Revelation 14:13 – Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
God is good all the time and He loves us. This is not a nice something to repeat and then forget about as we go on our merry way. The evidence surrounds us. When we smile at each other and say something like this, we must let it sink in. As we consider God, as we increasingly know Him, He changes our lives. His love indwells us and changes us. Every day of our lives this truth is lived out and, if it were not so, we would either not be alive, or our destiny would be the horrid death of those who pass on from the first death to the eternal second death. But those who love and serve Christ are not as these, we are Christ’s very own beloved (Revelation 20:6, 14). Daily, hourly, by the minute, and by the second we walk in the love and blessings of God. Even the unbeliever is walking in the love and blessings of God.
Don’t we all know that the devil hates us? He has a special hate for those who have come to the Lord, yet he would love to devour every single human being redeemed or not. Why does he hate us so? Why does he so passionately hate us and want to rip us apart and let us lie and decay where we lie. One reason is that we were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), whom He hates. Also he hates us because God loves us so greatly (Jeremiah 31:3, John 3:16). The devil would just as soon kill all the unredeemed right now to make sure that they do not repent and come to Christ. People, Family, He HATES us. The only reason he cannot have his full way is because God LOVES us. It is God who is the reason and the cause that we wake every day and that we have all the blessings that we have. God loves us, watches over us, and is aware of every detail in our lives (Psalm 139:1-6, Hebrews 4:13, Luke 12:7, Matthew 6:26). God has always watched over all of His creation.
Here, in these two verses, God is reminding them that He sees all that they endure. He sees those who hold onto to him and endure the suffering and pain of this world because they love Him more than anything on this world, even their own earthly lives. God is telling the saints who come to Him during the Great Tribulation that He sees and they will get their reward. Now in this end times, the believers are still called to “love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).” All the Antichrist worshipers who hate the Christians are to be loved and the Gospel shared with them (Matthew 28:19-20). They are then, as we are now, proof of the goodness and love of God. Those who say they belong to Jesus will forgive as they are forgiven, then and now, or we are not His (Matthew 6:14). Christians then must remember that they are only on earth at that time because they had previously rejected the grace of God, otherwise they would have been raptured. They, as we must now do, remember that we are only saved by God’s grace and not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). So all the deceived people that are then persecuting and killing them are merely in the same condition that they once were (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Family, God sees what they go through and their sacrifice to continue to love. It is the same for us. Remember that we live today only because of His love and thereby His blessings. The Lord will reward those who persevere and are obedient to their calling. He will do it for them, and He will do it for us. God is good all the time and He loves us! Praise God
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withRevelation 14:9-12 – A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.
“A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10 they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.” Oh everyone hear and heed the warning! It is frightening and it is coming! To all who are still on the earth, to the redeemed of the time and to those who are still rejecting Christ, heed the warning and warn as many as you can of what is coming. People, this is a line in the sand. Do not receive this mark! The Word is very clear in these scriptures that the who receive this mark will not have any further option of grace. There is no return, there are no “take-backs.” It will be easy to be “practical” or “logical” or reasonable and accept this mark of the beast. But there is no coming back from this. There is no second chance, no more grace offered if this mark is accepted. It is an indelible mark of allegiance to Satan. Oh, the Antichrist will be the face of the allegiance, but be wise, it is Satan who is behind it. The Word clearly states that those who take this mark are doomed. Those who take the mark will drink the pure and unmitigated fury of God’s wrath that is a drink meant for the devil and for his demons, but will be drunk by humans who, by their demanded and persistent acts of their wills, have chosen to follow Satan. God is not mincing words here. God is issuing a warning with no uncertain words. If anyone, yes anyone, accepts the mark of the beast, the seal of the beast, they will never have the opportunity to have the seal of God upon them. Light and dark don’t mix.
I remember that once I was flabbergasted at someone who thought they could outsmart what these Words are saying. They said that should they still be on earth and that time come, if they had children, or grandchildren, they would certainly accept the mark of the beast rather than have their progeny suffer. They said that afterward they would just repent and God would forgive. Family, God is very clear in these verses that anyone who accepts the mark of the beast will have crossed the line and grace is no longer available to them. People who think in such fashion think as the world thinks. They think life here on earth is of the highest importance. Yet the people of God, who love God with all that they are, who seek to have their lives honor and not disgrace Him, know that this world, and life here, has no value when compared to living in peace, safety and joy with God for eternity (Hebrews 11:14-16). Why accept a poisoned apple to stave off hunger? Foolish! Have faith in God and endure!
