Podcasts about write blessed

Revelation 19:1-21   After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, 2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her sexual immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises forever and ever.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters, and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 Let's rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he *said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.'” And he *said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great feast of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slaves, and small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse, and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.     BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com     GIVE -  The Listener's Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you. Thank you! Give here:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com/give     STUDY HUB - Want more than the audio? Join the study hub to access articles, maps, charts, pictures, and links to other resources to help you study the Bible for yourself. https://www.listenerscommentary.com/members-sign-up   MORE TEACHING - For more resources and Bible teaching from John visit https://www.johnwhittaker.net

Revelation 14:1-20   14:1 Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. 3 And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one was able to learn the song except the 144,000 who had been purchased from the earth. 4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are celibate. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from mankind as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. 6 And I saw another angel flying in midheaven with an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people; 7 and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth, and sea and springs of waters.” 8 And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.” 9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” 12 Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” 14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, with a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trampled outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of 1,600 stadia.     BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com     GIVE -  The Listener's Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you. Thank you! Give here:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com/give     STUDY HUB - Want more than the audio? Join the study hub to access articles, maps, charts, pictures, and links to other resources to help you study the Bible for yourself. https://www.listenerscommentary.com/members-sign-up   MORE TEACHING - For more resources and Bible teaching from John visit https://www.johnwhittaker.net

Sabbath School panel discussion and insight by 3ABN pastors and teachers. This podcast episode follows 2025 quarter 2, lesson 3 of the adult Bible study guide book. This quarter's book topic is “Images from Marriage” and this week's Sabbath School lesson is titled “Allusions, Images, Symbols: How to Study Bible Prophecy”. Join us every week for a fresh and relevant study of the word of God. Reading: Gen. 2:23–25, Eph. 5:29–32, Ezek. 16:4–14, Rev. 18:1–4, Gen. 24:1–4, Rev. 19:1–9. Memory Text: “Then he said to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” ' And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God' ” (Revelation 19:9, NKJV). (April 12 - April 18) Sunday (James Rafferty) - “One Flesh” Monday (Rise Rafferty) - “The Beautiful Bride”Tuesday (Shelley Quinn) - “Hosea's Harlot Wife”Wednesday (Jill Morikone) - “Isaac and Rebekah”Thursday (Daniel Perrin) - “The Harlot is Judged” Want the Panelists' notes? You can sign up here: https://3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com/notes/ Questions or Comments? Email us at mail@3abn.org Donate: https://3abn.org/donate-quick.html

The Enumerated's Signification Carrol's question Okay this group in haggai the second chapter verse 23, that are also described as those sealed in Revelation 7, you mentioned that they were in the outer darkness in the last lesson that you gave, so I didn't really understand. Why were they in the outer darkness, and then Martyrs in Revelation in the sixth chapter? So are these two parts of the same group of clergy? This question was my whole reason for coming to this Fellowship. Matthew 22:1-14 The Parable of the Wedding Feast 1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ' 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Who spoke verse 14 God The Son or God The Father?!?!? Revelation 16:15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” Rev 19:7-9 7 “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” The Enumeration Revelation 6:9-11 Fifth Seal: The Cry of the Martyrs 9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/maranatha-ministries/support

In Genesis 1:26-27, we learn that both Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. He created Adam and Eve as male and female, and he created them equal as image bearers of God. When God created mankind, He declared: Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Gen. 1:26-27). Listen, every time you see a human being, whether male or female, what is seen is a physical representation of the reality and presence of God. No other creature represents God in this way except humans! When there was no suitable helper for Adam after naming the animals, we learn from Genesis 2:18-25 that God created from his rib one who was suitable for him. God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him (Gen. 2:18). So, we are told that God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept (v. 21), and from Adams rib, God created Eve. Adams response to Eve was: At last this is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man (v. 23). What follows Adams statement in Genesis 2:24 is what makes marriage so special and unlike any relationship that a person can have; it is also the verse the apostle Paul quotes in Ephesians 5:31, For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. The reason why I have chosen to continue with my plan to preach on these verses in Ephesians 5:22-33 is because of what Paul said about Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians 5:32. Listen carefully to what is written: This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. I cannot remember who wrote it, but someone said that humans are the physical representation of the reality and presence of God. Just as it is true that we, as image bearers of the living God, are the physical representation of the reality and presence of God, it is equally true that marriage between a man and a woman is the physical representation of the reality and presence of Jesus church as His bride, and His great, faithful, and uncompromising love for her. What marriage represents is the reason why we are told in Holy Scripture, Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers (Heb. 13:4). It is also the reason why Paul wrote that, sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among the saints; and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks (Eph. 5:3-4). However, Paul did not stop there! He continued with these sobering words that we all must take very seriously: For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (v. 5). And just in case you are tempted to view these words as archaic, outdated, or that your feelings trump the authority of such words, listen very carefully to the verse that follows Pauls warning about the danger the sexually immoral, impure, or greedy person faces if that person does not turn from such sins: See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience (v. 6). The original title of my sermon for this Sunday was, The Grandeur of Marriage. I believe God wants us to focus on the main point of Ephesians 5:22-33, and it is tucked away in verses 26-27, which states: so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. In fact, I would like to submit to you that what Ephesians 5:22-33 teaches us is this: Just as humans are the physical representation of the reality of God, so marriage between a man and a woman is the physical representation of the reality and presence of Jesus church as His bride. In light of that, I have titled todays sermon: The glory of Christ is the beauty of His church. Instead of focusing our attention on the sins of a pastor and brother, our attention needs to be on Jesus and what He wants of us. Now, before we begin, I do want to read for you 1 Timothy 5:19-22, which states: Do not accept an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin. (1 Tim. 5:1922) We did have multiple credible accusations that the one under church discipline continued to lie and deceive; even when he was brought before the Board of Elders, he continued to lie and misrepresent the truth. Our hope is and will remain that he will repent of his sins. Our hearts remain broken over our need and responsibility to remove him from his position as Pastor of Discipleship and Pastor. What I want to do with our time this morning is to step back and focus on our own hearts by allowing the word of God to wash over us as His people. Jesus Intends to Present His Bride as Holy and Blameless All throughout Ephesians, we see that the reason why we have been chosen by God the Father, redeemed by Jesus the Son, and sealed by God the Holy Spirit for your holiness and blamelessness in Christ! How will He do it? With and through His Word! What does His Word say? The Word of God says, He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love (Eph. 1:4) His Word says, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Eph. 2:10) The Word says, Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. (Eph. 5:12) The Word says, Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. The Word says, Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise... (Eph. 5:1115) Jesus intends for His people to pursue holiness! The only way we can pursue a Christ-centered holiness is if we flee from the sins that lead us away from Christ! The Bible calls us to, Flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). We must, Flee sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:18). But it is not only sexual sins that we must flee from, but we must also flee from any sin that threatens to entangle us, and in case you are wondering what sins are there that do not threaten to entangle us? The answer is that there is no safe sin, they all threaten to entangle, and they all have the ability to destroy, rob, maim, and kill! The list of sins is long, but here is a short list given to us in Proverbs 6:16-19, There are six things that the Lordhates, seven that are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who declares lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers (Prov. 6:1619). Jesus has given to His church spiritually qualified and gifted persons for the equipping and building up of his church to teach and preach His word as one way to cleanse His people, by the washing of water with the word... (v. 26). What does this mean? In the ancient east, before the bride was presented to the bridegroom, she would receive a cleansing bath with water before she was adorned in her bridal dress and presented to her groom. We, as the Bride of Christ, are also being cleansed, and it is done through the Word of God. We are called to this individually, but there are men like myself that are called to administer the word of God and to show you how to bath yourself in the Word of God... because the best thing I can give you is not what Pastor Keith thinks, but what the Word of God says! I am fallible but Gods word is infallible, for: All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:1617). This is why when a pastor, elder, or church leader fails to meet the qualifications to be in such roles as listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:7-9, such people are a danger to Jesuss church that He loves, cherishes, is sanctifying, and has called to His Bride, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Those of us called by Jesus to serve His Bride to equip His people will, incur a stricter judgment (Jas. 3:1); for this reason, we are to take passages like 1 Timothy 5:19-22 seriously. I am deeply grieved and heartbroken by the actions of the one under church discipline. I am crushed by the damage his actions have caused others. My prayer is that he will take 1 John 1:9 to heart which says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I also know that we are warned that what happened to our brother can happen to anyone in this room. If a pastor can fall into unrepentant sin, then so can you, because our, adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8); intends to bring you harm and he is really good at doing it! There are sins represented in this room such as gossip, sexual immorality, an unforgiving spirit, and more. Some of you are so committed to your sin, that you refuse to turn from them out of a fear that you will be exposed, or you believe the enemys lie that you are so stuck in your sin that you are unable to turn from it. Here is what Hebrews 3:12-13 says, Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:1213). Our adversary is fiercely loud, but Jesus has ripped out his teeth! You may be overwhelmed by your sin, but you still have time to run to the One who still makes all things new (2 Cor. 5:17): If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Jesus Will Present His Bride in All Her Glory as Holy and Blameless How will Jesus present His Bride in all her glory as holy and blameless? He will do it, by the washing of water with the word (v. 26) along with the power of His Holy Spirit (1:18-19a; 3:20-21). God always uses the authority of His word and the power of His Spirit to do the things only He is capable of doing in our lives. Jesus is committed to not leaving His church the way He found her. What that means is that Philippians 1:6 is for you: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus. However, the only way you will experience the thing He wants to do in you is if you listen to His word and obey it. So dear Christian, what are you going to do with what you heard today? Is Jesus asking you today, Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say (see Luke 6:46-49)? Jesus will indeed present His Bride in all her glory as holy and blameless because He loves her too much to leave her the way He found her! What will her wedding day be like? It will be greater than any marriage you hope for or have dreamed to experience. In Revelation 19:7-10, we are given a small peek through the curtain of eternity, and this is what we see: Lets rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true words of God. Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. This is why Jesus takes the sins within and by those who belong to His church very seriously. It is the same seriousness we see demonstrated in the way the sin of Achan was addressed (Josh. 7:1-26), the sins of Eli and his two worthless sons (1 Sam. 2:12-36), and the sins of David with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:1-12:23). It is against the backdrop of the above examples I want you to consider as the most appropriate way I feel I can conclude my sermon: Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. (Heb. 6:16) For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay. And again, The Lord will judge His people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:2631) Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, lets rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and lets run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:12)

