Month: December 2024

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12.30.24.Praise the Lord!

praise God

Psalm 150 Praise! 

The psalmist reminds the reader Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

As we close this year and look forward to what the Lord has for us in 2025, we stop to Praise the Lord. We praise Him for all He has done for us this past year. He has carried us through the deep waters and along the roads of discouragement. He has been our everlasting Father who is ever before us to remind us of this; trials teach us endurance just as James said and His lovingkindness is before us. [James 1:3] We are reminded of Isaiah’s words, “When you pass through the waters, I am with you;when you pass through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.Whenyou walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you, For I am the Lord your God,” [Is 43:2] 

John reminded us to look up for the Lord is coming soon but while we remain, we are to cling to the words of isaiah. Praise the Lord for He has been faithful and will continue to be so.

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12.29.24.Look up!

There's a new day coming

Revelation 22 Look Up!

As we began this marvelous book we have read and meditated upon the words that Jesus gave John to the seven churches. Now as we begin to close this chapter we are again reminded that he says:  “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches.” He is coming soon and the signs of his coming are all around us but it is in His timing for He patiently waits and the door remains open for those to commit to him. He is not willing any to perish and so down through the centuries, He has been watching,been preparing for each to hear the good news of the gospel.  We, like John, are to be the witnesses of Him so that they will be without excuse. 

Jesus closes with these words: The one who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! Are we looking forward to his return? Are we watching? Are we waiting? 

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12.28.24. Are you ready?

Is heaven your destiny

Revelation 21 Perfect Beauty

John sees and records the vision of the heaven and the new Jerusalem. He was struck by this: nothing ritually unclean will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or practices falsehood, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Yesterday we talked about the evils of this world but today John reveals the complete opposite. The city is beyond description but John does his best to describe it and just think, if your name is written in the book you will see it. Thinking this a.m. of the many who have gone on before me and this is what they are seeing even now. Many people ask will our loved ones see us here on earth? My answer is this: why would they want to? Earth is full of sin but the city that is being prepared to come down from heaven is all purity and perfect beauty. 

Is your name written in that book so that you will see this perfect beauty? Time is running out and soon Christ will return. Are you ready to meet Him in the air and go to this perfectly beautiful place? Come along with me and let’s go together to the new Jerusalem! 

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12.27.24. Peace? Peace

God can be trusted

Revelation 20 Peace? 

If you knew that tomorrow all the evil of this world would be trounced, would it make a difference in your day today? What if it continued for a thousand years?  When there is peace, what is life like? Would there still be murders, looting, and other bad events?  John tell us: “Then I saw thrones and seated on them were those who had been given authority to judge.” Judgment is needed where there is crime, those who perpetuate it must be judged. What happens to these who are found guilty? Will they have time to repent? Lots of questions left unanswered except for this: the author of evil is alive and well but bound and in prison. 

The compassion the Lord has for any who are perpetrators is this: a thousand years He will provided the perfect peace with no satanic influence and yet this truth from Jeremiah is as true today as it will be then: “the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it?” Whether Satan is here or not, men are still wicked because of their hearts. The heart must be changed and that only comes when Christ’s salvation is accepted. 

How is your heart today? In a world dominated by evil, the question remains: Have you accepted the gift of salvation? 

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12.26.24.Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord !

Revelation 19 Hallelujah!

John sees and records the vision of the last of the wickedness wrought by the evil one.Listen to what John hears: Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; because His judgments are true and righteous.

We just spent a month preparing for Christmas but the greatest gift we could bestow on our Lord are these words that John recorded. John also saw the end of the wicked ones as they are thrown into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels/demons. Stay true beloved and stay strong as you look forward to the end of all of Satan’s ways. 

John adds this to our prayers for today: “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.”

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12.24.24.Wisdom Speaks

Whom do you fear?

Proverbs 31 A wise woman

This verse jumped out at me today: A woman who fears the Lord—she makes herself praiseworthy.