“They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name. ” The Word of God in these scriptures first says that they who receive the mark will suffer the pure, unsoftened wrath of God. It says that they “will drink the wine of God’s fury.” It does not say that they are in danger of this condemnation, or that it might happen, but that it will happen. No uncertainty. In this verse the certainty of the future of those who receive the mark of the beast is again clearly stated. The Word states that they will suffer a burning torment. Again, the statement is unequivocal. They will. The smoke of their burning soul will rise forever. Forever is forever. Family, one of the horrid things about this eternal burning is that there will be no hope of it ever stopping. Not ever. Not in a thousand years, a million years, a billion years, not ever will it stop. Extreme pain can sometimes be endured when there is a hope it will end. For those who accept the mark of the beast, the pain will never end. Family, if this seems harsh or unloving we must remember that God did not make hell a place for humans, but for Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41). The only humans who will be there will be those who use their free will to reject the grace of God offered to mankind through Jesus our Lord and have, by that very act, aligned themself with Satan. This mark of the beast will be a clear sign to whom one is aligned with. Those who have this mark will share his fate. Those who are sealed by God as His own will be with Him forever. It is one’s own choice who to live forever with. Oh let us warn everyone, in love, to come to the Lord and live forever with Him. There is only one alternative and it horrid to the unimaginable.
“This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.” Family let us warn all who would listen to not eat the poison apple to avoid hunger, for ourselves or anyone else. If one accepts the mark, it gives the worst example, even an invitation, to those they claim to love. Let us warn that their perishing will not help their loved ones. After all, Esau sold his inheritance and then cried to get it back, but could not (Hebrews 12:16-17. He, like those who accept the mark of the beast, could not change what he had done. Oh so horrible! Let us warn all to not make the same mistake.
The time to prepare for a trial, for a fight or for a war is not when it is upon us, but before it comes. There is one way to be eternally safe with God. That is through Jesus. Today is Good Friday. For Jesus it was the day that began incomprehensible suffering. He suffered for us. He endured for us. He died for us. He did so with the sure knowledge that victory was His at the end of His suffering. Let us hold unto, and teach wisdom. As the Jim Elliot quote says “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Praise God! Once with Jesus, no thing or person can wrench the love and favor of God from us (Romans 8:38-39. Once a person takes the mark of the beast, nothing can bring mercy and grace to Him. But we are not such as would take the mark. We are victors through Jesus Christ our Lord. Today is a day of somber reflection. Today is also a day of jubilant celebration that what Jesus began so long ago ended with our complete and eternal victory! As the famous sermon states “It’s Friday, but Sunday is coming! Jesus rises. Jesus wins! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withRevelation 14:8 – A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
What is Babylon? Or who is Babylon? To be sure there are many different beliefs. Pastor Byron MacDonald, Senior Pastor of Rolling Hills Covenant Church in CA, author of The Morning Comes And Also The Night, best expressed a controversial revelation of Babylon. His view may be too hard for some to believe or grasp, but for others, when reading his point of view, it will be an “Oh yeah, of course, that all fits together” moment. His view cannot be fully explained in what I send out in the mornings. I suggest that you get the book and read it for yourself. Here is an attempt is made to give a brief explanation. Pastor MacDonald writes that the coming great Babylon is made of three key players. They are all called Babylon and are three distinct players, yet separate players. One is from the political world, another from the religious world, and one from the economic world. The political and religious parts are easy to identify as they are the Antichrist and the False Prophet. The third member may also be spotted if one is willing and has an eye willing to see. As the Word says that knowledge in the last days will be increased (Daniel 12:4) so this revelation was a mystery that could only be understood as the Lord uncovered it.
Charles Swindoll, in his Insights On Revelation agrees that the Great Babylon has the three elements of the political, the religious and the economic. He does not propose who Babylon is, he does note that twice it is said of Babylon that it is fallen. In following chapters of Revelation it does detail the fall of the enemy and his evil empire of Babylon. The devil, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet will surely fall and God is letting us know that, though the evil is strong, the evil will not last and will be torn down by God Himself.
