The REAL Book of Life

A new animated movie is coming out in a few weeks called, "The Book of Life." Seeing the previews and reading the plot summary online, it looks like an innocent enough hour or so of entertainment. There's a hero, a heroine, a villain, quirky characters, and lots of adventures in other make-believe worlds. Good triumphs over evil in the end, I assume, with the young couple living happily ever after. Doesn't sound like something that would have me riled, right?

But it does. It has me very, very riled!

Not the movie itself, but the title. The Book of Life.

If it riles you too, read on.

If it doesn't rile you, read on.

To understand the significance of those four words -- The Book of Life -- we have to look to God's word, the Holy Bible. Most of our knowledge about the real Book of Life is found in the book of Revelation. Jesus, who gave the "revelation" to the apostle John while he was exiled on the rocky Greek island of Patmos sometime around AD 95, gave us quite a lot of information about the real Book of Life.

In the first letter to the seven churches (and to us), Jesus says, "He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life..." (Revelation 3:5) That tells us a special book, a book like no other, exists in heaven. Jesus called it the "book of life." By his own word, we know names are written in this book. Whose names? Our names! The names of people who have lived and walked on this earth. People who have believed and trusted in God. People who have not "soiled their clothes" (Rev. 3:4). They -- and we -- are the "them" in verse 5.

Some people speculate our names are written in the book of life at birth. Some believe our names go into the book when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Some people mistakenly believe that once your name is in the book, it can't be removed. They site Jesus' words in Revelation as proof, but in Exodus 32:33 God makes is abundantly clear that is not true:

"The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book."

This is the very same book Jesus spoke of. King David also mentions names being blotted out of the book in Psalm 69:28 when crying out to God about his enemies: "May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous."

The apostle Paul wrote about the book of life to the church in Philippi when speaking of faithful folks who'd helped him on his journey. He says of them, "whose names are written in the book of life." (Philippians 4:3) Paul didn't have the benefit of reading Jesus' revelation to John when he wrote these words, so obviously the book of life was something that Jews already knew about and believed in.

Daniel's prophecy may be part of the reason. In Daniel 12:1, Daniel writes this about the end times: "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people --- everyone whose name is found written in the book of life --- will be delivered." 

Woohoo! Praise God!

If the usage of the term "book of life" for a childish movie didn't rile you at the beginning of this post, I hope you are gaining understanding about why it riled me. The Book of Life is nothing to make light of! The Book of Life is real! Names are written down by God's own hand in this precious book! Names are blotted out by God's hand too. This book is THE most important book that has ever existed! I firmly believe the Enemy of this world is laughing his head off because a stupid movie millions of people will see has hijacked the name of the Lamb's book, perfectly setting up an entire young generation of kids (and adults) to misunderstand what the real book of life is all about.

I leave you with John's vision of heaven from Revelation 20:12-15 and 21:27 and ask you one very important question: Is your name in the Lamb's Book of Life? It matters, my friend. It really, really matters.

"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 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."

"Nothing impure will ever enter [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (21:27)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:
USA, France, China, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Nigeria, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Canada

Revelation Part 17: The Final Chapter!

I've done it! Woohoo!! YES! Way to go!

What have I done?

I've finished reading the Bible from cover to cover, that's what! What an amazing journey it's been! I can't tell you the date I started reading in Genesis, but it's been several years. No, I'm not a slow reader. I could have done one of those 'read-the-Bible-in-a-year' studies and been finished a long time ago. But I wanted to take my time and really grasp what I was reading. Mostly I read one chapter at a time and admittedly, there were days when I neglected to read at all, especially while in the Old Testament books. But the deeper I got into God's word, the more important it became to me to make sure I heard from Him every single day. I can't wait to start it all over again in Genesis tomorrow!

So what does the very last chapter in the Bible have to say to us?

"Then the angel showed me [John] the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever." (22:1-5)

What a contrast we see here from the lake of burning sulfur! Here we have a river of life-giving water. Probably the clearest water you've ever seen, flowing down the middle of the streets of gold. And on each side is the tree of life. Can't you picture this scene? I can. I see an enormous, gorgeous tree with twelve different kinds of fruit--some I've never seen before--growing on either side of the river and then meeting up in the middle above the water. The brilliance of the golden streets reflects all around. Everything is so clean and perfect, it's amazing! But as vivid as my imagination can be, I doubt it even comes close to the real deal!

The most wonderful words in Revelation 22, however, are found in verses 12-14. They're spoken by Jesus himself:

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city."

