Tag: whole world

51.b. Wilderness – 15.h. “No longer be children, tossed to and fro”

 

Deu 13:6-11  “If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, some of the gods of the peoples who are around you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him. But you shall kill him. Your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. And all Israel shall hear and fear and never again do any such wickedness as this among you.

Micah 7:5-7    Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms;  for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.  But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

 Ephesians 4:14     so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.

 Colossians 2:4    I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

 2 Peter 2:1   But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies

 1 John 2:26-27    I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.

 Revelation 12:9     And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

This  demonstrates that God never puts highest priority on family relationships; if a family member forsakes the LORD, we are never to follow them away from the LORD. Jesus always comes first, as He said in Matthew 10:37: He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. This is how seriously God regards leading someone else into idolatry. Even if a sympathetic person entices you, and even if they do it in private, enticement to idolatry is not to be tolerated.  Matthew 18:6: But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Anyone who leads one of God’s people astray is greatly offending the heart of God.

Many modern researchers and pundits say that capital punishment is no deterrent to crime. God says it is a deterrent (properly practiced, of course).  (Guzik)

It is the policy of Satan to try to lead us to evil by those whom we love, whom we least suspect of any ill design, and whom we are desirous to please, and apt to conform to. The enticement here is supposed to come from a brother or child, who are near by nature; from a wife or friend, who are near by choice, and are to us as our souls. But it is our duty to prefer God and religion, before the nearest and dearest friends we have in the world. We must not, to please our friends, break God’s law. Thou shalt not consent to him, nor go with him, not for company, or curiosity, not to gain his affections. (Henry)

It seems harsh to us that “put to death” penalty be commanded for a little idolatry of other gods. We live in a time and culture that exalts “tolerance” over commitment to God. We tolerate sin to the point that it is not even called out as sin, but rather a right, personal preference, or another way to the same God. God wanted the Israelites to know it was very serious and worthy of capital punishment. It was not to be tolerated or marginalized no matter who the person was. 

 Neglect, complacency, and lack of commitment and reverence to God’s Word and things of God cultivate a fertile ground in our hearts and minds for seeds of this world to bud and grow. The Israelites were to go into the promised land and dispose of all the idols and people. They were to be the hands of Go’d judgment on them. They were not to be enticed by what these people worshipped or what they proclaimed as a deity. What in this world has been adopted, tolerated, or followed after that is not right in the eyes of God or in any way honor and glorify Jesus Christ? If you are seeking and desiring God’s Word for the purpose of following, obeying, trusting, and relying on God so that in all things you are honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart and mind giving you discernment to see the follies of this world. The problem is that much of what is being preached is baby food and feel good about your self dribble. The sinfulness of sin and the holiness of God are not preeminent. It is more about saving souls, baptisms, and butts in the pews. Saving souls and baptisms are critical and we are commissioned to do as such. We are also told to make disciples. That very act means we are to study, teach, encourage, and grow them in the whole every-expanding knowledge and understanding of the Word of God and things of God.  We are to move on from the elementary teachings.  How is this possible when the same baby food is being preached week after week.  Line by line, precept by precept, here a little and there a little the Word of God is being fed over and over again. The elementary teaching that is essential to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to lost souls is not the same teaching required to grow disciples. And yet, this is what is happening and the result is baby understanding, baby commitment, baby understanding, and baby application.  Over and over again Scripture tells us to study, work, meditate, so that we are firmly grounded and able to recognize the lies of Satan, enticements of this world, and things that are not right or good for the soul.  If the teaching and preaching is baby food then the commitment and growth will be stunted and little sanctification will follow in the lives of those who are to be disciples. 

Oh that God’s Word was hungered and thirsted for with a desire to grow in understanding and knowledge of Him so that in all things we think, say, and do Jesus Christ is both honored and glorified.

34.e. “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

 

Matthew 24:9  “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

 John 15:19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

 Revelation 2:10   Do not fear what you are about to suffer. 

 Revelation 2:13    “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith

 Revelation 6:9-11     When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne.

