reason we even learn about God's plan is because God reveals it to us. Without God revealing it… none would ever know it. xiii. But what is the motive that God had in making His mysterious will known to us? d. [Slide 14] according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him i. God has revealed it to us out of His good pleasure. ii. God was delighted to make this mystery known to us. iii. The next phrase, “which He purposed in Him”, is difficult to understand. iv. First, we must understand that this is connected to God the Father's good pleasure. Whatever follows is related to the Father's delight. v. Second, we must deal with the meaning of the word purposed. vi. Purposed means to set before, usually meant to set before someone for consideration as the reason or purpose. We could even say, established. vii. However, it is in the middle voice meaning God does this for or to Himself. viii. Paul then adds “in Him” at the end of this which could be talking about Christ or it could be talking about the Father in which case it would take a reflexive meaning… in Himself. ix. It seems best to take this “in Him” as talking about Christ specifically. This makes good sense in the context. x. So, what does this little phrase mean? xi. God delighted to reveal His mysterious redemption plan which He determined or established in Christ. Christ becomes the focal point of this plan which the Father is delighted to reveal to us. e. [Slide 15] Summary of the Point: Before, Paul showed us that The Father's riches of grace provided redemption and forgiveness to us by Christ's sacrificial and atoning death on the cross. But the Father's abounding grace also has given us wisdom and understanding making known to us His mysterious redemption plan that He has determined in Christ. And God was delighted to make this known to us. Again, I ask, what does a believer in Christ have to say to this other than, Praise the Father! Transition: [Slide 16 (blank)] But what is the purpose of God setting out this redemption plan in Christ? What is the goal? And why Christ? III.) The Father's redemption plan is for an administration with Christ as all in all, so we must praise the Father. a. [Slide 17] 10 - for an administration i. What is the overarching goal of God's redemption plan in Christ? ii. For an administration. Well, what does that mean? iii. The word administration means stewardship or management. iv. It carries the idea of the activity of managing or administrating or governing. v. This entire redemption is for the purpose of setting up a system, an economy, or an administration. vi. An administration of what? b. [Slide 18] of the fullness of the times, i. Well, what does that mean? ii. The management or the administration is of the completion or the full to capacity of the times. iii. Meaning that God's purpose in this redemption plan in Christ, is to lead to the end of all things. That all things would be complete in Him. iv. This plan started before the foundation of the world and its aim is the end of the world, and beyond. v. And what does that administration of the fullness of time look like? c. [Slide 19] that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, i. The words “that is” are not in the text but they help us to see that this is a renaming or a further explanation of the administration of the fullness of the times. ii. The purpose of this great redemption plan, with Christ as the center, is to bring all things in summary into Christ. iii. The word “summing up” is used of the summarization of a speech. In summing up a speech, you take the key points and ideas and bring them all into one sentence or paragraph, and discard the rest. There are actually applications that do this at the click of a button for us today. In this process they peel away the points that are most relevant to the document and discard what is not as relevant or is repeated. iv. Therefore, we could see this “summing up” as an ordering or a restructuring. It takes the chaos of what the world has become and brings it back into order. v. So that Christ will be all in all. That all things will be united into Christ. vi. The redemption plan God set forth in Christ is ultimately designed with the purpose to bring everything into order under Christ. vii. Everything? d. [Slide 20] things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him. i. Not just men… everything. ii. This is a cosmic plan of God that goes beyond merely the salvation of a people. iii. It includes all the realms of all creation. iv. There are both friends and enemies of God in the heavens and on the earth. v. God's mysterious redemption plan set forth in Christ, includes the whole of creation. vi. Indeed, all creation groans for that day. e. [Slide 21] Summary of the Point: Continuing the thought from before, how God's redemption extends to a mysterious plan he set up or established in Christ, Paul now shows us why. Why has God done this? It is so that this new order may come about, a new economy that will complete and subsume all of history and ultimately reorder and unite all things under Christ. So that Christ will be all in all. This is the wonderful purpose of God's mystery of redemption which He was delighted to make known to us. In hearing this glorious message, true Christians can only praise the Father for His glorious will. Conclusion: So, what have we learned this morning that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 22] The grace of the Father is on display once again. God's powerful favor to His people to bring to them a redemption and forgiveness through His Son's sacrificial atonement for them. His grace brings us wisdom and discernment so that the mystery of His will in this plan would be made known to us. And He does all this for us because He is delighted to reveal to us a new administration that He is establishing in His Son to bring all of creation back into perfect order and harmony under Him. Wow. God's redemption plan is so much bigger than you! It is so much bigger than me. In fact, God's redemption plan… is all about Christ. What is our role as those who have believed on Christ? Is it not to praise the Father for all of these Spiritual blessings? Let me get more specific on these things. 1.) [Slide 23] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that The Father's grace was lavished on us in His providing redemption and forgiveness. a. God's Grace as we've come to see is God's powerful favor given to those whom He freely wills to enable them to be, do, and receive what they are unable and unwilling to be, do, and receive for themselves. b. The Father's grace then is meeting us in our inability. We cannot atone for our own sins. We are unable and really we are unwilling. c. Unbelievers who joke about being in the lake of fire with their friends have no concept of the unspeakable horrors of their punishment for their sins. d. And the punishment there will be eternal, implying of course that their sins will never truly be paid for, even given an eternity. e. And so, the Father has given us lavish grace to provide for us redemption and forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Christ. f. He has sacrificed Himself so that we might be pardoned. He has taken our shame and our guilt and our condemnation and He has given us His sonship in return. g. We were estranged from God and held captive by sin, death, and Satan. But Jesus has made peace with God by paying for our sins. All the roadblocks preventing us from being God's true children are removed by the sacrificial atoning death of Christ on the cross. h. This we must believe. 2.) [Slide 24] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that The Father's grace was lavished on us to make known to us the mystery of His will. a. In 1 Corinthians 2 we are told more of this marvelous mystery. In verses 6-16 Paul says that natural man cannot understand the things of God because they are spiritually discerned. b. Which is just a long way of saying what Romans 10 says – faith comes through hearing and hearing by the Word of God. c. Not one single human being would wake up one day and understand and believe what God has said about His Son, if God had not revealed the mystery to Him. Not one. d. God must reveal this marvelous mystery. e. Lydia, dear Lydia, in Acts 16 is down by the river praying. And Luke's comment is that God opened her heart to receive the teachings of the gospel. f. What a glorious truth that God is still actively revealing this mystery today to more and more. g. May we pray and continue to pray that He would open the eyes of the blind and set captives free. 3.) [Slide 25] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that it was the Father's delight to reveal this mystery to us. a. A more glorious truth I cannot confess. b. God does not begrudgingly open the mystery of His redemption. c. Indeed, the gospel call goes to all men everywhere. d. Not just Jews but Gentiles too. e. Not just men but women also. f. Not just to those who will believe, but to those who won't too. g. The gospel call rings out. God is delighted to send His word through His disciples and He is delighted to reveal the mystery of these things to those who believe on Christ. h. What a good and patient Father who is not slow to keep His promises. His Word won't return to Him void. He will have a harvest. 4.) [Slide 26] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that The Father's only purpose in redemption, is us. a. Such is popular today. b. We fight constantly to keep man worship out of the worship of God. c. And it becomes even more challenging when we consider that the Father truly does love us. He does! d. But popular songs and teachings attempt to emphasize that God's love for us is the only motive in sending Christ as the Redeemer. e. But friends… God's cosmic plan of redemption is for ALL of creation… not even just men. f. All of creation is broken. g. Just as we are made a new creation in Christ, He is bringing a new Kingdom and a New Heaven, and a New Earth. h. Indeed, all things will be made new. i. Do not short change the Father's plan to only include our souls. Oh, it is so much bigger than that. 5.) [Slide 27] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that The Father established this redemptive plan in Christ so that all creation would be ordered in Him. a. Why would God do this? b. Philippians and Colossians will help us greatly in understanding this as we come to them. c. But for now, it is important for us to understand that the Father sent His Son to do this work. As a reward for His humiliation and obedience, Christ has been made over all Kings and all powers. d. Why is that significant? Wasn't He God before He came? e. Certainly… but now He is also man. f. How can a man sit on the throne that belongs to the Ancient of Days? How can a man sit on God's throne? g. This is how. The Father's establishment of this redemption plan in Christ ensures that all things… ALL THINGS… will be ordered and untied to Him. h. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. i. Christ will be all as all things are in Him. j. What should we do with all of this? 6.) [Slide 28] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must praise the Father for what He has done. a. Once again, Paul's words here are to illicit deepest praise from those to whom he writes. b. Paul is stringing together subordinate clause after subordinate clause in a feverish listing of all that God has done to bless us. c. And he makes no bones about it… God is praiseworthy for all of it. d. And what we've learned today only amplifies this. e. God the Father is delighted to redeem, forgive, and make known to us His mysterious plan of redemption established in Christ. A plan that will complete time and finally bring everything back into order. f. He started before the creation of the world with this plan… and it will go on… forever. g. My friends. If you are a believer here today, that is worthy of praise. 7.) [Slide 29] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God truly has declared the end from the beginning. a. Getting a peek at this today we can go back to Isaiah 46:10 and recognize that the words of the prophet are indeed true. b. “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, “my counsel will be established and I will accomplish all my good pleasure.” c. Boy that sounds familiar doesn't it. d. God has a redemptive plan. In the Old Testament much of it was a mystery only to be fully revealed in Christ in the New. e. This gives us hope that God isn't on plan B. He only has plan A. And He is still on it. And He will finish with it too. 8.) [Slide 30] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” All things will be reordered in Christ. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Repent and believe on Him and you will be saved. a. To believers the idea that all of creation will be ordered and united under Christ, is truly a message of hope and worthy of praise. b. But to those who are not following Christ, part of that ordering is the dismissal of those who are wicked. c. In Revelation it talks about this Kingdom coming. It uses the image of a city. But those who are sinners. Those who love their sin and continue to practice it – they will be excluded from the city. They will be cast into the lake of fire with the devil and his angels forever. d. How can one message be received in two different ways? It all depends on what you do with Jesus. e. If Jesus is your hope, your savior, your Lord… then such a future is bright and blessed. f. If Jesus is nothing to you, or a talisman, or a magic genie, or an accepting person who never tells you to stop sinning… then you will not be with Him in His new Kingdom. g. I invite you to repent of your sin, the very thing that made Christ's sacrifice necessary, and that you would believe on Him and follow Him the rest of your days. [Slide 31 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the puritan Anthony Burgess O Lord, I bless you, not only for your pardon of those sins I have committed, but also for your goodness in preserving me from those many thousands of other sins I was prone to fall into. If I could repent to the highest degree, or achieve the holiness of men and angels, it could not make up the damage sin has made upon me. Who was more plunged into sin than I? Whose diseases were greater than mine? It may be that thousands and thousands of other souls are now taking their place in hell, for less and fewer sins than I have committed. I do not call upon you to repeal any threat or nullify your word. I do not ask you to become unjust. But your wisdom has found out a way that I may be pardoned and you may be satisfied. Your overflowing goodness overcomes me. If only I had the hearts of all men and angels to praise you. I confess this to you in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: May your prayers be counted as incense; The lifting up of your praise as the evening offering. Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God, even the Father. Until we meet again, grace and peace to you.