In Genesis 1:26-27, we learn that both Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. He created Adam and Eve as male and female, and he created them equal as image bearers of God. When God created mankind, He declared: Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the livestock and over all the earth, and over every crawling thing that crawls on the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Gen. 1:26-27). Listen, every time you see a human being, whether male or female, what is seen is a physical representation of the reality and presence of God. No other creature represents God in this way except humans! When there was no suitable helper for Adam after naming the animals, we learn from Genesis 2:18-25 that God created from his rib one who was suitable for him. God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him (Gen. 2:18). So, we are told that God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept (v. 21), and from Adams rib, God created Eve. Adams response to Eve was: At last this is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man (v. 23). What follows Adams statement in Genesis 2:24 is what makes marriage so special and unlike any relationship that a person can have; it is also the verse the apostle Paul quotes in Ephesians 5:31, For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. The reason why I have chosen to continue with my plan to preach on these verses in Ephesians 5:22-33 is because of what Paul said about Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians 5:32. Listen carefully to what is written: This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. I cannot remember who wrote it, but someone said that humans are the physical representation of the reality and presence of God. Just as it is true that we, as image bearers of the living God, are the physical representation of the reality and presence of God, it is equally true that marriage between a man and a woman is the physical representation of the reality and presence of Jesus church as His bride, and His great, faithful, and uncompromising love for her. What marriage represents is the reason why we are told in Holy Scripture, Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers (Heb. 13:4). It is also the reason why Paul wrote that, sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among the saints; and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks (Eph. 5:3-4). However, Paul did not stop there! He continued with these sobering words that we all must take very seriously: For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (v. 5). And just in case you are tempted to view these words as archaic, outdated, or that your feelings trump the authority of such words, listen very carefully to the verse that follows Pauls warning about the danger the sexually immoral, impure, or greedy person faces if that person does not turn from such sins: See that no one deceives you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience (v. 6). The original title of my sermon for this Sunday was, The Grandeur of Marriage. I believe God wants us to focus on the main point of Ephesians 5:22-33, and it is tucked away in verses 26-27, which states: so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. In fact, I would like to submit to you that what Ephesians 5:22-33 teaches us is this: Just as humans are the physical representation of the reality of God, so marriage between a man and a woman is the physical representation of the reality and presence of Jesus church as His bride. In light of that, I have titled todays sermon: The glory of Christ is the beauty of His church. Instead of focusing our attention on the sins of a pastor and brother, our attention needs to be on Jesus and what He wants of us. Now, before we begin, I do want to read for you 1 Timothy 5:19-22, which states: Do not accept an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin. (1 Tim. 5:1922) We did have multiple credible accusations that the one under church discipline continued to lie and deceive; even when he was brought before the Board of Elders, he continued to lie and misrepresent the truth. Our hope is and will remain that he will repent of his sins. Our hearts remain broken over our need and responsibility to remove him from his position as Pastor of Discipleship and Pastor. What I want to do with our time this morning is to step back and focus on our own hearts by allowing the word of God to wash over us as His people. Jesus Intends to Present His Bride as Holy and Blameless All throughout Ephesians, we see that the reason why we have been chosen by God the Father, redeemed by Jesus the Son, and sealed by God the Holy Spirit for your holiness and blamelessness in Christ! How will He do it? With and through His Word! What does His Word say? The Word of God says, He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love (Eph. 1:4) His Word says, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (Eph. 2:10) The Word says, Be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. (Eph. 5:12) The Word says, Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. The Word says, Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise... (Eph. 5:1115) Jesus intends for His people to pursue holiness! The only way we can pursue a Christ-centered holiness is if we flee from the sins that lead us away from Christ! The Bible calls us to, Flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). We must, Flee sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:18). But it is not only sexual sins that we must flee from, but we must also flee from any sin that threatens to entangle us, and in case you are wondering what sins are there that do not threaten to entangle us? The answer is that there is no safe sin, they all threaten to entangle, and they all have the ability to destroy, rob, maim, and kill! The list of sins is long, but here is a short list given to us in Proverbs 6:16-19, There are six things that the Lordhates, seven that are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who declares lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers (Prov. 6:1619). Jesus has given to His church spiritually qualified and gifted persons for the equipping and building up of his church to teach and preach His word as one way to cleanse His people, by the washing of water with the word... (v. 26). What does this mean? In the ancient east, before the bride was presented to the bridegroom, she would receive a cleansing bath with water before she was adorned in her bridal dress and presented to her groom. We, as the Bride of Christ, are also being cleansed, and it is done through the Word of God. We are called to this individually, but there are men like myself that are called to administer the word of God and to show you how to bath yourself in the Word of God... because the best thing I can give you is not what Pastor Keith thinks, but what the Word of God says! I am fallible but Gods word is infallible, for: All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:1617). This is why when a pastor, elder, or church leader fails to meet the qualifications to be in such roles as listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:7-9, such people are a danger to Jesuss church that He loves, cherishes, is sanctifying, and has called to His Bride, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Those of us called by Jesus to serve His Bride to equip His people will, incur a stricter judgment (Jas. 3:1); for this reason, we are to take passages like 1 Timothy 5:19-22 seriously. I am deeply grieved and heartbroken by the actions of the one under church discipline. I am crushed by the damage his actions have caused others. My prayer is that he will take 1 John 1:9 to heart which says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I also know that we are warned that what happened to our brother can happen to anyone in this room. If a pastor can fall into unrepentant sin, then so can you, because our, adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8); intends to bring you harm and he is really good at doing it! There are sins represented in this room such as gossip, sexual immorality, an unforgiving spirit, and more. Some of you are so committed to your sin, that you refuse to turn from them out of a fear that you will be exposed, or you believe the enemys lie that you are so stuck in your sin that you are unable to turn from it. Here is what Hebrews 3:12-13 says, Take care, brothers and sisters, that there will not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, as long as it is still called today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Heb. 3:1213). Our adversary is fiercely loud, but Jesus has ripped out his teeth! You may be overwhelmed by your sin, but you still have time to run to the One who still makes all things new (2 Cor. 5:17): If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Jesus Will Present His Bride in All Her Glory as Holy and Blameless How will Jesus present His Bride in all her glory as holy and blameless? He will do it, by the washing of water with the word (v. 26) along with the power of His Holy Spirit (1:18-19a; 3:20-21). God always uses the authority of His word and the power of His Spirit to do the things only He is capable of doing in our lives. Jesus is committed to not leaving His church the way He found her. What that means is that Philippians 1:6 is for you: For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus. However, the only way you will experience the thing He wants to do in you is if you listen to His word and obey it. So dear Christian, what are you going to do with what you heard today? Is Jesus asking you today, Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say (see Luke 6:46-49)? Jesus will indeed present His Bride in all her glory as holy and blameless because He loves her too much to leave her the way He found her! What will her wedding day be like? It will be greater than any marriage you hope for or have dreamed to experience. In Revelation 19:7-10, we are given a small peek through the curtain of eternity, and this is what we see: Lets rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has prepared herself. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, Write: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb. And he said to me, These are the true words of God. Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. This is why Jesus takes the sins within and by those who belong to His church very seriously. It is the same seriousness we see demonstrated in the way the sin of Achan was addressed (Josh. 7:1-26), the sins of Eli and his two worthless sons (1 Sam. 2:12-36), and the sins of David with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:1-12:23). It is against the backdrop of the above examples I want you to consider as the most appropriate way I feel I can conclude my sermon: Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. And this we will do, if God permits. For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. (Heb. 6:16) For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has ignored the Law of Moses is put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severe punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay. And again, The Lord will judge His people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:2631) Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, lets rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and lets run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:12)