Jon Courson in his New Testament Application Commentary writes that Revelation records two Babylons: the religious and the commercial. He also, as does Charles Swindoll, reminds us of the impotence of the devil and his minions to stand against Almighty God. They will surely fall and their time is very short.
Warren Wiersbe, in his Be Victorious commentary on Revelation notes two sides of this Babylon: political and economic. He writes that the third element of this beast is categorized as “The Harlot.” He writes that Babylon is “God’s name for the world system of the beast.” Also Dr. Wiersbe states that once the Antichrist has his false religion in place that causes the world to worship him, he will destroy the False Prophet, but it is God who destroys Babylon (Revelation 13:11-15).
Leon Morris author of the commentary on Revelation in The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries writes that where it is written that Babylon has fallen, that the structure in the original language marks that the falling of Babylon is a completed action. Dr. Morris writes that this gives the impression of “imminence and certainty.” Certainly though, whatever God states will happen, will happen. If God says something will happen then it will surely happen (Ezekiel 12:25, Isaiah 43:13). Concerning the identity of Babylon, Dr. Morris agrees that, of this “Great Babylon,” “There is no reason for holding that John means the Mesopotamian city of this name…” Dr. Morris also writes that, to the Apostle John, “Babylon is the great city, the symbol of mankind in community opposed to the things of God.” This Babylon is very evil indeed. It is a corrupter of the nations and teaches and drives the nations in their rejection of the one Lord God.
Once again we see in this verse that God is in control. This verse is a tip of what is following. This Babylon, a system used by the devil in yet another attempt to overthrow the will of God, will ultimately and soon, as every other effort of his, come to a loud crashing end. That will happen because, despite the lies of demons in the world, there is only one God and one way to Him, through our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ! (John 14:6, Acts 4:12) So the fall of the evil that is to come, and has already come, is not something that will cause us to fear. God is our Father and we do not tremble in fear at the coming judgements because He has already set us aside in safety. We are washed clean by the sacrificed blood of His Son, our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. The world can not harm our destiny of being forever with God. Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:37-39). Praise the Lord who loves us so! Praise the Lord who offers grace to all! Praise the Lord who is One, there is no other! Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with2 Thessalonians 3:13 – And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.
Galatians 6:9 – Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Nobody cares what I do! I am not needed! I am easily replaced. If I don’t do it, somebody else will. I don’t make a difference. I am not worthy. I’m sure we have all, or at least a lot of us, thought, or felt these things in the past. I hear the taunts from the enemy all the time. Once, when we were ministering, a great and respected brother in the Lord joked with me. And I knew he was joking, as I said, I love and respect this brother! He said to me “Brother, you are always here (at church). I replied to him (a staff member) “Well brother, you are here more than I am.” He then said to me “Yes, but there is a difference. I am paid to be here and you are not. That means that I am good for something but you are good for nothing!” Oh, I laughed. I know this brother would never mean to hurt me. Yet, it did. The enemy took his words and thrust them into my heart and mind. The words “good for nothing” kept coming back to me. Not so long ago there was somebody that I had, unintentionally had hurt. But hurt I did. In fact, that person wants absolutely nothing to do with me. I am sure it was all my fault. But the enemy uses my mistakes as a weapon against me. He tells me that I have never been anything and will never be anything and if I ever think otherwise it is because I am a dreamer. I will never be great in this world (not important) or in the Spirit. Do what I may, it all amounts to nothing! It is a potent attack, but not a successful one.
The Lord answers the every attack of the enemy through His Word and through the encouragement and guidance of His precious Holy Spirit (John 14:26).
Nobody cares what I do. Who do I want to please? Is it mankind or the Lord? It is the Lord whom I seek to please. If I seek to please mankind then they are my master (Galatians 1:10). No, the Lord is my master and it is Him whom I seek to please!
I am not needed. I am easily replaced. If I don’t do it, somebody else will. It is true that the Lord has an innumerable amount of people who can do the work He has for to me do and who will do it better than I (Luke 19:40, 1 Peter 4:10). But what none of these people can do is submit my will to Jesus. None other can do acts of obedience and love to the Lord for me. So, as for my soul that the Lord died for, only I can do what God has called me specifically to do (Ephesians 2:10). Praise God!