Jesus is coming!

That's all I need to know. That's the only place I need to put my hope. No matter what this life throws at me, I can make it because I know Jesus is on his way! I may live to see him return, I may not. It doesn't matter. My robe has been washed in his blood and I will eat from the tree of life and drink from the river of life and walk into the city through the gates! YES!

One day all the prophecies of Revelation will come to pass. In 22:16 Jesus says, "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches."

He wants us to be aware of what is going to take place. He wants us to understand that there are terrible, eternal consequences to our sin if we don't repent. And yes, he wants to give those of us who love him hope despite all the terrible things that will happen when God finally says, "Enough!"

To sum things up, I enjoyed my time in the Book of Revelation. As I admitted in the beginning, I don't understand it all, but God isn't trying to hide anything from us. The whole purpose of this "revelation" was to give us insight to what is coming. If you have never read the book of Revelation--or you've read it and found it too confusing-- I encourage you to read it again and again. Read it in the way Jesus wanted us to: with open ears to what he's trying to tell us.

"He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Revelation Part 16: All Things New

It's a fact of life: everything gets old! Our bodies. Our belongings. Even the earth is getting old. But Revelation 21 brings us old folks hope!

"Then I [John] saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea." (21:1)

WOW! Can you imagine?! This outta bring a sense of relief to the environmentalists of the world! They're busting their butts trying to save this old earth, but it's truly a lost cause. The planet that we currently reside on will be no more. Why? Because God never intended this old earth to be our permanent home. It's temporary.

And did you notice the words "there was no longer any sea"? I can't even picture that, can you? But my gut tells me we won't miss it, even though I love the beach, love the waves, love the sound of the waves, etc. My gut also tells me this new earth is going to be BEEEEE-u-ti-ful!! Probably very much like the Garden of Eden.

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling place of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (21:3-4)

That right there, folks, is truly heaven to me!! God will no longer be unseen and, in a sense, unknown, to us! He will live with us! He'll walk with us, just like he walked with Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:8. He'll wipe all our tears away and we will cry no more! The "old" way of living life is gone!

WOOHOO!!

Next comes the description of the New Jerusalem. Remember a few posts ago I speculated that the prostitute in Rev. 17 was the old Jerusalem and it was eventually destroyed. Well, here is the new Jerusalem and she's gorgeous! She's made of gold and jewels and has twelve gates made of pearl. God and the Lamb will live in the new Jerusalem, therefore there will be no need for the sun and night will never come. God's glory will be our light!(21:9-25)

I don't know about you, but that is a place I very much want to live! I'll never live in a palace here on earth, but there is a place so much better being prepared for me! I'll never own rare, expensive jewels in this life, but my new home will be lined with them! My feet will tread on gold as I walk about with the Lord, hand in hand!

YES! I can hardly wait!

Sadly, though, not everyone will be welcome in the New Jerusalem and the new earth and the new heaven.

"Nothing impure will enter [the New Jerusalem], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (21:27)

Whose names are NOT written in the book of life?

"But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." (21:8)

So there you have it, folks. There are two places you can spend eternity:

1. The new heaven and the new earth and the beautiful new Jerusalem where God himself will dwell among us.

OR

2. The fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Which is it gonna be?

Revelation Part 15: The Dead are Judged

Here is a statement no one can argue with:

Everyone will die someday.

There is absolutely no way to get around it. YOU. WILL. DIE. SOME. DAY! The question a lot of people ask, however, is, "What happens after we die?"

The answer is in Revelation 20:11-15:

"Then I [John] saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 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."

Folks, it doesn't get much plainer than that! We will be judged according to what we've done here on earth! And one of the things that will be asked is, "Did you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength? Did you know His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Savior?"

Jesus himself said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Good deeds will not get you into heaven where the Father is! Being a good person won't do it. Giving to the poor won't do it. It is only through Jesus Christ! He is our door to heaven.

Notice the books mentioned in Rev. 20:12. "Books" are opened, which have all our deeds recorded in them. The dead are judged by what is in these books. I imagine these books are huge and many since every single person that has ever lived will be judged. This is where our good deeds and giving to the poor come in. It's where our victories and failures have been recorded. God will remind us of all we've done--good and bad--and he'll judge us based on what is in these books.

But...

...There's another book.

This book is THE book! It is the book of life! When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, our names are written in the book of life.

"If anyone's name is not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (20:15)

We already know that Satan, the beast and the false prophet have been thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death. Rev. 20:10 says "they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Even death and Hades--which is hell--are thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is worse than any "hell" we can imagine.

