BibleTrekToday.com

Year: 2010

  • The Bride’s Eternal Home!

    Scripture reading for December 31st: Revelation 20-22

    During the last supper, Jesus encouraged His disciples about coming events.  He told them that He was going away and preparing a place for them so that where He was they could be with Him. He promised to come back for them to take them to this place.  (John 14:1-3)  He prayed in John 17: 24, “Father, I want those you have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me before the creation of the world.” These were the words of the Heavenly Bridegroom speaking to His bride!

    What Jesus starts, He finishes!  He is the way, truth and life! In Revelation 20-22 we find John’s description of the crushing of the serpent’s head and of the place Jesus has prepared for us to spend eternity with Him.  Man started in a garden, walking with God.  He will end in a heavenly city prepared by God just for him!  The serpent that deceived man will be crushed for ever.  “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.  They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:10)

    Men and women who have refused salvation by faith will stand before a great white throne of judgment and receive justice for their evil deeds of breaking God’s laws of love.  No one will escape or be able to bargain for a lighter sentence.  “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  The lake of fire is the second death.  If anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14-15)  This is not God’s will for any man, but comes from his refusal to repent.

    “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them.  The will be His people and God Himself will be with them and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)   The new Jerusalem is a cube just like the Holy of Holies in the temple or tabernacle.  God dwelt there among His people.   Now His bride the Church will dwell in the new Jerusalem and He will be their light and life and all will see His face!  Jesus is coming soon! (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20) Are you ready!

  • The Wedding of the Lamb!

    Scripture reading for December 30th: Revelation 17-19

    We just experienced a wonderful wedding at our church.  The bride and groom had been planning and waiting for almost a year.  Excitement was in the air!  The day was finally at hand and all was made ready!  Dressed in beautiful clothes and attended by a company of friends, they made a covenant that was to last until death would part them.  Following was a wedding banquet and celebration!

    A wedding is the motif used by God to explain to believers what is coming for them.  Marriage is God’s picture of what our relationship with Him will be all about for eternity, for death will be vanquished forever and crying and pain are out of the picture. Special clothes and joy mark the bride and groom as they come together to celebrate what they have waited patiently for!  A wedding supper will mark the special event, beginning a new chapter of intimate relationship that will last forever!

    “Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:  “Hallelujah!  For our Lord God Almighty reigns.  Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!  For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.  Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”  (fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)  Then the angel said to me, “Write:  ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’”  And he added, “These are the true words of God.”” (Revelation 19:6-9)  The time will come for the wedding so long waited for!  The bride makes herself ready by putting on the garments provided for her.  The note states that these garments are like fine linen but this represents the righteous acts of the saints.  Our obedience by faith produces righteousness.  Faith produces righteous deeds that are noted by God.

    Who are those invited to this supper?   God has issued an invitation to all to come through His church.  They were to go into all the world and give invitation through the preaching of the Gospel to all nations and peoples.  However, the invitation must be received by faith and acted upon.    The ultimate blessing for all eternity is to be a part of this wedding!  Are you dressed and ready?

  • Bowls of Wrath!

    Scripture reading for December 29th: Revelation 14-16

    God is love and He is kind and loving towards all He has made.  Some people focus just on this fact and believe that because God is loving, that all men will be saved and none will perish.  However, God is also just and punishes sin and rebellion. “I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:  seven angels with the seven last plagues–last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.” (Revelation 15:1)  John’s attention was again captured by this sign.  He had written about the seven seals opened by the Lamb, the seven trumpets blown by seven angels, and now seven angels with seven bowls of the wrath of God.

    He then saw a company of people in heaven, playing harps and singing the song of Moses.   Moses and Miriam led the Israelites in a song of worship because of God’s deliverance from their enemies characterized by Pharaoh and his army.  In John’s vision these overcomers were singing of God’s ultimate triumph over their enemies and the wonder of God’s marvelous deeds that would bring all nations to worship Him.  As they worshiped, the tabernacle of testimony was opened and the seven angels appeared with their golden bowls of God’s wrath.  The tabernacle was God’s dwelling place among men.  God wanted to be close to His people and mark them with His presence.  Worship opens our hearts to experience God’s presence and understand His will.

    As the bowls are poured out on the earth at the command from the temple, plagues struck the people of the earth as in the days of Moses.  Despite the signature of God’s great power, people refused to repent but instead cursed God and gnawed their own tongues in agony.  (Revelation 16:8-9)  The sixth bowl released three evil demon spirits that looked like frogs and they came out of the mouth of the satanic trinity of beast, dragon, and false prophet.  These spirits enabled miraculous signs that would deceive the kings of the whole world and bring them to the final battle.  (Revelation 16:12-14)

    Another warning by Jesus: “Behold, I come like a thief!  Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.” (Revelation 16:15)  Believers must be ready and clothed in Christ’s righteousness to avoid judgment.  Check your own heart and life today.  Jesus is coming!

  • Overcoming Faith!

    Scripture reading for December 28th: Revelation 10-13

    The picture we get from reading Revelation is one of increasing warfare and violence against those who follow Christ in the last days.   John was given visions of beasts, scrolls, angels with measuring rods and trumpets and two witnesses clothed in sackcloth prophesying and bringing judgment on the earth.  Faith alone will bring victory and reward.

