Revelation 18- Driving your desires in the right direction (HM)

So we saw the other day that Babylon does have its attractions to some people in this world. But Revelation is showing it under it's final judgement....and in Chapters 18-20, God destroys all evil with his final judgement, before launching his new world in chapters 21-22.
v1-8-
1 After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor. 2 He gave a mighty shout:   “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!
      She has become a home for demons.
   She is a hideout for every foul spirit,
      a hideout for every foul vulture
      and every foul and dreadful animal.
 3 For all the nations have fallen
      because of the wine of her passionate immorality.
   The kings of the world
      have committed adultery with her.
   Because of her desires for extravagant luxury,
      the merchants of the world have grown rich.”
 4 Then I heard another voice calling from heaven,
   “Come away from her, my people.
      Do not take part in her sins,
      or you will be punished with her.
 5 For her sins are piled as high as heaven,
      and God remembers her evil deeds.
 6 Do to her as she has done to others.
      Double her penalty for all her evil deeds.
   She brewed a cup of terror for others,
      so brew twice as much for her.
 7 She glorified herself and lived in luxury,
      so match it now with torment and sorrow.
   She boasted in her heart,
      ‘I am queen on my throne.
   I am no helpless widow,
      and I have no reason to mourn.’
 8 Therefore, these plagues will overtake her in a single day—
      death and mourning and famine.
   She will be completely consumed by fire,
      for the Lord God who judges her is mighty.”
There are so many temptations in this world- Sex, money, alcohol are just some of the biggest ones. And it's easy to think that as Christians, just because giving into these temptations is defying God and moving you away from him, it doesn't mean we're 'immune' from them and can't notice that sometimes they might already be seducing us. We are to stick with God and not let anything come between our relationship with him.
We are told to avoid Babylon's sins. Don't become complacent by the fact you might be self-sufficient. Perhaps you could even use your own resources to help others.
v9-24-
9 And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains. 10 They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out,
   “How terrible, how terrible for you,
      O Babylon, you great city!
   In a single moment
      God’s judgment came on you.”
 11 The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. 12 She bought great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; things made of fragrant thyine wood, ivory goods, and objects made of expensive wood; and bronze, iron, and marble. 13 She also bought cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and bodies—that is, human slaves.
 14 “The fancy things you loved so much
      are gone,” they cry.
   “All your luxuries and splendor
      are gone forever,
      never to be yours again.”
 15 The merchants who became wealthy by selling her these things will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will weep and cry out,
 16 “How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
      She was clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens,
      decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls!
 17 In a single moment
      all the wealth of the city is gone!”
   And all the captains of the merchant ships and their passengers and sailors and crews will stand at a distance. 18 They will cry out as they watch the smoke ascend, and they will say, “Where is there another city as great as this?” 19 And they will weep and throw dust on their heads to show their grief. And they will cry out,
   “How terrible, how terrible for that great city!
      The shipowners became wealthy
      by transporting her great wealth on the seas.
   In a single moment it is all gone.”
 20 Rejoice over her fate, O heaven
      and people of God and apostles and prophets!
   For at last God has judged her
      for your sakes.
 21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted,
   “Just like this, the great city Babylon
      will be thrown down with violence
      and will never be found again.
 22 The sound of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets
      will never be heard in you again.
   No craftsmen and no trades
      will ever be found in you again.
   The sound of the mill
      will never be heard in you again.
 23 The light of a lamp
      will never shine in you again.
   The happy voices of brides and grooms
      will never be heard in you again.
   For your merchants were the greatest in the world,
      and you deceived the nations with your sorceries.
 24 In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people
      and the blood of people slaughtered all over the world.”
 Those people who chose to go their own way will loose everything when God's judgement comes. Everything they have worked a lifetime for will be taken away from them "in a single moment". So, what can we take with us into our eternal life? Our faith, our character, our relationship with other Christians...these are all more important things than money power and pleasure.
How can we steer clear from this evil, immoral things then? Well, here's some suggestions...
1. Always put people first, not worldly goods.
2. Stay clear from pride
3. Remember that God will and word are final...follow it and don't just read and know it
4. Do what is right, no matter what the cost
5. If you're gonna be involved in any business, try being involved in one that provides worthwhile things and services- not just things like worldly goods.
The voice from heaven (v4) is continuing to say all the things Babylon USED TO provide. Only a few of these things were actually necessities, most of them were luxuries. We are so lucky and fortunate to live in a place where we have luxuries...even luxuries like toilet roll!! But we too, are in danger of being taken over by our possessions and pleasure. Make sure your desires...your birthday/christmas list...or I wish I could have....lead you in the right direction. Keep your main desire to serving God.