  Mark 4:17     And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.

 Revelation 3:15   “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!

This was the natural result of the condition of things implied in the “lawlessness.” The tendency of all such times, as seen in the histories of famines, and pestilences, and revolutions, is to intensify selfishness, both in the more excusable form of self-preservation, and in the darker form of self-reliance. (Ellicott)

It becomes Christ’s disciples, in times of public trouble, to be much in prayer: that is never out of season, but in a special manner seasonable when we are distressed on every side. But where the heart is fixed, trusting in God, it is kept in peace, and is not afraid. (Henry)

The fear of troubling times, death, and deluding influences of satanic led people has the opportunity to take captive any zeal timid, weak, and feeble Christians have. They drop by the wayside and follow the crowds in their worry, hatred, fear, anger, rage, self-perseverance, and self-reliance. People can be set in a false sense of security faith when it is never tried. Prosperity and peace have a way of lulling a person into a false sense of security that is based on prosperity and peace rather than on Jesus Christ and God’s will, purpose, plans, and promises. Love of this world and what it has to offer will lead many down false paths where there is no hope found in times of trials and troubles. Combine God’s work of famine, disasters in nature, sickness, and wars with people’s responses of confusion, worry, anger, hatred, fear, selfishness, and self-reliance it is no wonder the weak in faith are easily pulled into such behavior. Paul warned people that they should be eating the solid food of scripture and not living or relying on infants’ milk of it. He also said to be a workman that is not ashamed and able to rightly divide the Word of Truth. This does not come by osmosis. It comes from a seeking desire to know and understand the great mercy, grace, and love of Jesus Christ and through this understanding and knowledge be more able to be able, in all things, to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. It is then we will not be cast about and tossed here and there when trials, wars, disasters in nature, famine, sickness, poverty, etc…. occur that cause others to flee faith and grab hold of what the world offers as a remedy.

33.u. “So as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God”

 

Matthew 16:24  Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

 1 Peter 4:2    so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

 John 12:25     Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

 Acts 20:24    But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

 Job 27:8   For what is the hope of the godless when God cuts him off, when God takes away his life?

 Luke 12:20    But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

 Mark 8:37    For what can a man give in return for his soul?

The cross wasn’t about religious ceremonies; it wasn’t about traditions and spiritual feelings. The cross was a way to execute people. Everyone knew that the cross was an unrelenting instrument of death. The cross had no other purpose. We have done a pretty good job in sanitizing and ritualizing the cross. “Cross bearing does not refer to some irritation in life. Rather, it involves the way of the cross. “Denying self is not the same as self-denial. We practice self-denial when, for a good purpose, we occasionally give up things or activities. But we deny self when we surrender ourselves to Christ and determine to obey His will.”

Human nature wants to indulge self, not deny self. Death to self is always terrible, and if we expect it to be a pleasant or mild experience, we will often be disillusioned. Death to self is the radical command of the Christian life. To take up your cross meant one thing: you were going to a certain death, and your only hope was in resurrection power. (Guzik & Wiersbe)

Death is a friend no one wants but is always no more than one heartbeat or breath away from every single person born. We may deny it is with us at all times. We deny it has a time of its choosing to end our earthly life. We see it as a friend very close to others but not close to us. As hard as we may try to mask death’s inevitable fate for us we still will die and face eternity. Jesus is saying that death is coming to all and while we are still breathing you can choose to live life for eternal life or eternal death.  Choosing to follow the way of the cross to death means a person dies to self continually. They have set their hearts, minds, and souls on repenting of sin, humbly surrendering, following, trusting, obeying, and relying on Jesus Christ alone. Nothing this world has to offer is greater than honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ in all that think, say, and do. The way of the cross would seem like a burden to those who see it as taking away from this life. But, to those who have chosen it, to them it is life worth living, eternal life, and their heart is more than comforted in this. They find what others deem as a burden, it is has given them peace, love, joy, hope, courage, power, and a place of refuge from the very moment they were born again. 