If your name is not written in the book of life, you will be thrown into the lake of fire and experience the same eternal punishment that Satan and his minions will endure.

I've said this before in this study:

The time to repent is now, folks!

My deeds are recorded in those books. I will be judged. You will, too. But praise God, I am assured that my name is written in the book of life, so I will not suffer eternal punishment!

Is your name in the book of life? If not, what are you waiting for? It can be written in there today!

Revelation Part 14: A Thousand Years and Satan's Doom

I don't know about you, but a thousand years seems like a really long time! I mean, think about it. What was life like a thousand years ago? No microwave popcorn! No electric lights! GASP!! Not even any cell phones!!! How did people survive?!

OK. Seriously. A lot can happen in a thousand years. But there is a specific 'thousand years' that is coming that has great significance to us.

In Revelation 19:19 something really important--and fantastic!--happens:

"Then I [John] saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider [of the white horse, who is Jesus] and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur."

YAY! Two down, one to go! Now move ahead to Revelation 20. This chapter is filled with more good news!!

"And I [John] saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until a thousand years were ended." (20:1-3a)

Can you imagine?! A thousand years of NO SATAN!! The earth will be a completely different place to live without him going around causing grief and trouble. YES!! I only wish that was the end of him, but it's not.

"After that, he must be set free for a short time." (20:3b)

He'll be back, try to wreak more havoc, but God won't allow it.

"And the devil, who deceived [the people of the earth], 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." (20:10)

WHOOP!!! I will positively dance on this day!!!

But sadly, those three won't have the fiery lake of burning sulfur all to themselves.

Monday we'll get into the second half of Chapter 20: The Dead are Judged.

Revelation Part 13: It's a Wedding!

I love weddings! I fondly remember ours even though it was 22 years ago. On our tenth anniversary my sweet hubby wrote me a letter and in it he mentioned how he still remembered how I looked coming down the aisle toward him. "A vision in white" I believe are the words he used. Romantic, huh? But my earthly wedding--as wonderful as it was--is nothing compared to the wedding that is coming!

Who is getting married?

We are!!

In Revelation 19:6-8 John tells us:

"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.)"

The Lamb, Jesus Christ, is the bridegroom and those of us who love him and worship him are the bride! Look with me back in Ephesians 5:25-27:

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

In these verses Paul is comparing the marriage of a man and a woman to Christ preparing his bride, the church, for marriage.

"Then the angel said to [John], "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' And he added, 'These are the true words of God.'" (Rev. 19:9)

Do you want to be blessed by God? Do you want to participate in the greatest wedding celebration ever?

Your groom is ready and waiting!

Revelation Part 12: Who is the Prostitute?

Chapters 17 and 18 introduce a "woman sitting on a scarlet beast." (17:3) This woman is referred to as "the great prostitute" (17:1) because the kings of the earth commit adultery with her.

Really? All of the kings??

Well, that's confusing--and very disgusting to think about--until you understand that John is not talking about a human woman. He's talking about a city. Babylon, to be specific.

Babylon?

How can that be? The ancient city of Babylon was deserted and faded away a couple of thousand-plus years ago. It's ruins can be found approx. 60 miles south of present-day Baghdad, Iraq. It is where the biblical story of the Tower of Babel takes place. I understand that Saddam Hussein was trying to rebuild Babylon to it's former glory.

Is this the city that John is referring to?

I don't think so. Here's my theory.

I think the city John is referring to is a modern-day Babylon. A city that is known for her "adultery" against God and His Son. Some of the clues we find are:

"This title is written on her forehead: Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth." (17:5)

"I [John] saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus." (17:6)

And finally, the angel John is talking to says this: "The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth." (17:18)

John also uses the term "great city" back in 11:8 when he tells about the two witnesses who are killed by the beast. "Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified."

Clearly that "great city" is Jerusalem.

So, is the woman and prostitute of Revelation 17 and 18 Jerusalem?

It could very well be. I Googled "Babylon Revelation" and got a lot of web sites with interesting opinions. You can check them out for yourself.

Other people think the United States is the woman. Some say it's Washington DC or New York City. Or maybe it's Europe. Or Baghdad. But in my mind none of those fit the description and clues John gives us.

But one thing is certain. This "great city" is going to be destroyed.

"Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said, 'With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again.'" (18:21)

And though I haven't gotten there in this study yet--I will in just a couple days!-- Revelation 21 tells us there will be a New Jerusalem. So it makes sense that the old, adulterous city would be destroyed first.

