Podcasts about Patmos

«Eran inocentes porque eran chicos.... »Corrían, jugaban, y sus risas eran inconscientes vibraciones de vida en los jardines.... Sentábanse... sobre el rústico banco de la glorieta, y él contaba historias que le habían leído, mientras jugaba con los deditos de su compañera atenta. »Eran cuentos como todos los juegos infantiles, en que sucedían cosas fantásticas, en que había príncipes y princesitas que se amaban desesperadamente al través de un impedimento, hasta el episodio final, producido a tiempo para hacerlos felices, felices en un amor sin contrariedades.... »Ya tenía él el orgullo viril de ver colgada de sus palabras la atención de esa mujercita, digna de todos los altares. Y cuando su voz se empañaba de emoción al finalizar un cuento, se estrechaban cerca, muy cerca, en busca de felicidad.... »Estaban un día ajenos a todo. El cuento de la princesa rubia había puesto entre ellos la ascendencia de su fantasía. Ella se arrebujaba contra él desparramando en hilachas de oro sus bucles sobre el hombro amigo; él la había atraído lo más posible y besaba, como estampas sagradas, sus ojos, trémulos de promesas ignotas.»1 Así nos describe Ricardo Güiraldes, en su cuento titulado «Sexto», el primer amor con el que los más jóvenes sueñan y los menos jóvenes se identifican. ¡Qué bien logradas esas imágenes del muchacho que le cuenta historias a su atenta compañera «colgada de sus palabras» mientras juega con sus delicados dedos, y de «esa mujercita, digna de todos los altares», cuyos ojos él besa «como estampas sagradas»! No persiguen más que lo que parecen encontrar los protagonistas de sus cuentos fantásticos: el ser «felices en un amor sin contrariedades». Este es uno de una colección de cuentos que Güiraldes comenzó a escribir en su adolescencia, pero terminó en París, lejos de su patria argentina, entre 1911 y 1912.2 Unos mil ochocientos años antes, el apóstol Juan había abordado el mismo tema del primer amor al escribirle a la Iglesia de Éfeso, desde donde había sido desterrado a la isla de Patmos. Allí, en el Apocalipsis, le escribió: «Tengo en tu contra que has abandonado tu primer amor».3 Sin embargo, a diferencia de Güiraldes, el primer amor al que se refería San Juan no era físico sino espiritual. Era el amor que al principio los efesios le habían manifestado a su Señor y Salvador Jesucristo. Al primer amor físico sólo podemos volver mediante remembranzas del ayer como las que evoca Güiraldes, porque en lo físico las dos partes han cambiado para siempre. En cambio, al primer amor espiritual sí podemos volver porque una de las dos partes, Dios, no ha cambiado en absoluto4 desde que primero lo amamos. Así como los efesios, sólo tenemos que arrepentirnos y amarlo como al principio.5 Dios nos espera con brazos abiertos, y quiere rodearnos estrechamente con los lazos de su amor eterno.6 Carlos ReyUn Mensaje a la Concienciawww.conciencia.net 1 Ricardo Güiraldes, Cuentos de muerte y de sangre (Buenos Aires: Editorial Losada, 1978), pp. 111-112. 2 Ibíd., p. 11. 3 Ap 2:4 4 Stg 1:17 5 Ap 2:5 6 Jer 31:3

Permit me to share a story from my own experience that helps explain why it took me so long to preach a sermon series on the book of Revelation. When I was twenty-eight, I had been ordained as a minister of the gospel only a short time earlier and was serving as an interim pastor at Calvary Baptist Church, a congregation of roughly three hundred people. The church was struggling. Years of poor leadership decisions and the dismissal of one of its senior pastors had left it in a fragile state. I was young, inexperienced, and keenly aware that I had far more to learn than to offer. When Calvary eventually called its next senior pastorwhom I will refer to as Bobhe inherited both me and another assistant pastor. Less than a year into his tenure, Bob called me into his office to discuss my future. He asked what I hoped for in ministry, and I told him I planned to finish seminary and learn as much as I could from him, given his decades of pastoral experience. Then, without warning, he asked me what I believed about the rapture. Caught off guard, I answered honestly: I believed Christ would return for His people, but I was not yet certain whether that would be before, during, or after the tribulation. Bob paused, looked at me, and said simply, Well, thats a problem. It was a problem because Calvarys doctrinal statement treated a pre-tribulation rapture not as a point of discussion, but as a nonnegotiable. One passage often cited in support of that view is 1 Thessalonians 5:9For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet the wrath Paul describes there is not the suffering believers endure in this world, but the final judgment reserved for the condemned. That conversation marked me deeply. It revealed how quickly the book of Revelationand the questions surrounding itcan become a test of loyalty rather than a call to faithfulness. And it helps explain why I approached Revelation for so many years with caution, hesitation, and no small measure of pastoral concern. Suffering (Tribulation) is a Part of the Christian Life (v. 9) What troubled me about Pastor Bob and the doctrinal statement Calvary Baptist Church has since removed is that this view is difficult to reconcile with Jesus own teaching on what Christians should expect as His followers. Jesus said plainly, You will be hated by all for my names sake (Matt. 10:22). And again, In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). The apostles echoed the same expectation. Paul warned new believers, Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God just after he was stoned and left for dead outside of the city of Lystra (Acts 14:22). Peter likewise urged Christians not to be shocked by suffering, but to see it as participation in Christs own path: Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you rejoice insofar as you share Christs sufferings (1 Pet. 4:1213). The word tribulation simply means affliction. In Revelation, tribulation is never portrayed as some vague or theoretical idea, but as a real and immediate experience for faithful believers.1It is the context of Johns exile, the churches suffering, and the cry of the martyrs. Tribulation is the setting in which the church endures, bears witness, and waits for Christs victory. Let me press this one step further. In Matthew 24, Jesus warned His disciples, And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains (vv. 68). Then He said, They will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my names sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (vv. 914). Jesus then went on to prophesy about events we know with certainty occurred in AD 70: So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be (vv. 1521). History records that everything Jesus warned would happen did, in fact, occur. Roman soldiers under Titus breached Jerusalem, entered the temple, slaughtered priests while sacrifices were being offered, piled bodies in the sanctuary, erected pagan images, and offered sacrifices to Roman gods, including sacrifices to the emperor himself. The temple was dismantled stone by stone, fulfilling Jesus words: Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down (Matt. 24:2). John lived through those events. More than twenty years later, he wrote to seven churches not as a distant observer but as a participant: I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. The question to consider until we reach Revelation 6 is: What tribulation is John participating in? The persecution of Christians didnt end in AD 70. What began as local opposition has become global. Some regions where the gospel once flourishedsuch as North Korea and Nigeriaare now among the most dangerous for Christians. A challenging reality of the Christian life is that faithfulness to Jesus often leads to suffering. John introduces himself not as an exception, but as a fellow participant in this tribulation. Whatever view of the tribulation you currently hold, know that John and the first-century church were convinced they were living in itnot as a fixed or future timetable, but as a present season of suffering that began with Christs ascension and will end only with His return. Jesus Will Not Abandon the Christian in Life (vv. 9-16) When John received his visions, it was on the Lords Day. Before anything was revealed about Gods plan for the world, it was a day set apart for worship. Many believe this is the earliest technical use of the Lords Day to refer to Sundaythe day of Christs resurrection and the dawn of the new creation. What is most significant is that John hears from the Lord while worshiping the Lord. While in a state of worship, John hears a loud voice behind him like a trumpet. This recalls Sinai, where we are told, there were thunders and lightnings and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled (Exod. 19:16). The trumpet-like voice commands John: Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches (v. 11). When John turns, he does not see a trumpet, but seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man (v. 12). Do not miss the significance: the lampstands represent the churches (v. 20), and Jesus stands in their midst. The Greek word mesos means among and in the middle. In other words, in the midst of tribulation and suffering, Jesus has not abandoned His people. This is the fulfillment of His promise: Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). The long golden sash Jesus wears is that of a priest (cf. Exod. 28:4; 29:5). His golden sash is not a fashion statement but a firm reminder that He is our great High Priest, who intercedes on our behalf as the One who advocates for all those He has redeemed through the shedding of His blood once and for all. As Hebrews 7 tells us, He holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them (vv. 2425). The hairs on Jesus head are white like the whitest wool, as Daniel describes the Ancient of Days: His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire (Dan. 7:9). Here Jesus is identified with eternal wisdom and divine purityequal with the Father, yet uniquely the Son. He is the Everlasting One, and His wisdom is infinite. Jesus eyes are like a flame of fire. This does not mean He has literal beams shooting from His eyes any more than the sharp two-edged sword from His mouth is a literal sword (v. 16). His eyes blaze like fire, revealing that nothing escapes His sightno motive hidden, no deed overlooked, and no wound His people suffer that will go unnoticed. His knowledge knows no bounds. Our Saviors feet are like burnished bronze. There is no tiptoeing with Him. Our great High Priest and awesome King embodies unshakable strength as the One who will judge the nations with perfect justice and holy resolve. He is omnipotentsolid, sure, and infinitely strong. The voice of our Savior matches His divine wisdom, all-encompassing knowledge, and unequalled strength as Yahweh. When He speaks, He does so with pervasive power: For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesall things were created through him and for him (Col. 1:16). His wordevery wordcarries divine weight. Why does this matter in light of what John and the churches suffered? Why does this matter for your brothers and sisters in North Korea or Nigeria? Why does this matter for us today? It matters because in the right hand of the Divine Sonwho is infinitely wise, who sees His bride perfectly and completely, and who stands with omnipotent strengththe seven angels of the seven churches are held. Whether these refer to messengers who shepherd the churches or to angels with a particular charge, the point is unmistakable: His servants belong to Him. They are His, and they serve under His protection. We are told that Jesus not only holds the seven stars and stands among His churches, but that from His mouth comes a sharp, two-edged sword (see Heb. 4:12). There are no dull edges on this sword, because it is the Word of Godliving and powerful, with the authority to judge, cut, cure, wound, and heal. And if that were not enough, His face shines like the sun in full strength. What John sees is Jesus in His gloryholy, majestic, and awesome, worthy of all our worship. This Jesus is not the one often presented as safe, domesticated, or passive. This is the glorified Lord, whose word creates, sustains, and brings all things to account. Richard Phillips wrote of these verses: This vision does not show us what Jesus looks like but rather what Jesus is like,symbolically depicting his person and work. Biblically trained Christians organize the work of Christ in his three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King.2 With Jesus, there is No Need to Fear in Life or in Death (vv. 17-20) It is no wonder, then, that when John sees this Jesus, he falls at His feet as though dead (v. 17). The beloved disciple, who once leaned against Jesus chest during His earthly ministry, is now an old manweathered, worn, and wiser. Confronted with the risen and exalted Christ, John collapses in reverent awe. Yet it is this Jesus, standing in the midst of His church, who places the same right hand that holds His servants upon John. Johns response is both right and appropriate. It echoes Isaiahs encounter with the Holy One, in which he saw the Lord seated on the throne and heard the seraphim cry, Holy, holy, holy (Isa. 6:3). Isaiah responded in terror, Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts! (Isa. 6:5). Johns response also mirrors Habakkuks reaction before a holy God: I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble (Hab. 3:16). Throughout Scripture, when sinful people encounter Gods holiness, fear is the natural response. But notice Jesus response to Johns terror: Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades (vv. 1718). Fear not. Why? Because unlike Caesar, the Roman Empire, or any power that seeks to silence Christs church, Johnand all who belong to the true churchbelong to Jesus. He is the One who died to save John from his sins, the One who rose again to secure his salvation and resurrection, and the One who now holds the keys of Death and Hades. This is why Jesus can promise all who belong to Him: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand I and the Father are one (John 10:2730). With Jesus, there is no need to fearnot in life, and not in death. Conclusion Let me leave you with three points of application in light of all that we have seen in these verses: First: Dont be surprised by sufferingfaithful Christians have always faced tribulation. If tribulation is the normal setting of the Christian life, then suffering is not a sign that something has gone wrong; it is often a sign that something has gone right. John does not present himself as an exception but as a partner in tribulation, reminding us that faithfulness to Jesus does not remove us from affliction but places us squarely within it. So when hardship comespressure tocompromise, opposition at work, isolation for following Christ, or quiet endurance no one else seeswe are not abandoned; we are walking the same path marked out by the apostles, the early church, and believers around the world today. Second: Find your security in Christ, not in your circumstances. Revelation does not calm our fears by minimizing danger but by revealing Christ. John is not comforted by explanations or timelines but by the presence and power of Jesusthe eternal Son, our great High Priest, the all-seeing Judge, the omnipotent King, and the living Lord who has conquered death itself. Fear loosens its grip not when life becomes safe but when Jesus becomes central, because the size of our fear is always tied to how clearly we see Christ. Third: Do not fear deaththe One who died and rose again holds the keys of life and death. Because this Jesus holds the keys of Death and Hades, nothingnot persecution, loss, or even deathhas the final word over those who belong to Him. The same hand that holds the stars touches His servants, and the same voice that thunders like many waters speaks reassurance to fearful saints. So we need not fear what tomorrow brings or what awaits us at the end. With Jesus, there is no need to fearnot in life, nor in death. 1 Revelation consistently presents tribulation not as a distant, isolated future event, but as the lived experience of faithful believersexpressed through imprisonment, martyrdom, deception, and violent oppositionbeginning in the first century and continuing until the final vindication of Gods people (Rev. 1:9; 2:910; 6:911; 12:17; 13:7; 17:6; 20:4). 2 Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: PR Publishing, 2017), 64.

