A song of praise

Revelation 15: They held harps given them by God ³ and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:

“Great and marvelous are your deeds,
     Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
     King of the nations.
⁴ Who will not fear you, Lord,
     and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
    and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

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Today is a great opportunity for me to praise GOD. He does some great things in my life and I am richly blessed. Everything HE decides for me is alright to me. HE is the ultimate leader whom I fear.

I place HIM in the position of GOD rather than thinking HE is equal to or beneath me so HIS name is above any action I will take. One day I will worship HIM when I can see HIM but for now I worship HIM in faith.

Get prepared

Revelation 14: ⁶ 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. ⁷ 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.”

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My robe and cap had arrived. I was actually graduating.  It seemed like such a difficult road but I had made it.  I was now ready to face the world, but with what?

• GOD wants me to use my talents to tell people about HIS SON.
• GOD desires that I focus my fears on HIM rather than fearing something that has to report to HIM.
• GOD craves that I lift HIM up to GOD status and say HE has the right to do as HE pleases.

Worshiping GOD means I have to accept HIS plan the way HE wants it to unfold.  I mean I may not get the thing I want the way I want it, but I will get what I need when I need it. GOD wants me to prepare for an eternal relationship with HIM and I can start right now.

• Are you prepared to be with the LORD?
• Has your faith waned?
• Can you allow GOD to let HIS might plan work in you?
• Won’t you follow HIM and fear HIM today?

Don’t be fooled

Revelation 13: ⁸ All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

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Pondering GOD’s love takes me down two paths, why me or why not me. When I go down the “why me” path then I blame GOD for everything that is wrong and I refuse to see HIS mercy. When I go down the “why not me” path then I accept my responsibility and understand I have to account for every action in my life. Both paths have their own destination.

• Either GOD has the authority to place my name in the Lamb’s book of life or I can blame HIM for having harsh rules that are impossible to follow.
• Either GOD has the supremacy to place my name in the Lamb’s book of life or I can fight and say HE doesn’t exist because “how can a god allow all these problems?”
• Either GOD has the sovereignty to place my name in the Lamb’s book of life or I can deny HIS claim that it takes belief in JESUS’ death and resurrection and authority.

I chose to believe!

• Do you believe your name is written in the Lamb’s book if life?
• Have you accepted JESUS’ authority over your life?
• Can you seek HIM today?

Triumphant

Revelation 12: ¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

¹¹ They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

¹² Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!

But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

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• Just when I think I’m losing GOD says HE already won.
• Just when I thought everything is lost GOD said HE already won.
• Just when I was about to give up GOD said HE already won.

GOD revealed exactly what happened to the accuser. GOD used HIS might to ban the accuser and reserved a place for me. HIS love has already conquered every sin I have committed and all who believe in HIS SON!

GOD wins!

Revelation 11: ¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying:

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.

¹⁸ The nations were angry,
and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

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My head was pounding and I could barely breathe. It seemed like every note sent to me was filled with more bad news. I said to myself “this is going to be a rotten day” and guess what… it was!

• When I focus on everything bad I forget to look at GOD.
• When I look at everything wrong I can’t see what is right.
• When I see everything terrible I lose my direction on where GOD is calling me.

When situations arise I tend to forget GOD has already won! I may think HE is losing because I’m feeling rather beat up but HIS victory is nothing but reward for me.

• GOD rewards me for revering HIS name.
• GOD rewards me for recognizing HIS place and HIS power.
• GOD rewards me for reveling in HIS power.

GOD reigns now! HE always has and will always reign. I mean the situations that I think are catastrophic were known to GOD way before they happened. HE understands and HE loves. I get excited just watching HIS power!

• Are you stuck?
• Do you think you have no way out?
• Can you rely on GOD’s matchless power to be in control of your situation?

The GOOD NEWS and the bad news

Revelation 10: ¹⁰ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. ¹¹ Then I was told, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

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Nervously I stood and walked down the aisle of our church.  Something moved me to get up and accept what was being said about CHRIST. What a sweet moment! Little did I know, the message of CHRIST wouldn’t always be an easy one to swallow.

• The GOOD NEWS is CHRIST died for me and everyone; the bad news is not everyone will accept HIM.
• The GOOD NEWS is CHRIST paid the penalty of my sin and anyone who believes; the bad news is many who say they believe have not truly put JESUS above all.
• The GOOD NEWS is CHRIST made salvation available to me and anyone else; the bad news is people will try to force their way into heaven by doing good, acting religious or trying to avoid sin.

Heaven is truly a remarkable place that I look forward to seeing those who have died before me but the reality is, I will not see everyone I thought I would see. Quite frankly there will be some who will be surprised to see me in heaven!

• GOD wants me to spread the GREAT NEWS about HIS SON to all people.
• GOD wants me to spread the GREAT NEWS about HIS SON to every nation.
• GOD wants me to spread the GREAT NEWS about HIS SON to kings of many languages.

The bad news is there will be opposition to HIS message. There will be many obstacles to my belief and temptations to pull away from GOD. Sin will look easier than serving. BUT GOD’s will, will be done!

• Are you following GOD’s way or your own way?
• Do you believe you can be good enough to get in heaven or has JESUS died for your sins?
• Is your lifestyle pleasing to GOD or can you ask HIM to help you change it?
• Won’t you seek HIS face today?

Being stubborn

Revelation 9: ²⁰ But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! ²¹ And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

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“Wow!” I thought to myself as I read these words.  What encouragement could I get from these words? I mean it seems like a hopeless situation for all humans. What good could possibly come out of this predicted situation?

Here are a few things I realize…

• GOD is giving me plenty of time to turn to HIM.
• GOD is giving me ample notice to turn to HIM.
• GOD is giving me full warning that if I do not turn to HIM HE will turn against me.

Many times I only want to see the loving, “forgive and forget” side of GOD, this way I can continue in the sin I desire to remain in.  I convince myself that there are no consequences for my actions because “HE will forgive me anyway.” There is a better way to look at this “win lose” situation.

• GOD understands I will sin the rest of my life but loves when I make every attempt to seek HIM.
• GOD knows when I feel like being greedy but loves when I finally sacrifice.
• GOD sees when I doubt HIM but loves when I place my dependence on HIM.
• GOD watches me try to justify my lusts but loves when I focus my energy on HIM.

The great news is JESUS did save me from myself. HE knew I would never turn to HIM so HE took the eternal consequences of my sin but that doesn't mean my relative consequence goes away.  I mean if I were to rob a bank and get shot in the process then my consequence for my action would be served.

I do not profess to understand why every sin I do is not met with immediate consequence, in fact it scares me. I do know that when I turn to GOD I am blessed ever time!

• Are you doing something GOD doesn't want you to do?
• Is your heart getting hard toward “that” person?
• Even though you are forgiven for all sins, can you turn away from some of them sometimes?
• Won’t you put your trust in GOD and know HE forgives?