Tag: Mouth

8.k. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty

Revelation 19:11  Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Faithful and true, the Word of God, and King of kings and Lord of lords, all describe Jesus Christ at His return to earth.  Heaven opens and Christ is seen bringing armies of heaven.  The battle that is about to take place will cast judgment on nations, (all of those who rejected God).   They will experience the fury of the wrath of God.  We know and experience God’s grace, mercy, and love.  It is hard for us to understand the fury of His wrath.  We can read stories of some of His judgments on nations and individuals but nothing like this has happened before.  Wars, famine, disease, earthquakes, hail stones, fire, drought, etc….. all lead up to the fury of God’s wrath but are in no way to be considered other than judgments on man and nations with witnesses present and proclaiming salvation through Jesus Christ.  Now these witnesses are gone.  All that remains are those who reject and deny and blaspheme God.  They did not repent and will now see His fury.  All the times they have rejected Christ will flash before their eyes and in a moment they will realize He is Lord of lords and King of kings.  They have all said in their heart that they will not acknowledge Him or bow to Him and will suffer eternity in hell because of this.  In the end they will kneel and bow before Him.  The sad thing is that all of these people have intentionally chosen to reject Him.  They have chosen confusion, unrest, fear, hate, and war in hopes it will satisfy their soul some way.  They have rejected peace, love, grace, mercy, joy, happiness, and rest in Jesus Christ in exchange for what the world has to offer.  They chose to believe a lie and will suffer eternity for the choice they have made in this life, this side of eternity.  There is still time to repent and come to Jesus Christ.  There is still time to repent and be forgiven.  There is still time today.  Do not wait until it is too late.

7.z. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs

Revelation 16:12  The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

It is hard to see how the 1700 mile long river Euphrates could dry up.  But in the scope of what we are reading this is the easiest to understand.  The trilogy of the dragon, beast, and false prophet spew out three unclean spirits that perform signs and can convince the whole world to do battle against Israel.  We are given another glimpse of something in the future that is hard to wrap our minds around.  With all the division and isolation between countries how in the world can they be convinced to all join together for a war against the Israelites who have listened to God’s witnesses, repented, and have come to saving grace knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Zechariah 12:10  “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”  Israel will realize what has happened and will mourn for Jesus Christ because of the way the nation treated Him when He first came to earth.  They now know Him as Savior, Redeemer, and Coming King.”

Those who follow the demonic spirit’s lies will come against Israel with a single focus and purpose.  They want to rid the earth of anything and anyone who God has called.  Anyone who has come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Anyone who has not taken the mark of the beast. Anyone who has not worshipped the beast.  The whole world will come against the Almighty God with the thought that with their numbers they can surely put an end to Him and those who follow Him.

Once again this prophecy is given with a message of hope too.  Blessed is the one who stays awake!  The ones who are looking for and believing in the pending return of Jesus Christ.  This same message of hope right now is during a time of the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ.  The difference between now (grace, mercy, and love) and the time of Tribulation (wrath, anger, and judgment of God) are not very great.  People reject living for Jesus now as they do then.  People reject repenting of their sin now as they to then.  People reject the surrender of their whole heart, mind, and soul to Jesus Christ now as they do then.  There is no real difference in the intentional choice people are making now and as they do then.  Denying Jesus Christ with unrepentant hearts whether now or then has the same eternal consequences – eternal damnation.

7.o. To make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus

Revelation 12:13   And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

Satan, being cast out of heaven and no longer having access to accuse believers before God, comes to earth and is seeking to destroy Israelites and those who have a testimony in their life of Jesus Christ.  Satan’s attack is fierce and cruel, but God has placed His protective loving arms around the Israelites so that Satan’s attacks are fruitless, whereas God’s protection is fruitful.  Satan then turns his focus on those who have a testimony to Jesus Christ.  They will be the focus of Satan’s attacks/wrath.  Certainly, they will die during these next 3.5 years.  We can’t even come close to understanding the tribulation they will face because of their faith in Jesus Christ.  I am certain those who find faith during this time will have a peace that passes all understanding because they have come from a place in their heart, mind, and soul to know they rejected the greatest gift ever, forgiveness, redemption, salvation, and eternal life and now they have fully surrendered their life to Jesus Christ.  Their surrender means certain death.  And yet, they hold fast, stand firm, and their faith is solid in Jesus Christ alone.  They will not take the mark of the beast, they will not deny faith in Jesus Christ, and they will proclaim His testimony unto death.  Do you ever wonder if your faith would stand firm in the face of death for that faith?  Our faith can not be based on prosperity and ease in this life.  It must be so deep in our heart, mind, and soul that things of this world do not distract us from continually purifying, growing, and maturing in our walk with Jesus Christ.  Examine your heart and know what is there.  Examine your mind and know what is there. If more of the world and what it has to offer is there than love for Jesus Christ then repent and intentionally choose to change.  Intentionally choose to spend time in His Word, listening to His whispers of guidance in and through His Word, and walk humbly before Jesus Christ, honoring, following, obeying, trusting and relying on Him.