VII (Seven) is a series focusing on the first three chapters of Revelation, covering seven letters written to seven churches—direct messages from God to real first-century churches dealing with real issues. We'll discover what these letters meant to them then and how we can apply them to ourselves today.In this message, Lead Pastor Jamie Nunnally takes us through Revelation chapter one, which sets the scene for the words spoken to the seven churches.Revelation 1:1–2 (NLT)Revelation is from Jesus as the source and about Jesus as the subject.Verse 3 God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and all who listen and obey, for the time is near.It's the only book in Scripture promising blessing for reading, hearing, and obeying. God doesn't bless us for reading Revelation; He blesses us for responding to it.Verses 4–5 The seven churches were in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), forming a strategic loop along a Roman postal road. These letters weren't random ideas; they were God's deliberate inspection of His churches, one by one.Verse 7-8The first time Jesus appeared quietly. The second time, no one will miss it.Alpha and Omega—the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Jesus is saying, "I am A to Z. Everything starts with Me, ends with Me, and holds together because of Me."When everything else is shifting, Jesus stands unshaken.Verse 9–11 John writes from exile on Patmos, a Roman work camp. The Lord's Day is Sunday.Verses 12–16 "The Son of Man" is the Old Testament prophetic title for the Messiah found in Daniel. Revelation teaches theological truth through visual metaphor—this is prophecy, not photography. The sharp two-edged sword represents the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12).Verses 17–20Death is no longer a prison but a passageway. Jesus holds the keys; death can't keep anyone who belongs to Him.Revelation addresses what is happening now and what will happen. It's not about predicting the end as much as preparing the church. When Jesus writes to the "angel" of a church, He addresses its pastor—the one responsible for carrying and correcting the message. Jesus walks among His people and works through their leaders.When we read Revelation, we are reading someone else's mail. Jesus sends seven "performance reviews" to seven real churches.How to Read Someone Else's MailUnderstand what it meant to them. Revelation wasn't written to us, but it was written for us (1 Corinthians 10:11). The Bible can't mean now what it didn't mean then.Look for timeless truth. God's truth is eternal (Psalm 119:89). If God's Word is timeless, our obedience can't be seasonal or occasional.Respond to what Jesus reveals. Revelation blesses those who act on what they hear (James 1:22). Truth ignored becomes trouble guaranteed.Are you ready to heed the warnings from the Lord? 