Remember Now, That You May Know Message Summary | Micah 6:3–5; Numbers 22–25; Revelation 2 and 6–9 Central Truth: Remembering the righteous works of God strengthens our confidence in His faithfulness, guards us against compromise, and teaches us to trust Him with what we cannot fully understand. This message connects God's dealings with Israel in Numbers, His call to remember in Micah, and the revelation of His future purposes in Revelation. Throughout Scripture, God demonstrates that He is righteous, precise, sovereign, and trustworthy. We may not understand every detail of His plans, but we can trust the One who knows every detail. In Revelation, John saw and heard extraordinary things, yet he sometimes needed further explanation to understand what he witnessed. This reminds us to approach prophecy with humility. We should carefully study what God has revealed without becoming so consumed with identifying every symbol and arranging every event that we miss the central purpose: the unveiling of Jesus Christ. Those gathered around the throne are worshiping, trusting, obeying, and carrying out their assignments. We ought to be doing the same. The precise limitations placed upon the judgments in Revelation demonstrate that nothing is outside God's authority. Even Satan and the fallen angels cannot exceed what God permits. Yet Revelation 9 also reveals the danger of an unrepentant heart. Despite devastating judgments, people continue in their sins, refusing to reconsider their ways and turn to God. Suffering alone does not produce repentance; we must respond to the Lord. This brings us to Balaam. Balak hired him to curse Israel, but he could not overturn what God had b