    “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)  This last trumpeting angel announced the victory of Jesus Christ and His rule over the kingdoms of this world.  After the victory announcement, twenty-four elders fell on their faces and worshiped.  These elders acknowledged the nations who were angry at Christ’s rule and the time of wrath that had come.  This time would bring judgment for the dead and destruction of those who destroyed on earth.  It would also bring reward for the faithful prophets and saints who had kept the faith and stayed true to God.  (Revelation 11:16-18)

    John saw another great sign in heaven.  This was a pregnant woman, crowned with twelve stars who was about to give birth.  Another sign appeared, this being an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns.  (Revelation 12:1-9)  The dragon was waiting to devour the child at birth.  The Child that was born was a Son, who would rule all the nations with an iron scepter.  This Child was caught up to heaven to God’s throne.  This story is the record of Jesus Christ and His miraculous birth and resurrection in abbreviated form.  There was war in heaven and Michael the archangel fought against the dragon and his fallen angels.  Satan is identified as that ancient serpent who led the whole world astray and was hurled down to earth.

    John hears a voice tell of the salvation and authority of Christ and the battle with the devil and accuser of the brothers.  “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony; and they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Check your life and heart today for overcoming faith!  The time of reward for overcoming faith is at hand as well as judgment for the wicked!

  • Heavenly Silence!

    Scripture reading for December 27th: Revelation 8-9

    There is an old joke that goes something like this.  “Do you know that there are no women in heaven?”  “How do you know that from Scripture?”  Revelation 8:1 states: “When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” “There are no women that can keep quiet for that long!”  I always laugh, but for some reason the women are never amused!

    Silence is one of the spiritual disciplines that help us to contemplate God and His holiness.  John observed the half-hour of silence as the seventh seal was opened.  The first series of judgments had been completed and another vision had been prepared for John to write about.  He saw seven angels with seven trumpets standing before God.  He also saw another angel with a golden censer come and stand before the altar.  This angel began offering up much incense on the golden altar before God’s throne.  Along with the incense were the prayers of all the saints.  The angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and hurled it toward the earth.  This set off another earthquake and peals of thunder.  (Revelation 8:5) It is interesting to note the implication that our prayers are like sweet-smelling incense offered before the throne of God.   It is also interesting to note the effect of the prayers before the throne.  God sent answers back to earth that had nearly instantaneous effect!  The prayers of the righteous avail much!  (James 5:16)

    The seven angels began to sound their trumpets and with each blast, more severe judgments fell upon the earth.   The sixth angel sounded and a voice from the altar said; ” “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”  And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.  The number of mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard the number.”   (Revelation 9:14-16)  God has plans and He knows precisely the day, month, year and even the hour that each event will occur.  This particular judgment would kill a third of mankind and if it happened today, that would be over two billion people! An army of two hundred million is a big army!  These prophetic words would merit some silence before the Lord on our behalf!

  • Salvation Belongs to Our God!

    Scripture reading for December 26th: Revelation 6-7

    John is in the Spirit and watching the unfolding of events in heaven that must soon take place on earth.  (Revelation 4:1-2)  The Lamb had taken the scroll and began to open the seals.  As each seal was opened, another wave of judgment was unleashed on the earth culminating with a great earthquake in the sixth seal.  Stars in the sky fell to earth and every mountain and island was moved from its place.

    After this great shaking, those still alive on earth hid themselves.  “Then the kings of the earth, the princes,the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.  They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”” (Revelation6:15-17)  We notice that they are not repenting, only hiding as Adam and Eve did after they sinned.  They know that God is angry with the wicked every day, but will not repent.  They know that there is a great day of wrath that God Himself  warned men to avoid.  But sin is deceitful and pride and fear lead men to destruction, not saving faith.

    Next, John saw four angels who stood at the four corners of the earth and held back the four winds of the earth.  Then another angel who had the seal of the living God came in view.  This angel gave a decree: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”  Then I heard the number of those sealed:  144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.” (Revelation 7:3-4)

    Next, John saw a great multitude from every nation and language robed in white and holding palm branches.  Their cry: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:10)  John was told that this multitude were those who came out of the great tribulation who had been martyred for their faith.   This company was victorious because of their faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb!  Their response is whole-hearted worship, in contrast with those hiding from God!  Faith brings us victory!

  • Holy, Holy, Holy!

    Scripture reading for December 25th: Revelation 4-5

    Chapter 4 begins a vision that occurred when John saw a door open in heaven and heard the voice of Jesus say: “Come up here and I will show you what must take place after this.” (Revelation 4:1b)  John was immediately in the  Spirit and found himself standing before a glorious throne in heaven, beholding the One that was seated there!

    This throne was surrounded by twenty-four other thrones, on which were seated twenty-four elders dressed in white and crowned with golden crowns.  (Revelation 4:4-11)  Before the throne were seven lamps that were blazing and a sea of glass like crystal.  These seven lamps are the seven spirits of God.  John also saw four living creatures around the throne.  These creatures were covered with eyes and had the appearance of various animals: lion, ox, eagle, and one had the face of a man. These creatures had a mission of worship.  “Day and night they never stopped saying:  “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” As they gave thanks, the twenty-four elders would fall on their faces and lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Worship and thanksgiving  were and are ongoing around the throne in heaven.  The elders worshiped God as Creator of all things!