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 23rd of May, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Book of Revelation 19:9:”Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'”If we love Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we will be invited guests. We are the called ones. It is going to be the greatest marriage feast that we have ever seen in our lives. We are not being called as casual observers or spectators, looking through the fence at the amazing spectacle taking place. No, no, it will be our time. It will be our wedding day with our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, you know folks, I have done many, many weddings in my life, and I just love to stand and observe and see how excited the bridegroom is when he is waiting for the bride to arrive, and his best man, some of them have got more than one, they are making sure that he is looking smart, that his collar is out and his shoes are shining, that everything is in place. Then of course, the bride, with all the bridesmaids, coming behind, making sure that her dress is in order, that the train that is flowing behind her dress, that no-one stands on it, that her head covering is beautifully put in place, that lovely bouquet of flowers is positioned nicely on her arm, and everybody is excited.If we go to the Book of Ephesians 5:27, this is what the word says: “…that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” When you are getting ready for your wedding, you don't want anything out of place. Your hair must be beautifully done, everything must be in order. The same thing is going to happen on a much grander scale when you and I go home to be with our beloved Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. Get yourself ready for the greatest marriage feast that you can ever even imagine! Get yourself in order. Don't wait for the last minute. This is your time to get ready for your wedding with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,Goodbye.

Richard honors his long-time friend, Jerry Savelle, in this episode of the Expect a Miracle podcast. You will hear heartwarming and hilarious stories as Richard remembers the decades-long friendship that has meant so much to the Roberts and Savelle families. Be sure to listen until the end for a special prayer.Revelation 14:13 - Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”-To learn more about Richard Roberts Ministries, go to http://www.RichardRoberts.org -For prayer, go to http://www.RichardRoberts.org/prayer or call 1-918-495-7777-Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RichardRobertsOfficial-YouTube: http://www.YouTube.com/RichardRobertsMinistries-Instagram: @richardrobertsofficial

Revelation 19:1-10 New King James Version Heaven Exults over Babylon 19 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Revelation 14 New King James Version The Lamb and the 144,000 14 Then I looked, and behold, [a]a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, [b]having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were [c]redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no [d]deceit, for they are without fault [e]before the throne of God. The Proclamations of Three Angels 6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” 8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon[f] is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” 9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” 12 Here is the [g]patience of the saints; here[h] are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying [i]to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” Reaping the Earth's Harvest 14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come [j]for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Reaping the Grapes of Wrath 17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred [k]furlongs.