In Revelation 2:18–29, Jesus speaks to the church in Thyatira and reminds His people that He alone defines what faithfulness looks like. Jesus is the standard, and He does not change the standard. In a world that constantly pressures us to redefine truth and compromise our convictions, Jesus calls His church to remain faithful to Him.But Jesus is not only the standard—He is also the prize. Faithfulness to Jesus is not ultimately about earning something from Him; it is about belonging to Him and discovering that He Himself is better than anything the world can offer. Jesus calls His people to persevere, remain faithful, and hold fast to Him until the end.For more information about Integrity Church, visit our website, http://liveintegritychurch.orgConnect with us on social media throughout the week to stay up to date on events and things happening at Integrity!Instagram: @integrity_churchFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveintegrity/

What does victory look like in the way of Jesus?In Revelation 4–5, John is given a vision of the throne room of God. In the middle of a world marked by violence, empire, suffering, and fear, he sees that God is still on the throne. But then John hears about a conquering Lion—and turns to see a slaughtered Lamb.This is the central revelation of Revelation: Jesus conquers not through military power, political influence, or violence, but through sacrificial love. The Lamb who was slain is the one who stands victorious, and his people are called to follow him in that same way.As we follow Jesus in a world of conflict, confrontation, and compromise, what does it mean to conquer in the way of the Lamb?

In Revelation 2:18–29, Jesus addresses the church in Thyatira—a church known for love, faith, service, and perseverance, but also one that had allowed compromise to take root. Pastor Jeremiah Carswell challenges us to examine where culture, distraction, and our own desires may be shaping us more than God’s Word, and reminds us to stand firm through prayer, obedience, discernment, and repentance.

September 20 — The God Who Is WorthyGod alone is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise.In Revelation 4:1–11, we are given a glimpse of heaven's throne room, where all creation worships the eternal God. Join us as we discover how this heavenly vision can reshape our priorities and teach us to center our lives on God's glory.Message: The God Who Is WorthySeries: Encounters With God — Week 6Message by: Lead Pastor Antonio ThomasBible Passage: Revelation 4:1–11Give Online: https://thebridgechurch.org/give/Join Us In Person:1965 Evergreen Blvd., Suite 200, Duluth, GA 30096Sundays at 10:30 AM#EncountersWithGod #GodIsWorthy #Revelation4 #ThroneOfGod #GloryOfGod #HeavenlyWorship #WorthyOfItAll #TheBridgeChurch #BridgeChurchAtlanta #AntonioThomas

As City Rev Church celebrates 25 years of God's faithfulness, Pastor Robey Barnes begins our new series, Who We Are, with a reminder that this has never been a story about us. It's a story with Jesus at the center. In Revelation 1, John—exiled on the island of Patmos for bearing witness to Jesus—hears a voice like a trumpet and turns to see the risen Christ in dazzling glory. He falls at His feet as though dead, but Jesus lays His right hand on him and says, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,” the living one who holds the keys of death and Hades. Revelation is, above all, the revelation of Jesus. He is the centerpiece of the whole story God is writing—over our city, our church, our families, and our lives. Who we are is only because of who He is. As we look back on 25 years and ahead to what's next, we're called to belong to Jesus, bear witness to Him, and reveal who He is to the city around us.

In Revelation 2:1–7, Jesus commends the church in Ephesus for its sound doctrine, patient endurance, and commitment to truth, yet confronts them for abandoning their first love. This passage reminds us that there is a difference between knowing about God and truly knowing and loving Him. We can be theologically correct while becoming critical, exchanging intimacy with God for activity, and losing our love for others. Jesus calls His church to remember, repent, and return—to hold firmly to truth without abandoning love. Those who remain faithful, resist temptation, and endure in Christ can look forward to the promised paradise of God.

What does the ending of the story have to do with how we live today? In Revelation 19, we see the glorious wedding feast of the Lamb—and the astonishing truth that Jesus gave himself to make unfaithful sinners his beloved bride. In this message, we'll see our problem, God's solution, and the eternal joy waiting for everyone who looks to Jesus."The Wedding Feast of the Lamb" is a sermon based on Revelation 19:1–9 preached by lead pastor Billy Glosson.This sermon was preached at Mission Church — a church in Morganton, North Carolina in the heart of Burke County.Join us in person on Sundays, 9 AM & 11 AM221 Herron St.Morganton NC, 28655

In Revelation 17, John sees a bizarre sight of a harlot riding a hideous beast: the future evil system of Babylon, supported/empowered by Antichrist. As bad as they appear to be, the good news is that they are already declared to be defeated. Our God is sovereign, even over the worst people in the world, […] Preach the Word! is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://timburns.wordpress.com/

In Revelation 21, John imagines a city so secure that its gates never need to close. What would it look like to begin living with that kind of security now? In this week's message from our Between Two Trees series, Eric explores the story of Maximilian Kolbe, the strange spiritual wisdom of waiting for a cookie, and Jesus' call to a life of self-giving love. Rather than protecting our comfort and clinging to false substitutes for security, we can learn to live now out of the world God has promised—a world of open gates, resurrection, and restoration. Even small acts of sacrifice can become “shafts of light” in dark places, giving the world a glimpse of the kingdom that is coming.

The book of Revelation can feel confusing, frightening, and impossible to understand. But what if we've been reading it the wrong way?As we begin our journey through Revelation, we discover that this book is not primarily about predicting the end of the world. Revelation is an apocalypse - a revealing or unveiling - and its central purpose is to reveal Jesus, form our imagination, and teach us how to remain faithful to him in a world full of competing narratives.In Revelation 1, John introduces this book as apocalypse, prophecy, and letter. Understanding its biblical context, historical context, and present-day implications helps us see why Revelation was good news to its first readers and why it still speaks to us today.Revelation challenges the propaganda, nationalism, and civil religion of every age and calls us to worship Jesus, follow Jesus, and remain faithful to him no matter who is in power.

1) How can we be absolutely sure of our eternal salvation in Christ?2) In Revelation 13, could the first beast be the Antichrist and the second beast be an imitation of the Holy Spirit pointing to the first beast?3) What is the biblical perspective of interracial marriages?