Audio Transcript Yeah, Full house this morning. There we go. So, yeah, it’s good to meet in God’s house and to sing praises to the Lord. So today we are going to continue our sermon series in the book of Luke. And so if you have a Bible, you can go ahead and open up there. And if you don’t have a Bible, there should be some blue Bibles in the chairs that you can go ahead and grab. And so we are in Luke chapter six. And we’re going to be reading verses 12 through 19. And so this passage is focusing on the calling of the 12 disciples and the events that follow right after their calling. And so I’m going to read this passage and then I’ll pray and we’ll get started. So here’s what the word of the Lord has for us this morning. Luke 6:12. In these days he went out to the mountain to pray. And all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them 12 whom he named Apostles Simon, whom he named Peter and Andrew his brother, and James and John and Philip and Bartholomew and. And Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus and Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. So that’s God’s word for us. Please pray with me. God, thank you that you speak to us through, through your holy word that you have preserved so that we might hear from you. Now I pray God that you would indeed speak, and God you would help me to speak your word and that you would give us hearts and ears to receive what you are saying this morning. It’s in Jesus name we ask these things. Amen. All right. So up until this point in Luke’s eyewitness account of Jesus life, Jesus has done a lot in the region of Galilee and in Judea. And in the very beginning of Jesus ministry, Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, followed by a supernatural phenomenon with the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus like a dove and the voice of the Father declaring, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Jesus was then led into the wilderness for 40 days, where he was tested and tempted by Satan and where he overcame the devil through God’s word. Jesus taught in the synagogues throughout the surrounding area of Galilee, teaching that the scriptures were now being fulfilled in him. Jesus declared that he is the Son of man, who has authority to forgive sins. The Bridegroom of God, the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus had casted out demons, proving his authority over spiritual realms of darkness. Jesus had healed many people of a variety of sicknesses and malformities, including fever, disease, leprosy, paralytics, withered hand and and much, much more. Jesus had called forth specific individuals to begin following him that nobody would expect, including outcasts and fishermen and a tax collector. And with all of these things Jesus had done and continued to do, he was doing the will of his Father. But now a shift in Jesus ministry strategy was about to happen. So no longer was Jesus going to continue his mission in solidarity. And although Jesus certainly could have done this, that’s not what God planned to happen. Instead, Jesus would now choose 12among those who had been following him since the baptism of John, and they would become his personal disciples. And so understand, like this is no small thing for the ministry of the Son of God this moment here in our passage, as we know that these 12 disciples would go on after Jesus to establish God’s church for the edification of the saints and for the proclamation of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. So the establishment of God’s kingdom for generations would come, beginning with these 12 disciples. Through these 12, by the power of God, lives would change and the world would change. So how does Jesus make this very big decision? Looking at verse 12 in our text, it says in these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. So before choosing the 12 disciples, we learn that Jesus removes himself from all distractions by going to a mountain in Galilee and he goes there alone to pray to God the Father. And Jesus did this actually early, early on in his ministry that Luke mentions. And he’s doing this at the days when the Pharisees hate for Jesus was only increasing more and more as we learned about from last week’s sermon. And as Luke had mentioned, Jesus had done this in the past. What is unique here in this passage is that this is the only time Luke records Jesus takes all night to pray in isolation. Like the only other time Jesus comes close to doing this is in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. And so there’s two Reasons why I think God’s Word gives us this information and why Jesus prays all night. The first reason is to show us the humanity of Christ. Jesus is fully God and fully man. And therefore during his time on earth, there are times when Jesus knowledge or power were willingly limited in order for him to be fully human. And so to put it another way, Jesus subjected himself to the Father’s will by choosing not to exercise the full limit of his divinity during his life and ministry on earth. So Jesus never stopped being God, but also he was man. And Jesus dependency upon prayer with his heavenly Father shows us the humility of Christ as he had to depend on his Father at times to reveal to him what the Father’s will was. And since this is such a large decision happening here, Jesus spent the entire night in prayer seeking the Father’s will. The second reason I think Jesus did this is to teach us about the vital importance of prayer. So when faced with a large decision that Jesus knew was part of God’s will for his life, he didn’t say like, I’ll pray about it and then like walk away and like forget to pray about it or just kind of briefly mention it to God in prayer and then just kind of go further about his day. Like actually Jesus, like knowing that he was going to choose the 12among this crowd of disciples, like took, made the disciplinary action to step away from the busyness of ministry to be alone with God and to pray not for five minutes, not for 15 minutes, and not for an hour, but all night long until the text tells us like the sun rose the next day. Like, let that sink in. This is vitally important what Jesus is doing and taking this time to pray. And if the Son of God felt that prayer was this vitally important for his ministry, then how much more vitally important is prayer for God’s people and determining God’s will for our lives? Jesus is the perfect example of what it means to be a Christian and what it means to walk by faith in the living God who hears and answers prayer. And so we as God’s people, we must do the same and carve out devoted time to pray to God individually as a family and corporately if we want to carry out God’s will for our lives. And so if your prayer life is lacking, then let the example of Jesus encourage you to make time for prayer this week. Make some like, attainable goals on how you can devote more time to prayer this week so that God’s will may be done in your life. For God delights in hearing and answering the prayers of his saints. And if the perfect Son of God depended on His Father to lead and direct him while on this earth through the power of prayer, how much more do we need to depend on our heavenly Father through prayer? That being said, moving to verse 13, it says, and when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them 12 whom he named apostles. So the sun rises after Jesus long night of prayer, and Jesus knows who he is going to choose as his 12 student. 12 students. The meeting that Jesus had with his heavenly Father in prayer made it clear who would be chosen and what he would teach them that morning. It’s important to note that the only reason the disciples are made like one of the 12 is, is because Jesus graciously chose them to become his apostles. Like, this isn’t something that they signed up for, but rather something Jesus called them forth to do and chose them to do. And with that line, like John the Baptist understood this as well. John the Baptist said this about his own ministry. A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given to him from heaven. It is by the grace of God and his choosing that these men are made into 12 disciples for the purposes that God set long ago. And the word apostle that is here in our text that Luke points out, it literally means to send. And so this is signifying the mission that was given to these men, to these disciples from Jesus. So in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, Jesus choosing of the 12 apostles involves giving them authority to be sent out to preach, to cast out demons, and to heal every disease and affliction, which is exactly what Jesus is about to do in the next few verses. And so the 12 apostles were God’s chosen disciples in whom he gave authority to carry out his great mission. Jesus was instituting a new office of apostleship for the early church, who would serve as his official representatives. And the way he would teach his apostles is by spending time with them. 24, 7. Because of this, these 12 disciples would get to know their teacher and their Lord on a much more personal level from this point on, which is such a privilege for each of these 12 disciples. And then in our text, verses 14 through 16 gives us a list of these apostles names. And so A list of 12 disciples is also given in Matthew, Mark, and Acts. And in each of these lists, Simon Peter is always listed as first. And then Judas Iscariot is always listed as last. This is because Simon, who was renamed Peter, which literally means rock, is whom Jesus said, on this rock, I will Build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Jesus chose Peter to be the leader in whom he would begin to build his church after his resurrection. And Jesus words are actually fulfilled later in the Book of Acts we read on the day of Pentecost, Peter preaches a sermon of repentance to all who gather to hear him in Jerusalem. And about 3,000 people profess faith in Jesus that day and are baptized. And so hence, Jesus uses Peter to begin to build his church. So overall, there’s not actually a ton of information known about each of these apostles based on what God gives us in His Word. We know that, like, four of these guys were just simple fishermen and they were called to follow Jesus. And this was Peter and Peter’s brother Andrew, and then two other men named James and John, who Jesus called the Sons of Thunder. We know that John was called the disciple of whom Jesus loved, and that John wrote the Gospel of John and as well as three epistles and the Book of Revelation. And then we know that John was exiled to the island of Patmos at the end of his life. We know that Matthew, also known as Levi, was a tax collector who wrote the Gospel of Matthew, which we just spent some time learning about him a few weeks ago. We know Bartholomew was also known as Nathanael, and he was described by Jesus in the Book of John as an Israelite in whom there is no deceit. We know Thomas doubted the resurrection of Jesus until he saw him again, which, honestly is kind of a bummer thing to be remembered as. But I’m pretty sure as we get to heaven, we’ll learn like, there’s some other great things that Thomas did in faith. We know that Simon was a zealot, in which the zealots was like a zealous religious group who are committed to the fall of Rome. And then we know about Judas Iscariot, who was the money keeper for the apostles and who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. And after betraying Jesus, Judas hung himself in the field of blood and was later replaced by a man named Matthias, who became the 12th apostle in his place. And as for the rest of the disciples in this list, like, the Bible actually doesn’t give us a ton of information about them. And from what we know, these apostles, like, they did not come from noble or wealthy families. They weren’t priests or scholars. They weren’t even like, really educated. They were like untrained, ordinary people like you and me. And so don’t miss this with this list that is provided here. By Luke, these guys were just ordinary men. And yet they were called and chosen by an extraordinary God. And because they were chosen by an extraordinary God, by Jesus, their names will stand as pillars in heaven for all of eternity. Which is wild to think about. Just listen to what Revelation 12:14 says concerning the new Jerusalem that represents the city of God in the new heavens and new earth. It says this, and the wall of the city had 12 foundations, and on them were the 12 names of the 12 apostles of the Lamb. So these apostles, they may have been just ordinary guys before Jesus called them to himself, but because they were called by an extraordinary God, their names will be remembered as pillars in heaven forever. And the Bible doesn’t tell us much about the apostles, but that’s because it’s not about who the apostles are, it’s about the extraordinary God the apostles were called by and who followed for the sake of Christ’s kingdom. That’s what matters here in this passage. And because Jesus chose these 12 disciples who gave up their lives for the sake of the Gospel, according to church tradition, today there is a foundation that the household of God’s church stands upon and will forever stand upon, namely, because Christ is its cornerstone. And so we, Red Village Church, we are in debt to the way that God used these 12 disciples. And that is something incredible to think about. God chooses ordinary people like you and like me for extraordinary purposes that make ripples into eternity. And we would do good to never forget that. Moving on to verses 17 through 19, our text says, and he came down with them and stood on a level place with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them. So after Jesus chooses his 12 disciples, he now comes off of the mountain that he was on in prayer with these 12 at his side, to what Luke said, a level place. Now, this description of a level place, it’s important because it seems to be signifying that this is a different place from the Sermon on the Mount, where Matthew clearly says Jesus went up on the mountain, and then he began preaching the Sermon on the Mount after he had ascended the mountain. And so the sermon, this sermon right here, it differs from the Sermon on the Mount in that it doesn’t focus on the Jewish law, but instead its focus is on love and fruit that a disciple’s life should have. And so although this like sermon is very similar and it’s actually using the same information that Jesus uses on the Sermon on the Mount, it’s actually only half as long as the Sermon on the Mount. And because of this, this sermon is often referred to as the Sermon on the Plain, in which many scholars agree was a similar sermon to the Sermon on the Mount, but it was given a different. It was given at a different time, likely before the Sermon on the Mount. So before Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Plain, Luke tells us a great crowd of Jesus, other disciples, and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon. They all gather to Jesus for these three reasons that Luke gives us. To hear Jesus preach, to be healed of their diseases and to be freed of unclean demonic spirit. So it’s important to note that Jesus fame, like it’s now spreading beyond just the region of Galilee and Judea in which Jesus has been up to this point. And so now, like Luke says, great multitudes, which is most likely in the thousands, are now coming from the sea coast of the cities on the Mediterranean, which means these were Gentile cities. And so Gentiles are now coming in to gather around Jesus to hear him teach and to be healed and to be freed by demonic spirits by Jesus. So we know that this is the reason why Jesus came is to redeem and to save not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles from every tribe and language and tongue on the earth. And as people came from near and far, their diseases were healed. And the demons that oppressed those who were troubled were cast out and cured. And those who came wondering like, could this be the long awaited Messiah that we have been waiting for? Truly they heard and they seen that this is the Christ. Verse 19 tells us that as people began to be healed and cured, others in the crowd who had not been healed simply made it their mission to just touch Jesus. Because Luke says divine power was radiating out from Jesus that healed them all. Now this is like an incredible scene that Luke is portraying for us. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of people pressing in just to simply touch Jesus. For just by touching him, lifelong illnesses, chronic pain, infirmities, and agonized demon possessed people who have been dealing with this for who knows how long are instantly healed when they touch Jesus. Like that is incredible. All because the Son of God, the Christ, was standing on level ground on planet earth and from him was radiating this life restoring power to whom all were healed. That came to him like, what a sight this must have been. This, this had to been incredible to witness, especially for the 12 disciples that are now called to join in with Jesus ministry. Like this had to be mind blowing. And the word for power here that Luke gives is actually the Greek word dunamis, which is where we get the English word for dynamite. And so this is the same power that Luke describes Jesus having in Luke 4:14, where Luke says, and Jesus returned in the power of the Holy Spirit to Galilee. So this power that Jesus has coming from him is directly related to the Holy Spirit who we see brings life and restoration both to creation and to all of mankind throughout the Bible. And this is the Holy Spirit’s life changing power being poured out from Jesus to everybody who is coming to him and to everybody who is touching him. And so this picture is certainly painting for us. A picture of the nations coming to Jesus in great physical and spiritual need. And Jesus is at the center, allowing all to come to him and to be healed as they believe and touch the Son of God, who is the supply and source of the Holy Spirit’s power, which knows no bounds. And it’s important to think about this scene in relation to the 12 disciples who were just chosen. Like up to this point, they’ve listened to Jesus teach, they’ve watched him heal and cast out demons. But this, this is on a completely different level. Directly after being chosen to be Jesus apostles and given authority to do the same work as Jesus, this scene unfolds. And so this is the work that Jesus is doing and will continue to do with all of his 12 disciples at his side. People will be drawn to Jesus in both physical and spiritual need, both Jews and Gentiles. And Jesus will continue to restore and change lives through the power of the Holy Spirit living in his disciples. This is what Jesus Kingdom looks like. And he invites his 12 disciples to join in on this work. For it is only the beginning and that ends our passage. And so from this I have three applications for you that I want to give you from this passage of Scripture that I think speak loudest. And so the first application I have for you, if you have put your faith in Christ, remember you are chosen by Christ for the purposes of his kingdom as his disciple. In the same way that Jesus chose the 12, he has chosen you that all may be drawn to Christ. Ephesians 1:4:5 says this. He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. He predestined us for adoption to Himself as the sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will. That being said, there is purpose in the will of God as He calls his people from death to. So if you are a Christian here this morning, meaning that you have made Jesus like the Lord of your life, then just like the 12 disciples, remember that God has purpose for your life. As his disciple, he wants to use you to draw others to himself by sharing the gospel and by living as Christ’s ambassador, not because of what you’ve done, but because of who God is. And that is really encouraging to know that if you are in Christ, God created you for good works to do today, tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day and the next day that will ripple into eternity. When I was in college at a fall retreat for a collegiate ministry that I was a part of, it was in New Mexico. This was a collegiate ministry called the Christian Challenge. And the director there was named David Engelhardt. And so David led us out from this little Bible camp in the mountains of New Mexico. And he had all these students, including myself, gather around a little pond that was about 50 yards wide. And what David taught me that day and the rest of the students, I will never forget. With everyone gathered around this pond, he picked up a rock and then he just threw it into the pond and told all of us just to be silent and to watch. And so David does this. The rock goes. Splashes into this pond. And then ripples are sent out from this rock that go out all the way to the edges of this pond and. And then bounce off of different things in the pond until they all begin to go completely still. And so, in silence, everyone, including myself, watches these ripples go out. And after the ripples disappeared, David said this. Serving Christ is a lot like ripples in a pond. You, by faith, make a splash in obedience to Christ. And ripples are sent all across the pond, but the rock is at the bottom of the pond. And often the rock does not see the ripples that are going on up above. But God, he sees all that his hand is doing with these ripples. And so what he is saying is, God has purpose in every splash, every good work, every step of faith, every Gospel conversation, every Sunday service that we gather. God says he is working. And even if we can’t see it, God is building his kingdom through his chosen disciples, and that is through you. If you have put your faith in Jesus, he has chosen to use you to make ripples that will last for eternity. An extraordinary God calls ordinary people like you, like me, to follow him so that they might live with extraordinary purpose for the glory of God. So first application is, do not forget this. My second application from this passage is very simple, and that is to seek to make disciples of Christ Jesus. Master plan of evangelizing the world started with investing more time into just 12 disciples. And then Jesus spent even more time in just three of those disciples who were Peter, James and John. And so Jesus intentionally invited these disciples to not only join his ministry, but to also get a glimpse into his personal walk with God. And we are called to do the exact same thing. Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he gave the great commission for his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to observe all that Christ has commanded his people. And so if you’re here and you believe in Jesus as the Lord of your life, then you are his disciple. And you too are called to make other disciples through baptism and teaching other followers of Jesus to observe all that Jesus has commanded in the Bible. So if you’re a believer, my question to you is, who are you discipling right now? Who are you helping to follow Christ? Discipleship can look like a lot of different things. It can look like serving in kids ministry to help teach kids about the Bible and how they can know God. It can look like having a daily time of family worship with your kids and teaching them about the Bible and how to walk with God. It can look like inviting people to church so they can hear God’s Word preached and then grow in their faith through community with other believers. It can look like meeting together with a believer who is new to the faith or with someone who is considering the claims of Christ and to study the Bible with them and teach them about Jesus. It can look like leading a small group Bible study that is teaching others God’s Word and how to put it into action. Or it can look like inviting a college student to your home for a meal to see how you are following Christ while encouraging them to do the same. Which is what I personally am praying that God will do with Adoptive Student Day today. And so, regardless of how we do discipleship, what’s important is that we do seek to do it no matter what it will. No matter what it will require you to be intentional and to invite another person into your life and into the church so that they too may become a disciple who follows Jesus and who keeps his commands and if you’re not sure where to start, then I encourage you to do what Jesus does here in our passage of scripture. Carve out some intentional time to pray to God that God would give you someone to disciple and to show you who that person is. And if you do this, then God will guide you in the right direction and he will equip you with what you need to help others grow in Christ. This is the work that God is doing and what he’s called us to do. And it’s not about who you are and how good you are at teaching or helping others. It’s about just seeking to be faithful and God using you to build up and raise up other disciples. My third and last application from this passage is point all people to the life restoring power found in Christ alone. Our passage ends with human need, both little and great being met in the person of Jesus. So Jesus is the only one with the power to change a person’s life from spiritual death to spiritual life. Only in Jesus can the Holy Spirit change a dead heart to beat for God and to live the extraordinary life that God calls us to live by faith. Jesus lived the life that we could not and died on a cross in our place. And then three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead and is victorious over sin and death. And today, Jesus is alive. That’s why we gather here and that’s why we continue to worship God. It’s because Jesus lives. And if you repent today and believe that Jesus truly is the Lord over all the earth who rose again from the dead, then scripture says you too will receive the resurrection power by the Holy Spirit who will come to live inside of you and who guarantees that you will be with God in heaven for eternity. Which is incredible. This is the gospel, the good news given to mankind. And so no matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, the power of God can change your life today. And I believe that wholeheartedly, because I am a walking example of that. God has changed my life from death to life through faith in Him. And so, in summary, point all people to the life restoring power that is found in Christ alone. May we never grow weary in doing that and in seeing that our Savior is the one who has life life restoring power so that all who believe may find new life and joy in him for eternity. That being said, please pray with me, God. We believe that Jesus truly is alive. And we believe, God, that you can use us as you use these 12 disciples to bring about life for others, to bring about Godliness, to bring about godly fruit that is good and righteous and holy. And Lord, that you call us to make other disciples. And so I pray, help us to be faithful in trusting Lord in your choosing and being faithful, to step out works of faith and to be intentional with others so that others may grow in Christ and be able to know and love you and walk with you and God, that the Gospel by your grace, may go to the ends of the earth, that you would use our small little church to fulfill your great commission. And God, that we would never grow weary in pointing people to the all powerful Christ who is alive and who gives new life to all who believe in him. And I pray God be with us as we continue our service today. And it’s in Jesus name we all pray. Amen. The post Chosen Disciples – Luke 6: 12-19 appeared first on Red Village Church.