Revelation 19:1-10After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!”6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Istrouma Baptist Church (BR) Dec 11, 2022 ========== December 11 l Christmas at Istrouma Welcome! We're glad you've joined us today for our Sunday morning worship service! For more information about Istrouma, go to istrouma.org or contact us at info@istrouma.org. We glorify God by making disciples of all nations. ========== Connection Card https://istrouma.org/myinfo December 11, 2022 | Tim Keith Revelation 19 ‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭14‬-‭18‬‬ When the hour came, he reclined at the table, and the apostles with him. Then he said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭29‬-‭30‬‬ I bestow on you a kingdom, just as my Father bestowed one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭21‬‬ After this I heard something like the loud voice of a vast multitude in heaven, saying, Hallelujah! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, because his judgments are true and righteous, because he has judged the notorious prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality; and he has avenged the blood of his servants that was on her hands. A second time they said, Hallelujah! Her smoke ascends forever and ever! Then the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who is seated on the throne, saying, Amen! Hallelujah! A voice came from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all his servants, and the ones who fear him, both small and great! Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying, Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns! Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.” Then I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on his head. He had a name written that no one knows except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he called out in a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying high overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of military commanders, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and of their riders, and the flesh of everyone, both free and slave, small and great.” Then I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and against his army. But the beast was taken prisoner, and along with it the false prophet, who had performed the signs in its presence. He deceived those who accepted the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image with these signs. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their flesh. Want to receive weekly announcements in your inbox each week? https://istrouma.org/email Give Online Text ISTROUMA IBC to 73256 or go to: https://istrouma.org/give Our Website https://istrouma.org

Revelation 14:6-136 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” 8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” 9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” 12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

The Holy Bible~Revelation 19 (Audio Bible NKJV) 1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” 11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. No copyright music by: Serjo De Lua https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon #Revelation #Bible #Marriage --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thedayofthelordisnear/message

The Holy Bible~Revelation 14 (Audio Bible NKJV) 1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. 4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God. 6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— 7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” 8 And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” 9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” 12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.' ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” 14 Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 16 So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. 17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. No copyright music by: Serjo De Lua https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thedayofthelordisnear/message

Order of Service: - Prelude - Hymn 557 - Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand: vv. 1 & 2 - Revelation 14: 12-13: Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” - Devotion - Prayer - Hymn 557 - Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand: vv. 3 & 4 - Blessing - Postlude Service Participants: Rev. Dr. Doyle Holbird (Preacher), Laura Matzke (Organist)

Rev. Dr. Doyle Holbird was preacher for this service. Revelation 14: 12-13: Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

Focus Text: John 17:21-23; Revelation 19:6-9 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Rev 19: 6-9 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the[d] Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

Oí como la voz de una gran multitud, como el ruido de muchas aguas y como el sonido de fuertes truenos, diciendo: “¡Aleluya! Porque reina el Señor nuestro Dios Todopoderoso. Gocémonos, alegrémonos y démosle gloria, porque han llegado las bodas del Cordero, y su novia se ha preparado. Y a ella se le ha concedido que se vista de lino fino, resplandeciente y limpio”. Porque el lino fino es los actos justos de los santos. El ángel me dijo: “Escribe: Bienaventurados los que han sido llamados a la cena de las bodas del Cordero”. Me dijo además: “Estas son palabras verdaderas de Dios”. Yo me postré ante sus pies para adorarle, pero él me dijo: “¡Mira, no lo hagas! Yo soy consiervo tuyo y de tus hermanos que tienen el testimonio de Jesús. ¡Adora a Dios! Pues el testimonio de Jesús es el espíritu de la profecía”. Vi el cielo abierto, y he aquí un caballo blanco, y el que lo montaba se llama FIEL Y VERDADERO. Y con justicia él juzga y hace guerra. Sus ojos son como llama de fuego. En su cabeza tiene muchas diademas, y tiene un nombre escrito que nadie conoce sino él mismo. Está vestido de una vestidura teñida en sangre, y su nombre es llamado LA PALABRA DE DIOS. Los ejércitos en el cielo le seguían en caballos blancos, vestidos de lino fino, blanco y limpio. De su boca sale una espada aguda para herir con ella a las naciones, y él las guiará con cetro de hierro. Él pisa el lagar del vino del furor y de la ira del Dios Todopoderoso. En su vestidura y sobre su muslo tiene escrito el nombre: REY DE REYES Y SEÑOR DE SEÑORES.Esta visión del apóstol Juan es una de las escenas más gloriosas que va a ocurrir muy pronto: Juan mira al Señor cumpliendo lo que Él dijo, que vendría de forma visible por segunda vez a la tierra. Pero ya no vendría en forma débil, limitado como un hombre mortal; Él vendrá con toda su magnificencia, vestido de gloria y poder. El Señor vendrá con su ejército celestial para ejecutar su juicio, luchando contra los habitantes influenciados por Satanás por medio del falso profeta y la bestia. Según algunos teólogos esta es la guerra que se luchará en la batalla del Armagedón donde todo ojo verá al Señor y reconocerán que Él es el Rey de reyes y Señor de señores. Pero antes de la manifestación gloriosa del Señor montado en un caballo blanco, notemos las cualidades de aquellos que estarán en las bodas del Cordero, que será una celebración donde el Señor va a consolar y recompensar a todos los que fueron fieles a Él y donde Jesús se unirá a la iglesia. Ellos vestirán vestiduras blancas de lino fino, limpio y resplandeciente. Note la clase de este lino que no es uno común, sino fino, o sea de alta calidad y alto precio; también está limpio sin ninguna mancha ni arruga, será resplandeciente. Aquí podemos leer la interpretación de lo que representan esas vestiduras que son las obras justas de los santos que recibieron la Palabra de Dios, que fueron lavados con la sangre del Cordero y que fueron llenos del Espíritu Santo. ¡Qué lindo saber que cualquier cosa que hagamos o cualquier actitud que reflejemos serán las vestiduras que nos cubran y nos harán dignos de estar en las bodas del Cordero! No solo basta con aceptar los pasos de fe para obtener la salvación de nuestras almas, es necesario también vestir nuestras almas. Vístete con actos de caridad, ayudando al necesitado; vístete con actos de misericordia siendo compasivos y tolerantes con los hermanos en Cristo y con los no creyentes; vístete de justicia cuando sufras ataques y maltratos; vístete de mansedumbre en medio de un mundo arrogante; vístete de santidad en una sociedad impura y promiscua; vístete con la armadura de Dios para que venzas todos los ataques del adversario.Deseo que todos los que están escuchando este devocional estén en el gran día ante el Señor sin ninguna vergüenza por la desnudez, sino más bien felices y enamorados del Señor de señores y Rey de reyes que nos amó y caminó con nosotros aquí en la tierra y que nos preparó para estar con Él en las bodas del Cordero, festejada en los cielos. Considera: Si el Señor viniera el día de hoy, ¿te encontraría desnudo o mal vestido?Soy tu hermano y amigo Eduardo Rodríguez. Que el Señor escuche tu oración y te mantenga limpio y puro para aquella gran celebración. ========

