Planned From the Beginning

 

Planned From the Beginning

Revelation 9: ¹³ Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet. I heard a voice coming from the four corners of the gold altar standing before God. ¹⁴ The voice said to the sixth angel, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River!” ¹⁵ The four angels were released; for this very hour of this very day of this very month and year they had been kept ready to kill a third of all the human race. ¹⁶ I was told the number of the mounted troops: it was two hundred million. ¹⁷ And in my vision I saw the horses and their riders: they had breastplates red as fire, blue as sapphire, and yellow as sulfur. The horses' heads were like lions' heads, and from their mouths came out fire, smoke, and sulfur. ¹⁸ A third of the human race was killed by those three plagues: the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur coming out of the horses' mouths. ¹⁹ For the power of the horses is in their mouths and also in their tails. Their tails are like snakes with heads, and they use them to hurt people.

 

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Planning an event, I got engrossed in the details. Someone asked me “Do you have anyone scheduled to set up and tear down?” I had thought about setting everything up, but it did not dawn on me to think about tearing down the event.

 

• I had to plan tear down before the event started.
• I had to know the hour, day month and year I was going to tear down the event.
• I had to assign specific resources to tear down the event.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, heard the sixth angel blow his trumpet. A voice, perhaps JESUS, told the sixth angel to release four angels that were ready to tear down Satan’s kingdom at a very specified hour, day, month and year. The four angels were released from where it all started, near the Garden of Eden’s river Euphrates.

 

My Observations:

• GOD cursed humanity and the earth when Adam and Eve sinned.
• JESUS volunteered to take on the death sentence that was meant for all of humanity.
• JESUS lived a sinless life and is now the judge over Satan and has provided a revelation of what HE plans to do.

 

The end was planned from the beginning. I mean, GOD is not reacting to anything that is going on today. HE is not surprised to see the moral decay and emerging hatred. HE knew from the beginning how many people would choose HIM as their Savior.

 

Unfortunately there will be some who will reject the love of CHRIST no matter how much love is shown to him or her. JESUS showed immense love and the FATHER immense constraint. HE provides ample time for us to accept JESUS as the Savior. I hope for more to come to know HIM in a saving way.

 

Challenge

• What exciting thing did the writer share?
• What surprises do you see in this passage?
• Do you see that GOD is very methodical and has a plan that cannot be stopped for you and me today?

Holder of Life

Mark 9: And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”

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“You can extend your life by 10 years” is what the personal trainer said to me as he challenged me to do another rep. Eat right, sleep right, exercise right were all terms used to say I would live longer.

• Sometimes I think I can “extend” my life.
• Sometimes I think I am in control of “my” life.
• Sometimes I think death is an arbitrary date that I have control over.

JESUS clearly knew who HE was speaking about when HE said this simple statement. HE knew when people would live and when they would die.

• GOD says to me “There is a day and time appointed for you.”
• GOD says to me “Death has no power over you when you love ME.”
• GOD says to me “Everlasting life is what I came to the world to give you.”

When JESUS rose, HE got up with great power. HE had overcome ALL sin. Belief in HIS power enables me to have everlasting life with HIM in HIS kingdom. HE holds my life in HIS hands.

• Are you trying to “extend” your life?
• Do you think you are in control of your life?
• Will you give your life to JESUS and let HIM guide you today?

Guard My House

Matthew 24: ⁴² “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. ⁴³ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

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“Have a drink” one person exclaimed. Laughter filled the air as the libations were poured out. I did not like the taste but I indulged. Later that evening we played drunk games. While I wasn’t drunk, I indulged. I mean it looked like “fun” and perhaps leading to sex!

• Many times I let my guards down.
• Many times I have opened the door to my heart to things that should not be there.
• Many times I went to sleep when I should have stayed awake, guarding my house.

Nothing good ever came out of letting my guards down, not even for a minute. Whatever I was running away from was still there the next day and then I may have added guilt on top of my problem. What am I supposed to do?

• GOD says to me “Be ready” so I should stop looking for “me” and seek HIS face.
• GOD says to me “The SON of man will come” so I should expect HIS return.
• GOD says to me “I will return when you do not expect ME.”

Readiness is not easy, but necessary. I mean I sin, but I sure would like to be caught in the act of serving someone versus harming them. Being ready makes me do the things GOD wants me to do instead of the things I shouldn’t place in my heart. HE guides me to a better place when I guard my heart.

• Are you giving up on GOD?
• Do you feel you “deserve” to sin a little?
• Can you stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back to the strength which is following CHRIST?

Who What When

Matthew 24: ³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰ Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

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Waiting was the horrible part. I did not know how the announcement would come or if I had even made it in. The principal called out names to the office over the loud speaker. My heart was elated. I had passed the test to get into the high school I wanted to attend!

• Sometimes I get anxious waiting.
• Sometimes I get impatient looking for something to happen.
• Sometimes I get jittery just sitting when I am expecting something to happen.

Humans have said “JESUS will return on X day at X hour.” Movies have been made about specific dates the world will end. This is strange because not even JESUS knows the day or the hour, only the FATHER knows.

• GOD wants me to seek HIM daily so I do not have to sit and wait.
• GOD wants me to prepare people for JESUS’s return so I need to focus only on that.
• GOD wants me to stop worrying about those who predict the end of the world and focus on making sure people believe in the SON.

The day is unknown but it will come quickly, like a thief in the night. GOD wants me to be ready.

• Are you ready for JESUS’s return?
• Do you think it is centuries away?
• Can you stop being skeptical about HIS return because of those who claim to know the day or the hour?
• Will you serve GOD today?