Interesting stuff!

Revelation Part 11: Seven Bowls of God's Wrath

Once again, John tells us in Chapter 15:1 that he is witness to "another great and marvelous sign" in heaven. This time he sees seven angels with the seven last plagues.

Did you catch that?

The seven LAST plagues. "...last, because with them God's wrath is completed." (15:1) I simply cannot imagine all of these things happening, yet I know God is not a liar. He gave this 'revelation' to John to forewarn us of what is coming. Why? So we would do what is necessary to avoid it!

Here we go:

BOWL #1:
Ugly, painful sores will break out on every single person who wears the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. Every single person! (16:2)

BOWL #2:
All the waters in the oceans will turn into blood. And not just normal blood. "...like that of a dead man..." Can you say seriously stinky?! Every sea creature will die. (16:3)

BOWL #3:
The rivers and streams will also become blood. (16:4)

BOWL #4:
The sun will become hotter than anything we've ever seen before. It will literally scorch people with fire. (16:8-9)

"[The people] were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, BUT THEY REFUSED TO REPENT AND GLORIFY HIM."

BOWL #5:
The beast's kingdom is plunged into darkness. Men will gnaw their tongues in agony and curse God because of their pain and sores, "but they refused to repent of what they had done." (16:10) What had they done? They had worshipped the beast and taken his mark.

BOWL #6:
The great river Euphrates is dried up to "prepare the way for the kings from the East." Three demon-like "frogs" are sent out to gather the kings of the whole world for the battle at Armageddon. (16:15-16)

BOWL #7:
The last bowl is poured into the air and the voice from the throne of heaven says, "It is done!" An earthquake like nothing the earth has ever had will destroy cities, sink islands, and even make the mountains disappear! Enormous hail--each weighing a hundred pounds!--will come crashing to the earth and crush men. (16:17-21)

Do you truly want to be part of all this?!

I sure don't!!!

The time to repent is now!

Revelation Part 10: Facts and Questions...

There are a lot of things I'm not too sure of in Chapter 14, but there are some things I am sure of. Here's my list of facts and questions:

FACT:
The 144,000 people John sees are God-fearing, God-obeying Jews. Back in Rev. 7 we are introduced to this group and they are specifically identified as members of the 12 tribes of Israel. And we know they have come to know Jesus Christ as their Messiah. In 14:4 it says, "They follow the Lamb wherever he goes." They've been marked with God's seal (7:3).

QUESTION:
What is the significance of this group of Jews being marked with God's seal? Do they have a mission? Are they being protected while they do God's work in the last days?

FACT:
God's wrath is coming. In verse 24:7 an angel says to us, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgement has come." All through the Bible--over thousands of years--we've been told this in one way or another. But for some unknown reason, people just don't seem to believe or accept it. Which is really bad for them, if you'll look in 14:14-20. The last verse is especially awful: "They were trampled in the winepress [of God's wrath] outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of [180 miles]." That is an unimaginable sight John is witnessing! More horrible than any horror movie made in Hollywood.

QUESTION:
When will all this happen? I know, I know. That's the million dollar question, right? But it truly begs an answer when you read chapter 14 and realize God is not going to put up with our sin and disobedience forever. How much time do we have to make sure our loved ones who don't know the Lord won't be part of God's wrath? The fact that God gave us this "revelation" nearly 2,000 years ago doesn't leave a lot of people with the excuse "I didn't know." We do know!

FACT:
God won't tolerate worship of idols. In chapter 13 we are told that an enormous image will be constructed of the first "beast" and the second "beast" will lead people to worship it/him. They'll be given a mark on the forehead or right hand which is the number of the first beast. But look at the severe warning we're given in 14:9 about this very thing:

A third angel followed them [the first 2 angels] and said in a loud voice: 'If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or hand, he,too, will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."

God will not tolerate it, folks!

QUESTION:
What exactly is the mark of the beast? Some people today think it will have to do with technology. Possibly a tiny micro chip or maybe something as simple as a tattoo. But whatever it is, I truly believe anyone who has read Revelation and who has even the most basic understanding of "the beast" will recognize it for what it is. It will be something that can either go on your forehead or your right hand. No where else. That clue in itself should send up red flags. That it is being required--to the point of death--by someone in authority is your other clue.

DO NOT ACCEPT THE MARK OF THE BEAST! DON'T DO IT!

But despite all the dire warnings and terrible things John is shown, there is one simple truth that cannot be overlooked!

Those who belong to Jesus Christ don't have to worry about God's wrath!