Revelation Episode 12: The Satanic Trinity of the Dragon, Beast and False Prophet Today I'm talking about the Beast—the Lawless One, often called “the Antichrist”—and the False Prophet, who are both spoken of in Revelation 13. We see that, just as God is a Trinity, so too will the last-days manifestation of Satan be in triune form. The Beast and the False Prophet are empowered by the Dragon, Satan, whom we spoke about in the last session as the one who tried to destroy the Woman and the Man Child (Revelation 12:3, 9). Satan cannot create anything but can only copy, and the appearance of the Beast (or Antichrist) will be a counterfeit of the ministry of Jesus, even to the three-and-a-half-year length of his “ministry” on earth. The False Prophet will be a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit and will speak for the Beast (Revelation 13:11–18). This episode will deal with the work of the Satanic Trinity in its spiritual conflict with the Kingdom of God for control of the geopolitical realm of the world. This is distinct from the spiritual conflict in the last episode, where we saw the existential struggle involving the Woman as the Church of Revelation chapter 12, how the Prince Power of Darkness had been put under our feet through Jesus as Head of the Church, and how the Church was given divine protection. We see in this episode that the Dragon, Satan, who is a counterfeit of the Father, has always worked through world powers and will do so until the end. Matthew 4:8: “The devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.'” Ephesians 2:2: “We once walked according to the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” We also saw that the Dragon had seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his head. The seven heads here were seen as last-days heads of nation-states, but horns in the Bible speak of power. The ten horns therefore speak of last-days strategic corporate entities of power that influence nation-states and ultimately give rise to the Beast's rule over the earth during the three and a half years. I mentioned in the last session that we might perhaps expect to witness surprising structural and influential changes in national leadership, even over the next few years, because of the current political instability. THE BEAST The Beast comes in the image of his father, the Dragon (see also Revelation 17:3, 10–12). Revelation 13:1: “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The Dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marvelled and followed the Beast. So they worshipped the Dragon who gave authority to the Beast; and they worshipped the Beast, saying, ‘Who is like the Beast? Who is able to make war with him?'” Here we see that the Beast comes in the image of the Dragon (Revelation 12:3), except that there are ten crowns on the horns rather than seven crowns on the heads. Horns speak of power, and crowns speak of authority. This speaks of the Antichrist giving authority to the ten heads of the ten powerful nations that will rule the world kingdom at the time of the end. John describes a single “Composite Beast” because this represents the gathering of all previous imperial, tyrannical, and dominating traits of history into one final, unified global entity. John describes a Beast that is “like a leopard,” with “feet like those of a bear” and a “mouth like that of a lion.” This vision of John's is based upon a vision of the prophet Daniel, which gives us the code that unlocks the identities and characteristics of all those imperial nations and rulers of biblical history. What we will seek to decipher and explain today are the historical and ongoing prophetic lines from the Book of Daniel concerning the geopolitical struggle of the kingdom of darkness against the Kingdom of God. The following prophetic Scriptures from Daniel form very strong lines of historical and biblical continuity across the six hundred years from Daniel to when John wrote Revelation. In fact, we will draw just as strongly from Daniel in further episodes of Revelation concerning the latter parts of the three-and-a-half-year Tribulation and the return of Christ. Daniel 7:3: “And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!'” “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The Beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it” (4 = global dominion). “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth Beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” TRADITIONAL IDENTIFICATIONS IN DANIEL 7 SYMBOL — TRADITIONAL IDENTIFICATION — CORE CHARACTERISTIC - Lion (with eagle's wings) — Babylon — Sovereignty: Represents imperial majesty and dominion (parallel to the “Gold Head” of Daniel 2). - Bear (raised on one side) — Medo-Persia — Crushing Power: Characterised by the command to “Arise, devour much flesh … and it ate three ribs,” emphasising its massive appetite for conquest. - Leopard (with four wings/heads) — Greece — Speed: Four wings—leopard's natural speed, Alexander the Great's rapid expansion, and the four successor kingdoms. A leopard is pale yellow with black spots. - Fourth Beast (iron teeth/10 horns) — Rome — Imperial Destruction: Described as “terrible and extremely strong,” using its “iron teeth” to crush and devour all opposition. These established ancient identities are not merely historical footnotes; they serve as the necessary archetypes for understanding how power is projected throughout history. Note the progression of Lion, Bear, and Leopard, because John reverses this sequence in Revelation 13:2, where we see the leopard, bear, and lion qualities of the Beast first. This is because John is looking back into history, from Rome to Babylon. But what we must remember is that John is also looking forward prophetically into history from two thousand years ago. It will be useful, amongst the bewildering range of symbolic descriptions of the “Beast Nations” of history, to remember the sequence of three recurring symbolic nations of history—the Lion, the Bear, and the Leopard. These have been the prelude to a sequence of dreadful “composite beasts” throughout history and will feature significantly in the last days, when they become the ultimate ogre of the “Composite Beast” at the Second Coming of Christ to the earth. Remember the sequence: Lion, Bear, Leopard. One of the greatest counterfeits that will be perpetrated by the Beast, the Lawless One, will be a counterfeit resurrection in verse 3, which will delude many. Remember, in 2 Thessalonians 2, that God would send strong delusion for people to believe a lie. His mouth will speak great things. He will be a great leader and statesman who will sway the multitudes. He will receive power from the Dragon, Satan, to overcome those saints who endure the Tribulation. But their martyrdom will be to the glory of God. These saints are encouraged by the angel of Revelation 14:7. Daniel 7:8 speaks of one powerful, persuasive person as a horn of power who will arise at the end: “And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” So we have strong lines of scriptural formation from Daniel to John, but in the two thousand years from John until now, we have reached beyond the time of John, when Rome was the “Composite Beast,” into the description of a much more awesome and devastating Composite Beast that Rome represented. John's final Beast here has seven heads as well as ten horns. And I have to say this—but wait, there's more. In Revelation 12:3, in the last episode, we saw John describing the Dragon, representing Satan: “Behold, a great red dragon … having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads” (diadems are jewelled headbands). So the sequence is: - Revelation 12:3—Dragon: 7 heads crowned + 10 horns - Revelation 13:1—Beast: 7 heads + 10 horns crowned - Revelation 17:3, 12—Beast: 7 heads + 10 horns; then ten kings receive authority This is not a repeated description—John changes the locations of the diadems. That fits prophetically and purposefully with the progression from Satanic authority being delegated to a Beastly political authority, and then to a final ten-kingdom coalition. Chapter 13 portrays the Beast receiving and exercising the authority previously associated with the Dragon. It is like the Father giving Jesus His authority. We will cover the progression of power when we come to those chapters later in Revelation. To this point, with John's veiled vision of what he was observing in the geopolitical power plays of his day, we have strong and true lines of scriptural continuity through which to understand the nature of the Lion, Bear, and Leopard powers of his time. If we seek to understand the prophetic imagery that he lays ahead into the future, at least up until now, we can only interpret the identities and conflicts of his visions by insight and eyesight as to the current geopolitical landscape. In other words, who are the Lion, the Bear, and the Leopard today? I can't go further yet into what the grotesque, final Composite Beast vision that comes up out of the sea is, but I will in further episodes, where we see the intricate dance of crowns swapping with horns and diadems, chapter after chapter. The sea, by the way, speaks of the nations—the global ocean of humanity. So anything I say about the Lion, the Bear, and the Leopard that John left us with will be by exercising eyesight, with some insights into the strategic power of current geopolitics. But I do not have a strong line of scriptural alignment as John did. He left prophecy to unfold itself within a continuous blend of the historical national traits of dominance, hegemony, cruelty, lies, and destruction. My thoughts are speculation, and I do not claim to have divine revelation about them. I will take the Lion, the Bear, and the Leopard in their original order. As we are not looking back as John was, I am mapping their original history. MODERN GEOPOLITICAL ANALOGIES (FUTURIST) SYMBOL — TRADITIONAL BIBLICAL IDENTITY — MODERN GEOPOLITICAL ANALOGY - Lion — Babylon — Britain, the “Anglosphere” (USA/Europe). The Lion took eagle's wings, flew away, and landed with a human heart and the wings plucked (Daniel 7). USA becomes a Democratic Republic. Has a mouth speaking pompous things. - Bear — Medo-Persia — Russia (culturally the bear). Daniel 7: “Arise, devour much flesh … lay on one side—ate three ribs.” Recent conquests: Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine? - Leopard — Greece — Afro-Asia: the rapid spread of geopolitical/civilisational/trading significance. The Leopard is pale yellow with black markings. First colonised by Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal. Greece split into four national regions after Alexander: Egypt, Greece/Macedonia, Persia to India, and Turkey (Anatolia). THE FALSE PROPHET Revelation 13:11: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.” The False Prophet—the counterfeit of the Holy Spirit—speaks for the Beast (Revelation 13:11–18). This person is described as a lamb, speaking of a meek and docile appearance, yet inwardly a ravenous wolf. He is seen to have two horns, speaking of the two thrusts of his power. These will be religion and commerce. In verses 15 and 16, he causes all the world to worship the image of the Antichrist, thus establishing a new world religion. He also causes everyone to receive a mark on their foreheads or right hands as a condition of being able to purchase or sell any goods or commodities. The mark is 666, speaking of satanic power over man's spirit, soul, and body. Compare the image of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3:1. He counterfeits the great prophet Elijah by causing fire to come down from heaven onto the earth in the sight of man (verse 13). It would seem that he has power over the elements as well as over people, according to verse 12. CONCLUSION — THE FOUR GARDENS We could picture the Garden of Eden as a biological, botanical, and zoological garden, where God walked with His earthly family of Adam and Eve, giving Adam authority to name the animals. There was nothing but blessing in the earth that God had dominion over and shared with His family. We would then see a tangled garden of chaos as sin and death enter the world, ending up with the botanical, zoological, and biological garden of Daniel's time, which had beasts, conflict, destruction, and spiritual interference from angels of darkness under the headship of Satan. We then come to the continuation and progressive chaos and corruption of Daniel's time, leading to the greater malice and destruction of the garden of the time of the Apostle John. We are now, two thousand years later, inhabiting the most grotesque jungle of a garden and awaiting the return of the King of Kings in His appointed time. That will usher in the most beautiful and majestic garden on the earth, which will last for one thousand years. In this millennial Garden, the wolf will lie down with the lamb, there will be no more thorns and thistles, and the groaning of this current earthly creation will have been heard and healed from the curse of human sin. Romans 8:21: “The creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” This earth will be ruled by the King of kings, who will be crowned with many crowns, topple all other kingdoms that stand in His way, and invite us to once again rule and reign with Him upon an entire blessed earth that far supersedes the Garden of Eden. He also has a crown laid up for us if we follow on to know the Lord.