Revelation 17- Beware (HM)

The message of Revelation 17 is BEWARE! Be very, very aware. The Godless lifestyle of this world can be very tempting and seductive.....but it doesn't give you exactly what it offers and is useless.

v1-6-

1 One of the seven angels who had poured out the seven bowls came over and spoke to me. “Come with me,” he said, “and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. 2 The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.” 3 So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. 4 The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. 5 A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.” 6 I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.

This prostitute represents the seductiveness of the world we live in that uses immoral things to gain its own pleasure. The many waters represent the many people she rules over.

The angel took John into the wilderness, away from him life, to see the prostitute in her true reality. Sometimes, we can only get a true view of reality when we take a step back from our own lives to sin the sin and evil around us. Take some time to look at your life, its directions and activities. 

So, throughout history, many people have been killed for their faith, by government, and non-believers. The woman's drunken state shows her pleasure in her accomplishments . But think, every believer who has died from their persecution has only served to strengthen the church. Persecution is by no means anything from the past. No way ho-say! But we mustn't forget that although we, ourselves might not be being persecuted, there are others who are, so pray for those in difficult parts of the world.

v7-14-

7 “Why are you so amazed?” the angel asked. “I will tell you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits. 8 The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died.

 9 “This calls for a mind with understanding: The seven heads of the beast represent the seven hills where the woman rules. They also represent seven kings. 10 Five kings have already fallen, the sixth now reigns, and the seventh is yet to come, but his reign will be brief.

 11 “The scarlet beast that was, but is no longer, is the eighth king. He is like the other seven, and he, too, is headed for destruction. 12 The ten horns of the beast are ten kings who have not yet risen to power. They will be appointed to their kingdoms for one brief moment to reign with the beast. 13 They will all agree to give him their power and authority. 14 Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

We've met this beast before (in Chapter 12 and 13)- he represents cruel rulers. Non-Christians are impressed by this sort of ruler since he has power.. But all of these evil powers will eventually be destroyed by Christ.

Apparently, the city of Rome is known for its seven hills, so here, John is referring to Rome. Whatever view is taken on these seven hills and kings, their evil power is limited, and its destruction is just over the horizon. Lets face it, we've all had that one person we would love to be like...whether it be a movie star, sportsman/woman, singer or Kate Middleton. But if you are indulged in the fact that you want to be them so much, you are an easy target for Satan. Worlds power is Satan's trap, and the desire for it can turn us away from God. Worship only God and make your only desire to serve him.

v15-18-

15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters where the prostitute is ruling represent masses of people of every nation and language. 16 The scarlet beast and his ten horns all hate the prostitute. They will strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire. 17 For God has put a plan into their minds, a plan that will carry out his purposes. They will agree to give their authority to the scarlet beast, and so the words of God will be fulfilled. 18 And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.”

Wow, well I didn't see that one coming! The prostitutes followers, suddenly turn on her and destroy her!

No matter what happens though, we must trust that God is in charge, his plans will happen in the end just as he says. He might even use the people against him as tools. 

He might allow evil to be in this world we live now, but the new earth won't even know sin! :D

Revelation 15 v5- 16v21- Hang on in there (HM)

So last week, I mentioned about the plagues. Today we look at them more and the focus is on destruction and God's final judgement, and it's a long one....