I am not worthy. No I am not. I never was and I never will be (Romans 3:10). That is why Jesus died for me, and for all of us (Luke 19:10). The fact that I have failed deeply and often is shameful to me, but to Christ it glories Him (Romans 3:23-24, Psalm 115:1). Not that He wanted me to ever fail (1 Peter 2:21-22), but the fact that He loves and forgives someone such as me is to His glory. The fact that He has saved me is a witness that His grace has no limits. Since His grace is sufficient for me, it is sufficient for all.
But the enemy uses my mistakes as a weapon against me. Yes, the enemy attacks my conscience. But the Lord is greater than His attacks against me (1 John 3:20). The grace of God is greater than all who oppose me (Romans 5:20). I listen not to the enemy, or my conscience, concerning my position with God. His Word tells me that it is not me, or what I have done, that determines my position with God (Ephesians 2:8-10). It is who He is and what He has done that determines my position. The death and resurrection of Jesus is greater than all my failures. Praise God!
The words “good for nothing” kept coming back to me. It is true. I really am a good for nothing. That is true, if I speak of myself and my ability to do good or what is right. It is only the Lord within that allows anything good to flow from me. I am miserable (1 Timothy 1:15). He is the light (John 8:12) and the delight of all who call Him Savior and Lord. Though I am a wretch He has come to live within me and to change me. So that, it is He that lives within me (Galatians 2:20). It is He that does good “things” through me. So, while I am indeed “good for nothing,” He indeed is good and capable of all. Nothing is impossible for Him and He has chosen to live within me. Yes me! This “good for nothing” is good for something. I can be a candle bearer (Matthew 5:16). I can let the light of God that is within me shine. Oh, I make mistakes, but the light within me is brighter than any darkness within me. The light grow stronger and the darkness is chased away. Me, good for nothing. True. But not to God. He has chosen to love me and remake me (Isaiah 64:8). Praise God!
Therefore I don’t tire in doing the works that God has called me to. I don’t tire of letting the Lord shine through me. I am delighted. After all, it is God who is my delight and it is God whom I want to be the delight of. Praise God! Oh Family, thank and praise God that He delights and works through us all! Let us never tire of doing the works of God. They are our joy! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withPhilippians 1:21 – For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
John 6:68 – Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
It has been questioned why I “always” post Christian posts. Why do I always post about the Word of God and about my love of God? Because that is who I am. I am an enlisted, willing, excited and passionate disciple and lover of Jesus Christ my Lord, of God His Father and of the precious Holy Spirit. Once I was not, now I am. Because I once was not, I have carried into this relationship with Christ some ugly things. I have ugly memories of horror that I have perpetuated. When they come to mind I cry over them. They wound me deep that I have hurt people. How ugly I was and how ugly I still can be. But my shame is the glory of God. He scraped me from the filth of the road I was stuck and yet He loved me. I was roadside scum and Jesus touched my shoulder and said to me “It is for you I died.” His love poured from His eyes and touched my soul and healed it. Now I know that I was born with inherited condemnation upon me (we all are (Romans 5:12, 3:23)). I know that by my deeds and my inheritance from Adam, I was an enemy of God. But yet, God looked ahead thousands of years and saw me. From an eternity past, before the creation of universe (Jeremiah 31:3, Ephesians 1:4), He saw me and loved me. He fixed His eyes and His will upon me and called to me. When nothing existed, the power of His love lived and echoed to me. He told me that He knew my hurts and sorrows. He knew that in my heart I would know that there is more, that there is better. He knew I would crave what I knew not. What I knew not until I heard His call. Until His love touched me and His will called me, I was adrift in sewage, spitting it out and propagating it. Then Jesus did the most incredible thing, He jumped in the cesspool I was drowning in and pulled me out. He pulled me from my filth and washed me clean and called me His own. So, I am grateful. And my shame, though not desired or instigated by God, is the glory of God. It is evidence that the power of the work of Christ is unlimited and unshackled. Since Christ has saved the worst of us, He is able to save all of us. How can I not be passionately grateful?
I am grateful my life is for and about Christ. Living with Christ is great, but to pass from this life to His presence is better. We all live forever. I am so thankful that my forever will be with Him!