In Revelation 2:12–17, Jesus speaks to the church in Pergamum—a church that had remained faithful in a difficult and hostile environment, yet had begun to drift into dangerous compromise. Jesus sees their endurance, but He also lovingly confronts the ways they have allowed the world around them to shape their allegiance.Following Jesus means more than standing firm when faith is tested; it means wholehearted allegiance to Jesus in every area of our lives. The danger of compromise is that drift rarely feels like rebellion, but Jesus calls His people away from what competes for our hearts and toward something better: Himself.Faithfulness may go unnoticed on earth, but it is never unnoticed in heaven. Jesus sees His people, confronts our compromise, and invites us to live as though His love is better than anything the world offers.For more information about Integrity Church, visit our website, http://liveintegritychurch.orgConnect with us on social media throughout the week to stay up to date on events and things happening at Integrity!Instagram: @integrity_churchFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveintegrity/

What happens when the present starts to feel permanent? In Revelation 21, John gives us a vision of a world being made new, one that makes room for grief, keeps hope alive, and reminds us that we can participate in renewal without carrying the weight of fixing everything ourselves.TNL Church: Growing into the people we're created to be as we join God to incite love, reduce suffering, and increase joy. Find out more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tnl.org⁠

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Click HERE to give! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! Today is September 8th, and our journey through the Scriptures takes us into Jeremiah 42–44, Psalm 48, and Revelation 13. In Jeremiah, the people ask the prophet to seek God's direction for them. They promise to obey whatever God says, whether they like the answer or not. Yet when Jeremiah tells them not to flee to Egypt, they reject the word they had asked to receive. Fear persuades them that they must secure their own future, even if doing so means abandoning the way God has placed before them. In Revelation 13, John describes beasts, deception, coercive power, and the mysterious number 666. These images warn us about what happens when human power is magnified, worshiped, and treated as ultimate. Psalm 48 gives us a different vision. God is our fortress and our security. We are invited to meditate on his unfailing love and to remember that God has not abandoned or separated himself from us. Today's readings confront the ancient lie that we are alone and must save ourselves. They invite us to trust Emmanuel, the God who is with us, and to align our hearts with his kingdom of love rather than the fearful kingdoms we create for ourselves. TODAY'S DEVOTION: God Is with You We are told that 666 is the number of a man. A great deal has been written about this mysterious number. Three sixes. A trinity of numbers, but an unholy trinity. It is humanity magnified, exalted, and worshiped. It is a beastly imitation standing in stark contrast to the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are told that wisdom is required to understand its meaning, and I do not pretend to possess that kind of wisdom. But it seems to me that whether we are looking at the queen of heaven confronted by Jeremiah or the many-headed beast described by John, the result is much the same. When humanity believes the serpent's lie of separation, destruction follows. The people in Jeremiah's day refused to trust that God was with them. They would not believe that he would protect them, rescue them, and give them life. Believing themselves to be alone, they separated themselves from God's will and fled to Egypt, another land of exile. The same pattern begins in the garden. Adam and Eve believe the suggestion that God is withholding himself from them. They imagine that he is not truly with them or for them. They hide from the God who has never stopped seeking them, and they experience exile in the very garden where God desires to dwell with them. This tragic pattern repeats itself through history. In our blindness, we fail to recognize the presence of the Triune God of life. We believe ourselves to be alone, so we rely on the gods of our own making. We worship human strength, political power, control, violence, wealth, or whatever else promises to secure us. And the result is always the same. The serpent's strategy has not really changed. Seeds of doubt are planted: God is not present. God is not with you. God is not for you. Believing that we are alone and that God is indifferent, we attempt to construct a life apart from him, apart from the Triune life of love and flourishing that has always been offered to us. But the psalmist tells us another story: "O God, we meditate on your unfailing love." Our God is like a fortified wall, a citadel, and a beacon. This is the story we will continue to tell to future generations. God is not separate from you. God is with you. That is the truth. So align your heart with his will, his purposes, and his kingdom rather than your own. Renounce the lie of separation embodied in the number 666, and worship Emmanuel, the God who is with us, the God who is love. That is the prayer I have for my own soul. That is the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And that is the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