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• Ecclesiastes 3:11 God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart (NLT)• "This life is a dressing room for eternity” — Leonard Ravenhill• Revelation 19:6-9 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying, Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty, reigns! Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has prepared herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!” (CSB)• 1Thessalonians 4:13-18 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For we say this to you by a word from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord's coming will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel's voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. (CSB)• “Caught Up”: The meaning is derived from the Latin word “rapturo” which is where we get the word rapture from.• 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2 About the times and the seasons: Brothers and sisters, you do not need anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. (CSB)• Matthew 24:36 “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son—except the Father alone. (CSB)1. Prepare with Perspective• Philippians 3:20 Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. (CSB)• Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ (ASV)2. Prepare with Passion • Jude 1:20-21 But you, dear friends, as you build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting expectantly for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. (CSB)• 1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer (CSB)• Ephesians 6:24 Grace be with all who have undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ. (CSB)• Revelation 2:3-5 I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. (CSB)3. Prepare with Purity• 1 John 3:1-3 See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God's children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know him. Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. (CSB)• Purifies: To cleanse, purify, either ceremonially, actually, or morally• Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works.4. Prepare with Participation• Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching. (CSB)5. Prepare with Perseverance• James 1:12 Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (CSB)• Matthew 24:13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (CSB)• Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (NIV)• 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you will be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; you were called by him into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (CSB)• Jude 1:24-25 Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen. (CSB)• “Holding firmly, I am held” - Charles Spurgeon2 Peter 3:3-9“Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires, saying, “Where is his ‘coming' that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” They deliberately overlook this: By the word of God the heavens came into being long ago and the earth was brought about from water and through water. Through these the world of that time perished when it was flooded. By the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. Dear friends, don't overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay his promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.” (CSB)

"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 18"First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” -2 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV)"The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." - 1 Peter 4:7 (NIV)1. Where is the rapture in scripture? The Bible tells us in Scripture, "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;" - Revelation 12:11 (NIV). We must live by scripture! Let it be your source to making all of your life decisions and help develop your conduct! In Revelation, we learn about the two comings of Jesus. In today's message, Pastor Denny breaks down the differences in the two comings. During the Rapture, Jesus won't physically come to earth, but He will be heard. Believers will rise to meet Him as he comes for His Church. During the Second Advent, He will come and touch the Earth and stay here. In that time, the new believers will come with Him as he comes for His Church. "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NIV)2. What is going to happen?Scripture gives us a picture of what that day will look like."For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." - 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 "Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” - Revelation 19:9(08/16/20 continued...)3. When is the rapture going to take place?"Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel." - Ezekiel 37:12 In this week's message, Pastor Denny talks about the differences between Pre-Tribulation, Mid-Tribulation, and Post-Tribulation.4. Who is going?"Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:8“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." - Matthew 25:10We encourage you to study, watch and pray, not give up on meeting with each other, and to be alert. We do not know the day or the hour, but Jesus is coming back for His church.

"But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 18"First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” -2 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV)"The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." - 1 Peter 4:7 (NIV)1. Where is the rapture in scripture? The Bible tells us in Scripture, "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;" - Revelation 12:11 (NIV). We must live by scripture! Let it be your source to making all of your life decisions and help develop your conduct! In Revelation, we learn about the two comings of Jesus. In today's message, Pastor Denny breaks down the differences in the two comings. During the Rapture, Jesus won't physically come to earth, but He will be heard. Believers will rise to meet Him as he comes for His Church. During the Second Advent, He will come and touch the Earth and stay here. In that time, the new believers will come with Him as he comes for His Church. "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NIV)2. What is going to happen?Scripture gives us a picture of what that day will look like."For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." - 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 "Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” - Revelation 19:9Join us next week as we continue on in this series as Pastor Denny shares what scripture says about WHEN the rapture will take place.

Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I […] The post “Worship God”; Intercession; Jesus: the Exact Representation of the Father… appeared first on Wonder & Reality.

The Bride and The Lamb Conference - Day 2 - October 12, 2019 Revelation 19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

Revelation 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderings saying: “Hallelujah! Because the Lord our God reigns, the Almighty! 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, because the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself.” 8 And it was granted to her to be dressed in fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And he says to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb’.” And he says to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him, but he says to me, “Don’t! I am your fellow slave and among your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

The Centrality of The Table in the Bible Old Testament: Shabbat Meal Jesus: Nine Table Experiences in Jesus’ Life Passover Meal at 12 - 2:41-52 Matthew’s Party - 5:27-39 Anointed by Sinful Woman - 7:36-50 Dinner with the 5000 - 9:10-20 Dinner with Mary & Martha - 10:38-42 Dinner with Pharisees - 11:37-54 Dinner with Pharisees - 14:1-14 The Last Supper - 22:7-23 Resurrection meal with disciples - 24:28-35 Church: Church service was around dinner table (Acts 2:42-47) The Marriage Supper: Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ Revelation 19:9 Research on the Power of the Table Children who experience life around the table… …are healthier physically. …get better grades …are healthier emotionally. The #1 deterrent to your children smoking, drinking, doing drugs, engaging in pre-marital sex and gang involvement is family dinners at least five nights a week. Columbia University Study Six How To’s of the Convivium One Table Saying Grace Family Style One Conversation The Festival of Cleaning up Reclining Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. Matthew 26:20 The Challenge Try to schedule “The Convivium” at least one evening this week Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 Discussion Questions: Think of one of your most meaningful dinners as a child or adult. What was at the table? Was it a special occasion? What were you eating? Are there any common characteristics among your experiences of family dinners? How many dinners do you share with family and friends in an average week? Are you satisfied with this number? What are the causes of your successes or struggles in this area? The Hebrew Day Planner requires that everyone (adults and children) finish work by 6:00pm. If you eliminated all office work, schoolwork and housework, what are the top three things you envision doing with your free time after dinner? Identify one personal action step you can take toward adopting a life of real simplicity.