When many who were following Jesus began to walk away from Him because of a difficult teaching, Jesus asked Peter if Peter was also going to leave. Peter responded “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of life.” Praise God! I am in Christ, Christ is in me. Whom else shall I go to for life and fulfillment? I am firmly convinced that there is no other (Acts 4:12). Only He has the Words of eternal life.
Why do I post Christian posts? Because I am Christian, meaning I belong to Him. I belong to Him of my own free will and because of His will. Yes, that truth can be befuddling, but it is nevertheless true. I am His and by His grace and His will, I will evermore be so. Praise God! Why do I talk so much about the Lord, because I must! It burns within me. I want everyone to walk with the Lord. Because He loves everyone. Because He is teaching me to likewise love. What Peter and John proclaimed from their assured hearts and convinced minds in Acts 4:20, I also share “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” I am, by appreciation and love for Christ, compelled as Paul was compelled “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). Also I post because I pray that all of you would be as I am…only better at it than me! Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withRevelation 14:8 – A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
What is Babylon? Or who is Babylon? To be sure there are many different beliefs. Pastor Byron MacDonald, Senior Pastor of Rolling Hills Covenant Church in CA, author of The Morning Comes And Also The Night, best expressed a controversial revelation of Babylon. His view may be too hard for some to believe or grasp, but for others, when reading his point of view, it will be an “Oh yeah, of course, that all fits together” moment. His view cannot be fully explained in what I send out in the mornings. I suggest that you get the book and read it for yourself. Here is an attempt is made to give a brief explanation. Pastor MacDonald writes that the coming great Babylon is made of three key players. They are all called Babylon and are three distinct players, yet separate players. One is from the political world, another from the religious world, and one from the economic world. The political and religious parts are easy to identify as they are the Antichrist and the False Prophet. The third member may also be spotted if one is willing and has an eye willing to see. As the Word says that knowledge in the last days will be increased (Daniel 12:4) so this revelation was a mystery that could only be understood as the Lord uncovered it.
Revelation 18:14 tells of a place that lived in “luxury and splendor” but then is destroyed and no longer lives that way. Again, we, as Americans, are proud of how much we have and how wonderful it is to live here where luxury and splendor (especially when we compare to so many countries around the world) surround us in our homes.
Revelation 18:17-19 tells how the sea going merchants from around the world see Babylon going up in smoke. If this were ancient Babylon that is rebuilt (Jeremiah 30:59 says it will not be), it would still be a mostly landlocked city. These verses give us the picture that the merchants of the world will sit in the waters offshore of Babylon and mourn the loss of their “cash cow.” Ancient Babylon was located in Iraq, about fifty miles south of Bagdad. Take a look at a map and see that where Babylon sat was not near an ocean or sea. Even if one looks at the borders of Iraq we see that the only deep waters where an ocean going ship could sit off its coast is the Persian Gulf. To the south of Iraq are Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, To the West of it is Saudi Arabia and Jordan. To the Northwest of it is Syria. On its Northern border is Turkey and to the east of it is Iran. Family, look at a map, Iraq is mostly landlocked and it definitely not the commercial giant of the world with ships from every nation waiting off its shores to bring in the goods. This commercial Babylon is not in Iraq. However, if we look at the United States, both the eastern and western borders of the USA are surrounded by oceans. There are harbors built to receive massive amounts of containers lining its mainland coasts. Family, this description is not of the, for the most part, landlocked Iraq. Again, the only nation that makes sense of this description is the USA.
Revelation 18:16 tells the colors of the nation it is calling Babylon. It is known by three colors: red (scarlet), white (linen) and blue (purple). Which nation is known by those colors? We know that answer. By the way, the Iraqi flag is red, white and black.
Revelation 18:22 tells how this great Babylon entertained the world with its music. Which country more aptly fits the description of entertaining the world, the USA or Iraq? With the loss of the trades (building, automotive, aircraft, computers, internet industries, etc.) from this “Babylon”, which would impact the world more, the USA or Iraq.