Death comes to all and routinely gives no warning to its arrival. But, when it comes, eternity is waiting and it is here where God’s final judgment occurs and either eternal life or eternal torment is the result of the choice being made the living side of death. Choose to repent of sin, humbly surrender, follow, obey, trust, and rely on Jesus Christ for there is no other way to eternal life.

Upon death, no one can stand before God and claim they are worthy of eternal life because of their good works or anything else they have done. No one can say I did it my way and did not need Jesus Christ, nor did I need to burden myself with the way of the cross, nor can they say I went part way in following the path of the cross when it suited me. Scripture is clear, no one will find lasting peace, joy, love, hope, courage, power, and a place of refuge – eternal life – without surrendering this life and taking up the way of the cross through Jesus Christ.

20.w. “Make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!”

 

 

 

Romans 12:2   Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

J.B. Phillips translates this vs, Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the Plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

 Leviticus 18:30    So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.”

 1 John 5:19     We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

 1 John 4:4-5   Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.

 1 Corinthians 3:19    For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”

 1 John 2:15-17    Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

 Ezekiel 18:31    Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit!

 Ephesians 4:22-24   to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

 Colossians 3:10   and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

 Psalms 34:8   Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

God’s word warns us that the “world system” – the popular culture and manner of thinking that is in rebellion against God – will try to conform us to its ungodly pattern, and that process must be resisted. The battleground between conforming to the world and being transformed is within the mind of the believer. Christians must think differently.  “I don’t want to be conformed to this world. I want to be transformed. How do I do it?” By the renewing of your mind. The problem with many Christians is they live life based on feelings, worthy are only concerned about doing. The life based on feeling says, “How do I feel today? How do I feel about my job? How do I feel about my wife? How do I feel about worship? How do I feel about the preacher?” This life by feeling will never know the transforming power of God, because it ignores the renewing of the mind.  The life based on doing says, “Don’t give me your theology. Just tell me what to do. Give me the four points for this and the seven keys for that.” This life of doing will never know the transforming power of God, because it ignores the renewing of the mind.  God is never against the principles of feeling and doing. He is a God of powerful and passionate feeling and He commands us to be doers. Yet feelings and doing are completely insufficient foundations for the Christian life. The first questions cannot be “How do I feel?” or “What do I do?” Rather, they must be “What is true here? What does God’s Word say?” “How do I apply this or how does it apply to my life.” “What is in my heart and mind?” “How do I discern the intents and purposes of my actions?” “What things in this world are contrary to things of God?”

God’s Word must be more than do’s and do not’s.  This would never transform a person from the inside.  Meditation on God’s Word, however, will transform us.  The problem is that we too often fall into the trap of only listening to what others have meditated on.  We listen to our pastors on Sunday. We listen to radio preachers throughout the week.  We may form opinions based on what they have said.  We may even try to remember the three or four points they tell us are important.  When is the last time we spent in God’s Word, asked God to give us wisdom and understanding, and meditated upon it?  I must admit, very seldom, when our pastor is preaching, am I fully listening.  I read the passage from which he is preaching. I cross-reference to other verses.  I think about what God is revealing to me and then I give thought to this throughout the day.  Some thoughts will stay throughout the week with me while I think about it and try to make sense of it.  At the end of the day we are renewed and transformed in how we think, act, and do, by our thoughts and meditation on God’s Word.  It is a shallow commitment to God when we spend no time meditating on His Word.  

17.q. “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

John 12:12   The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!”, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”, “Blessed is the king of Israel!”  Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:  “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Luke 19:35   When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

“The donkey was not normally used by a warlike person. It was the animal of a man of peace, a priest, a merchant, or the like. It might also be used by a person of importance but in connection with peaceable purposes.  The donkey speaks of peace.” (Morris) “They greeted Jesus as a king, though ignorant of the nature of His kingship. It would seem that they looked upon Him as a potential nationalist leader, with whose help they might be able to become wholly independent of foreign powers who ruled over them.” 

