roar – Praying Pint

24.u. “In the twinkling of an eye”

1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

1 Thessalonians 4:14-17    For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.  For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

2 Peter 3:10    But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Matthew 24:31    And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

In the Biblical sense, a mystery is simply a thing to be understood by spiritual, rather than by merely human perception. Paul will tell the Corinthian Christians something they could not have known by reason or research. They could not have known this unless God revealed it to them.

In a single moment, Jesus will gather His people (both dead and on the earth) to Himself, for resurrection. There will come a day when in God’s eternal plan, He gives those dead in the Lord their resurrection bodies, and then in an instant He gathers all His people to meet Jesus in the air. All the redeemed on the earth at that time will rise up to meet the Lord in the clouds, and will receive their resurrection bodies. Ironside says that the last trumpet was a figure of speech that came from the Roman military, when they broke camp. The first trumpet meant, “strike the tents and prepare to leave”; the second trumpet meant, “fall into line”; the third and last trumpet meant “march away.”

Are you anticipating the last trumpet? Are you ready to hear it? Are you ready to face death and enter eternity? Surrender your entire life to humbly serve, honor, follow, obey, trust, and rely in Jesus Christ. There is no other way to enter eternity in heaven.

7.r. These have been redeemed from mankind

Revelation 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

The Book of Revelation can get heavy on our hearts at times. The amount of death, judgment, and tribulation is extensive and can be overwhelming. Our hearts should break with the knowledge of what we are reading is going to impact real people someday. The violence recorded in Revelation is both a warning and before it happens and foretelling of what will happen. This great tribulation is God’s wrath and anger and judgment, and where Satan has been given leeway on earth to carry out God’s plan of persecutions, destruction, death, famine, disease, war, and false prophecy. Here in Chapter 14, we see a message of hope, a break from these judgments, not that there is a break in what is happening on earth but more for the reader to keep their eyes on the Lamb of God and the importance of this over pending judgment. With all that we have read so far during the tribulation period and the death of those who have been martyred for their faith, these 144,000 having been sealed by the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, have been kept whole. What a glimpse of God’s grace. He keeps His messengers safe and from harm to proclaim salvation in and throughout the tribulation time. It may not seem like it with all that we have read so far. However, during this time of the wrath, anger, and judgment of God we still see His grace. Those who will listen and open their heart, mind, and soul to the message of Christ will be eternally saved but will suffer the consequences of their delayed obedience. It is their delayed obedience in trusting Jesus Christ, repenting, seeking forgiveness, redemption, and salvation, which has resulted in them missing the time of God’s grace on earth with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

And my reason returned to me

“The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.”

Psalms 93:1 The LORD reigns; he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

Psalms 96:10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Psalms 97:1 The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!

Psalms 99:1 The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!

Psalms 145:13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. [The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.

1 Chronicles 29:12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

Daniel 4:34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

Revelation 19:6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.

Psalms 75:3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars.

Isaiah 45:12 I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.

Isaiah 49:8 Thus says the LORD: “In a time of favor I have answered you; in a day of salvation I have helped you; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people,

Isaiah 51:16 And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

Hebrews 1:2-3 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

“and my reason returned to me” We all battle the thoughts that come in and deny God’s power greater than what is attacking us, strength greater than our fears, love, grace and mercy greater than our sin. Paul says to take these thoughts captive. We are not going to stop them from jumping into our head but we can bind them in God. We can acknowledge them and then discard them. Sounds easy but in reality it may require us to continually repeat this especially when we are in a situation that seems unbearable or so big we are totally lost. Keeping God’s word in our heart and mind gives us other brain food to dwell on and fight these thoughts when they appear. It is also good to be mindful of others who may be going through a rough spell and we need to be filled with God’s word so that we can speak hope, faith and love to them. Helping each other in these times can be very uplifting.

distinction between those who serve God and those who do not

Psalms 89:5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.

Daniel 7:10 A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.

Psalms 96:11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Isaiah 30:27 Behold, the name of the LORD comes from afar, burning with his anger, and in thick rising smoke; his lips are full of fury, and his tongue is like a devouring fire;

Isaiah 66:15 “For behold, the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the LORD enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many.

Nahum 1:5 The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

There are times we just don’t feel good enough to be considered worthy, fruitful, or for that matter saved. For some reason the redemptive work of Christ does not seem real and effective for our life. We believe but do not have a victorious heart and mind. Why is that? We are in battle(s) – the battle with our conscious where we are self convicted – the battle with what others tell us and we are convicted by others – the battle where satan convicts us by telling us we are worthless and not good enough for God – the battle where we do think we are good enough on our own – the battle our sinful nature has with the Holy Spirit when we are convicted on our actions and thoughts in light of God’s word. Our conscious and others conviction may or may not be true. Satan is the father of all lies and will continually convict us with these lies and half truths. However, the Holy Spirit will convict us with absolute truth. It is easy to fall into the trap of unworthiness or good enough and end up ineffectual in our Christian walk. Both of these end in either complacency or neglect. When we catch of glimpse of God’s Holiness and our sinfulness it is easy to feel unworthy and you are right. We are unworthy. That is all the more reason to shout for joy and give thanks to Jesus Christ who, though we were sinners and have a sinful nature, went to the cross and died for our sins. He did this to redeem us and make our sin as white as snow to all who believe in Him. At the moment of believe and trust in Jesus Christ our sins were no more. Some may feel they are not worthy of this redemption, believing they are not good enough or they are too bad to be forgiven. God’s word is true!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

We are never good enough to be saved. Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners. He takes us as we are, right where we are at in life – full of guilt and shame. Are we sinless, no but they are forgiven. Do we stop sinning, no but if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive our sin. God is truth and His word is true. If our sins are forgiven they are no more before God’s eyes. We can be certain of His word of truth. We can be victorious. We can have joy and peace. Satan would have us believe it is a lie. It is not a lie. How can we know? Stay in His word and live to honor, glorify, serve and obey Him. You are whiter than snow, confessed sin to God is forgiven. Stop living defeated, complacent, and neglectful. You can live victorious for God through His word.