    John next noticed a scroll in the right hand of the One seated on the  throne.  An angel asked a question, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” (Revelation 5:2)   A search was made and no one was found who was worthy and John began to weep. “Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep!  See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.  He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” John then saw a Lamb, standing in the center of the throne and He took the scroll from the One (God).  This brought a new song of worship from the elders, angels, and every creature in heaven and earth!  “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5:13)


  • Jesus Has the Keys!

    Scripture reading for December 24th: Revelation 1-3

    Revelation is a prophetic record written down by the Apostle John while in exile on the Isle of Patmos, a Roman prison colony on a rocky island in the Aegean Sea.  John had been imprisoned there for preaching the Gospel. He was very likely around 90 years of age at that time.  This book is a written record of visions John received that were to be given to the churches he oversaw.  They are also recorded for us to give us hope and encouragement about our victory in Christ over death, hell, and the forces of Satan and his earthly minions.

    First of all, this book is a revelation of Jesus Christ!  John was worshiping on the Lord’s day evidently meditating on the second coming of  Christ.  “Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of Him.  So shall it be! Amen.  ” I am the Alpha and the Omega,”  says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”  (Revelation 1:7-8) As John recited these truths about Jesus in worship, a voice from behind him spoke.  This voice told him to write on a scroll what he would see and send in to the seven churches mentioned there by name.

    John turned to see who the voice was and he saw seven golden lamp stands and standing among them was one who was like “a son of man.”  (Revelation 1:12-13)  John described this person who was clothed in glory, holding seven stars in His right hand,  and whose face shone like the sun shining in all it’s brilliance.  As he saw Him, he fell down as dead.  We would describe this as “slain in the Spirit”, simply overcome with the glory and majesty of God!

    “Then He placed His right hand on me and said:  “Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:17-18)  Jesus Christ is alive and  He also holds the keys of death and Hades.  The victory is won!  He holds the angels (pastors?) of the churches in His hand and walks among these churches!  He wants them to know these truths!

  • Building Yourselves Up!

    Scripture reading for December 23rd: Jude

    “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.  For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you.  They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” (Jude3-4)

    Jude was the half-brother of Jesus.  He became a follower and disciple of Christ and understood the salvation that Jesus bought and paid for.  It was not the cheap grace that was being peddled by some of the false teachers of his day and ours!  Jude wanted the church to contend earnestly for the faith that brought true repentance and a changed life.  This was the only kind of faith that could save and deliver a person from eternal condemnation.

    The false teachers had come from the ranks of the church.  They were evidently taking the wonderful message of God’s grace and forgiveness of sins and making that a license to continue living in sin.  In doing so, they were actually denying Jesus Christ and His sacrifice of His own body and blood to deliver us from the power of sin.  (Romans 6:11-14)  Sin is no longer our master, but by His Spirit we can overcome sin’s grip!  These false teachers were teaching believers that they could continue to live in sin and that God’s grace would cover their sins, thus dividing the church.  Jude wrote that this lie would lead to eternal condemnation and separation from God!

    Jude had a remedy:  “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.  Keep yourselves in the God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.  Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear–hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” (Jude 20-23)  The fight of faith requires Spirit inspired prayer!  This builds us up and keeps us in God’s river of love.  It enables us to reach out to those who struggle and snatch them from the fire!  Fight the good fight of faith!

  • Soul Prosperity!

    Scripture reading for December 22nd: 3rd John

    The shortest book of the New Testament was also written by John and addressed to his friend Gaius.  This pastor and apostle loved to encourage and correct his people, preparing them for the coming of the Lord.  He desired their prosperity and health in spirit, soul, and body.  He knew that the key to this health was a prospering soul that walked in love and truth, and he prayed accordingly.  (3 John 2)

    John had great joy to hear of the faithfulness of Gaius to walk in the truth.  In fact, no greater joy could be found by him than to hear of his children in the faith walking in truth.  John encouraged Gaius to show hospitality to those who went out to preach the Gospel.  Hospitality is love in action toward those who love the truth.  It meets the needs that are there, providing what one has to be used to bless others.

    Not everyone in the church was such a good example. “I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us.  So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us.  Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome brothers.  He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.” (3rd John 9-10)   Pride and love of position blinds people to truth.  The devil can easily manipulate a prideful person because that was his own downfall!  John promised to call attention to his evil deeds when he came in person.  This person was also a leader in the church and was hindering the true work of God.  We must be discerning about the character of those who lead.  Those wanting to be first are not the ones to put in charge!

    John closes with a commendation of Demetrius as a good example.  He encourages Gaius to imitate what was good, not the evil example of Diotrephes.  John would have much more to say in person when he came.  We are all examples of one sort or another.  Our lives and attitudes either reflect a relationship with Christ or we are living for the enemy of our soul.  These examples were found inside the early church and remind us today to examine our own witness.