Family, it is clear that the Babylon being described here is none other than the USA. All we need to do is look at the morality of the USA. Look at how the USA has rejected its roots and lied and changed the history of it, to walk, no run, away from God. It was always known (Till revisionists told their lies) and taught in schools throughout the United States that it began as a group of brave people looking for religious freedom. They wanted to live in a land to freely serve the God of the Bible. They found it in the USA. They worshipped and thanked God and as a result God blessed the USA. Now, the country abandons the ideal they sought and the God who blessed it. Surely they shall reap the consequences.
Next we should wrap up reviewing V18 with looking at other views of this verse.
Family as we, with an open mind, review this amazing book of Revelation, we are amazed at the prophecies that were spoken and written thousands of years ago and now we are reading of them unfolding in the newspapers, on the internet, and being talked about from our television news. God is coming back for us. God said it and so it shall be. As Jesus told us, every word of the Bible will sure come true (Matthew 5:18). That includes all the verses that say God loves us, has saved us, and is coming back to bring us to His home (John 3:16, Romans 5:9, John 14:2-3). We cling to that! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withGranddaughter
I don’t know your name
But I know He who does
I haven’t seen your face
Yet I know the beauty of it
I haven’t heard your voice
But already it thrills my soul
Your hands have not yet touched me
Yet they already have control of my heart
To Him who loves you most
I pray for your soul
Crying out I call to Him
To hold you close
And to protect you always
May you always be aware
No matter the circumstances
That Jesus loves you
With an eternal love
That is mighty to protect you
To provide for you
To pour His spirit
Within the heart of you
May always He be your closest
Confidant
You’re very best friend
Although I dread it
There will be times when
Your heart will hurt
When that happens
Cry with Jesus
He will be to you
The comfort that
No one and nothing else
Can ever be
He will be your strength
He will whisper
Words of encouragement
Into your heart
And calm your mind
With His wisdom
And His sure promises
Which will never
Fail you
So to you
My little darling
I will always remind you
That nothing is more important
Than your friendship
With Jesus
It is the most important
Fact of life
Your Daddy and your Mommy
Will love you with all of
Their entire being
As will your Grandma and I
And all your family
We are where
God has placed you
Perfectly placed you
Because God always,
Knows best
And though we are imperfect
We will always treasure you
As perfectly as we can
With every beat of my heart
I look forward to the day
I meet you
And when we meet
Our hearts will
Be one
As you already
My dear granddaughter
Own mine
I love you
Always
Abuelo
by Bob withRevelation 14:8 – A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”
What is Babylon? Or who is Babylon? To be sure there are many different beliefs. Pastor Byron MacDonald, Senior Pastor of Rolling Hills Covenant Church in CA, author of The Morning Comes And Also The Night, best expressed a controversial revelation of Babylon. His view may be too hard for some to believe or grasp, but for others, when reading his point of view, it will be an “Oh yeah, of course, that all fits together” moment. His view cannot be fully explained in what I send out in the mornings. I suggest that you get the book and read it for yourself. Here is an attempt is made to give a brief explanation. Pastor MacDonald writes that the coming great Babylon is made of three key players. They are all called Babylon and are three distinct players, yet separate players. One is from the political world, another from the religious world, and one from the economic world. The political and religious parts are easy to identify as they are the Antichrist and the False Prophet. The third member may also be spotted if one is willing and has an eye willing to see. As the Word says that knowledge in the last days will be increased (Daniel 12:4) so this revelation was a mystery that could only be understood as the Lord uncovered it.
Ancient Babylon is mentioned throughout the Bible. It was an ancient powerful city that brings us close to the beginnings of mankind, to the times after the Great Flood that came during Noah’s time. It is first mentioned in Genesis 10:10. Elements of the structure of Babylon were the political, the religious and the economic. These Babylonians were brilliant and accomplished and they lived in a sacred land. The name Babylon means “Gate of God.” Biblically, they were perhaps most famous for building the Tower of Babel. After the flood, they had become rebellious to God and their brilliant minds turned to evil. They decided to build a Tower that “reaches to the heavens” (Genesis 11:4). They had rejected God and they were determined in their thoughts that man had outgrown God and no longer needed Him. Sound familiar? It is from the prideful heart of the devil (Isaiah 14:13-14). God broke up their attempt at mutiny. At that time they all spoke the same language. The Lord scrambled that and they all began to think and talk in separate languages and so, not being able to communicate with each other, they all went their own way. Creator God easily and quickly dashed their plans by resetting their minds. They dispersed, end of their great plan.