What were the people really praising Jesus for?  Was it for raising Lazarus from the dead? Was it because they anticipated Him to become their mighty King? Was it because, on the coming Passover, they thought He was their deliverer from their Roman oppressors?  When we praise and worship Jesus it is because He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Son of God, and Savior.  It should never be about what we can get from Him, but because of who He is.  Granted, we are blessed beyond all measure, we are forgiven of sin, we are redeemed, we are redeemed, forgiven, and born again, we are given and filled with the Holy Spirit, we are given His written Word, we are given joy, peace, love, hope, power, refuge, and the promises of eternal life and His coming again.  These blessings we can truly be thankful for, but our praise and worship should be for who He is. I guess this is a very fine line.  Thankfulness can be an expression of praise and worship.  However, the line can grow strangely wide when our heart speaks thankfulness for what we can get rather than for who the Giver is.

12.v. ” I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents”

Zephaniah 3:6  “I have destroyed nations; their strongholds are demolished. I have left their streets deserted, with no one passing through. Their cities are laid waste; they are deserted and empty. Of Jerusalem I thought, ‘Surely you will fear me and accept correction!’ Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed, nor all my punishments come upon her. But they were still eager to act corruptly in all they did. Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them— all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger.

Isaiah 5:4     What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?

Jeremiah 8:6    I have paid attention and listened, but they have not spoken rightly; no man relents of his evil, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Everyone turns to his own course,

Jeremiah 36:3    It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

Luke 19:42-44    saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.  For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side  and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

2 Peter 3:9    The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

God brought His justice to the nations around Judah, and it should have warned Judah what would happen if they rejected God. Instead of learning from the surrounding nations, they dedicated themselves to ungodliness all the more.  Being blind to things of God comes as a consequence of an intentional choice to neglect Him and His Word.  Hearts are somehow easily turned away from God.  Some blatantly, some casually, but they both defy and deny God.  One says surely there is no God and because of this I can do what I want without consequences.  The other says I am a good enough person and does not give any more thought to the consequences.  God shows His hand over nations, toppling them down and people are blind to the fact that it was at His hand they fell.  Rulers, Dictators, and Presidents have been removed from their lofty positions of wealth and power and yet people are still blind to the hand of God directing the course of nations and the paths of man.  When eyes are blinded to things of God, both the promises of blessings and judgments are lost from their vision.  When God is denied and defied eyes and ears are blind and deaf to Him, and yet there is still hope.  Perhaps their heart will soften and their eyes will open and their ears will hear of the Good News of Jesus Christ.  It happened for each of us who were once lost but now are found.  It is not as though we can claim any part of this as our effort other than to say somehow the Word of God pierced my heart and I fell on my knees and surrendered to Jesus Christ.  The scales were taken off the eyes to my heart and mind and I saw a glimpse of the Holiness of Jesus Christ and my sinfulness.  There was no personal effort in this as it was all of Jesus Christ and our believing, yielding, surrendering, repenting, turning away, and trusting.   Somehow there is given to man the free will choice to choose to surrender/yield to God or to defy and deny Him and His grace, mercy, and love.  We get to intentionally choose whom we serve, honor, glorify, follow, obey, and trust.  Sad to say but millions upon millions choose to serve self, honor self, glorify self, obey self, and trust in self.  This is an intentional choice.  Every single moment of every day we are given this choice to make – honor Jesus Christ or self,  glorify Jesus Christ or self, follow Jesus Christ or self, obey Jesus Christ or self, trust Jesus Christ or self, or rely on Jesus Christ or self.  We do well to ask God to show us each day to whom we have surrendered our lives, actions, and thoughts to, Jesus Christ or themself.

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.n. But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

Revelation 12:7   Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”

The roaring lion, father of lies, deceiver, accuser, tempter, murderer, destroyer, stumbling block, crafty, and schemer all describe Satan.  He is now cast out of heaven and turned loose on earth.  He knows his end is near and comes in great wrath.  Can you imagine what it will be like on earth with the Holy Spirit removed and Satan turned loose?  We will see in later chapters what it will be like for those who are living during this period of the tribulation time.  Everything God had done previously in terms of His anger and wrath was done by His power and might.  Now He has released Satan for a time on earth, and earth will experience his wrath too.