7.i. These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

Revelation 11:4  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.

Zechariah 4:11-14     Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?”  And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?”  He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.”  Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

The two witnesses for God have been given great power in their testimony to those who live in and have overtaken Jerusalem with abominations, (horror, disgrace, obscenity, evil, crime, hatred, hostility, and contempt)  During this 3 1/2 years they will perform many signs and wonders as often as they desire to change the hearts of the Israelites and to cause judgment on those who would try to harm them.  The Holy Spirit is gone, Christians are gone, and the world is in chaos.  People have turned to their most basic sinful selfish desires.  There is no want to serve God, know God, or repent from this evil.  These two witnesses, like Moses when he performed signs and wonders before pharaoh are given the power to do that which can only be done at the hand of and authority of God.  We know the outcome of this, hardening of the heart, retaliation, denial, and rejection of the message/witness of these two sent by God.  Think of all that has transpired on earth already; the rapture of Christians, wars, death, earthquakes, sought, famine, disease, high costs of living, the mark of the beast, vegetation destroyed, etc….  In all of this people still will not acknowledge God’s judgment, wrath, and anger.  In all of this, they still reject Him with all of their soul.

Jump back to our time now.  We have it just the opposite.  We live in the time of the presence of the Holy Spirit on earth and within those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ with all of their heart, mind, and soul.  We live in a time of grace, peace, mercy, and love.  We live in a time of God restraining His wrath and anger and judgment.  And yet, there are fewer and fewer people seeing the need for forgiveness, salvation, redemption, and Jesus Christ.  It seems as though He is rejected in both prosperity and hardship.  We have been given these words of God so that by them our hearts might see our sinful nature, hope found in and through Jesus Christ, and what is in store for those who reject such a great salvation.

6.p Stricken for the transgression of my people?

Revelation 5:6  And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Isaiah 53:7-8   He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.  By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

John 1:29     The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:36    and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

1 Peter 1:19-20     but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

The Lamb of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Lamb without spot or blemish, the Lamb led to the slaughter, the Lamb cut off fro the land of the living, the Lamb stricken for the transgression of My people.  Jesus was the Lamb of God sent to redeem those who, aware of their sin, aware of their need for redemption, and aware of their need for forgiveness, believe (trust in, cling too, and rely on) in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for their sin.

We see Jesus as the Lamb stand and as though it had been slain, and ever a reminder of the price that was paid and that He lives.  The church in Ephesus was scolded for the loss of their first love.  That first love would be the purest grateful, thankful, and relieved heart realizing their sins had been forgiven.  We will do well to remember the Lamb of God that was slain for our sin with this first love forever remembered in our daily lives.

156. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.

1 Kings 17:1  Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.

2 Kings 3:14    And Elisha said, “As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you.

Jeremiah 15:19     Therefore thus says the LORD: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them.

Acts 27:23  For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship,  and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’  So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.

“The Creator lives”, “before whom I stand”, “to whom I belong”, “to whom I worship.”  These are words of faith and understanding.  They speak of the certainty of God and the action of worship.  These are words of people who live each day with God first in their life.  They choose to serve Him, they seek to serve and honor Him, they cling to Him and trust Him,  they rely on Him, and they find purpose in following and obeying His leading.  Each of these people lives in morally declining cultures with society blindly following practices that are not of God.  They chose God over conforming to the moral decline.    Every day they hungered and thirsted for God’s leading and found purpose in reliant obedience.