Introduction I love the stories of church history, of heroes of the faith, men and women who have courageously stood for Christ through 20 centuries, willing to lay down their lives for the advance of the Gospel. The early Christians during the Roman era, for example, were willing to have their blood mingled with the sands of the Colosseum, to stand firm for Christ and not yield to burn that pinch of incense to Caesar. That trail of blood and courage and love and glory has unfolded in every generation since Christ. Most of the greatest stories of the past have yet to be told, but when all is said and done, some of the greatest, most courageous stories of Christian witness have yet to happen. Revelation provides a glimpse of the future. God gave us the book to tell us what must soon take place to help us understand that terrible times are coming. Revelation 12-13 unfolds the drama behind the scene of then-current events of politics and government. Revelation 12 depicts a dragon, Satan, turning the knobs and pulling the levers and flipping the switches of human history. He has been running the world all along, because he is the prince of this world. In some sense he owns the world and can give it to anyone he wants to. The terrifying end of that chapter makes it plain that he hates the children of God, the followers of Jesus. He is filled with rage against them and he will persecute them. Revelation 13, one of the most sobering chapters in the book, reveals his weapon of choice, the Beast from the Sea, at the end of the world to enact his hatred for the people of God. He summons the beast, which is a world empire, from the undulating waves of humanity. The wicked empire is ultimately represented by one head of the beast, a single man, who the Antichrist, the one-world ruler. All tribes and languages and peoples and nations will submit to his authority. When he supposedly receives a mortal wound and is in some deceptive way raised from apparent death, he gains the awe and wonder of the world, adding a religious element of worship to his regime. A second beast, the Beast from the Earth, the false prophet, is brought forth. He points to the Beast from the Sea, the Antichrist, and compels everyone all over the world to bow down and worship him as God. There is no separation of church and state; the most powerful military police state the world has ever seen will perpetrate the worst governmental compulsion there ever has been, forcing individuals to worship the beast. At the end of the chapter the false prophet compels people to receive a mark of allegiance to the beast on the forehead or on the hand; without it they cannot buy or sell. Verse 18 says, “This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.” How does Revelation 14 fit into the flow of these events? It is set in the context of understanding the coming beast and outcomes beyond that. Will the beast finally win? Will he drag everyone to hell? Or will there be a company of redeemed who will stand firm with courage and faithful endurance to make it to the other side? The answer to that last question is absolutely, there will be those who endure to the end. The first half of this chapter is a response to the terror of the reign of Antichrist and the greater power of the Gospel to rescue people from it. The image of the proclamation of the Gospel should be forefront in our thinking. The Lamb and the 144,000 Standing on Mount Zion Verse 1 begins with two interpretive challenges. Revelation 14:1 says, “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.” Where is this Mount Zion, and who are the 144,000? Mount Zion in the Bible is sometimes physical and earthly and sometimes heavenly and spiritual. Is this a heavenly scene of Mount Zion spoken of in Hebrews 12, “not … a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire” but a heavenly place where the spirits of departed saints go to worship and wait for the resurrection? Or is it an earthly scene of the physical Jerusalem? There are arguments for each. The angel said in Acts 1 to the disciples who stood watching as Jesus ascended, expecting him to come back immediately, “Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (In the meantime, Jesus gave them work to do.) Zechariah 14:3-4 implies that Jesus will return right there to the same spot on the Mount of Olives, lending support to those who say Revelation 14:1 refers to literal, earthly Jerusalem: “Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as He fights on a day of battle [Battle of Armageddon]. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem…” Whether a heavenly or earthly Mount Zion, they are with Jesus, indicating that they are beyond the finish line, praise God. They are either in Heaven eternally or on earth after the Second Coming and they have seen the victory described in Revelation 19. The first five verses are a celebration that God’s people will survive the reign of the Antichrist. Hallelujah! Who Are They? As for the 144,000, there are two possibilities among evangelical commentators. Some say they represent all of the redeemed in Christ, that verse 1 is spiritually true of all believers. Others say they represent a subset of believers who are tagged as special and unique. The first time the number 144,000 is mentioned is in Revelation 7:3-4. Revelation 7:3 says, “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God. Then I heard the number of those who are sealed, 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.” There, 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel are sealed as God’s servants. The word “tribe” is interesting. A few verses later, Revelation 7:7-9 uses it in a broader sense to mean all the redeemed: “After this, I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” A brother or sister in another country would be from a specific people group, or tribe, to which missionaries have been sent. The word “tribe” means something. Let us stick with hermeneutics and say they are tribes of Israel — Jews — or else this does not mean anything. Romans 11 teaches at the end of redemptive history, right before the Second Coming of Christ, all Israel will be saved. God will take the hardness and blindness away from the minds of the Jews so they will see at last what so many Gentiles could see so clearly. The Law and the prophets clearly point to Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah, the Son of David, the Savior of the world. They will repent and believe in Him. Many prophecies talk about this. It makes sense in Revelation 14 that this is the same group of 144,000. They are sealed at the end of time before the Second Coming of Christ from the Jewish tribes and they are unique; they do not represent everyone. There are other indications in Revelation 14 that these are not all believers. Verse 4 says “These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure.” That is the NIV 84 translation. A more literal translation reads, “They did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins.” If this were referring to all believers, which includes men and women, it would not make sense to note that they do not defile themselves with women. This is most likely an unmarried group of Jewish men who are chaste, celibate, never having partaken in sexual interaction. They are not immoral — they do not defile themselves sexually; and they choose not to be married. Their Marking Verse 1 says the “144,000 … had [the Lamb’s] name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.” They are marked with Jesus’ name, and with the name of the Father, they are believers, this is a direct contrast to the mark of the beast. The mark of the beast identifies those who worship the beast as God, and this seal identifies these 144,000 as those who worship Jesus as God. It is a clear contrast. It seems to be a sense of ownership, like on their foreheads. They think about the Lamb all the time. Their thoughts are dominated with the Lamb, with the glory of God. Their Worship Verses 2-3 present a picture of heavenly worship: “And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.” John hears a powerful sound flowing from Heaven, which he likens to a waterfall and a thunder clap, two of the loudest natural sounds on earth. Unlike typical harp music, it is loud; unlike thunder, it is a beautiful melodic sound, like the sound of a harp. (The harp and trumpet are the only two instruments mentioned in the book of Revelation.) This is reminiscent of Revelation 4, the heavenly scene in which John, invited to go through the door into the heavenly realms where he sees Almighty God seated on His throne, joins the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders encircling the throne in worship. It is refreshing after the horror of Revelation 13 — the Antichrist, the mark of the beast and all the terror and idolatry and wickedness, to know that the “heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.” We yearn to hear that song in place of the dissonance and discordant sounds of our tortured earth. The phrase “new song” is provocative. It suggests a new arrangement of the synapses or receptors of our soul for a pattern of music no one has ever heard before, but when we hear it, it will move us as never before. It will be a heavenly song which will melt us and satisfy us and delight us. Verse 3 says, “No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.” This gives us an idea that the 144,000 are a subset of the larger group of the redeemed. They receive an honor. We get to listen to it. John has heard it. But these 144,000 alone have the honor of learning and singing this song. They paid for it with their suffering and courage. John Piper said in