"Trace the life of John the Apostle like never before through a clear, chronological timeline brought to life with historical maps, archaeology, and stunning 4K Ultra HD visuals.This full journey follows John from his early life as a Galilean fisherman, through his time walking with Jesus, to his later years overseeing the early Church, his time on the isle of Patmos where we'll also examine John's vision that he received there now known as the book of Revelation. Presented in a Bible-documentary style by Christian preacher Joe Kirby from Off the Kirb Ministries.#Revelation #Documentary #Jesus"

Keith Miller Meadowbrooke Church January 25, 2026 Behold Our Great God Revelation 1:1-8 Introduction In a world that exalts earthly power and demands allegiance, the book of Revelation pulls back the curtain and shows us the true throne of heaven. It calls Gods people to place their hope and loyalty not in the rulers of this age, but in Jesus Christthe One who governs history and alone deserves our allegiance. To grasp Revelation rightly, we must consider the circumstances in which it was given. Most scholars agree that the book was written near the end of the first century, likely between AD 90 and 95, during the reign of the Roman emperor Domitian. John tells us that he received this revelation while exiled on the island of Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 1:9). His exile was not a voluntary retreat, but punishment for unwavering faithfulness to Christ. John had lived a long and costly life of discipleship. He had outlived the other apostles, witnessed the rise and fall of emperors, and seen friends and fellow believers martyred for their allegiance to Jesus. He had watched the brutality of Rome unleashedmost notably in the devastation of Jerusalemand he had seen firsthand what happens when earthly powers claim absolute authority. Long before Romes pressure intensified, many Jewish believers in Jesus had already been pushed out of their own communitiesexcluded from synagogues, cut off from family life, and treated as apostates rather than brothers. Faithfulness to Christ often meant losing ones religious home before ever confronting the power of the empire. By the time John was exiled, the pressure on the church had intensified. Under Domitian, emperor worship became a test of loyalty, especially in Asia Minor. For most citizens, participation was routine. For Christians, it was a crisis. To confess Jesus is Lord was to deny Caesar that title, and refusal could lead to social exclusion, economic loss, exile, or worse. This was not a moment of widespread slaughter, but of steady compromise. Christians were not being asked, Will you die for Christ today? They were being asked, Will you bendjust a little? It is into this world that Revelation was given. The very wordrevelationmeans unveiling. God is not hiding His purposes; He is revealing them. This book was written to a pressured church to show who truly reigns, how history is moving, and why faithfulness to Jesus is always worth the cost. And that is where Revelation begins. Behold the Blessing (vv. 1-3) When it comes to Revelation, the book is notRevelations. It is not a series of secret disclosures reserved for the most skilled students of prophetic Scripture. It is not a collection of clues designed to help us identify the next antichristespecially since we are told that many antichrists have already come. It is also not a puzzle to figure out the timing of Christs return, for Jesus even said, But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only (Matt. 24:36). Revelation isarevelationbut more precisely, it isthe Revelation of Jesus Christ. That is how the book begins, and that is what the book is about. So what does Revelation reveal about Jesus? Everything. From beginning to end, Revelation presents Jesus in the fullness of His person and work. He is thefaithful witness, thefirstborn from the dead, and theruler of the kings of the earth(1:5). He is theFirst and the Last, theLiving One (1:1718), theHoly One, theTrue One(3:7), and theoriginator of Gods creation(3:14). He is theLion of the tribe of Judahand theRoot of David(5:5), yet also theLamb who was slainand theWorthy One(5:6, 9, 12). He is theSon of Man(14:14), theWord of God(19:13), and theKing of kings and Lord of lords(19:16). He is theAlpha and the Omega, theBeginning and the End(22:13), theRoot and the Descendant of David, and theBright Morning Star(22:16). For this reason, the book of Revelation may rightly be calledthe most Christ-centered book in the Bible. How can I say that? Because, as Paul tells us,all the promises of God find their Yes in Jesus Christand Revelation is the book that shows us, again and again, how Jesus is Gods Yes to every promise He has ever made. This is the primary reason why we are assured a blessing for all who read, hear, and keep what is written in Revelation. You do know, dont you, that you can read something and not hear it right? You can read a verse in the Bible and not really hear it, just as easily as someone can tell you something and it goes in one ear and then out the other with little to no effect. I believe part of that blessing is reflected in whatThe Center for Bible Engagementdiscovered through a large-scale study on Bible engagement involving more than 600,000 participants. The results surprised many peopleincluding those who conducted the research. The study found that individuals who engaged with Scripture at least four times a week experienced: a30% drop in loneliness a32% drop in anger a40% drop in bitterness in marriage and relationships a57% drop in alcoholism a60% drop in sexual sins, including pornography addiction a62% drop in those who felt distant from God So what does it mean to keep the book of Revelation? It means more than reading it or debating itit means treasuring its words and following the Christ it reveals in obedient faith. The very first sentence of the book gives us this clue:The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His servantsThe word translatedservantsis the Greek worddoulos, a term that speaks of belonging, allegiance, and obligation. A true Christian, then, is not someone who merely speaks well of Jesus, but someone who gladly submits to Himyielding not just words, but life itselfin faithful service to the One who is revealed as Lord. And this is why we are called to read, hear, and keep the words of Revelationnot only because of the blessing it promises, but becausethe time is near.What time is near? Not simply the final return of Christ, though that hope is never absent. Rather, John is pointing to the nearness of pressure, opposition, and persecution that come when allegiance to Jesus collides with the demands of the world. Revelation prepares Gods people to remain faithful when conformity is rewarded and faithfulness is costly. Behold Our Triune God (vv. 4-6) So why should we press on in light of what is coming? Why read, hear, and keep the words of this book? Because of who God is. Our God is the LORD AlmightyYahwehand there is no one like Him. He is the One who greets His people and extends grace and peace to those who belong to Him. Johns greeting is not casual; it is deeply theological and addressed to the seven churches. These were seven real, historical congregations located in strategic cities of Asia Minor. Yet because the number seven signifies fullness and completeness, they also represent the church as a wholeGods people in every generation and in every place. In that sense, the seven churches represent us. And it is to this churchthen and nowthat grace and peace are given. They come first from the eternal, self-existent God, the One Isaiah proclaimed when he said,Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god(Isa. 44:6). This is the God who stands at the beginning and the end of historythe God who is never threatened, never surprised, and never displaced. This God is also all-sufficient and unchanging. James calls Himthe Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change(Jas. 1:17). In a world where rulers rise and fall and circumstances shift, God remains the same. That is why His grace does not fade and His peace does not fail. In Revelation 1:4, He is described as the Onewho is and who was and who is to come.This is God the Fatherthe great I AMwho once set His people free by crushing Pharaoh and now meets His suffering church with grace and peace. This grace and peace also come from the sevenfold Spiritthe Holy Spirit. The language of seven spirits speaks not of multiple beings, but of the fullness and perfection of the one Spirit who proceeds from Gods throne. It is the Holy Spirit who applies Gods grace to our hearts, sustains us in suffering, and empowers faithful witness. And finally, this grace and peace come from Jesus Christ, the Son. John describes Him asthe faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.Jesus is the faithful witness because He perfectly revealed God and bore faithful testimony to the trutheven unto death. As the firstborn from the dead, He conquered death on our behalf, guaranteeing resurrection life for all who belong to Him. As Paul declares,Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep(1 Cor. 15:20), and again,He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent(Col. 1:18). Our risen Lord is not waiting to ruleHe already reigns. He is not described as one whowill bethe ruler of the kings of the earth, but as the One whoisthe ruler of the kings of the earth. Having lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserved, and risen in victory, Jesus is now exalted at the right hand of the Father. As Scripture declares,At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father(Phil. 2:911). But thats not all, dear brothers and sisters. Scripture tells us that truth is established by two or more faithful witness. Again and again, God confirms His testimony through two witnesses. And in Revelation 1:56, John gives us exactly that. Christ bears witness to His love for us in two unmistakable ways:He has freed us from our sins by His blood, and He has made us a kingdompriests to His God and Father.These two witnesses proclaim one glorious truthnot merely what Christ has done, but who we are to Him. They testify to this above all else:He loves us. He loves us. The love of Christ is never passive. The One who loves us frees us, and the One who frees us forms us into something new. Revelation does not simply assure us that we are lovedit tells us who we now are because we are loved. And that is where John now turns our attention. Behold the Coming King (vv. 7-8) Where is the love of Christ leading us? What was it in these words that was meant to encourage John and the seven churches? Jesusthe faithful witness who lived the life we could never live, the firstborn from the dead who died the death we deserved, and the ruler of the kings of the earth who has made us a kingdom of priestsis coming back for us. How is He coming back? He is coming to be seen, and He is coming in glory. Long before John ever saw this vision, the prophetDanielwas given a glimpse of that day when he wrote,I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away(Dan. 7:1314). When Jesus returns, every eye will see Himincluding those who pierced Him. Jesus Himself described what John records in Revelation 1:7 when He said,Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt.24:30). At His appearing, the tribes of the earth will mournthose who rejected Him, mocked Him, and sought to silence Him by silencing His church. But not all tears will be tears of grief or fear. For those who belong to Christ, for those who have longed for His appearing, our tears will be tears of joy, relief, and celebration. Throughout the book ofRevelation, Jesus promises His coming again and againno fewer than seven times (2:25; 3:11; 16:15; 22:7, 12, 20). This is the first of those promises, but it will not be the last. So what confidence do we have that this will happen? What guarantee do we have that Jesus is truly coming back? Our assurance rests not only in the empty tomb He walked out of, nor only in His promise as the faithful and true witness, but in God Himselfthe One who declares,I am the Alpha and the Omega.He is the great I AM. He is the Lord Almightythe One who is and who was and who is to come. Because He does not change, His promises do not fail, and it is this unchanging God who has guaranteed that these promises belong to His redeemed sons and daughters. Conclusion Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, devote yourselves wholeheartedly to the risen and reigning Christ, rather than to the temporary powers and fleeting trends of this world. Anchor your plans, your hopes, and your very lives in Him alone. Let your hearts rest in the deep assurance of His unfailing lovethe love that has freed you from your sins by His precious blood and has made you a kingdom of priests to His God and Father. As you await the glorious appearing of the King who will come with power for all to see, endure the pressures that seek to silence your testimony, resist the subtle temptations to compromise, and hold fast to the blessing promised to those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy. Do all this with unshakable confidence and living hope, for the One who calls you is faithful, and He will surely fulfill all that He has promised. So here is what I want to leave you with. If you would remember what it means to read, hear, and keep the words of the book of Revelation, remember this one word:HEAR. H Hold fastto the blessing promised to those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy. E Endurethe pressures that seek to silence your testimony. A Anchoryour plans, your dreams, and your hopes in the incomparable Christ. R Resistthe subtle temptations to compromise, trusting that God will fulfill all His promises.

In this message we explore the powerful vision of Jesus revealed in Revelation 1:9–20. We reflect on how easy it is to go through life half-awake, missing the deeper reality of who Jesus truly is. Through John's encounter on the island of Patmos, we see Jesus not as a distant figure or a gentle teacher, but as the glorious, sovereign King—radiant, overwhelming, and awe-inspiring. This vision challenges us to move beyond a casual or routine approach to faith, reminding us that Jesus is not someone to be taken lightly or compartmentalised, but the One who holds all things together and deserves our deepest reverence. In this message we also find comfort in the fact that, even in His glory, Jesus reaches out to us with love and reassurance. He tells us not to be afraid, reminding us that He has conquered death and holds the keys to life. We are encouraged to wake up to the reality that Jesus is present among His people, not just in extraordinary moments, but in the everyday life of the church. Our prayer is that we would truly see Jesus as He is—glorious, present, and worthy of all our worship.