In Revelation 1:17–20, John falls before the glorified Christ in fear, but Jesus responds with words of comfort: "Fear not." Our confidence is not simply that we know how the story ends, but that we belong to the One who is sovereign over the story itself. Jesus is the First and the Last, the Living One who died and is alive forevermore. He has entered death, conquered it, and now holds the keys of Death and Hades. Because Christ has gone before us and risen victorious, his people do not have to fear what lies ahead. Jesus tells John to write these things down because we are a forgetful people. Revelation reminds the church again and again that Christ is in our midst, history is in his hands, death has been defeated, and our hope is secure in him. Whatever comes, we can fear not—Jesus is in charge.

Welcome to Faith Church Online! In Revelation 3:7-13 Jesus shows us great encouragement with His words to the faithful church of Philadelphia. We are reminded If Jesus has purchased salvation on your behalf, and if you accept Him as Savior, no one can take it away; that is great news! Why? Because God's kingdom is not relation upon my strength, but on His power and authority. We pray this message encourages you today. 

Lukewarm is a strange word to fear until you read what Jesus says about it. In Revelation 3 he writes to the last three of the seven churches, and the picture he paints is uncomfortably familiar. Sardis had a reputation for being alive but was dead, a church with everything in the show window and nothing in stock. Laodicea was wealthy, self-sufficient, and certain it needed nothing, while Jesus called it wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked (Revelation 3:17). And Philadelphia, the smallest and weakest of the three, is the one he commends most, because little strength in the hands of God still moves the world. The thread running through all three is one word: steadfastness, the daily decision to keep the door to Jesus open rather than opening it in crisis and closing it again in comfort. This message works through the five commands Jesus gives in Revelation 3:2-3, wake up, strengthen what remains, remember, hold fast, repent, along with the promise in Revelation 3:10 about being kept from the hour of trial, and the invitation in Revelation 3:20 where Jesus stands at a door with the handle on the inside. If your faith feels like it has been drifting, or you look fine on the outside and feel empty on the inside, start here. Week Three of The King Is Coming, a series through the book of Revelation at illuminate church in Kissimmee, Florida. Join us on a Sunday or watch anytime. Learn more at illuminate.church.CONNECT WITH US:→ Request Prayer: https://bit.ly/3zMyf5E→ Request Care: https://bit.ly/3fBTX5G→ Share a Testimony: https://bit.ly/3Jo7Ped→ Find Events and More: https://bit.ly/3TcrkcR→ Leave us a Review on Google: https://bit.ly/47925jP→ Plan a Visit in Person: https://bit.ly/3sfQdg7FOLLOW US:→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illuminatechurch/→ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@illuminate_church→ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illuminatechurchflWE HELP PEOPLE FIND ABUNDANT LIFE IN JESUS!

What if one of the most mysterious warnings in the Book of Revelation is connected to the events shaping our world today? In Revelation 2:13, Jesus speaks of the ancient city of Pergamon as the place "where Satan's throne is." For centuries, the massive Altar of Pergamon lay buried beneath the earth—until it was excavated, removed from its original location, and reconstructed in Berlin. But was it merely an ancient monument, or could its movement reveal a much larger spiritual mystery? In this gripping conversation, Connie Albers sits down with New York Times bestselling author Rabbi Jonathan Cahn to discuss his newest book, The Altar of Pergamon: The Mystery of the Dark Angel and the Future of the World. Cahn traces the altar's path through history and explores its possible connection to empires, world leaders, catastrophic events, and the unseen forces operating behind them. Why did Jesus identify Pergamon with Satan's throne? What happened after the altar was moved? Who—or what—is the Dark Angel? And could an ancient mystery offer insight into what is unfolding in our world now? This conversation moves beyond archaeology and history into the spiritual battle beneath the events we can see. It is mysterious, sobering, and ultimately a reminder that evil does not have the final word—God remains sovereign over history. Listen with discernment, keep your Bible close, and prepare to see the past—and perhaps the future—from an entirely different perspective. Watch the full YouTube interview HERE   Read the full show notes with links here: Satan's Throne: Jonathan Cahn Uncovers the Mystery of The Altar of Pergamon   More episodes you can enjoy: How Much Freedom is Your Child Ready For? When Motherhood Feels Unseen When Life Interrupts Your Plans If you enjoy listening to Parenting and Homeschool Advice ~ Equipped To Be with Connie Albers, please leave a review and a five-star rating. It is easy and will only take a few seconds. When you do, it helps others see the show in their feed. Also, would you kindly share this with a friend or two? Equipped To Be might be an encouragement to them, too. Thank you ~ Connie   Have a question? Interested in having Connie speak? Send an email to Connie here: https://conniealbers.com/contact/   

In Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus wrote seven letters for churches not only at that time, but for all time, including today. These letters have very important messages for every believer, including us. Let's find out more about what Christ wants us to know—here, on Foreshadows Report!Learn more about Steve and his books at https://SteveMillerResources.comProduced by Unmutable™

In Revelation 1:9–16, John reminds us that belonging to Christ's kingdom does not mean escaping tribulation—it means enduring through it with Christ. In the midst of the lampstands, John sees Jesus: our great High Priest who knows our weakness, cares for His church, and remains present with His people. The vision of Christ reveals that He is everything His church needs. He sees with perfect clarity, rules over His enemies, holds His church securely, and speaks with the authority of truth. When suffering and tribulation come, our hope is not found in our own strength, but in the risen and reigning Christ who is with us, cares for us, and gives us strength to endure.