Let the Nations Be Glad, his book about missions, that missions exist where worship does not. The purpose of missions is to create worship for the true living God. Before the Gospel comes and takes hold, there is idolatry — worshiping and serving created things rather than the Creator. When missionaries come to town, idolatry is replaced with genuine worship. Piper says, “There will come a day that missions and evangelism will be done, it will be fulfilled, but worship will go on forever.” Their Purity The 144,000 are pure. “These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. … No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.” Revelation 14:9-11 describes the sobering reality of eternal conscious torment, and it merits a special focused study. It is wise to link struggle that we may have with sexual sin with the threat of Hell. Jesus did that in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:29: “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” There is an ongoing epidemic of secret sexual sin. It is right for us to fear Hell in light of that. These 144,000 did not defile themselves sexually. The second part says they were virgins, so it seems they abstained from marriage. I believe the Roman Catholic Church has got it wrong on clerical celibacy, which they have required for centuries. Paul calls forbidding or disparaging marriage as unclean “the doctrine of demons.” Hebrews 13 says, “The marriage bed is undefiled.” Ephesians 5 likens a relationship between Jesus and His church to the complete relationship, including sexual, between the husband and wife. There is nothing impure about marriage; it is a good gift from God, the first human institution He established. If that is the case, why do these 144,000 redeemed from the Jews not get married? It seems to be a conscious choice for the sake of the mission and in light of what is going on at that time. Jesus says in Matthew 19:12, “... there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.” Eunuch in that context means they renounced marriage, willingly. They are not commanded to do it by ecclesiastical authority. It is not the doctrine of demons but it is their choice to be single. Paul extols the practical spiritual value of singleness. In 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 he says, “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs — how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world — how he can please his wife — and his interests are divided.” These 144,000 did not have divided interests. In 1 Corinthians 7:26 Paul, speaking to single people, goes beyond that: “Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are.” I do not know what present crisis was going on, but it had to do with a spiritual crisis of persecution and difficulty in the world. He continues in verse 29-31: What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.” How much more true will those words be a couple of years before Jesus returns, during the reign of the Antichrist? If the time was short when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 7, it will be much shorter then. Perhaps the 144,000 renounced marriage so they could be totally focused on the will of Christ. It will be very difficult for a married man in those days. Jesus said how difficult it would be for pregnant women and nursing mothers. What about loving husbands and fathers? If there is that level of persecution, your job would be to protect and provide for your family. Water and food will be scarce, the mark of the beast is there, they are hunting down people who will not bow down, and your job would be to take care of your wife and your kids. Extreme Devotion, a book about the persecuted church over 20 centuries, provides testimonies throughout church history of people who have suffered for the Gospel. Richard Wurmbrand, a missionary to Romania, tells the story from the communist era about Pastor Florescu, who was arrested for being a Christian leader. He was tortured savagely to coerce him to give up the names of his fellow worshipers. He would not yield; he would rather die than give up their names, until they brought in his 14-year-old son, Alexander. They whipped and beat him to get the information from his father. It was more than Pastor Florescu could endure. “…he cried to his son, ‘Alexander, I must say what they want! I can’t bear your beating anymore!’ The son answered, ‘Father, don’t do me the injustice of having a traitor as a parent. Withstand! If they kill me, I will die with the words of Jesus [on my lips]….’ The Communists, enraged, fell upon the child and beat him to death, with blood spattered over the walls of the cell. He died praising God.” It is understandable how earthly connections would be a weakness; the urge to protect one’s family in a situation like that would divide one’s interests. This is not a denigration of marriage but a choice given the circumstances. Total Dedication to Christ They are totally dedicated. Verse 4 says, “They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.” They are willing to die for Jesus. Where does the Lamb go? He goes to seek and save the lost, and He will be doing that right to the final moment. He will send these men (and angels) to preach the Gospel to people. Though they are the hardest, most wicked generation there ever has been, He is still trying to reach them, still sending people to proclaim the eternal Gospel. These 144,000 are like SEAL Team Six: focused, dedicated, cannot be shut up, willing to die for Jesus in that final few years of human history. Is that not a measurement of His love for wicked rebels who are cursing Him and bowing down to an idol? God loves these men. Jesus said [Mark 8:34, Matthew 16:24, Luke 9:23], “If anyone would be my disciple, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, whoever loses his life for my sake and for the Gospel will find it.” He says in John 12:24-26, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself a single seed, but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me. And where I am, there my servant will be also. My father will honor the one who serves me.” These are 144,000 honorable men who are willing to lay down their lives for Jesus. Revelation 14:4 continues, “They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb.” The word “firstfruits” implies that they will be the first offering from among a massive harvest to follow. We cannot say how many will be converted in those final days, but the word implies that these men will be effective witnesses to bring many to Christ. Three Angels After the 144,000, three angels appear in midair. They bring pronouncements of warning and judgment: fear the God who made the earth and everything in it, and flee to the only refuge there is, the eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ; the evil world system called Babylon the Great, set up under the Antichrist, has fallen and the judgement of God is on it, so flee from its allurements and its poisonous drink of sexual immorality; and the consequences of worshipping the Antichrist and receiving his mark and bowing down to the idol will be eternal conscious torment. These three warnings are given by grace from a loving God who is perfectly just. Wrath is most certainly coming, so be warned and flee while there is time. Those who take the warnings seriously will flee to Christ and find a Savior. I believe God will literally send these three angels, but He is not obligated to give any warnings. We have their message already recorded in Scripture, which is sufficient warning. The First Angel Verses 6-7 provide the first angel’s message: “Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal Gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth-- to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.’” The worldwide proclamation of the Gospel and the faith that comes from it are the point of redemptive history, so we should be thinking about proclamation of the Gospel with the 144,000. The angel is a mysterious supplement to the witness of the believers at that point. The word “angel” means “messenger”. This is definitely an angel, not a human messenger. He was given the Gospel to preach. It is tempting to ask the Lord to send angels to preach. There would be no need for missions offerings, missionaries, passports, visas, or TSA. They are relentlessly determined, completely obedient, fearless; they cannot be killed, hurt or arrested; they cannot be stopped. This is not to say that angels do not participate in the strategy of the spread of the Gospel. The Bible gives many instances of their involvement. Mary was told by an angel that she would bear the Son of God. The day Jesus was born in Bethlehem, angels announced His birth, calling him Son of David, Savior of the world. At the empty tomb after Jesus’ resurrection, an angel rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning; he told the disciples, “He is not here, He is risen.” In the book of Acts, an angel told Cornelius to send messengers to bring Peter to preach. An angel told Philip to go south to the desert road where he preached to the Ethiopian eunuch. However, the ministry of reconciliation has mostly been entrusted to humans. We cannot be lazy and lean back on angelic intervention for unreached people groups. We have no biblical right to assume that God will send an angel to those people. We are called to reach out to those who have never heard the Gospel. Imagine the problem if angels were sent exclusively. When the Roman soldiers saw the angel with an appearance like lightning, they shook with fear and became like dead men. If he had revived them to share the Gospel, they would have been