The Book of Revelation is the final written word of God to mankind—and it was written to be understood.In this opening message of the series Revelation: Know What's Next, Pastor Bill Monroe explains the purpose of Revelation, the centrality of Jesus Christ, and why history is not random but moving toward God's appointed conclusion.From the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos to believers today, this message reminds us that the future is secure because God governs it—and because Jesus Christ has already settled the past through His blood.Revelation 1:1–20Bill Monroe | Florence Baptist Temple

On In The Market with Janet Parshall this week we spoke to a messianic believer who shared his own journey to discovering the truth about Jesus the Messiah. He also took us to the scriptures to show how the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the life of Jesus the Messiah. We heard the story of how imprisonment in a foreign country led one man to the foot of the cross and a lifetime of service sharing the gospel to people all around the world. Then we talked about what led Peru to give rights to bees and why this is another dangerous step in efforts of the anti-humanist agenda. We took you back in time to the Island of Patmos as a highly respected bible teacher opened our eyes to the incredible blueprint of the future that God shared with John and how that plan can serve as a motivation for faith during our most challenging times. We all try to avoid suffering in our lives. But it comes to each our lives in one way or another. What if we can reframe how we look at these challenging times from a different perspective. Our guests, a husband-and-wife teaching team, took us into some of their own difficult times to share the lessons they learned about allowing God to use those times to shape our lives as He desires and for our own good. It may be 2026 but our need to understand how to use God’s word as a measuring stick of truth in the world today hasn’t changed. That’s why we once again invite you to another important conversation with our favorite husband and wife team who continue to teach us how to examine the news through the unfiltered lens of scripture.Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Step 10: Last Things, we explore the prophecies and events that are yet to come according to the Bible. Starting with John's vision on the island of Patmos, we uncover the time of tribulation, the return of Christ, and the establishment of His kingdom on earth for a thousand years. We examine the fulfillment of the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants in Jesus and the ultimate defeat of Satan. The episode delves into the final judgment, the division of humanity into believers and non-believers, and their respective destinations. Finally, we explore the creation of a new heaven and earth, the dwelling of God with believers, and the presence of the tree of life in the new garden city, Jerusalem.Suggested Reading:Revelation 20:1-15Revelation 21:1-27Revelation 22:1-21Episode Highlights:The final 7-year tribulation period and its significanceJesus's 1000-year reign from JerusalemThe fulfillment of Biblical covenants in ChristSatan's final defeat and the last judgmentThe new creation and eternal life with GodSupport the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://bibli...

In Step 9: Church, we see Jesus. After spending 40 days with his disciples following his resurrection, he ascends into heaven, promising to send the Holy Spirit. The disciples are given a mission - to make disciples from all nations and spread the kingdom message. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples, empowering them to speak in different languages and spread the message to people from all over the world. We witness many thousands of people become believers, including Paul, a persecutor of the Church who becomes a dedicated follower of Jesus after encountering him on the road to Damascus. Finally, we meet John, banished to the island of Patmos, receiving visions of future events. Through John, we're offered a glimpse into the return of Jesus and the establishment of his kingdom.Suggested ReadingsMatthew 28:1-20Acts 2:1-47Acts 9:1-31Episode HighlightsJesus' final commission to His disciples before ascending to heavenThe dramatic events of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit's empowermentPeter's powerful sermon leading to 3,000 new believersPaul's extraordinary conversion on the Damascus roadJohn's exile to Patmos and his glimpse of future eventsSupport the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://bibli...

Scripture: Revelation 4:1-11 Title: Worship at the ThroneSHOW NOTES: For encouragement on your spiritual journey, we invite you to visit our ministry website, Discover God's Truth, where you can access additional resources to enrich your Walk with God.In Revelation, chapter 4, we see a marvelous example: The Throne of God in heaven. Worship there is endless, unceasing, constant, and everlasting.John is the last remaining disciple, living on the Island of Patmos. He is given a specific assignment from God. John is transported in the Spirit to heaven and receives a fresh view of God's majesty and power.After this, I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.Revelation 4:1-2 The throng surrounding the throne of God consists of twenty-four elders, seated on twenty-four thrones, and four living beings. The four living beings never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever.Revelation 4:9-10 He is holy. The Lord God Almighty is worthy to receive glory and honor and power. Song: Behold Him - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_izK4kI_wmA&list=RD_izK4kI_wmA&start_radio=1

In this episode we compile chapters 4, 5 and 6 of the Book of Revelation into one easy volume.Have you ever wondered what happens when ancient religious texts and hallucinogenic experiences collide? Our latest deep dive into the Book of Revelation might just convince you that John of Patmos was experiencing something far more chemical than divine. Taking you straight through heaven's door in Chapter 4, we explore John's fantastical descriptions of beings that shine like precious stones, a floor made of glass "like unto crystal," and creatures covered in eyes with faces of lions, calves, men, and eagles. We compare these vivid visions to documented medical cases of hallucinations, including a fascinating 2022 paper describing patients who see "colourful crystal sheens" during altered states of consciousness. The parallels are undeniable and hilarious. The biblical connections run deep as we trace John's inspiration to earlier prophets like Ezekiel and Isaiah, showing how he borrowed elements from their visions while adding his own psychedelic twist. We dissect the significance of jasper and sardine stones, analyze the mysterious sea of glass (with at least six competing interpretations), and question whether eternal existence spent repeating "Holy, holy, holy" truly represents paradise. Our irreverent analysis adds yet another theory to what Revelation might actually be – beyond prophecy, coded rebellion literature, xenophobic propaganda, or incel manifesto, we now must consider "hallucination dream journal" as a strong possibility. Whether you're a skeptic, a believer, or somewhere in between, our comedic breakdown offers fresh insights into this ancient text that continues to fascinate and perplex readers across millennia. Listen now, and remember – as we always say at the end – that's why Satan is my superhero.In Chapter 5 YHWH clutches an unreadable book, a slain lamb shows up with seven horns and seven eyes, and a countless horde of angels simps hard for the apocalypse. Also featuring: thoughts and prayers (now available in jar form), David Koresh laying down the rules, and Jesus—just a lonely guy looking for love.Expect savage biblical satire, original comedy sketches, and even some punk rock as we question the foundations of Christian prophecy, Heaven, and the entire end times narrative. Whether you're into religious history, skepticism, or just love blasphemous comedy, this deep dive will crack you up and crack the seals wide open (you see what we did there...).And finally in chapter 6 The Four Horsemen arrive and one of them might be riding a green My Little Pony named Minty. Join us as we plunge headfirst into the book of revelation 6, where John of Patmos takes a break from persecution to write the wildest fanfiction in biblical history.Expect plague balls, Elon Musk jokes, martyrs begging God for blood vengeance, and the rich elites hiding in caves — some things never change.  If you've ever been cast out, laughed at, or told you're going to Hell—welcome home.  Made for the misfits, the weirdos, the godless and the damned—Satan Is My Superhero is your unholy sanctuary.  Send us a textSupport the showWelcome, Sinners! We're building a cult — the good kind. No robes, just laughs. Catch every blasphemous episode: Listen Here Wear your heresy: Merch Store Support the pod & unlock Hoots songs: Patreon Your reviews, shares, and smart-ass comments keep the cult alive.

#top .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-bdcfe9de08060bf68e8e81dcafe29f78{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-bdcfe9de08060bf68e8e81dcafe29f78 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-bdcfe9de08060bf68e8e81dcafe29f78 .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; } Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 28Revelation 1:9-20 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – December 28 Revelation 1:9-20 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1228db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Revelation 1 God Tells John to Write Down What He Sees 9 I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingship and patient endurance in Jesus, [1] was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus. [2] 10 I was in spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard a loud voice behind me, like a trumpet, 11 saying, “Write what you see on a scroll and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” Jesus Appears 12 I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. When I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was one like a son of man. He was clothed with a robe that reached to his feet, and around his chest he wore a gold sash. 14 His head and his hair were white, like white wool or like snow. His eyes were like blazing flames. 15 His feet were like polished bronze being refined in a furnace. His voice was like the roar of many waters. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand. A sharp two-edged sword was coming out of his mouth. His face was shining as the sun shines in all its brightness. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He placed his right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last— 18 the Living One. I was dead and, see, I am alive forever and ever! I also hold the keys of death and hell. [3] 19 “So write what you have seen, both those things that are and those that will take place after this. 20 “The mystery of the seven stars, which you saw in my right hand, and the seven gold lampstands is this: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” Footnotes Revelation 1:9 Some witnesses to the text read Christ. Revelation 1:9 A few witnesses to the text add Christ. Revelation 1:18 Greek hades #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-aocsdx-89cb4ca21532423cf697fc393b6fcee0{ height:10px; } The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-4vzadh-3f04b370105df1fd314a2a9d83e55b26{ height:50px; } Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

Friends of the Rosary,Yesterday, we honored St. Stephen, who by his words and by laying down his life for his faith, bore witness to Christ. Today, December 27, we receive the testimony of John, Apostle and Evangelist (d. 101).The Church celebrates the Feast of this Galilean fisherman born in Bethsaida, son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother to St. James the Greater, who became the beloved disciple of Jesus.John and James were called by Jesus to be disciples as they were mending their nets by the Sea of Galilee.The pure and spiritual life of John kept him very close to Jesus and Mary, resting on the Master's breast at the Last Supper and being filled with divine wisdom.He wrote the fourth Gospel (about sixty-three years after the Ascension of Christ), three Epistles, and an excellent and mysterious Book of the Apocalypse or Revelation.John is the evangelist of the divinity and fraternal love of Christ. With James, his brother, and Simon Peter, he was one of the witnesses of the Transfiguration.He was permitted to witness His agony in the Garden. At the foot of the cross, Jesus entrusted His Mother to his care as He hung dying on the Cross.St. John was the only one of the Apostles who did not forsake the Savior in the hour of His Passion and Death.He was brought to Rome and, according to tradition, cast into a caldron of boiling oil by Emperor Domitian's order, but he was miraculously preserved unhurt. He was later exiled to the Island of Patmos, where he wrote the Apocalypse.In his extreme old age, he continued to visit the churches of Asia. Every time he preached, he said: "My dear children, love one another."St. John died in peace at about ninety-four years old at Ephesus in the hundredth year of the Christian era, or the sixty-sixth from the crucifixion of Christ.Ave MariaCome, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkNew Upgrade! Enhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠December 27, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Send us a textWe follow Saint John from the shore of Galilee to the upper room, from Calvary to Patmos, to learn how the Sacred Heart shapes discipleship, prayer, and mission. Scripture, the Catechism, the Fathers, and sacred art guide us into Eucharistic intimacy and merciful witness.• John's call as a model of total discipleship• The Last Supper and resting on Christ's heart• Calvary, blood and water, and the sacraments• Johannine theology of love and the Incarnation• First epistle on concrete charity and mercy• Patmos, hope, and divine mercy for the faithful• Early Church Fathers' testimony about John• Icons and art as visual catechesis• Modern discipleship lessons of receptivity, fidelity, humility, missionBe sure to click the link in the description for special news itemAnd since there is more to this article, finish reading and check out the special offerVisit Journeysoffaith.com website todaySaint John the Evangelist CollectionOpen by Steve Bailey Support the showJourneys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here The Goal is Heaven Click Here Why you should shop here at Journeys of Faith official site! Lowest Prices and Higher discounts up to 50% Free Shipping starts at $18 - Express Safe Checkout Click Here Cannot find it let us find or create it - - Click Here Rewards Program is active - ...