A woman may have many attributes but this one alone is what pleases the Lord God Almighty. Praying today for women today: may we fear the Lord and Him only.

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12.22.24. Blessings?

Rules are given for a purpose

Revelation 16 Blessings or Damnation

While the angels pour out the horror from heaven, the earthlings refuse to repent.Yet,those who do echo these words: “Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition be seen.”

Men are stubborn and refuse to repent, but this is not new news. Reading this morning about the King of Assyria who mocked God and boasted of his accomplishments died in his temple by the hands of his sons. Pharaoh mocked God and he drowned in the Red Sea.  Over and over, God has given us these truths to remind us of Galatians 6: “Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”  

God is clear. Mock Him and pay the price. Honor Him and be blessed. 

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12.21.24.Advent’s Song

Singing is our prescription to anxiety

Revelation 15 Looking Ahead…

We walk through each day like it was the day before. Nothing seems to change here on earth but in heaven God reveals that every day is unlike any we have ever experienced. His mercy and His judgment reign and we are given a glimpse into the very presence of God as He unleashes His angelic forces to complete His judgment. In the midst of this we are witness to the “choir” of those who were like the three Hebrews in Daniel 3. They were steadfast and never compromised. This is their time to bask in the glory of the Lord. 

Great and astounding are your deeds,

Lord God, the All-Powerful!

Just and true are your ways,

King over the nations!

Who will not fear you, O Lord, 

and glorify your name, because you alone are holy?

All nations will come and worship before you

for your righteous acts have been revealed.”

Tomorrow is the last day of Advent and this should be our song as we worship. Come together and praise Him. 

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12.20.24. He who has ears, better listen!

The words of Jesus

Revelation 14 Lies vs Truth 

How does the Lord see you today? Does He see you as these 144,000 blameless? What does it mean to be blameless? In the Bible it means means someone who cannot be accused of wrongdoing before God or people. It can also mean someone who has integrity and exhibits good character. Note believers stand innocent of any wrong doing, yet we know that the Accuser of the Brethren stands ready to hurl accusations. However, his words fall on fallow ground because these are protected by the Lamb. 

Fast forward to see the angels as town criers. First is the angel with the gospel message; the second angel announces the fall of Babylon, the third angel announces a warning to all mankind to not take the mark of the beast. Yet, for all of God’s mercy to these on the earth, their words fall on deaf ears. The hardness of men’s hearts is beyond belief and yet look around you and listen to those who are alive now and their responses. There will be time, I am busy. God sends everyone to heaven, a blasphemous lie from the pit of hell. Open the Book and read! It is ok for you but not for me is a delaying exercise. 

Do not be conformed to this world for it is a world of death and decay. 

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12.19.24. This is NO Fairy Tale~

Revelation 13 Be discerning! Evil is just around the corner! 

Fairy tales are full of wonder as we walk through the lives of each character. Grimm wrote several and one of the most famous is Little Red Riding Hood with the big, bad wolf. In fact, most of Grimm’s fairy tales include the hero and the villain and the hero wins in the end. Revelation 13 has both the villain as the beast and the dragon. But, unlike Grimm, this is not a fairy tale but the real thing that will happen all over the earth.  

Let’s dig in and learn the lesson from John’s vision. Dr. Constable writes: “. He recorded this to enable his readers to identify these individuals and to respond properly.” Both the beast and the dragon have mighty powers, so much so that the entire world is deceived through lies and deception. John wrote about this to the early church: “2Jo 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!” Precious believer, be discerning so you can detect error from truth.  

John used the imagery of the sea which in other places refers to the sea of humanity. The beast who arises has no power until the dragon gives him power, a throne, and great authority to rule. We wonder why the whole world chooses to follow him, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God.” Instead, he uses deception and blasphemy to deny the One True God. The saints must be discerning so they do not fall prey to him and his power. John tells us the truth behind him: the beast’s number is 666 which is the number of man.  

Remember this will truly happen and we must be aware of lest we fall victim to his advances. Are you ready to be discerning?  

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