Our lives should have God’s word deep into our heart and mind so that we are a light in a dark and lost world.  Read His word each day with intentional purpose to gain understanding and wisdom and knowledge of God.  Read His word each day to grow in faith, trust, reliance, hope, joy, strength, power, and love.  Read His word each day to have fuel in our heart and mind that the Holy Spirit can speak into our lives and direct us on paths that bring honor and glory to God.

53. That the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

 

Deuteronomy 17:18   “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

Joshua 1:8     This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalms 1:2     but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalms 119:97-100    Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.  Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.  I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation.  I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.

2 Timothy 3:15-17     and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

There are benefits to obeying God in reading His word and keeping it close to your heart and mind.  Your faith will grow, you will begin to mature in things of God, you will recognize when you are being temped, you will recognize and become aware of sin in your life, you will begin to know the will of God for your life, you will begin to understand and experience joy, you will begin to hear the quiet whispers of God’s leading, you will begin to see the spiritual warfare in the world, you will have a better chance of not backsliding or drifting away, and you will begin to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, and obey God.

There really are no down sides to cherishing and reading God’s word each and every day of our life.  However this are numerous downsides when God’s word is not cherished in your heart and read everyday.

9. For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him.

Exodus 28:3  You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill,

Exodus 31:3-6     and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,  to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,  in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.

Exodus 35:35    He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.

Exodus 36:1-2    “Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.”

Proverbs 2:6     For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Isaiah 28:24-26    Does he who plows for sowing plow continually? Does he continually open and harrow his ground?  When he has leveled its surface, does he not scatter dill, sow cumin, and put in wheat in rows and barley in its proper place, and emmer as the border?  For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11    To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Ephesians 1:17    that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,

James 1:17     Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

In the light of our culture and the endless withdrawal of God from having any place in social norms, it is no wonder people see their individual gifts as a product of their own making.  They rely on self and give credit to self for their accomplishments.  Without God, who is there to give credit.  Our abilities are God-given and can be used for the honor and glory of God or in the absence of believing in God they can be used to drive us further and further into the pride of self.  It is very hard to deny pride and self-accomplishment when denying God.

As believers, we are not immune to being tempted by pride and self-accomplishment.  These both can happen when we neglect His word or become complacent in our walk with Him.  Being a humble servant comes from our understanding and knowledge of God.  Our understanding and knowledge come when we desire and seek it Him and time in His word.  There is no shortcut to this knowledge and understanding – it is either growing or becoming stagnate and forgotten.  Being a humble servant comes from reverence to God through what we learn and understand His holiness and love for us.  We all can improve our humbleness and service to God.  Cast out pride. Seek and desire to be rightly instructed.  Seek that which honors and glorifies God.

 

I am sending you

Exodus 4:10   But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.

1 Corinthians 2:1-4     And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,  and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

2 Corinthians 11:6     Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

What is it that keeps us from proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ.  Coming up with excuses is nothing new.  Note Moses when he said “they will not listen to me” and again when he said “I am slow of speech and of tongue”.  We can come up with all kinds of excuses not to do what the Lord has asked us to do.

John 15:16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide,

John 20:21  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Luke 14:23  And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.

Matthew 28:19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

Psalms 96:3  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

Acts 1:8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Knowing ourselves and what we think we are capable of, what we have done in the past, how we have failed and fallen short, how we listen to the doubt satan has put into our head, and not wanting to be rejected, all can lead us down an excuse path.  In reality it is just us with fear of not saying it right, not knowing it right, not knowing it good enough, and thinking we are not good enough and that if the good news message we proclaimed is rejected  we did it wrong or we will be perceived as foolish and weak.

Replace the thoughts that lead to excuses with promises and commands from scripture.  Beyond these you only need 3 seconds of courage to speak the first word of the Good New of Jesus Christ.  It is God who works in the hearts of mankind to soften it to hear the need of redemption and forgiveness of sin.  It is not how well we speak or know the entire bible.  It is not with eloquent words but by the simple truth and mighty work of God that a person comes to either believe or reject salvation – our calling is to proclaim the Good News.

“I am with you”

“I will never leave you”

“I chose you”

“I appointed you”

“You will receive power”

“I am sending you”

“Go and make disciples”

“Declare His glory”

“Compel people to come”