TEMPO DE REFLETIR 01620 – 21 de dezembro de 2025 Apocalipse 22:6 – Estas palavras são fiéis e verdadeiras. O Senhor, o Deus dos espíritos dos profetas, enviou Seu anjo para mostrar aos Seus servos as coisas que em breve devem acontecer. Estas palavras seguem imediatamente a visão de João, da Nova Terra. Enquanto esteve em Patmos ele aprendeu quão bem as coisas poderiam ir e quão mal também poderiam ir. Tinha visto o esplêndido início do evangelho em Jerusalém. Em seguida tinha visto as garras de ferro de Roma esmagarem a vida das igrejas e dos crentes. Domiciano reinava e procurou o aniquilamento dos perturbadores cristãos. De dentro da igreja novas ameaças à fé assaltavam o verdadeiro evangelho. O cativeiro em Patmos trouxe visões que tomavam o trauma e desencorajamentos de seus dias e os projetavam na arena cósmica. O que suas igrejas estavam sofrendo, o tempo traria sobre a Igreja como um todo. Contudo, as mesmas visões traziam esperança e alegria. As vastas multidões ao redor do trono, os cânticos de vitórias sobre o mar de vidro, o Cordeiro sobre o Monte de Sião mostravam-lhe quão temporárias eram a presente crise e dificuldade. Deus conduziria à vitória final e ele partilharia daquele triunfo. João aprendeu que o destino final do mundo não dependia de sua própria condição ou da situação difícil das igrejas que ele amava. Todavia, ele também aprendeu que os perseguidos, os apóstatas e os fiéis estão todos projetados na tela do futuro. Perseguição como em Pérgamo é a sorte da igreja em todos os tempos. A apostasia, vista tão claramente em Tiatira tinha assumido dimensões cósmicas. Fidelidade como a de Filadélfia salvaria um povo para o reino. Sabia quão preciosa era a comunhão que ele e outros haviam partilhado com Jesus. As visões da Nova Jerusalém tomavam essa íntima e doce comunhão e faziam dela o governo da Nova Terra. A morte e a enfermidade tinham fugido de diante do Filho de Deus. Desapareceriam da Terra para sempre. João poderia estar surpreso de que ainda aguardamos as coisas que em breve devem acontecer. Mas ele não estaria surpreso ante a alegria que enche o nosso coração ao pensarmos no futuro que Deus tem para nós. Ele se lembraria da comunhão com Jesus. Lembrar-se-ia da visão do futuro.  E nos estimularia a orar: “Vem, Senhor Jesus!” Vamos fazer isso agora? Pai, ansiamos pela volta de Cristo Jesus! Ansiamos pelo cumprimento da promessa do regresso contida em Tua Palavra. Ajuda-nos em nosso preparo, por favor! Em nome de Jesus, amém! Saiba como receber as mensagens diárias do Tempo de Refletir: -> No celular, instale o aplicativo MANAH. -> Para ver/ouvir no YouTube, inscreva-se neste Canal: youtube.com/AmiltonMenezes7 -> Tenha os nossos aplicativos em seu celular: https://www.wgospel.com/aplicativos -> Para receber pelo WhatsApp, adicione 41 99893-2056 e mande um recadinho pedindo os áudios. -> Participe do nosso canal no TELEGRAM: TELEGRAM AMILTON MENEZES . -> Participe do nosso canal no WhatsApp: WHATSAPP CHANNEL Amilton Menezes . -> Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amiltonmenezes7/ -> Threads: https://www.threads.net/@amiltonmenezes7 -> X (Antigo Twitter): https://x.com/AmiltonMenezes -> Facebook: facebook.com/AmiltonMenezes

Em Apocalipse 1, João (exilado em Patmos) vê Jesus de um jeito que muda tudo: não mais com a coroa de espinhos, mas glorificado, Rei eterno e Sumo Sacerdote que sustenta Sua igreja. No meio do conflito e do caos, a mensagem central é clara: “Não temas!”Neste episódio (Série: O Revelador Revelado | Ep. 11), você vai entender:Por que o Apocalipse é, acima de tudo, a revelação de Jesus CristoO significado da visão: sete candeeiros, sete estrelas e o Filho do HomemO “Dia do Senhor” e o chamado para fidelidade (Sabbath / Sábado)Jesus como Intercessor no Santuário Celestial (redenção, perdão e esperança)Perseverança nas provações e a promessa da coroa da vida / coroa de glóriaO alerta final: “Conserva o que tens, para que ninguém tome a tua coroa”Textos citados: Apocalipse 1:9–20; Êxodo 31:13; Mateus 12:8; Êxodo 28:4; Daniel 10:5; 2 Timóteo 2:10–13; Tiago 1:12; Apocalipse 14:14; Apocalipse 3:11.

NOTAS DE ELENAMaterial complementario de la escuela Sabática para adultosNarrado por: Patty CuyanDesde: California, USAUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist ChurchDOMINGO, 14 DE DICIEMBRETODO SE CUMPLIÓEn todos los tiempos los testigos señalados por Dios se han expuesto al vituperio y la persecución por amor a la verdad. José fue calumniado y perseguido... David, el mensajero escogido de Dios, fue perseguido por sus enemigos... Esteban fue apedreado porque predicó a Cristo y su crucifixión. Pablo fue encarcelado, azotado con varas, apedreado y finalmente muerto... Juan fue desterrado a la isla de Patmos "por la palabra de Dios y el testimonio de Jesucristo". Estos ejemplos de constancia humana atestiguan la fidelidad de las promesas de Dios, su constante presencia y su gracia sostenedora. Testifican del poder de la fe para resistir a las potestades del mundo. Los tiempos de apuro y angustia que nos esperan requieren una fe capaz de soportar el cansancio, la demora y el hambre, una fe que no desmaye a pesar de las pruebas más duras... Muchos seres humanos de todas las naciones y de todas clases, grandes y pequeños, ricos y pobres, negros y blancos, serán arrojados en la más injusta y cruel servidumbre. Los amados de Dios pasarán días penosos, encadenados, encerrados en cárceles, sentenciados a muerte, algunos abandonados adrede para morir de hambre y sed en sombríos y repugnantes calabozos... Ninguna mano humana se aprontará a socorrerlos. ¿Olvidará el Señor a su pueblo en esa hora de prueba? ¿Olvidó acaso al fiel Noé cuando sus juicios cayeron sobre el mundo antediluviano? ¿Olvidó acaso a Lot cuando cayó fuego del cielo para consumir las ciudades de la llanura? ¿Se olvidó... de Elías cuando el juramento de Jezabel le amenazaba con la suerte de los profetas de Baal? ¿Se olvidó de Jeremías en el oscuro y húmedo pozo en donde había sido echado? ¿Se olvidó acaso de los tres jóvenes en el horno ardiente o de Daniel en el foso de los leones?... Aunque los enemigos los arrojen a la cárcel, las paredes de los calabozos no pueden interceptar la comunicación entre sus almas y Cristo. Aquel que conoce todas sus debilidades, que ve todas sus pruebas, está por encima de todos los poderes de la tierra; y acudirán ángeles a sus celdas solitarias, trayéndoles luz y paz del cielo (Conflicto y valor, 29 de diciembre, p. 369). Las promesas de Dios son como flores preciosas esparcidas en un jardín. El Señor quisiera que nos detengamos en ellas mirándolas con atención, apreciando su hermosura y el favor que Dios nos ha concedido al hacer tan ricas provisiones para nuestras necesidades. Si no fuera por la contemplación de las promesas de Dios, no comprenderíamos su misericordioso amor y compasión hacia nosotros, ni nos daríamos cuenta de la riqueza de los tesoros preparados para aquellos que lo aman. Él quisiera que el alma tomara ánimo para descansar con fe en él, la única suficiencia del agente humano (En los lugares celestiales, 28 de abril, p. 127). 

Daniel - Belshazzar's feast. Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall. Daniel serves Darius. Daniel in the lions den.Revelation - The revelation of Jesus Christ.Message to the seven churches. The Patmos vision.

“Girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” — Revelation 1:13 One like unto the Son of Man” appeared to John in Patmos, and the beloved disciple marked that He wore a girdle of gold. A girdle, for Jesus never was ungirt while upon earth, but stood always ready for service, and now before the […]

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comRevelation 1Revelation consists of highly symbolic writings by the apostle John, with all revelation coming from Jesus Christ, given to show His servants what must soon happen. John receives the message while exiled on the island of Patmos and is told to write down what he sees. He describes Jesus in majestic and symbolic terms: dressed in a long robe, with white hair, eyes like fire, and a voice like rushing waters. Jesus holds seven stars and walks among seven golden lampstands, which represent the seven angels and the seven churches of Asia. Jesus identifies Himself as the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, who was dead but now lives forever. This imagery sets the tone for the rest of the book, emphasizing Christ's glory, authority, and victory. Jesus Christ, the faithful witness and the firstborn from the dead, holds all authority and power. When we face fear, suffering, or uncertainty, we can find comfort in knowing that the risen Christ stands among His people and speaks with strength and purpose. We are not alone in our trials. Jesus is the First and the Last, meaning He is present at the beginning and end of every situation we encounter. His presence among the lampstands shows that He walks with His church and cares deeply for us. Christ's power to protect and destroy is infinite, and we honor Him with great reverence and awe. We are called to listen to His voice, trust in His power, and remain faithful. Glorious Father, You have revealed to us the risen Christ in His glory, shining like the sun and speaking with a voice like rushing waters. We worship You for His power, His victory over death, and His presence among the churches. Help us to see Jesus as John saw Him: full of holiness, strength, and eternal life. When we are weak or afraid, remind us that He holds the keys to death and the grave. Let His words give us courage, and His presence bring us peace. Teach us to listen, trust, and follow Him faithfully, respecting His absolute authority. Thought Questions: Revelation contains events “which must soon take place” as “the time is near.” Why is that important to understand as you study it? Jesus has saved us by His blood and made us a kingdom of priests to God. How do those truths shape the entire purpose of your life? The description of Jesus in this chapter is incredible. As you read it, how does it make you feel about “the living One” whom you serve?

In this Bible Story, John has been exiled after being dipped in a vat of boiling oil. As he sits on the shores of Patmos, God comes to him in a vision. John writes in poetry and metaphor to describe his vision of God’s throne room. We are taken up with John, beholding God’s majesty and glory. This story is inspired by Revelation. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Revelation 4:2 from the King James Version.Episode 242: The Apostle John, now exiled on the island of Patmos, became startled as he heard a powerful voice behind him. The voice told him to write down what he was about to see. He turned around to see who was speaking to him and saw that it was the risen Jesus. His appearance was full of majesty as He gave John a message for each of the seven churches. But the vision did not end there, John was then called up into the throne room of God where he saw it filled with the beauty and majesty only God can bring. Beautiful colors, many thrones, and massive living creatures which all shouted the praises of God Most High, and the Lamb that was slain now lives!Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's the beginning of the end! No, that's not the gift of prophecy coming out, but it is a Dad-joke about the book of Revelation and our reading plan. The book of Revelation is the last book in the Bible, the last book in our reading plan, and it is the book that is all about last things. The topic of the end times is referred to as “eschatology.” The apostle John found himself imprisoned on the island of Patmos because of his gospel ministry. While there, the Spirit came upon John and revealed a vision to him, instructing him to write everything he saw on a scroll, which was to be sent to seven churches. These beginning chapters contain direct communication to particular local congregations, giving both commendation and critique. This first chapter serves as an introduction to John's entire vision and to those letters. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Introduction The message focuses on the throne of God, its significance, and its relevance to individuals. The goal is to understand who God is and recognize the need to come to Him. There are three aspects of the throne: the throne of God, the throne of glory, and the throne of grace. The Throne of God John the Revelator’s vision: Exiled on the island of Patmos. In the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. Saw a throne set in heaven with one sitting on it. The throne as a focal point: The focal point of everything in the glory world. The earth is God’s footstool. Description of the one on the throne: Impossible to fully describe or draw. Described using gemstones to depict its exquisite beauty. God’s sovereignty: God is in control of everything, all the time. He is sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, and almighty. He rules from the throne as the king of all creation. Rainbow around the throne: Reminds of the covenant with Noah, promising never to flood the earth again. A reminder of God’s promises. Four and twenty elders: Represent the redeemed people of God from every kindred, tongue, and nation. They are around the throne. Out of the throne: Proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. A clear crystal river flows from the throne, representing the peace and grace of God. God’s eternal reign: God will never leave or be dethroned from His eternal throne. The throne is the center of heaven, with all focus on God. The Throne of Glory Shared with believers: Experiencing God’s glory when lifting up Jesus Christ. Experiencing God’s glory and power. The throne of God and the Lamb: A pure river of water of life proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb. God and the Lamb rule together. The Throne of Grace Hebrews 4:16: Come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace in time of need. Access to the throne: The veil has been rent, and the door has been opened. Glimpses of the throne room are available now in the spirit. Experiencing the power, mercy, and grace of His throne through prayer. God’s help: God wants to help those with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Judgment and the Throne The fate of the lost: Those who reject Jesus Christ will bow before the great white throne of God in judgment. The dead will stand before God, and the books will be opened. Those whose names are not in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire. The throne’s representation: Represents God’s authority and power. Everyone will see the throne at some point. The call to salvation: Accept Jesus to escape the great white throne judgment. Jesus is the door to the throne of God. Bowing in worship: Bowing now in repentance and acceptance leads to being ushered into the place where His throne is forever. Worshiping God with a number that no man can number.