In Revelation 12-19, we find the story of the second half of the Tribulation period as it unfolds upon the earth. Chapter 12 introduces this story by explaining the spiritual forces at work behind mankind's rebellion in this future period. Having already identified the characters in chapter 12 (Woman = Israel; Dragon = Satan; Child = Christ), we're ready to see how the story will unfold. Join us this Sunday as we look at Revelation 12. This chapter provides an overview of the spiritual forces at work during the latter half of the Tribulation period. Having already seen how the story ends, we will see God's incredible faithfulness to His people amidst a day of great trouble. This chapter will be an encouragement to trust Christ, even amid the difficulty of a fallen world!

Join Larry Spargimino and Jonathan Cahn for part four as they discuss his newest book, The Great Altar of Pergamon. The fact is that this altar has been sealed from the public, locked behind scaffolding as Berlin's Pergamon Museum undergoes renovation. The altar is a huge structure that has been disassembled for transport. In 2027, the doors reopen, and the altar will again be visible to the world. In Revelation 2: 12-13, the Apostle John identified this altar as the "throne of Satan." Adolph Hitler and one American President (Obama) made proclamations from the altar: "The mystery is so colossal it has  literally altered the history of the world."

Join Larry Spargimino and Jonathan Cahn for part three as they discuss his newest book, The Great Altar of Pergamon. The fact is that this altar has been sealed from the public, locked behind scaffolding as Berlin's Pergamon Museum undergoes renovation. The altar is a huge structure that has been disassembled for transport. In 2027, the doors reopen, and the altar will again be visible to the world. In Revelation 2: 12-13, the Apostle John identified this altar as the "throne of Satan." Adolph Hitler and one American President (Obama) made proclamations from the altar: "The mystery is so colossal it has  literally altered the history of the world."

Join Larry Spargimino and Jonathan Cahn for part two as they discuss his newest book, The Great Altar of Pergamon. The fact is that this altar has been sealed from the public, locked behind scaffolding as Berlin's Pergamon Museum undergoes renovation. The altar is a huge structure that has been disassembled for transport. In 2027, the doors reopen, and the altar will again be visible to the world. In Revelation 2: 12-13, the Apostle John identified this altar as the "throne of Satan." Adolph Hitler and one American President (Obama) made proclamations from the altar: "The mystery is so colossal it has  literally altered the history of the world."

Join Larry Spargimino and Jonathan Cahn as they discuss his newest book, The Great Altar of Pergamon. The fact is that this altar has been sealed from the public, locked behind scaffolding as Berlin's Pergamon Museum undergoes renovation. The altar is a huge structure that has been disassembled for transport. In 2027, the doors reopen, and the altar will again be visible to the world. In Revelation 2: 12-13, the Apostle John identified this altar as the "throne of Satan." Adolph Hitler and one American President (Obama) made proclamations from the altar: "The mystery is so colossal it has  literally altered the history of the world."

In Revelation 1:4–8, John reminds the church that our hope rests in the God who is, who was, and who is to come. He is the God of all history—never caught off guard, never forced to improvise, and always working according to His redemptive purposes. Through the resurrection of Jesus, the dawn of the last days has arrived. Christ is the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Though we still experience suffering, sin, and oppressive powers, none of them are outside His sovereign rule. Jesus reigns now, and the day is coming when His victory will be fully revealed. And until that day, Christ has made His church a kingdom of priests—not simply to be, but to do. The church has been called to go into the world, faithfully revealing the unexpected beauty of a life committed to Christ. God is the God of our past, present, and future. Because He has been faithful throughout history, we can trust Him with what lies ahead.

In Revelation 12-19, we find the story of the second half of the Tribulation period as it unfolds upon the earth. Chapter 12 introduces the story by explaining the spiritual forces behind mankind's rebellion in this future period. Having already studied chapter 11, we know how the story will end as Jesus wins! This chapter proves for us the utter futility of resisting Him. Join us this Sunday as we look at Revelation 12. This chapter provides an overview of the spiritual forces at work during the latter half of the Tribulation period. Having already seen how the story ends, we will learn in Chapter 12 about the futility of resisting Jesus Christ. This chapter will be an encouragement to love Christ more, even as you live amidst a fallen world!

We look at the Ancients of Days. In the Bible, Daniel describes them in brilliant form; In Revelation, they are described as the authority of God; In the Urantia Book, we learn they represent the Law of God, which makes these divine personalities among the most powerful in creation; they are truly the spirits of God, and worth discussion.Please tell Urantia Radio what you would like to hear more about. We welcome and encourage all feedback. Email Jim at UrantiaBookRadio@gmail.comFollow us at www.urantiradio.org and on X @UrantiaRadio

In the opening verses of Revelation, we are reminded that this book is not meant to leave the Church fearful or confused, but hopeful and faithful. God has revealed the end so that His people can trust Him through every trial, knowing that suffering is real but it is not the end of the story. In Revelation 1:1–3, John pronounces a blessing on those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy. Because Christ has revealed where history is going, His Word should shape the way we see everything—our suffering, grief, faithfulness, and hope. Though the Church may experience tribulation and at times feel like sheep led to the slaughter, we know with certainty that Christ will return, His kingdom will prevail, and nothing can separate His people from His love. The future of the Church is bright because our future is Christ Himself. So will we allow the promises of God to shape our worldview and everyday lives, or will we live according to the kingdom of this world? Read, hear, and keep—because the time is near.

This week Young Adult Pastor Adina Olson shared a powerful message on the Church in Sardis. In Revelation 3:1–6, Jesus speaks to the church in Sardis with a sobering warning: they had a reputation for being alive, but Jesus saw that they were spiritually dying. Yet His message is also an invitation to wake up, remember what they received, strengthen what remains, and repent. This passage challenges us to examine the true condition of our walk with God, reminding us that outward appearance cannot replace genuine communion with Him. Jesus calls His church back to spiritual life, prayer, repentance, and faithful relationship with Him.