Babylon long ago ceased to exist. It is said that all false religions find their root in ancient Babylon. Babylon has a history of being a world power. Babylon was judged by God for its rebellion and was destroyed. Yet, the spirit of Babylon, that is the spirit of Satan, lives on, even today. In fact today, it is building in the hearts of unredeemed mankind. Today we see the foolishness of the evil in mankind today as it proclaims that God is not real, that God is a creation of weak men, and that even if He once did exist, He no longer does, they say He is dead. We can see that the spirit of the Antichrist, alive in the days of Jesus and alive now, is the same ancient evil spirit as was in Babylon. The evil that drove men to unite against God is alive and thriving in the lives of people who reject Jesus. As in it was defeated by God then, so will it be in the Last Days.
Political Babylon is that being described in Revelation 17:9. The seven hills on which the woman sits is Rome. The Antichrist comes from somewhere within the revived Roman Empire.
Religious Babylon is identified in Revelation 13:11. Here the false prophet is described as being “like a lamb.” Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the earth (John 1:29). The False Prophet is a Christian religious leader. He is the duped pawn of the Antichrist that is used by the Antichrist to bring the Antichrist to world leadership.
Next we will look at the economic Babylon.
Through all the plots of the devil and all the efforts of the demons that follow him, God still rules. God limits what the enemy does and does not allow him to destroy us (Job 1:12). God has given to us full victory that the devil cannot take away (Romans 8:38-39). Family, remember what the end of the book says. It says that we win. Even now, the full victory is ours through Jesus. We shall live with God forever and nothing and no-one can steal that from us. That is our the victory gift from God, through Jesus, to us! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withPsalm 3:5-6 – I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. 6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.
Our confidence is in the Lord (Proverbs 3:26). When the sea swells about the craft, threatening to land and crush us, we are not afraid. The craft is not of our making, but is the Lord Jesus Himself who sustains. Daily the enemy desires to crush us . He desires to steal the peace of God that He gives to us. He wants to kill our faith. The enemy desires to destroy our relationship with Christ, but Christ will not allow that for His is our Peace (John 10:10, Isaiah 9:6).
We must not allow the devil to focus our energy on what He does. If the devil succeeds we will lay down to sleep, but toss and turn all night. We will not sleep well, if at all. We will have no peace because our eyes our not on Jesus and who He is. Jesus promised that in spite of shouted or seen threats, He is with us and He gives us a life of peace through faith in Him (Galatian 5:22).
We fall upon the Lord and bring our worries, hurt and shame to Him. We fall upon the Mighty Rock and allow our fragile self to break (Matthew 21:44). We desire to come apart at His feet so that He who is whole and will never be broken or overwhelmed will put us back together, only stronger and more prepared to go on. Sometimes we get confused or worried. We need not deny it, but we ought to confess it and fall upon the Rock. There is no need to worry. At His feet we are loved, lifted, held and healed. God will sustain us with His inexhaustible love and all-mighty power. He will love us and tend to our wounds (Psalm 147:3). He will heal us, give us peace and point us on the right path. He will not leave us alone on the path He sends us on, but will always be with us (Deuteronomy 31:6). We hear lions at the roadside roar in an attempt to frighten us. But we fear not for He is with us (Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 118:6). When the enemy, or enemies surround us, we do not fear, for He is with us and provides and protects on us. When our minds don’t understand we worry not because He does understand (Proverbs 3:5-6). The enemy may lay in wait with evil intent, but greater is He that is within us than He that is in the world (1 John 4:4). As we trust in Him and not in self we may lay our head down and sleep peacefully. We need not fear what the monsters of job, relationships, health or finances yell at us from outside our window. The Lord will close the window so that we can rest. He will deal with the threat (Proverbs 18:10). We just need to keep our eyes on Him and go where He leads.
Peace from God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Deep peace. Safety sleeping in the lion’s den or amongst the brood of vipers. Safe and at peace because He is with us. Lord God, may our eyes be fixed on You, our ears be hearing only You, and our wills be given over to You to use as You direct. Peace from You is our only lasting peace. We camp at Your doorstep and listen attentively for Your voice. You Lord, we wait on You! Thank You Lord!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with