Do you belong to Jesus Christ? Or are you traveling the road to the destruction we see in chapter 14? One day it will be too late to change your mind. Don't wait!

Revelation Part 9: A couple of beasts...

Thirteen has always been my favorite number. Not only is it my birth date, but I enjoy going against the flow of negativity some folks have about the number 13. I've even wished at times I'd been born on Friday the 13th, 'cuz there's just nothing truly special about Wednesday the 13th. Oh well.

But I have to say that Chapter 13 of the Book of Revelation is definitely not lucky! In fact, I think it describes one of the most unlucky events in the history of the world! In this chapter we are introduced to two beasts.

BEAST #1:
John sees a beast coming out of the sea right after he watches Satan stand on the shore of the sea. This beast is a horrible looking thing, with ten horns, a leopard-like appearance, bear-like feet and the mouth of a lion. NOT something you'd want to meet in the dark and gloomy woods!

But the real creepy thing about this beast is that it is basically the dragon's--Satan's--pet! In verse 2 the dragon gives the beast his power and authority. Folks, that is no small thing to overlook!

Why?

Because back in Luke 4:5-6, we find Satan having a conversation with Jesus. This is what it says:

The devil led him [Jesus] up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to."

God gave Satan authority over the world. Why? I honestly can't say. That is one of those things I have questioned the Lord about time and time again. But He did for a reason. The fact that Satan is now giving the beast his power and his authority is a huge, hairy deal! It means that this "beast" will basically be Satan in human form on earth.

S.C.A.R.Y!

BEAST #2:

Even scarier is that people are going to worship this beast! And they're going to be led in this worship by another beast, found in 13:11. John sees this other beast coming out of the earth. He is the first beast's right-hand-go-to-guy. This beast will have power to do all kinds of miraculous signs, all in the name of the first beast, and people will follow him like sheep being led to the slaughter. He'll put up a huge image of the first beast and make it come to life. Anyone who refuses to worship it will be killed.

This second beast is also the one who will instigate the "mark" that everyone will have to wear in order to do business in the world. The mark, of course, is the number of the first beast: 666. I am no mathematician, so I can safely say I will never figure out who the beast is according to his number. But apparently someone does have that ability, because John says in 13:18, "If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast."

Here's the deal, plain and simple.

Don't follow either beast! Don't follow the dragon! Follow the Lord Jesus Christ! It is only through Him that we are saved!

Revelation Part 8: The Woman & the Dragon

Chapter twelve begins with these words:

"A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven..."

Obviously John was pretty impressed with what he saw at this point. And what he saw was "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant..."

Bible scholars pretty much agree that this "woman" represents the Jews. What they don't agree on is whether or not this portion of John's book is prophecy of things to come or retelling things that have already happened. I personally believe John has been given a glimpse into past things that happened in heaven and on earth. Things that John and the other believers may not have had a real grasp on. Remember that in chapter 1, verse 11 John is told to "write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches...".

Some things to consider:

1. If the woman represents the Jews, then the male child she gives birth to (v. 5) could certainly be Jesus. That had already happened by the time John wrote this book.

2. The dragon, who is named as Satan in verse 9, tries to devour the baby but isn't successful. Again, that is true and had already happened. Satan did not win when Jesus was crucified. Instead, Jesus defeated death and gave us salvation through his blood!

3. Verse 7 describes a war in heaven where Michael and his angel army defeat the dragon, Satan, and his angels. They lose their place in heaven and are hurled to the earth. My personal belief is this event happened way back at the beginning of time.

4. Once Satan realizes he's lost his place in heaven, he begins to persecute the woman--the Jews(v. 13)--and her offspring--which is us (v. 17). Why do I say we are the offspring? Because we who believe in Jesus Christ have basically been adopted into God's chosen people, the Jews. Verse 17 describes the woman's offspring as "those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus."

Something interesting to meditate on is found in verse 10.

"For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down."

John makes it clear that Satan is always, always, always accusing us. Trying to make us look bad in the sight of God. Can't you just see it? Can't you just hear him while he stands before the throne, pointing his finger at you, saying, "God, look what that person has done! Look at the sins they've committed. Surely you should punish them!"

But thankfully verse 11 reminds us that God is willing to forgive us.

"They [believers in Jesus Christ] overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death."

I'll leave you with the last words in verse 12, because all you have to do is open your eyes to all that goes on in the world and see that it is true right now!

