Disaster Training

Disaster Training

Revelation 9: ⁷ The locusts looked like horses ready for battle; on their heads they had what seemed to be crowns of gold, and their faces were like human faces. ⁸ Their hair was like women's hair, their teeth were like lions' teeth. ⁹ Their chests were covered with what looked like iron breastplates, and the sound made by their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle. ¹⁰ They have tails and stings like those of a scorpion, and it is with their tails that they have the power to hurt people for five months. ¹¹ They have a king ruling over them, who is the angel in charge of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon; in Greek the name is Apollyon (meaning “The Destroyer”).

 

¹² The first horror is over; after this there are still two more horrors to come.

 

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Working in a building with several floors came with its challenges. One challenge was addressing “What would happen if a storm hit the building?” We were given instructions to follow by the disaster leaders.

 

• We had to understand what to do and where to go during a disaster.
• Somehow, the disaster leaders needed to recognize when a disaster hit and know what to do.
• Knowing how long the disaster drill would take, helped me plan the rest of my day.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, continued his description of the horror that would take place after the fifth angel blew his trumpet. He went into detail, describing the locusts as best he could because he had never seen anything like it. He also was given the duration that the locusts would be able to cause pain.

 

My Observations:

• It seems like GOD is preparing the people HE gave a seal on their foreheads, to recognize a supernatural disaster and to also know how long it will last.
• It also seems like those who are sealed by GOD will have an important role during the supernatural disaster.
• As with all disasters, this supernatural disaster could not be averted, rather prepared for.

 

Preparation helps. I mean, when I can prepare for difficult times, it makes it easier for me to go through the unpleasant situation. GOD seems to love preparing you and me for what HE is going to do. The problem is believing HE will do what HE says.

 

GOD has told us HE loves faith. JESUS got excited when faith was shown, even in its smallest way. HE also said “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” HE means these words to those who believe in JESUS as the Savior from the judgement HE “will” do on Satan’s kingdom. Those who believe can find comfort, knowing they will not have to experience GOD’s wrath.

 

Challenge

• Does the writer seem overwhelmed by what was shown?
• Have you ever been in a disaster drill?
• Have you ever been in a situation that was devastating and were not prepared for it?
• Will you read what GOD has revealed so you can be prepared for the remainder of your life by surrendering your life to JESUS today?

Fighting Nature

Fighting Nature
 

Revelation 9: Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet. I saw a star which had fallen down to the earth, and it was given the key to the abyss.  ² The star opened the abyss, and smoke poured out of it, like the smoke from a large furnace; the sunlight and the air were darkened by the smoke from the abyss. ³ Locusts came down out of the smoke upon the earth, and they were given the same kind of power that scorpions have. ⁴ They were told not to harm the grass or the trees or any other plant; they could harm only the people who did not have the mark of God's seal on their foreheads. ⁵ The locusts were not allowed to kill these people, but only to torture them for five months. The pain caused by the torture is like the pain caused by a scorpion's sting. ⁶ During those five months they will seek death, but will not find it; they will want to die, but death will flee from them.

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On our way home from vacation, we stopped at a rest area to stretch our legs and use the bathroom. I was the first one out and I noticed a sign, pointing to a path. Not ready to end my vacation just yet, I asked “Would you all like to see the path?” “Yes” was the reply. Once inside we got swarmed by mosquitos!

 

• I got bit by multiple mosquitos.
• I was stung in awkward places like my ankle, the top of my head and my elbow.
• I was uncomfortable for about a week or ten days.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, heard the fifth angel blow his trumpet. He saw nature move in different ways. A star, an abyss and locusts with special instructions were used to carry out GOD’s fifth part of tearing down Satan’s kingdom.

 

My Observations:

• Things that I observe to have no intelligence, such as a star, can be used by GOD for HIS plan.
• GOD has complete command over nature and has a plan to use it for HIS purpose.
• At some point GOD will unleash nature against those who do not believe in HIM, HIS SON and HIS power.

 

Fighting nature is impossible, because it equates to fighting GOD. I mean, I can seek food, shelter and clothing as my basic necessities, but they are limited when it comes to fighting GOD. HE has the power to command nature to do as HE pleases.

 

Any past observations of how nature should act will be thrown out the window, because GOD will tell it to perform in a prescribed way that will baffle humans. HE will protect those who believe in HIS SON by telling nature not to harm HIS children.

 

Challenge

• What parts of nature does the writer observe?
• Some bugs emerge every seventeen years, so is it so far fetched that GOD can use locusts?
• Will you focus on your relationship with CHRIST to not only avoid plagues, but to have an abundant life today?

Becoming Strong

Becoming Strong

Hebrews 11: ³² Should I go on? There isn't enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. ³³ Through faith they fought whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. ³⁵ Through faith women received their dead relatives raised back to life.

 

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“You need some help?” was the welcome question that was posed to me. “Yes!” I quickly replied to the strangers who saw me struggling to move my furniture in by myself. What was taking me hours took minutes. I had no pay, but I said “Thank you!”

 

• I thought I could do this myself.
• I thought I did not need anyone, but I did.
• I thought I was strong enough, but really I was weak.