Turns out you don't need a seminary degree, holy water, or even basic mental health literacy to perform an exorcism — you just need confidence, cash flow, and a total disregard for the DSM-5. While Catholic exorcisms lean theatrical and ritualistic, the Protestant version goes full freelancer energy: zero oversight, no training, and absolutely no refunds. This is the Etsy marketplace of demon removal, and the vibes are… exactly what you think.In the finale of our Exorcist trilogy, we unpack the evangelical evolution of “demon hunting,” where faith healing crosses into LARPing, trauma gets rebranded as spiritual warfare, and grifters discover the extreme profitability of exploiting untreated mental illness. From 18th-century Anglican barkers and Victorian nail-vomiters to modern prosperity pastors, online exorcism courses, and “pray the gay away” violence, we follow the money, the mythology, and the body count.TL;DR: When religion meets capitalism, demons become a business model.New to Satan Is My Superhero?  This show is 60% comedic deep-dives, 40% rage-fueled blasphemous sketch comedy, and 100% fact-checked mockery of superstition, conspiracy theories, and religious con-artists. Every episode blends satire, history, theology, psychology, punk music, and general heresy. If your love language is data + sarcasm, you're in the right place.Support the show (and help us keep making this nonsense)If you're enjoying the trilogy — or the fact we had to listen to pastors scream at teenagers for research — help us stay ad-free by supporting us on PatreonBehind the paywall: bonus episodes, songs, sketches, and the “Diary of John of Patmos.”Talk to us: Got thoughts, stories, outrage, fan art, biblical hot takes, or exorcism tourism photos from your childhood church? Email us anytime: satanismysuperhero@gmail.comSend us a textSupport the showWelcome, Sinners! We're building a cult — the good kind. No robes, just laughs. Catch every blasphemous episode: Listen Here Wear your heresy: Merch Store Support the pod & unlock Hoots songs: Patreon Your reviews, shares, and smart-ass comments keep the cult alive.

In this week's message from our Overflow series, Pastor Jay Austin takes us into Revelation 4–5 for a powerful look at worship in heaven and what it means for us right now. From a simple chair-turned-“throne” to the breathtaking imagery of God's throne room, we're invited to confront an important question: Who is actually sitting on the throne of my life?As John, exiled on the island of Patmos, is given a vision of heaven, we see a God who is fully in control, radiating purity, power, and peace. We see elders casting their crowns before Him, creation crying out “Holy, holy, holy,” and angels declaring, “Worthy is the Lamb!” Pastor Jay shows us that this heavenly worship isn't distant; it's happening now. And when we worship, we step into that eternal reality.If you're weighed down by fear, anxiety, or circumstances that feel out of control, this message will remind you that heaven opens its doors to us through worship. When we lay down our crowns--our control, our accomplishments, our idols—we find the peace, presence, and power that only come from the One who sits on the throne forever.

In this week's message from our Overflow series, Pastor Jay Austin takes us into Revelation 4–5 for a powerful look at worship in heaven and what it means for us right now. From a simple chair-turned-“throne” to the breathtaking imagery of God's throne room, we're invited to confront an important question: Who is actually sitting on the throne of my life?As John, exiled on the island of Patmos, is given a vision of heaven, we see a God who is fully in control, radiating purity, power, and peace. We see elders casting their crowns before Him, creation crying out “Holy, holy, holy,” and angels declaring, “Worthy is the Lamb!” Pastor Jay shows us that this heavenly worship isn't distant; it's happening now. And when we worship, we step into that eternal reality.If you're weighed down by fear, anxiety, or circumstances that feel out of control, this message will remind you that heaven opens its doors to us through worship. When we lay down our crowns--our control, our accomplishments, our idols—we find the peace, presence, and power that only come from the One who sits on the throne forever.

Matthew 117 Matthew 20:20 ESV   20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something.       Matthew 20:21 ESV   21 And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom."       Matthew 20:22-23 ESV   22 Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." 23 He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."       Psalm 16:5 ESV   The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;   you hold my lot.       Isaiah 51:17 ESV   Wake yourself, wake yourself,   stand up, O Jerusalem,   you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord   the cup of his wrath,   who have drunk to the dregs   the bowl, the cup of staggering.       Acts 12:1-2 ESV   About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword       Revelation 1:9 ESV   I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.       Matthew 20:24-28 ESV   24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."       2 Corinthians 1:7-9 ESV   7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.   8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.       Luke 22:31-32 ESV   31 "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."       2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ESV   7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.       1 Peter 4:12-13 ESV   12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.       Romans 5:1-5 ESV   Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.       1 Peter 1:6-9 ESV   6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.       Hebrews 12:7, 11 ESV   7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?   11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.       Romans 8:18 ESV   18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

SÁBADO 8 DE NOVIEMBRE DE 2025 TU DOSIS DIARIA DE ESPERANZA "Yo Juan, vuestro hermano, y copartícipe vuestro en la tribulación, en el reino y en la paciencia de Jesucristo, estaba en la isla llamada Patmos, por causa de la palabra de Dios y el testimonio de Jesucristo. Yo estaba en el Espíritu en el día del Señor, y oí detrás de mí una gran voz como de trompeta…" (Apocalipsis 1:9-10) El apóstol Juan, un buen administrador de los misterios de Dios, llegó a la isla de Patmos como exiliado; pero, su ministerio se hizo más fuerte y productivo al recibir la revelación del Apocalipsis. Entregarle al apóstol esta enorme responsabilidad nos habla de una fidelidad probada y un amor a Dios permanente. Administrar los "misterios" de Dios, que dejan de serlo cuando Él abre el momento adecuado para revelarlos, es un privilegio; así lo disfrutó el apóstol. La pregunta es: ¿Cómo abríamos reaccionado nosotros? Lo que para los enemigos de Dios fue una orden para hacer daño a su Iglesia, para Dios fue la oportunidad de usar a su siervo para la revelación más importante del futuro de la humanidad. Donde quiera que un siervo de Dios se encuentre, a veces en lugares inimaginables, Dios tiene un propósito que solo ese siervo tiene la capacidad de cumplir. Juan estaba "en el Espíritu" en el Dia del Señor. No queda duda de que era un buen administrador de los misterios de Dios. Seamos flexibles ante las decisiones del Maestro. (Gina Sánchez) ....... www.facebook.com/PastoresRobertoyYamiley Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tu-dosis-diaria-de-esperanza-new-hope-en-espa%C3%B1ol/id1503374265 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dC8BmYXC77tIaReY6JI6y?si=adf3392aa15e45c7 iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-tu-dosis-diaria-de-esperan-211298038/ ....... Pastores Roberto y Yamiley, De Dios Para Ti Hoy - New Hope en Español , Brandon, FL (813) 689-4161

NOTAS DE ELENAMaterial complementario de la escuela Sabática para adultosNarrado por: Patty CuyanDesde: California, USAUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist ChurchJUEVES, 06 DE NOVIEMBREUN TESTIGO DEL PODER DE DIOSLos que se asocian íntimamente con Dios pueden no ser prósperos en las cosas de esta vida; a menudo pueden pasar por pruebas y aflicciones muy severas. José fue calumniado y perseguido porque decidió conservar su virtud e integridad. David, aquel siervo escogido de Dios, fue perseguido por sus malvados enemigos como si hubiera sido una bestia de presa. Daniel fue lanzado al foso de los leones porque se mostró fiel e inconmovible en su lealtad a Dios. Aunque a Job lo despojaron de sus posesiones mundanales y afligieron su cuerpo de tal manera que sus familiares y amigos llegaron a aborrecerlo, él conservó su integridad y su fidelidad a Dios. Jeremías hablaba únicamente las palabras que Dios colocaba en su boca, y su claro testimonio airó de tal manera al rey y los príncipes que lo arrojaron en una mazmorra repugnante. A Esteban lo apedrearon porque no dejaba de predicar a Cristo y este crucificado. A Pablo lo encarcelaron, lo azotaron con varas, lo apedrearon y finalmente lo mataron, porque fue un mensajero fiel en llevar el evangelio a los gentiles. El amado Juan fue deportado a la isla de Patmos "por causa de la palabra de Dios y el testimonio de Jesucristo". Estos ejemplos de inquebrantable confianza humana en la fuerza del poder divino, constituyen un testimonio para el mundo acerca de la fidelidad de las promesas divinas, de su constante presencia y de su gracia sustentadora. Mientras observa a estas personas humildes, el mundo es incapaz de discernir el valor moral que Dios les adjudica. Es una obra de fe reposar serenamente en Dios en la hora más sombría —no importa cuán severamente probada y azotada por la tormenta—, porque sabe que nuestro Padre está en el timón. Únicamente el ojo de la fe puede ver más allá de las cosas temporales y discernir el valor de las riquezas eternas. Un gran genio militar conquista las naciones y sacude a los ejércitos de la mitad del mundo, pero muere frustrado en el exilio. El filósofo que recorre todo el universo, tratando de descubrir las manifestaciones del poder divino para gozar de su armonía, a menudo no logra contemplar en esas maravillas la Mano que las formó a todas. "Mas el hombre no permanecerá en honra; es semejante a las bestias que perecen". Salmo 49:12. El futuro de los enemigos de Dios no se ve iluminado por la gloriosa esperanza de la inmortalidad. Pero los héroes de la fe poseen la promesa de una herencia de mayor valor que cualquier riqueza terrenal: una herencia que satisfará los anhelos del alma. Puede ser que el mundo los desconozca y no los tome en cuenta, pero en los libros del cielo están inscritos como ciudadanos. La recompensa final de aquellos a quienes Dios ha hecho herederos de todas las cosas, será una grandeza exaltada, y un inagotable y eterno peso de gloria (Exaltad a Jesús, 10 de noviembre, p. 322). VIERNES, 07 DE NOVIEMBRE: PARA ESTUDIAR Y MEDITARAlza tus ojos, "El verdadero amor no se puede ocultar", 22 de abril, p. 126. Ser semejante a Jesús, "La Palabra de Dios y el amor abrirán corazones para Jesús", 27 de noviembre, p. 3

Revelation1:9-20 | Pastor Rick Packinghouse's Sunday evening worship service from November 6, 2025. John writes from exile on Patmos, reminding the church that he is their brother in trials and that Jesus is Lord over every ruler; on the Lord's Day he hears a trumpet like voice declaring, I am the Alpha and the Omega, and he is told to write to seven churches. Turning, he sees seven golden lampstands and the Son of Man walking among them, dressed as the true High Priest with hair white as snow, eyes like fire, feet like burnished bronze, and a voice like many waters; in his right hand are seven stars, a sharp two edged sword proceeds from his mouth, and his face shines like the sun. John falls as though dead, yet Jesus touches him and says, Do not be afraid, I am alive forever and I hold the keys of death; then he gives the outline of Revelation, the things seen, the things that are, and the things after this, explaining that the stars are the messengers of the churches and the lampstands are the churches themselves. - Greg Opean - Sunday, November 2, 2025

Revelation1:9-20 | Pastor Rick Packinghouse's Sunday evening worship service from November 6, 2025. John writes from exile on Patmos, reminding the church that he is their brother in trials and that Jesus is Lord over every ruler; on the Lord's Day he hears a trumpet like voice declaring, I am the Alpha and the Omega, and he is told to write to seven churches. Turning, he sees seven golden lampstands and the Son of Man walking among them, dressed as the true High Priest with hair white as snow, eyes like fire, feet like burnished bronze, and a voice like many waters; in his right hand are seven stars, a sharp two edged sword proceeds from his mouth, and his face shines like the sun. John falls as though dead, yet Jesus touches him and says, Do not be afraid, I am alive forever and I hold the keys of death; then he gives the outline of Revelation, the things seen, the things that are, and the things after this, explaining that the stars are the messengers of the churches and the lampstands are the churches themselves. - Greg Opean - Sunday, November 2, 2025

Historians described Patmos as a small, rocky, and rugged island in the Aegean Sea. It was a place of banishment for criminals. A place of isolation. From this desolate location, John received divine visions and wrote the Book of Revelation.