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

Revelation Part 7: Seven Thunders

Chapters 10 and 11 contain stories that, to be perfectly honest, leave me saying, "Huh?" I don't quite understand the "little scroll" or why John had to eat it. I don't quite understand who the "two witnesses" are, but it's a pretty amazing story, to say the least. Because I've read the "Left Behind" fictional series by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, I have images in my mind about how this will all play out. For instance, Rev. 11:9 talks about what will happen after the beast from the Abyss kills the witnesses. "For three and a half days men from every nation will gaze on their [dead] bodies and refuse them burial." Jerry Jenkins uses television to accomplish this in his books, which makes perfect sense if you think about it. How could men from every people, tribe, language and nation see the dead bodies of the two witnesses? Through television!

One verse that brings questions to my mind is 10:4. John sees what he describes as a "mighty angel" coming down from heaven. He's the one holding the little scroll that John will have to eventually eat. But when this angel shouts in verse 3, "the voice of seven thunders spoke." Just as John is about to write down--to put on record--what the seven thunders said, this is what the angel tells John:

"Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."

I have a question mark beside this in my Bible. Why couldn't John write it down? What was said that we aren't supposed to know? Jesus has allowed so much to be revealed, why not this? It truly intrigues me. I'm thinking it must be pretty intense. Maybe too intense for us humans to handle.

Then the seventh angel sounds his trumpet. And according to 10:7, this is when the "mystery of God" will be accomplished!

Wow! Pretty interesting stuff!

Revelation Part 6: Trumpets and angels...

Chapters 8 and 9 describe some pretty wild and unimaginable events. When the Lamb opens the seventh seal on the scroll, there is silence in heaven for a half hour. I'm thinking everyone there must have known something serious was coming.

And it was.

John sees seven angels standing before God and each of them were given trumpets. These angels take turns sounding their trumpets. What they announce is pretty terrifying to me. These are events that will take place someday. Some people don't believe it and that's their choice. But it doesn't change the fact that God wanted us to know--to be forewarned--so we would be prepared. Personally, I pray I am not on earth when these things occur!

Trumpet blast #1:
Hail and fire mixed with blood is hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth is burned up, a third of the trees are burned up, and all the green grass. (8:7)

Trumpet blast #2:
Something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, is thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turns into blood, a third of the sea creatures die, and a third of the ships are destroyed. (8:8-9)

Trumpet blast #3:
A great star, blazing like a torch, falls from the sky on a third of the rivers and springs. A third of the waters turned bitter and many people die. (8:10-11)

Trumpet blast #4:
A third of the sun, the moon, and the stars are struck and grow dark. (8:12)

There is a pause at this point in the trumpet blasts. A different angel is seen flying in midair and calls out in a loud voice, "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" (8:13)

I don't know about you, but I think the first four trumpet blasts held some pretty bad stuff. But obviously the next three are going to be far, far worse!!

Trumpet blast #5:
A star falls to the earth and opens the Abyss. Smoke from the Abyss rises and the sun and sky are darkened. Out of the smoke, however, comes horrible locust-like creatures. You've simply got to read the description of these creatures yourself. (9:1-11) Pretty awful! Their job is to torment people for five months. That is the first woe.

Trumpet blast #6:
Four angels are released who had been bound at the great river Euphrates. These four angels have apparently been created for this specific reason, because 9:15 says they had been "kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year". They and an army of 200 million kill a third of mankind.

The saddest thing about all this is that the people who survived all these terrible plagues and events still do not repent from their sinful ways!! Verses 20-21 tell us they kept worshipping demons and idols. They kept murdering, doing their witchcraft, stealing, and committing sexual immorality.

Good grief, people!! What's it gonna take to get your attention?! What's it gonna take to make you see that God is real?! God is all-powerful! And God will not tolerate sin forever!

Several things happen before the seventh trumpet is sounded. I'll get to those tomorrow.

Revelation Part 5: White Robes, Scorching Heat and No More Tears!

I love reading chapter seven of the Book of Revelation! It truly gives me hope!

Why?

Let's get into it. Starting in verse 9 it reads:

After this I (John) looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands." Verse 14 explains who these people are: "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

That's us, folks! Those white robed people are those of us who belong to Jesus Christ! And isn't it too cool that the "great multitude" is too numerous to even count?

The "great tribulation" could mean several different things, according to which Bible scholar you read. Some believe it means a specific seven-year period before Jesus returns to the earth. (We'll get more into that further into the book.) Others believe the tribulation started all the way back in John's day when Christians were being persecuted for their faith. Christians continue to this day to be persecuted all around the world, so the "great tribulation" could certainly mean now.