ready to listen. But the supernatural display would remove a lot of the faith needed to believe in a human Savior. Instead, God sends unimpressive, average, regular people who are easy to despise. Jesus was like that. Isaiah 53:2 says, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” The Apostle Paul was contemptible in appearance. His letters are weighty, but his speaking did not move the needle much. He himself said, “I was with you in weakness and fear and much trembling.” That is who God sends to the world, people like you and me — weak, sinful, frail servants. We are told to go preach the Gospel. We cannot rest on the angels. This angel has the eternal Gospel to preach, meaning God had all this worked out before He said, “Let there be light.” The message of Christ and Him crucified is that all humans have violated God’s laws repeatedly, and those who repent of their sins and trust in the one Savior available for the whole human race rather than in their own works will be forgiven and made new. That Savior is the Son of God, Jesus, who was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life and who died on a cross for the sins of the world. This angel will proclaim “the eternal Gospel … to those who live on the earth — to every nation, tribe, language and people.” He will preach, but it does not mean they will believe the message. Things will be very difficult by then. The seven trumpet judgments have happened. The ecology of the earth has been ravaged. The one-world ruler is in place. Many have received the mark of the beast already. He gives a warning to those who refused to believe. Verse 7 says, “He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. [Then he points to creation.] Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.’” Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, so fear the God who has done all of this to the earth. The Second Angel The second angel proclaims judgment on Babylon and strengthens the message of the first angel. Verse 8 says, “A second angel followed and said, ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.’” Babylon is code for the worldwide organized human system of wickedness set up by Satan that feeds into our desire for the things that trap us. 1 John 2:15-16 cautions, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life comes not from the Father but from the world.” The spirit of Babylon is present now but in the end it will be ramped up, like a dimmer switch turned up. “Babylon the Great” will be on display at that time for the whole world to participate in. This angel warns that the whole system of Babylon the Great has fallen. In an instant, it will be thrown down by the Second Coming of Christ in His glory. See it before it happens. This system you love, all of the worldly stuff you chase after, the things that allure your heart, are fallen things. The maddening wine, this intoxicating brew of her adulteries is wickedness and it will destroy your soul The Third Angel The third angel was the most dreadful. Verses 9-11, some of the most fearsome verses in the entire Bible, say,“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.’” The word “too” indicates that although generations of people did not receive the mark of the beast because they did not live in that time, all those throughout history who have rejected God will be tormented in the same way. Endurance in Obedience Test of True Salvation The section ends with a call for endurance and obedience, even to the point of death. Verse 12 says, “This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” The 144,000 are a select subset but they still are an example to the rest of us. We are called to be like them in some ways, to imitate their courage and faithful obedience to God’s commands. It calls for patient endurance on the part of the saint to obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. That will be the final test of salvation, Jesus said in Matthew 10:22, “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” You would think you are too weak to face it. Of course you are! How can you face Satan incarnate with all of his power and be courageous? Jesus gave us comfort. He said in Matthew 10:19-20, “But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” You do not have to write your final words. Some of the greatest statements in church history have been made by dying men and women. Felicitas did not prepare in advance, but the Holy Spirit spoke through her: “While I live, I shall defeat you and if you kill me, I shall defeat you even more.” Jan Hus proclaimed, “What I taught with my life, I now seal with my lips.” Not only will the Spirit tell you what to say, He will give you the courage to stand firm even to the end. You will not fall away if you are a genuine believer in Christ. To God be the glory. Eternal Rewards All who remain faithful to the end in the testimony of Jesus and obey His commandments, verse 13, come into their reward. “Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit [in agreement with what He inspires. Write the Scripture and the Spirit will testify], ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.’” John wrote it for us Get your strength and your courage and faith from the Scripture. The time of toil and suffering will end. It will be a time of eternal Sabbath rest forever in Heaven and your deeds will follow you in a good way. The Lord will look at your deeds and reward you for whatever was done for His glory, in obedience to His Word, by faith in Jesus, with a loving demeanor. Applications The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom I have already preached the Gospel. I have begged any of you who are unconverted, while there is time, flee to Christ. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Read these words and realize this is the God we are talking about. You might die this evening; if so, although the end time things will not have happened yet, but your end will have come. Flee to Christ while there is time. We Are Christ’s Ambassadors Second, we are not the 144,000, but we can be inspired by them and other heroes and role models. Ask God for the chance to say and do something for His Gospel this week. As you gather with family for Thanksgiving, seek the opportunity to speak boldly to one or more who may be unconverted. Look for opportunity on campus or in the workplace to ask, “Who do you give thanks to on Thanksgiving?” If you receive an answer and the question in return, you have a chance to be a courageous witness for Jesus. Be Warned About the Dangers of Babylon Third, be warned about the dangers of Babylon the Great. I urge any who are drawn into secret sexual sin, male or female, flee the coming wrath. Flee to Christ. God has the power to deliver you, to set you free from habits that corrupt your nature. “‘Come out…and be separate,’ says the Lord.” [2 Corinthians 6:17] Look Ahead to the Terror of Hell Next week, we will talk about the eternality of Hell. Pray that God would give me the right words to say. I would not choose to preach on it as a topic, but because I exposit verse by verse, skipping over nothing, I am delivered from the choice to ignore it. We should not assume that everyone who assembles here knows the things in this text or believes they are true. We need to ask the Lord to teach us the truth. Look Ahead to the Certainty of Reward Finally, look ahead to the joys of Heaven. I do not know what that new song will sound like but I look forward to hearing it. Closing Prayer Father, thank you for the time we have had to be in your Word today. Thank you for the things that we have learned. Father, please strengthen each of us to be courageous witnesses for Christ, to do the work that you have for us to do. Father, I pray that you give us compassion on those who are still on the outside looking in. Help us to love them, to cherish their souls, and to be willing to speak the truth to them even though it is painful. Thank you for the truth you have spoken to us this morning. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Your support helps us to continue to bring God's message of light to a dark world, I'm praying for Billions of Souls to come to Christ before we go home, please continue to help us through your prayers and financial support, Our going home is nearer then when we began our race, it is not time to give up but to continue to persevere through daily repenting and weekly fasting believing God's word, please join us every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in our Corporate Fasting, servant of the Lord Jesus,,,Elvi zapata OUR web page click link  http://www.thelordshour.org/   Tonight Elvi Zapata will share with you what God has been showing him through dreams and visions regarding the end time, what is about to happen in Israel and around World   The Lord Jesus showed me in a vision that when people support this program, The Lords Hour'' He would bless them abundantly, he showed me blessings coming to people's lives from different directions, it was amazing to see what our God can do for his sons and daughters. by supporting this program, you also support, the Poor of Israel 

Tonight  Elvi Zapata will share with you what God has been showing him through dreams and visions regarding the end time,  what is about to happen in Israel and around World The Lord Jesus showed me in a vision that when people support this program, The Lords Hour''   He would bless them abundantly, he showed me blessings coming to people's lives from different directions, it was amazing to see what our God can do for his sons and daughters. by supporting this program, you also support, the Poor of Israel and Africa  www.thelordshour.com