There are many fictional movies that try to give a picture of what life is like at the “end of the world” scenarios.  They show very hard times, murderous times, and strange happening and people in the worst conditions possible.  These will not even come close to revealing what it will be like during the time of God’s wrath and the time of Satan’s wrath.  Just know that these end times come upon mankind for the rejection of  Christ and the intentional choice of self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and self-satisfaction.  The acts of wrath that come on earth and the people of the earth will get more and more intense and severe.  Each progression throughout the tribulation period will be worse than the previous.  Each act of wrath brings the final judgment seat of Christ closer, where those who have been born again will live eternity in heaven and those who have rejected Him (have not sought forgiveness of their sin, redemption, and salvation through Christ, repentance) are cast into the lake of fire that burns forever and ever.  where there is constant torment beyond what we can imagine forever.  Denying that this will happen will not stop it from happening.  Denying Christ into your life will usher in this judgment at your death and there is nothing you can do to change this outcome.  Now is the time of salvation.  Now is the time to seek forgiveness of sin, repent, and trust in, rely on, follow, and obey Jesus Christ.

6.i. I have set before you an open door

Revelation 3:8  “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Colossians 4:3     At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ,

1 Corinthians 16:9     for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

“I have set before you an open door”.  How many times do we miss the opened door?  Why is it the door to serving Christ seems wide open to others and not you?  The open door must be seen and trusted in through faith.  It is with faith eyes that we see doors/opportunities of serving and honoring Jesus Christ in our daily walk.  “Faith is the substance hoped for and evidence of things not seen”.  Only by faith can we attest to the open door before us.  We can miss opportunities if our faiths complacent and we neglect God’s Word.  We can miss open door opportunities if our eyes have been blinded by the bright shiny things of this world.  We can miss open door opportunities if our hears are deaf to the whispers of the Holy Spirit to our soul.  We can miss open door opportunities if we are not expecting and looking for them.  Sometimes we need to wait and not try to force open a door that is closed before us.  Other times we need to walk through that door full steam ahead.  How can we know which is right, wait or walkthrough?  Faith is in-line with God’s word.  Seeking and desiring to honor and serve Jesus Christ more than self.  Praying and asking God to confirm within us to wait or walkthrough.  We must set aside our self-reliance and self-centered ways.  People would like to think that an open door from Christ will mean prosperity, ease, and life without trials and troubles.  This is not true.  Sometimes our open door is walking into a lion’s den, or facing the Red Sea, or carrying our own cross.  The thing that matters is that the door we walk through is that we are not walking through on our own.  Christ is there in all of His power and will never leave us.  He is all-knowing so there are no surprises that He is not in control of.  He is ever-present and will accomplish His plans and purposes.  Spend time thinking about how many open door opportunities Jesus Christ has given to you today to serve, honor, and glorify Him.

Forfeit his soul

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”

Psalms 49:1   Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together! My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit. For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts.  Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.

1 Timothy 6:6  But godliness with contentment is great gain,  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

We often have thoughts about people and their success on the wealth they have don’t we?  We even have some thoughts about wanting the same or at least part of the same things they have.  We get envious and soon are not content.  This Psalm does make clear the impotence of wealth, the trust in it and the final reward for this trust – eternity in Hell.  We leave all behind in this life – nothing is ours – we only have use of it for this side of eternity.  If only we have clear understanding of this.  Would our giving be greater?  Would we be more content with what we have and stop seeking more and more of what this world has to offer? Seeking after more and more replaces thoughts of humbly serving, honoring, and obeying God.  Our heart and mind get consumed with everything that is temporal at the cost of that which is eternal.  This should not be so.  Check your giving, generosity, contentment, and how much time is used getting verses giving.  We all can do so much better in our focus for honor and glory to God.