But one thing is for certain. Everyone will stand before the throne someday. Some in victory, wearing white robes washed in the blood of the Lamb. Some in shame, awaiting their final punishment.

Verses 16 and 17 say, " Never again will they (we!) hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water."

MAN, OH, MAN!!

Do I love those words or what?!

It's May now, so Summer is just a few weeks away. Do you know what that means?? That means the blazing, unbearable, horrible, awful, wilt-me-as-soon-as-I-step-outside heat is on it's way!! Even though I've lived in Texas (married a Texan, what can I say!) for 23 years, I will never, ever, never, ever get used to or like the heat of summer! PRAISE GOD, heaven won't be hot! "The sun will not beat upon them..." That's just one more wonderful thing about heaven! Thank you, Jesus!

The last words of chapter seven, however, are what truly touch my soul.

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

What a loving Father! Every tear I've cried matters to God. Every tear you've cried matters to God. And He loves us so much that He's created a beautiful paradise where we will cry no more! No more tears! Ever! Not about death or sickness. Not about persecution. Not about injustice. Not about sin and sadness. Not about anything!

I can't wait!

Revelation Part 4: The Throne, The Lamb, The Seals

Chapter 4 gives us a thought-provoking description of the throne of God. (See also Isaiah 6:1-3) John describes what he saw when "a door" in heaven was opened and he was allowed to see inside. Here are parts of verses 2 thru 6:

...there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

I don't know about you, but I can't even wrap my mind around this description. On one hand, I think of earthly thrones with kings sitting on them. Kinda like in the movies. But obviously the throne of heaven is sooooo much more than that! On the other hand, I can't help but think of the Wizard of Oz, with all the fire and smoke and rumblings that greet Dorothy and the others when they enter the Wizard's emerald palace. But God is not a wizard and he doesn't resort to theatrics in order to make us worship him.

The bottom line is this: I can't begin to imagine what God's throne looks like, but I know for a fact I'll see it someday myself!

My favorite verses--almost in the entire Bible--come after the description of the throne. It's when John tells us about the living creatures and what they're doing.

Verse 8 says, "Day and night they never stop saying: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come."

Oh, how I long to be there, joining in the worship of God! When I read these verses, the song "Revelation Song" always comes to mind and I sing it with gusto!

But then comes chapter 5, verse 6, and I'm sad even thinking about it.

"Then I (John) saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders."

How ashamed I am knowing that the Lamb--Jesus!--was slain for my sins. But "worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" 5:12

The sealed scroll comes next. No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth is found worthy of opening the scroll except the Lamb. (5:3) There are seven seals, but the Lamb only opens the first six right now. I have limited understanding on what exactly the contents of the seals represent, but I do believe them to be prophetic, preparing us for things that are still to come. Read them for yourselves and see what you think.

6:11 caught my attention this morning. It tells about the martyrs--those who have died for their faith in Jesus Christ. These souls call out to God and ask when the inhabitants of the earth are going to be judged and their blood avenged. But they're told to "wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed."

This verse basically tells us God has a specific plan and number of believers he's willing to allow martyred for their faith before he puts a stop to it. Some people might ask why God would even allow this to happen, but my feeling is more along the lines of asking "Why not?" Jesus was crucified. Our Lord. Our leader. Why would we think we deserve an easier way out than what he was allowed?

I'll end with 6:15-17, which is truly "food for thought" for those who are not believers. Surely you've got to ask yourself, "What if...???"

"Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every 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?"

Revelation Part 3: Don't be lukewarm!

Before I get into Revelation, just wanted to say the party for our son's graduation was fun! He didn't want a huge deal, so we just had friends over for burgers and dogs, and of course cake. God heard my prayers--fairly desperate, I must say, since it rained all morning!--and cleared the sky and gave us a gorgeous evening! Yay!

OK. On to Revelation.

Chapter 3, verses 15 & 16 say:

"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Remember that these are Jesus' words to the Church in Laodicea. And also remember what he says to us at the end of this letter: "He who has an ear..." Which means he's talking to us, too.

What do you think of when you hear the term "lukewarm" in reference to a person?

I think of someone who is passionless. Someone who has no strong feelings or opinions about anything of importance. Clearly, this is not what God wants from us when it comes to our faith in Him!! God was so passionate about us that he gave us his one and only Son! That is as far from lukewarm love as you can get! So because God has such passion for us, don't you think it makes sense that he would want that same kind of passion from us?