Revelation 1:9-20 ESV I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Today we begin a new sermon series as we study the book of 1 John. The Apostle John was used by God to write five books in the New Testament. He wrote the gospel that bears his name, he wrote three general epistles, and he was also given the Revelation as he was exiled on the Isle of Patmos. The letters of John have a clear connection with John's gospel in this way: the gospel was written that we would "believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing we may have life in his name" (John 20:31). The letters were written "to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). In other words, we need to believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah sent from God and we should have assurance of the salvation found only in Christ. Scripture text is 1 John 1:1-4.

(Revelation 1:1-2, 9-10 ) Journeying With John: We all love to meet God in good circumstances and on good days. The Lord sometimes chooses to meet us in the loneliest moments of life. Regardless of your circumstances you can hear from the Holy Spirit. (09248251014)  Keep Studying  Whether you're a new believer or have walked with the Lord for years, you'll find thousands of free devotionals, Bible studies, audio series, and Scripture tools designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding of the Bible, and help you stay rooted in the Word of God. 

Lessons from the Isle of Patmos

A Sunday mornings sermon by Pastor Brett Deal. I was challenged the other day by Melissa Archer's reflection on the worship found in the book of Revelation. She writes: “The hymns heard in heaven are to be the liturgy of the churches on earth.”    When we read the book of Revelation we find John alone on the isle of Patmos, seeking the presence of Jesus. Our faith is a communal faith, it is a pilgrimage together as God's people with Jesus and with one another. It is powerful to recognize when Jesus comes, in all His eternal glory and stands before John, He speaks to His disciple and through His disciple to all His people. Like the book of Leviticus, most of us set out to read the book of Revelation and make it through the letters to the seven churches of Asia before we lose steam. After those divine messages to the churches, the apocalyptic and prophetic nature of Revelation are overwhelming. And that's the point. The revelation is revealing. It's prophetically revealing of what's to come, but prophesy is meant to be applied today. In Revelation 4, we enter the throne room of heaven and are overawed by the overmorrow's worship! We are submerged by the flood of “Holy Holy Holy, is the Lord God Almighty!” It is the liturgy of eternity, and this revelatory glimpse of forever is meant to shape our worship today! When we see Christ in apocalyptic splendor, we are reminded not only of the eternal tomorrow, but of our creation. Through Jesus, all things were made (Colossians 1.16-20) and at the present, we are living within His creation. The time to worship Him is now. He is worthy to receive glory and honor and power, yes for all eternity, but nothing is stopping us from exalting Him today! Take time today, right now even while you read these words, and praise our Lord and God, who is worthy. For the one who was and is and is to come, is Holy Holy Holy!

In this powerful introduction, we dive into the awe-inspiring vision of Jesus Christ given to John on the island of Patmos. Discover what the "revelation of Jesus Christ" truly means, the significance of the seven churches, and the powerful imagery that sets the stage for everything to come.

The Four Horsemen aren't just pestilence, war, famine, and death—they're everyone's head-canon.~ New look, same blasphemy—check out our shiny new logo while you listen~In this episode of Satan Is My Superhero, we saddle up with John of Patmos and gallop through the wildest alternative theories ever shovelled onto Revelation 6.Greek gods? Roman Empire? Catholicism? Communism? Disney princesses???Grab your caffeinated Jesus Juice and ride with us—because apparently anything can be the Four Horsemen.Support the show and avoid a visit from Limos, Goddess of Hunger: patreon.com/satanismysuperheroNeed a refresh of our Book of Revelation series?  Catch up here: [Ep. 00] · [Ep. 01] · [Ep. 02] · [Ep. 03] · [Ep. 04] .  [Ep. 05]  . [Ep. 06]   Send us a textWelcome, Sinners! We're building a cult — the good kind. No robes, just laughs. Catch every blasphemous episode: Listen Here Wear your heresy: Merch Store Support the pod & unlock Hoots songs: Patreon Your reviews, shares, and smart-ass comments keep the cult alive.

John receives instruction to write down this book while he's worshiping in exile.

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

The holy Apostle was, by the world's reckoning, the nephew of our Savior, since his mother Salome was the daughter of St Joseph the Betrothed. Called 'the beloved disciple,' St John was the only one of Christ's disciples to follow Him to the Cross. He was entrusted by the Savior with the care of the most holy Theotokos, and became like another son to her, providing for her care until the day of her repose. He preached the Gospel of Christ throughout Asia Minor, especially in Ephesus. During the persecutions of the Emperor Domitian, he was taken in bonds to Rome, where he was subjected to various tortures; but when he emerged from these miraculously unharmed, he was exiled to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. After the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and there wrote his Gospel and Epistles. He reposed in peace at a great old age. When his disciples later opened his grave, they found that his body was not there. He is called the Theologian because of the sublimity of theological expression in his New Testament writings.

It's quiz day at the kitchen table. We're pausing on our Practical Theology series to test our theological knowledge! In this episode, Pastor Jeff puts Tiffany (and you) on the spot with 14 questions plus a bonus round. From creeds and confessions to soteriology and salvation, we review some of the core truths of the Christian faith.In this episode[00:02:27] Q1: Which Gospel begins with Jesus' genealogy back to Abraham?  A: Matthew[00:04:00] Q2: The belief in one God in three persons is called what?  A: The Trinity[00:05:00] Q3: Which creed begins with “I believe in God, the Father Almighty”?  A: The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed[00:06:27] Q4: Who wrote Confessions?  A: Augustine of Hippo[00:07:39] Q5: Salvation is primarily deliverance from what?  A: Sin[00:08:09] Q6: What does the term “atonement” mean?  A: Reconciliation between God and man[00:08:58] Q7: Which verse begins “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith”?  A: Ephesians 2:8–9[00:10:13] Q8: What does soteriology study?  A: The doctrine of salvation[00:11:00] Q9: The doctrine that Jesus is fully God and fully man is called what?  A: The Hypostatic Union[00:11:40] Q10: The Westminster Confession of Faith is most associated with which tradition?  A: Reformed/Presbyterian[00:12:48] Q11: What does Sola Fide mean?  A: Faith alone[00:14:00] Q12: Which term best describes God's unmerited favor?  A: Grace[00:14:43] Q13: Who wrote the book of Revelation? Where was he exiled?  A: John, exiled on Patmos[00:15:42] Q14: Which Jewish ruler visited Jesus at night?  A: Nicodemus[00:17:35] Bonus Question: What new denomination formed out of the United Methodist Church?  A: The Global Methodist ChurchGiveawayIf you scored 100%, email pastorjeff@lowcountrycc.org with the subject line I'm a winner! Include your name and address, and we'll send you a Kitchen Table Theology coffee mug (plus maybe a Southern Pecan K-Cup).We love your feedback! If you enjoyed this episode, leave us a review. If you have any questions or comments on today's episode, email me at pastorjeff@lowcountrycc.orgVisit my website https://www.jeffcranston.com and subscribe to my newsletter. Join me on Sunday mornings at LowCountry Community Church. Check in with us on Facebook or Instagram @pastorjeffcranstonRemember, the real power of theology is not only knowing it but applying it. Thanks for listening!

Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Another entry in the noble genre of “Christian one-man show,” ST. JOHN IN EXILE stars career stage and screen actor Dean Jones as the exiled saint on the island of Patmos. We were excited to review this filmed stage production, since we're huge fans of other one-man pieces of Bible fanfiction and inspirational slop—like Curt Cloninger's WITNESSES (a true VHS classic) and Mike Adkins's A MAN CALLED NORMAN, a beloved sermon distributed by Focus on the Family. Both of those productions feature their leads absolutely killing it and drawing heavy laughter and applause from captive audiences. ST. JOHN IN EXILE is no exception. The late Dean Jones was clearly a trained actor, with a film career dating back to the late 1950s, including many classic family films such as THAT DARN CAT and THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES. He kept acting well into his golden years, with his final performance in the 2009 Christian movie GOD PROVIDES. For the math-challenged, that's over 50 years of regular acting work, much of it devoted to uplifting the Word of God or making wholesome entertainment for families. These decades of experience pay off in a captivating performance as St. John. Jones is a huge asset to the material, which would be extremely boring without his investment in the role. Unfortunately, the script in ST. JOHN IN EXILE is a little too straight-laced to match the wild, wonderful turns of WITNESSES, which we love for its constantly shifting perspective and Curt Cloninger's 10+ voices and personalities. Still, the film raises some interesting questions about biblical history—insisting that the same St. John authored both the Gospel of John and Revelation, a belief once common but now challenged by contemporary scholarship. We only wish ST. JOHN IN EXILE had leaned into some insane end-times visionary type shit. Regardless, Dean Jones's performance and the film's enduring place in the Christian media video world make it a must-have for collectors and completists of the faith-based film genre. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

We’ve all heard the old adage, “If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.” But is that REALLY true? On In The Market with Janet Parshall this week our guest introduced us to a step-by-step process that can teach us how to see work through a different lens than we have looked at it before and in the process teach us how to pursue truly purpose-driven, fulfilling work. For decades upon decades the lie that the Jewish people do not need the saving work of Jesus on the cross, but our guest says that lie is so dangerous because of the eternal consequences that come with believing it. He took us back to scripture to show how His role as the Redeemer is for all people in all nations and is pivotal to the God’s promise to restore the nation of Israel and redeem the other nations. The daughter of arguably the most respected evangelist of the 20th century and a highly respected Bible teacher in her own right, joined us for an eye-opening tour of the final book of the Bible. She helped us understand the importance of the final book of the Bible, why John was on Patmos and why there is a continual blessing to who read it. Times are unsettled in the Middle East, especially in Iran. The leader of one of the most important ministries to this nation joined us once again to discuss how the unrest is impacting the lives of believers in Iran and how we can pray for these fellow believers. Then we shared the powerful personal journey of a woman who came to the foot of the cross through the valley the occult and demonism. As we end another week, just one look at the news reminds us once again that we live in a broken, backward world. That’s why it is imperative to be watchmen and watchwomen on the wall in our homes, communities and churches. To that end we invite you for another probing examination of the stories making headlines this week through the clear, undiluted viewpoint of God’s word.Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 56 Gary discusses general interpretative principles about the Bible and specifically, the book of Revelation. When people become Christians due to some scary interpretation of the end times taught by a well-meaning teacher, they often jump right to the last book to begin their initial reading of the Bible. This usually causes more confusion than clarification for them.

I received my subpoena from Blake today and Emmanuel Macron has sent me another strongly worded legal letter. Also, a Meghan Markle clip is circulating and it has inexplicably infuriated me. And I'm not sure why. 00:00 - Start. 01:10 - My new legal letters. 23:53 - Pastors go after me and Tucker Carlson. 29:41 - Meghan Markle's strange interview clip. 36:57 - The Diddy case. 41:04 - Comments. Riverbend Ranch Get $20 off your first order with promo code: CANDACE at http://www.Riverbendranch.com Anyone IO Protect yourself today with 40% off on the Anyone hardware device. Go to http://anyone.io and use my code CANDACE for 40% off. Patmos Make the switch to Patmos today! https://link.patmos.tech/F8C2WXL American Financing Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. 800-795-1210 or visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/owens NMLS 182334, https://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org Candace Official Website: https://candaceowens.com Candace Merch: https://shop.candaceowens.com Candace on Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/Pp5VZiLXbq Candace on Spotify: https://t.co/16pMuADXuT Candace on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/RealCandaceO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beef brews between Bibi and Trump over the Iran/Israel ceasefire and Lizzo puts me in her new song. 00:00 - Start. 00:59 - The Iran/Israel "ceasefire." 18:57 - The Zionist lobby. 31:06 - Influencers offered money to make negative videos about me. 33:28 - Forbidden history. 43:54 - Comments. PreBorn Donate securely at https://preborn.com/candace Patmos Make the switch to Patmos today! https://link.patmos.tech/F8C2WXL PureTalk Make the switch today at http://www.PureTalk.com/Owens Seven Weeks Coffee Save up to 25% with promo code 'CANDACE' at http://www.sevenweekscoffee.com/Candace Candace Official Website: https://candaceowens.com Candace Merch: https://shop.candaceowens.com Candace on Apple Podcasts: https://t.co/Pp5VZiLXbq Candace on Spotify: https://t.co/16pMuADXuT Candace on Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/RealCandaceO Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices