Unharmed Woman Witnessed

Unharmed Woman Witnessed

Revelation 12: Then a great and mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a woman, whose dress was the sun and who had the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. ² She was soon to give birth, and the pains and suffering of childbirth made her cry out.

³ Another mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and a crown on each of his heads. ⁴ With his tail he dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth. He stood in front of the woman, in order to eat her child as soon as it was born. ⁵ Then she gave birth to a son, who will rule over all nations with an iron rod. But the child was snatched away and taken to God and his throne. ⁶ The woman fled to the desert, to a place God had prepared for her, where she will be taken care of for 1,260 days.

 

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Everyone was working normally until a sudden moment. An armored car pulled up and I could see the tension on the manager’s face as the guards entered the facility. They quickly went into the back, grabbed what they needed and quickly left. I asked what was going on. Someone said, “We had a lot of cash that needed to be deposited and required a special level of protection.”

 

• The cargo was precious and required a different level of protection.
• The place that held the cargo was at risk, so it needed special protection.
• Once the cargo was delivered, normal operations continued and all was well.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, had heard the seventh trumpet blow. JESUS was revealed and was now showing him a recap of life from the beginning of human time. JESUS showed John a woman about to give birth. The woman was precious to GOD as well as the baby. They both needed special protection from GOD.

 

My Observations:

• Life is precious to GOD.
• JESUS chose to become a human and was born by a woman who belonged to one of the twelve tribes.
• Satan tried to stop JESUS from being born, but his plan to harm the baby or the woman, was thwarted.

 

As fragile as this plan seemed, GOD’s protection was always there. Satan did a lot of harm and JESUS showed us that everything was in control. The birth of JESU was the beginning of a victorious story.

 

HE will one day return and rule with an “iron rod” meaning this time HE won’t be so gentle. GOD’s power protected JESUS and the nation HE chose to be born through. That same power protects me and you.

 

Challenge

• Do you think the writer knew what was being shown?
• Have you ever needed a recap of events to know what was going to happen next?
• Will you believe that the woman, also known as the nation JESUS chose, was safe and did give birth to JESUS and HE did die and was raised to life and is victorious for you and me today?

Time has come

Time has come

Revelation 11: ¹⁵ Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The power to rule over the world belongs now to our Lord and his Messiah, and he will rule forever and ever!” ¹⁶ Then the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones in front of God threw themselves face downward and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying:

“Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who was!
We thank you that you have taken your great power
    and have begun to rule!
¹⁸ The heathen were filled with rage,
    because the time for your anger has come,
    the time for the dead to be judged.
The time has come to reward your servants, the prophets,
    and all your people, all who have reverence for you,
    great and small alike.
The time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth!”

¹⁹ God's temple in heaven was opened, and the Covenant Box was seen there. Then there were flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

 

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Knowing I had the job was comforting, but the changes in the organization had not been announced. I was one of many who were starting a new division in the company. I could act like an entrepreneur in the company, while being paid as an employee.

 

• I could not wait for the time for us to get started.
• I could not wait for the time for us to be empowered to do what we wanted to do.
• I could not wait for the time to be rewarded for my hard work.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, heard the seventh and final angel blow his trumpet. JESUS, the Messiah, was announced as the one who is in “power.” He then wrote down what the twenty-four elders were saying about the power JESUS has.

 

My Observations:

• GOD had a formal ceremony to announce JESUS being placed in power.
• JESUS has the authority to judge you and me.
• People may react to JESUS being placed in power, in a negative way, BUT GOD is sovereign and has declared HIM to be revered.

 

People want power. I mean, look at how people act during election time or when a king or queen dies. People act horrible. The worst comes out and power struggles increase over race, gender, age and may other divisions that keep disunity at the forefront. BUT GOD has a solution. JESUS!

 

At the right time, JESUS will be announced as the Savior everyone should have placed his or her belief in. At this time, it will be too late to change sides over to the winning side. JESUS will look at every word spoken, every thought acted out. HE will judge some and reward others who follow HIM to their best ability. JESUS rules!

 

Challenge

• What time, described by the writer, sticks out to you?
• Have you ever seen a human ceremony, like a coronation or inauguration?
• Will you seek JESUS as your Savior today, knowing HE has been placed in authority and will show HIS power when HE returns soon?

Undisciplined Celebration

Undisciplined Celebration

Revelation 11: ⁷ When they finish proclaiming their message, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will fight against them. He will defeat them and kill them, ⁸ and their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, where their Lord was crucified. The symbolic name of that city is Sodom, or Egypt. ⁹ People from all nations, tribes, languages, and races will look at their bodies for three and a half days and will not allow them to be buried. ¹⁰ The people of the earth will be happy because of the death of these two. They will celebrate and send presents to each other, because those two prophets brought much suffering upon the whole human race. ¹¹ After three and a half days a life-giving breath came from God and entered them, and they stood up; and all who saw them were terrified. ¹² Then the two prophets heard a loud voice say to them from heaven, “Come up here!” As their enemies watched, they went up into heaven in a cloud. ¹³ At that very moment there was a violent earthquake; a tenth of the city was destroyed, and seven thousand people were killed. The rest of the people were terrified and praised the greatness of the God of heaven. 

¹⁴ The second horror is over, but the third horror will come soon!

 

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“No talking during library time” were the words of doom. Who wants to spend 30 minutes being quiet? First a note was passed, then a giggle would happen. Soon a word or two would come out, then full conversations. The battle of quiet to noise went on. Months later, the library teacher left and we celebrated! But another was put in place. This one was more strict and would enforce discipline.

 

• We wanted to do what we wanted to do!
• We wanted the teacher to be stopped by any means necessary.
• We celebrated the teacher’s abrupt departure, only to be met with a more strict teacher.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, saw the “beast” rise from the abyss. This being was able to kill the two prophets of GOD. People around the world celebrated, unknowingly siding with the beast, who could be classified as the second part of the unholy trinity with Satan. All seemed lost, BUT GOD intervened.

 

My Observations:

• GOD has total power over life and death.
• GOD has a specific time in which HE does everything.
• GOD has a plan to tear down Satan’s kingdom, so celebrating against GOD would not be wise.

 

Getting my way may not be good for me. I mean, when I want something that is not good for me, I may put my desires over GOD’s. HE may even allow me to get my way, but I may not want what I get. Trouble follows a celebration of my being undisciplined. BUT GOD has a remedy.

 

“Surrender” is something I need to do in order to truly change. HE wants me to surrender my life to HIM by believing in HIS SON, JESUS, who died for humanity and was raised from the dead. Only JESUS can cure the mess humans have made.

 

Challenge

• Does the writer seem as if he was writing a horror movie of today?
• Have you ever celebrated something you were clearly doing wrong?
• Will you ask GOD to guide you away from the things you were or are doing, that are against HIM, so you can have a loving relationship with HIM today?

No Opposition

No Opposition

Revelation 11: ⁴ The two witnesses are the two olive trees and the two lamps that stand before the Lord of the earth. ⁵ If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and destroys their enemies; and in this way whoever tries to harm them will be killed. ⁶ They have authority to shut up the sky so that there will be no rain during the time they proclaim God's message. They have authority also over the springs of water, to turn them into blood; they have authority also to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they wish.

 

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Trying to watch a TV show, I got my food ready because I did not want to miss a moment. Just when it got to the “good part”, the doorbell rang. “Would you like to buy my stuff?” was the unimportant interruption. I got back to my program and an important moment had passed.

 

• I was interrupted.
• The salesperson was trying to get me to hear a different message than the one I wanted to hear.
• My peace was opposed.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, saw the two witnesses of the “LORD of the earth.” They will be sent to “proclaim GOD’s message.” Any opposition to this message will be met with severe retaliation, leading to destruction.

 

My Observations:

• GOD gave the two witnesses the authority to speak on HIS behalf.
• GOD also gave the two witnesses the authority over earth, water and fire.
• GOD’s message is so important that human messages will not oppose HIM.

 

No message will oppose GOD’s message. I mean, in these days of bad news, political posturing, and overt or covert hyper-individualism GOD’s message of love can be lost. To some humans, HE can be viewed as a weakling, who allows bad things and randomly gives the lottery to people. BUT GOD sees all hearts.

 

GOD is patient versus weak. Unfortunately one day, HIS patience will end on the Day the LORD returns. HE told us what HE would do and it is up to us to heed HIS warning. The Gospel is available for anyone to accept, right now.

 

Challenge

• What is the writer trying to describe?
• Have you ever tried to hear an important message and were interrupted?
• Will you seek to understand that GOD is trying to reach many people and is being patient, so while HE is, will you proclaim HIS message today?

Powerful Numbers

Powerful Numbers

Revelation 11: I was then given a stick that looked like a measuring-rod, and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who are worshiping in the temple. ² But do not measure the outer courts, because they have been given to the heathen, who will trample on the Holy City for forty-two months. ³ I will send my two witnesses dressed in sackcloth, and they will proclaim God's message during those 1, 260 days.”

 

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“There is strength in numbers” I was taught. I sought crowds of people that had large numbers. But there were times when I was with a lot of people and felt more alone than if I were with a smaller crowd. “Maybe I have this numbers thing wrong” I thought to myself.

 

• I thought “more” was better.
• I thought that if I did not have large numbers, then it was not valuable.
• I feared not having large numbers, causing me to waiver in things GOD told me to do.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, was given a measuring stick. The voice, perhaps JESUS, told him to measure the temple and to number those who were inside worshiping. Then the voice said “two witnesses” would be sent to proclaim GOD’s message.

 

My Observations:

• GOD is so powerful that HE only needs small numbers to do mighty things.
• GOD seems more comfortable using two versus two million.
• GOD is aware of the number of hairs on your head and is concerned about that, especially those who do not have hair.

 

There is power in small numbers. I mean, when a tow truck lifts a car off of someone, it would not make the news, but when one person is given strength to lift that same car off of his or her child, that act makes the news. GOD seems to delight in amazing things that happen in small numbers.

 

HE whittled down Gideon's army from thousands to hundreds and frightened the Philistine nation with David’s one rock. GOD uses the supernatural to take care of big problems. HE does not need more than enough.

 

Challenge

• What instructions is the writer given?
• Why do you think GOD revealed certain numbers?
• If you are concerned with amounts of money, or people or sizes, then could you give it to GOD who has the power to address your concerns with small numbers rather than what you may think?

Great Words, Difficult Crowd

 

Great Words, Difficult Crowd

Revelation 10: ⁸ Then the voice that I had heard speaking from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go and take the open scroll which is in the hand of the angel standing on the sea and on the land.”
⁹ I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will turn sour in your stomach, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”
¹⁰ I took the little scroll from his hand and ate it, and it tasted sweet as honey in my mouth. But after I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach. ¹¹ Then I was told, “Once again you must proclaim God's message about many nations, races, languages, and kings.”

 

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Being invited to speak at a high school was an honor to me. I was excited, so I prepared my words carefully. When I got to the room I was supposed to speak in, I was met with a classroom full of students similar to a comedy movie where no one wanted to pay attention. The class was forty minutes and it took the teacher 20 minutes just to get things quiet.

 

• At first I felt discouraged that I was not going to be able to motivate anyone like the invitation warranted.
• I had to keep my composure and keep the main message top of mind.
• I used the motivational words in hopes that at least one person would hear and go on to do some wonderful things!

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, was told by the voice, perhaps JESUS, to eat the little scroll from the angel who stood on the land and the sea. The scroll tasted sweet, but turned his stomach. The voice then told him to proclaim GOD’s message about “nations, races, languages, and kings.”

 

My Observations:

• GOD’s message of love is sweet, but difficult to deliver because of disbelief.
• Racial and country tension can prevent people from hearing a sweet message from GOD, because of someone who does not look like him or her.
• GOD wants you and me to proclaim HIS message to all nations, not just one.

 

Saying “GOD loves people from every nation” is unpopular. I mean, it is easy to make excuses to not love someone who GOD loves. The way “they” act or look or eat or live can cause a sense of pause when it comes to treating people with the love GOD expects from us. Fortunately GOD has a remedy.

 

GOD tells us to not be ashamed of the gospel and for us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything HE has commanded us. GOD will reward you and me for preaching HIS message, even to a world that may scoff at the words.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think the scroll was sweet as honey but turned the writer’s stomach?
• Do you think GOD knows HIS message is difficult to hear?
• Will you preach GOD’s message to people, even if they are unwilling to listen, so you will be rewarded by GOD for doing so?

Promise Fulfilled

Promise Fulfilled

Revelation 10: ⁵ Then the angel that I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven ⁶ and took a vow in the name of God, who lives forever and ever, who created heaven, earth, and the sea, and everything in them. The angel said, “There will be no more delay! ⁷ But when the seventh angel blows his trumpet, then God will accomplish his secret plan, as he announced to his servants, the prophets.”

 

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“I will never do that again” I said in a halfhearted promise to GOD. I was either sick or in a lot of pain. This scared me to the point of making promises to GOD as if I could bargain my way out of the trouble.

 

• I thought that if I promised something to GOD, HE would stop the problem immediately.
• I did not think of the promise later on, so I did what I said I would “never” do again.
• I was reminded that I promised to “never” do whatever I did, but only in a gentle convicting way.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, heard the mighty angel take a vow in the name of GOD, that there would be “no more delay!” All prophecies would be fulfilled and there would be nothing left to do for GOD’s plan for humanity to be known.

 

My Observations:

• There are still parts of GOD’s plan that are hidden to mankind.
• JESUS fulfilled HIS part of the plan, but there is still another part that is secret to us.
• GOD has revealed what HE will do, but not when HE will do it.

 

Not knowing causes frustration. I mean, as a kid, I was blessed to get Christmas gifts, and I wanted to know what was behind the wrapped gift. I would wait in anticipation for the time to open the gift. The same goes for waiting for GOD’s plan to be made known to humanity.

 

What is HE really going to do and when? Are the questions that plague us to this day. BUT GOD has not missed a single promise and HE will not miss any future promises. The reason the angel could promise there would be no delay, is because GOD was ready to do whatever HE was going to do. HIS promises cannot be stopped.

 

Challenge

• Why does the writer go into detail about the vow the angel took?
• Have you ever asked the question “What is the purpose of life?”
• If you are going through trouble, will you seek GOD as your solution so HE can show you HIS “secret plan” for humanity some day?