"Because you are lukewarm...I am about to spit you out of my mouth." v. 16 NIV

Apparently the Greek word used here actually means "vomit." Jesus--God--is so disgusted with the lukewarm faith of the people in this church, that he is going to vomit them out of his holy presence. Think about when you've had the stomach flu or food poisoning. Pretty picture, eh? Well, that's what we are to God when our faith in him is lukewarm.

So, were these people even Christians?

The clue to the answer to that question comes in verse 20.

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

Jesus is knocking on the door. What does that mean? It means he's outside. They haven't invited him in yet. Sound familiar? There are many, many people who wear the name "Christian" yet do not have Christ in their hearts. Churches are filled with them. Some pulpits are, too. They haven't opened the door. Jesus is still on the outside of their lives and hearts. You've seen them. I've seen them. I was one of them years ago.

The prayer of my heart today and all my tomorrows is that I will never be a lukewarm follower of Jesus Christ! My passion is for him. I am not perfect and I'll make mistakes, but I pray I will never, never be found guilty of being lukewarm!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5:01 PM

Just ran across this news story. Very sad and very pathetic that a civilized country like Ireland continues to be divided by religion. Christianity! Both sides--Protestant and Catholic--claim to have a belief in Jesus Christ. This is a perfect example of the type of thing that will make God vomit!

Revelation Part 2: Got ears??

In my Bible, pages 1916 and 1917 are some of the most marked up pages in the whole book. That would be Revelation chapters 3 and some of 4. I've got notes written here and there, words underlined, phrases highlighted.

One of the things that truly captures my attention while reading the letters to the churches is the way each one ends.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Jesus is talking to you and me here, folks! We have ears! So it makes sense to me to listen to what Jesus is telling the churches, because he wants us to learn from them.

Just a few of the lessons Jesus wants us to learn are:

* Don't forsake him! Rev. 2:4
* Don't follow people who aren't teaching the truth! Rev. 2:14 and 2:20
* Keep his commands! Rev. 3:10
* Don't be lukewarm in our faith!! Rev. 3:15
* Answer the door (to your heart) when he knocks! Rev. 3:20

He who has ears....LISTEN!! Check out these verses and truly tune in to what Jesus is trying to get through to you!

Tomorrow I'll talk a little more about "lukewarm" faith. I've learned some things over the years that still speak to me on this subject.

For now, I'm off to do serious yard and house work! Tomorrow evening we're having our oldest son's graduation party!! Woohoo!

Revelation Part 1

I'm on the home-stretch of my goal to read the Bible from cover to cover! I started in Revelation yesterday! Woohoo! I thought I'd take you along on my journey through this book. It's such an interesting book. I've done a couple studies on it, and read a couple books about it, but I'll be the first to admit there is so much that I don't fully understand about Revelation.

First, let's have a little background. John, one of the twelve disciples, wrote this book while exiled to the small, rocky Greek island of Patmos. John makes it clear in 1:9 that he'd been put there because he'd been preaching about Jesus Christ. He goes on to tell us that he was "in the Spirit" on the Lord's Day, which was probably Sunday since he didn't refer to it as the Jewish Sabbath, which was Saturday. My guess is he means he was in deep, deep worship and communion with God. I don't think he was in a trance or dreamed this whole thing, as some claim.

One of my favorite parts of chapter one is the description of Jesus in verses 13-16. WOW!!! Even with my vivid imagination, I can't fully comprehend what Jesus must have looked like standing there with John.

"His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were blazing like fire." And in v. 16, "His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance."

That definitely does not describe the humble carpenter who walked the earth. That, to me, describes God! Which makes perfect sense, because Jesus IS God!

I love that Jesus' first words to his beloved John are, "Do not be afraid." Always, always, Jesus is concerned for his children. Even then, as he reveals himself in all his amazing glory, he shows his love and care for John.

Chapter 2 begins the letters John is to write to seven key churches. The first church Jesus addresses is in Ephesus, Greece. He commends them on basically doing what they were supposed to do. And yet, 2:4 tells the real story. They have lost their first love. They're more concerned with "doing" Christian-y type works than with Jesus himself. They've lost sight of the whole reason to be a Christian!

Oh my. Does that sound familiar?

Folks, Jesus is the reason...not just for the season... but for everything! He's the reason we exist! He created us for his purposes! Works are great, but without the love for Jesus Christ behind them, they are meaningless and worthless.

My prayer today is that I will never be found guilty of losing my first love!!

The letter ends with some very wise words. Words everyone needs to take to heart and meditate on.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

The ultimate goal!