 

Paul, the assumed writer, had just presented a list of various types of faith examples. He then mentions something they all had in common, namely they were weak. None of the people mentioned, set out to accomplish anything, rather, they were used by GOD in an extraordinary way and were labeled as strong.

 

My Observations:

• Strength in GOD means I do ordinary things and HE does something extraordinary with it.
• GOD simply wants me to stay focused on HIM and allow HIM to show HIS strength.
• I have to recognize and appreciate how weak I am in order to gain the strength I need from GOD.

 

For when I am weak, then I am strong. I mean, when I recognize I need GOD and the people HE sends, then I can get strong. Human strength and bring on human results, which sometimes look tempting. I can remain in control when I do things with human effort. It makes me feel better, but the results won’t have GOD’s blessings, which makes any result poor.

 

When I include GOD in my plans and recognize it will only take HIS power to move the mountain, then I get a supernatural result that I cannot explain. My weak effort becomes something amazing that can only be attributed to GOD. I am glad to say I am weak, therefore I can get strong through faith in GOD.

 

Challenge

• Can you imagine a time when the people the writer lists, were weak?
• Have you ever felt frustrated, overwhelmed or exhausted and wanted help from GOD?
• Will you recognize you are weak and need GOD to provide HIS strength in all your plans so HE can make them effective, HIS way and HIS time?

Playing with Shadows

Playing with Shadows

Hebrews 8: ³ Every high priest is appointed to present offerings and animal sacrifices to God, and so our High Priest must also have something to offer. ⁴ If he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer the gifts required by the Jewish Law. ⁵ The work they do as priests is really only a copy and a shadow of what is in heaven. It is the same as it was with Moses. When he was about to build the Sacred Tent, God told him, “Be sure to make everything according to the pattern you were shown on the mountain.” ⁶ But now, Jesus has been given priestly work which is superior to theirs, just as the covenant which he arranged between God and his people is a better one, because it is based on promises of better things.

 

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Bored waiting on whatever my parents were doing, I looked around and could not find anything to play with. The sun was shining, so when I raised my hands I noticed the shadow on the floor did the same thing. I decided to play with that. I lifted my foot and the shadow responded. Soon I was making all kinds of things happen with the shadow. But when I got home, I was able to play with real people. It was so much better!

 

• I played with my shadow, but it could not do what a real person could do.
• I was able to make the shadow do what I wanted, but it could not do what I needed.
• I pretended the shadow was enough, but when reality came I felt better.

 

Paul, the assumed writer, compares the activity of human high priests to that of JESUS, the true High Priest. He says that what they do to atone for sins is only a “shadow” of the real thing. What Moses was told to do was only a pattern of the real thing.

 

My Observations:

• JESUS is superior to anything I could ever do.
• JESUS is above any “good” act I could ever try.
• JESUS is where I can place all my trust because humans can fall.

 

Pastors, priests and preachers are nice to have, but are full of flaws and sometimes contradictions. I mean, it does not matter who is preaching, there is a part of him or her that is made up of sin. BUT JESUS has no sin. HE can speak worlds into existence because HE has no flaws.

 

JESUS is the “real deal!” What I do for HIM and what others do and say about HIM are only a shadow of the real thing. Shadows are weak and powerless, but they exists. My actions are weak and powerless, but they exist. GOD sees when I mimic HIM and is pleased. I am grateful, GOD turns my weak, shadowlike actions into treasures I can’t imagine.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer compare the actions of a high priest to a shadow?
•  Have you ever done something as a child, then done something similar as an adult and laughed at your childish actions?
• Will you seek JESUS as the real thing to come and keep going with the actions the HOLY SPIRIT leads you to do, knowing you will be rewarded by GOD someday?

No Coincidence

Luke 4: ¹⁶ So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
¹⁹ To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

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 “How in the world am I going to get out of this mess?” I said to myself. This time when the car stopped working, it felt final. I was stuck on the side of the road, in the dark in a place that I suspected was not friendly. After a long time of sitting on my trunk, a couple stopped to give me a ride. I was nervous about them because they did not look or sound like me. “Do you know the LORD?’ was one of their questions. I was relieved.

• I used to think things just happened by chance.
• I used to think things happened randomly.
• I used to think I could make things happen.

JESUS went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and was handed the scroll written by the prophet Isaiah. The timing could not have been more perfect because the verses HE read was about HIM and they described HIS purpose undeniably. Was this a coincidence? No!

• GOD says to me “MY encounters with you are no coincidence.”
• GOD says to me “I knew you before I laid the foundations of the world.”
• GOD says to me “I chose you because of MY SON.”

I may think there are coincidences, but there really are not. Even a dust speck flying in my eye distracting me for a moment is part of GOD’s incredible plan. HE knows my sin and HE knows when I serve HIM with a filled heart.

HE sends people to me to speak about HIM and sometimes HE sends me to people so I can be filled up by them. Dry seasons and seasons of plenty are not flukes but are carefully placed in my life to enable me to be a better ambassador for GOD.

• Do you wish things happened differently in your life?
• Do you think situations happen by chance?
• Will you stop trying to control your life and believe that GOD’s plan for you is a solid well thought out plan?