In Revelation 11, our attention is being focused on events during the last 3.5 years of the tribulation. This is a time Jesus called “The Great Tribulation” and immediately precedes His Second Coming. During this period (the story of which is recounted from Revelation 11-19), the Trumpet and Bowl judgments fall from heaven upon humanity. These chapters are the story of how mankind responds to God's judgment during this 42-month period. Join us this Sunday as we see the commitment of God to the proclamation of His gospel. Even during the last half of the Tribulation, when mankind's rebellion is at its peak, God is still ensuring that the gospel is proclaimed every single day. This Sunday, we find a stunning picture of God's mercy paired with a text that gives us great confidence in our own testimony to the gospel's power.

What happens when a church can have strong theology, stand firmly for truth, resist compromise and still lose its first love? In Revelation 2, Jesus speaks to Ephesus, a church that did almost everything right, yet somewhere along the way their devotion became duty and their work continued while their hearts grew cold. But Jesus isn't condemning them; He's calling them home: Remember. Repent. Return. This is a message about the danger of becoming so focused on doing things FOR Jesus that we stop looking at Jesus and the invitation to stop striving, return to simple devotion, and rediscover that before we were ever useful, we were loved.

What will heaven look like in the last days? In Revelation 7:9-10, John sees a breathtaking vision: a countless multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language standing before the throne and before the Lamb, Jesus Christ. -Do you want to be an active member of 21c Moses? Then, consider becoming a 21c Moses Patreon! Click the link for more info: https://patreon.com/user?u=45306220&utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link -If you want to donate to 21c Moses Ministry, please click the link: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=P4LC3BE2S3JGA -Please check our website: https://21cmoses.com ©2026 21c Moses #21cMoses #BibleTeaching #DailyBibleStudy

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Pastor Bankie teaches that God tests faith so believers become overcomers. In Revelation chapter 2, those who overcome receive “some of the hidden manna,” “a white stone and a new name written on the stone.” Salvation is free, yet it has a cost that reveals real seriousness.

In Revelation 12, John sees a “great wonder in heaven”—a “woman clothed with the sun…and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” The Catholic interpretation assigns this image to Mary, the mother of Jesus, to help prove their claim that she is now the Queen of heaven. Is this true? Let's subject this highly symbolic chapter to proper exegesis and see if it fits the Catholic narrative.Comparative religion website: www.thetruelight.net Ministry website: www.shreveministries.org The Catholic Project: www.toCatholicswithlove.orgPurchase Mike Shreve's popular book comparing over 20 religions: In Search of the True Light Mike Shreve's other podcast: Discover Your Spiritual Identity—a study on the biblical names given to God's people https://www.charismapodcastnetwork.com/show/discoveryourspiritualidentity All video podcasts are posted on YouTube. Publishing House: Deeper Revelation Books, www.deeperrevelationbooks.org Mail: P.O. Box 4260, Cleveland, TN 37320 / Phone: 423-478-2843

Life has a way of reminding us that things don't always end the way we hoped. And yet, Scripture tells a different kind of story. The Bible doesn't end with disappointment—it ends with renewal. In Revelation, we are given a breathtaking vision: a new heaven and a new earth, where God brings everything together and makes all things new. This is not God abandoning the world, but restoring it completely. The brokenness we feel, the endings we grieve, the longings that go unmet—all of it finds its answer here. God's ultimate plan is not to scrap creation, but to redeem it. Richard Rohr has said, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.” So when life feels unfinished or disappointing, we can remember: this is not the end of the story.

Having received multiple visions of the judgment that will precede Christ's return (Rev. 6-9), John needed to have his attention refocused on the glory of Christ that had first been revealed to Him in Chapter 1 and then again in chapters 4-5. In Chapter 10, a messenger is sent to remind John of Christ's glory and commission Him to keep recording the events that surround the coming of His kingdom. Join us this Sunday as we see the glory of God on display as heaven comes to earth. In Revelation 10, the process of judgment is paused as God reminds the reader of just how glorious His glory truly is. This vision of God's glory is a truth that we must be reminded of so that we would live in light of it today. We must make way, for our king is on His way!

Loving the world will result in losing our first love. When this happens, we begin to buy into the world's value systems, and eventually our lives do not reflect Christ. They will reflect the world.Main Points:1.  When we meet Christ, one thing that fundamentally changes is what we love. Before we met Jesus, our primary love was ourselves, but we also loved the things of this present world. But when we met Jesus, things began to change. We discovered a better love.2. Loving the world means being devoted to the world's treasures, philosophies, and priorities. God tells His children to set their priorities according to His eternal value system. We are to “seek first” God's kingdom and righteousness.3. The problem with loving the world is that it conflicts with what is to be our first love. Jesus is to be our first love. Why? He alone is worthy of such love and devotion. In Revelation chapter two, we learn the Ephesian church was commended for their hard work and perseverance, yet they were warned because they had lost their first love.Today's Scripture Verses:1 John 2:15 - “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.”Romans 12:2 - “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”Quick Links:Donate to support this podcastLeave a review on Apple PodcastsGet a copy of The 5 Minute Discipleship JournalConnect on SocialJoin The 5 Minute Discipleship Facebook Group

07.26.2026 | When God Shuts a Door | Pastor Jeff Wickwire Have you ever had a door in your life close—an opportunity, relationship, or dream—only to realize later it was for your good? This week, Pastor Jeff Wickwire shared how God sometimes shuts doors to protect us or lead us toward His best. In Revelation 3:7, we’re reminded that Jesus alone holds the key to every door in our lives.

In Revelation 8-9, the judgment of God is being poured out as Christ prepares for His return. That judgment shows just how much God hates sin. To help us hate sin like God hates sin, Chapter 9 provides a picture of just how much Satan hates mankind. This Sunday, we'll look at Revelation 9, a passage that reveals just how much Satan hates humanity. The portrait that is painted in this text will help us understand why we must not serve sin as our master, but rather cling to the majesty of Christ's love and salvation. This text will help us learn to hate sin as God does. Join us this Sunday as we continue our study in the Book of Revelation.

Do you know if your name is in the Book of Life? In Revelation 20, John describes a moment where every person stands before God — and two books decide everything. This week, Pastor Tony Johnson unpacks what those books actually are, and why the question isn't as simple as "be a good person" or "just believe."Most of us live inside a false dichotomy. Either salvation is entirely up to Jesus and nothing you do matters, or you have to earn your way in by being good enough. Revelation 20 puts both books on the table and gives us a different way of looking at it. Because faith without works is dead — but works without faith won't save you either. So the real question isn't which one matters most. It's this: if someone read your life like a ledger, would they know you follow Jesus?Support the show