Ch15 v5- Ch16 v7

5 Then I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God’s Tabernacle, was thrown wide open. 6 The seven angels who were holding the seven plagues came out of the Temple. They were clothed in spotless white linen with gold sashes across their chests. 7 Then one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. 8 The Temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.

So the angels are holding the seven plagues (it's that magic number 7 again). They are clothed in white linen, and just as I was looking at in the previous chapters, the white clothes symbolizes purity and that they have been made clean through the blood of Christ. Their clothes are similar to that of what Priests would have worn, they are free form corruption and injustice.

The smoke that fills the temple was God's glory and power. Once there is smoke, there is smoke, it doesn't disappear until it has spread out so far to evaporate. God's glory and power will not just fill the temple with his wrath, but also the world outside.

Our reign with Christ won't begin until all evil is destroyed by his judgement. But we must WAIT and be patient for it to come...even if that means just a little bit more suffering and persecution, or suffering for the rest of your lives. Put your trust in him, and you will be kept safe during your time of suffering, earning  eternal glory with Christ.

1 Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels, “Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.”

 2 So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth,and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.

 3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse. And everything in the sea died.

 4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying,

   “You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was,

      because you have sent these judgments.

 6 Since they shed the blood

      of your holy people and your prophets,

   you have given them blood to drink.

      It is their just reward.”

 7 And I heard a voice from the altar, saying,

   “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty,

      your judgments are true and just.”

If any of you remember the trumpet judgments I looked at in Chapters 8-11, there are three main differences between those judgments and these bowl judgments....

1. These judgments are complete and the trumpet ones were partial
2. The trumpet judgments still gave unbelievers a chance to turn back and repent, these don't
3. People were differently effected by the trumpet judgments, but punished directly by the bowl judgments

The main targets of God's fair judgement and wrath are those who rejected Jesus and are on the beasts (Satan's) side since they have his mark on their foreheads.

The sea is turned into blood and everything in it dies. I remember when we used to walk to primary school and we walked past a pond every day. It's one of those ponds were you have a look at the fish and sometimes there's ducks...and ducklings! (the joys of primary school). But we were walking past one day and we say a fish just lying at the top of the water, the next day a few more and so on. It wasn't very nice to see and it made headlines in the local paper (not much happens in our area :P) But God is making a statement here by punishing all of those who shed the blood of believers, through persecuting them and making them suffer. He sets his own standard of justice and uses his power according to his own moral perfection. Whatever he does is fair....now this doesn't mean that we can go round causing those who have persecuted and made fun of us..it means that God's has overall judgement and revenge...(Romans 12v19)

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

   “I will take revenge;

      I will pay them back,”

      says the Lord.

Ch16 v8-16-

 8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, causing it to scorch everyone with its fire. 9 Everyone was burned by this blast of heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had control over all these plagues. They did not repent of their sins and turn to God and give him glory. 10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish, 11 and they cursed the God of heaven for their pains and sores. But they did not repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.

 12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the kings from the east could march their armies toward the west without hindrance.13 And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. 14 They are demonic spirits who work miracles and go out to all the rulers of the world to gather them for battle against the Lord on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.

 15 “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.” 16 And the demonic spirits gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place with the Hebrew name Armageddon.

We know that the people know these judgments are coming from God since they are cursing him for sending them. But they still refuse to repent and a recognise God's authority. 

In the face of all these events, our response should be to stay awake and alert, neither giving up or becoming complacent even in the face of what is happening in the world right now.

Remember that this is only a vision, so don't go expecting some massive full on battle. This is a spiritual battle....and Christ has already won!!

v17-21-

17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, “It is finished!” 18 Then the thunder crashed and rolled, and lightning flashed. And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth. 19 The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble. So God remembered all of Babylon’s sins, and he made her drink the cup that was filled with the wine of his fierce wrath. 20 And every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled. 21 There was a terrible hailstorm, and hailstones weighing seventy-five pounds fell from the sky onto the people below. They cursed God because of the terrible plague of the hailstorm.

Instead of describing the massive battle, the scene switches to God's final judgement. It's horrific, I mean, the world wouldn't really be a pretty happy place to live after all this had happened to it! Yet people are still cursing God and are still unrepentant. 

Revelation 14 v14 - Chapter 15 v4- God's delivery (HM)

Morning everyone...so, the holidays are nearly over and it's the dreaded thought of the approaching exams....but today in Revelation, something else is approaching...

Ch 14 v14-20-

14 Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man. He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came from the Temple and shouted to the one sitting on the cloud, “Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.” 16 So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.
 17 After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 20The grapes were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle.

This is an image of judgement. Just like a farmer harvests their crops, Christ is separating the faithful from the unfaithful. This is a time of joy for all believers who have been persecuted and faced temptation in their journey of faith- they will receive their long awaited reward of eternal life. Us as Christians shouldn't fear this final judgement for Jesus said...(John 5:24)

 "I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life."

Those who have rejected Christ and ignored God's warnings will be punished :( This is quite disturbing. For God's wrath on these people is like pressing grapes that were once ripe into wine. The depth and length of the blood is a symbol of the immensity of God's judgement. 

Those who know God's wrath well enough, or know what is coming, should know to desire his grace...do you desire His grace? 

Ch 15 v1-4

1 Then I saw in heaven another marvelous event of great significance. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God’s wrath to completion. 2 I saw before me what seemed to be a glass sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. 3 And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:   “Great and marvelous are your works,      O Lord God, the Almighty.   Just and true are your ways,      O King of the nations. 4 Who will not fear you, Lord,      and glorify your name?      For you alone are holy.   All nations will come and worship before you,      for your righteous deeds have been revealed.”

So, seven plagues are on their way to bring the final judgement on these people....you would have thought by now after the wine press, the beasts, the dragon (things people usually would not go anywhere near), they would have seen sense and repented, but nope, so God is now sending his final judgement in the form of seven plagues. Unlike the previous plagues in Revelation, these are universal, not partial. 

The song of Moses in Exodus 15 celebrated Israel's deliverance from Egypt.  This song of the lamb is celebrating the ultimate deliverance of God's people from the power of Satan!! WOOO :D

Tune in tomorrow for more on the seven plagues...

Revelation 14 v1-13- Stick with God, producing faithful fruit (HM)

So yesterday, we were being warned and told about the two beasts...the one that came from the sea, and the one that came from the earth. Today, we look at the church during this time of judgement which will bring an end to God's enemies....

v1-5-

1 Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together.3 This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 They have kept themselves as pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb. 5 They have told no lies; they are without blame.

The 144,000 represent believers who have gone through persecution on Earth and are now ready to enjoy the eternal benefits and blessings of a life living with God forever. They have Christ's name and God's name on their foreheads...so like yesterday, if they didn't accept Satan's mark, they would suffer...but they have got through their trials and sufferings with the help of God. Yet again, when we face trials or we're going through a rough time, we know that we are assured safety because of our faith in Christ.

These believers are true believers, their robes were made white in Christ's blood (Ch 7:14) through his death.

Them being pure as virgins is them being spiritually pure- resisting the temptations of this world- power, wealth and sexual immorality. To do this can be hard, especially when you're at school/college/uni/work....I mean, I have two girls at work who think I'm an absolute weirdo because I don't get drunk. But staying close to God, and reading his word is an assurance that you don't need to get drunk or give into these temptations...if you give into them, you turn your back to God. 

Following the Lamb wherever he goes...yes it's never going to be easy, even when we face persecution and sometimes even death because of it. But sometimes, it can be easy to shrink and take a breather to see if it passes. But with God, you can build that bridge, and get over it :)

v6-13-

6 And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.” 8 Then another angel followed him through the sky, shouting, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen—because she made all the nations of the world drink the wine of her passionate immorality.”

 9 Then a third angel followed them, shouting, “Anyone who worships the beast and his statue or who accepts his mark on the forehead or on the hand 10 must drink the wine of God’s anger. It has been poured full strength into God’s cup of wrath. And they will be tormented with fire and burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb. 11The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no relief day or night, for they have worshiped the beast and his statue and have accepted the mark of his name.”

 12 This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus.

 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!”

 The good news isn't just limited to us lot who go to church week in week out, but to every race, culture and country. Anyone who repents is accepted by God. Have you confessed your sins and trusted in Christ to save you? If you have, you have nothing to worry about! The judge of all the Earth is your saviour!

The ultimate result of sin is separation from God. Since to turn away from God, we would have had to have a part of him in us in the first place...so it wouldn't be good to be separated from him. Sin always brings misery, but in this life, we can choose to repent and restore our relationship with God. But in our eternal life, there won't be this chance. 

While it is true that our belongings and money can't be taken with us into our eternal life in heaven, us as God's people can produce fruit that survives even death....those who accept Christ through our witnessing will join us in our eternal life! So keep witnessing to your friends, family and those people every summer on the beach!!

Revelation 13- Simply the beast, which side will you go on? (HM)

v1-10-

¹ Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. ² This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority. ³ I saw that one of the heads of the beast seemed wounded beyond recovery—but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the beast. ⁴ They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they also worshiped the beast. “Who is as great as the beast?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”
 ⁵ Then the beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. ⁶ And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling—that is, those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ And the beast was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And he was given authority to rule over every tribe and people and language and nation. ⁸ And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made—the Book that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered. ⁹ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. ¹⁰ Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword.                                                                                     This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.

When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he wanted Jesus to show his power by turning stones into bread, to do miracles from jumping of high places, and to gain power by worshiping him (Matthew 4: 1-11). Basically, Satan's plan was to rule the world through Christ, but he refused. Woo! He then turns to these beasts...he obviously isn't strong enough on his own, that he needs the help of inhuman creatures. But, with the help of an ordinary man who came to Earth, we are strong enough to win. :D

Even the power given to the beast will be limited by God. The beast will have authority, but only for a limited amount of time. Even while the beast has power, God will still be in control. So don't give up!

Just like yesterday, although the beast will conquer God's people, he will not be able to harm them spiritually. Refusing to worship the beast will result in temporary suffering, but....we will be rewarded with eternal life in the end :) THE CHALLENGE IS TO BE YOURSELF IN A WORLD THAT TRIES TO MAKE YOU LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.

Don't fall into Satan's trap and turn away from God when hard times come. Instead use those tough times as opportunities for testifying for God.

v11-18-

¹¹ Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. ¹² He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. ¹³ He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. ¹⁴ And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. ¹⁵ He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die. ¹⁶ He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. ¹⁷ And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. ¹⁸Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.

 The first beast (yes, there's two!) came out of the Sea, but this second beast comes out of the Earth. He seems to be doing good with all these miracles, but the purpose of his miracles is to deceive. This is why, we must ask ourselves with every miracle we see...

"Is this consistent with what God says in the bible"

The second beast gains influence through the signs and wonders he can perform on behalf of the first beast. Allowing the bible to guide our faith will keep us from being deceived by false signs/teachings, however convincing they seem. 

This mark is designed to mock the seal that God places on his followers (Revelation 7: 2-3)

² And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, ³ “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.”

Just as God marks his people to save them, so does Satan to protect them from God....seems weird talking about being protected from God! Makes you think why you would need saving from God. 

Those who accept Satan's mark show their willingness to follow Satan and rebellion from God. To refuse the mark, means to commit yourself entirely to God.

So which mark would you prefer?

Revelation 12- Stay committed to God

Hello! Hope everyone has had a lovely few days celebrating the best day of the year :)

v1-6-

1 Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.

 5 She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days.

  The woman represents God's faithful people who have been waiting for the birth of Jesus who she's about to give birth to. But Herod felt threatened that there was a new King on his way, so he immediately wanted to destroy him. His desire to kill Jesus, was motivated by Satan (the red dragon). It all looks as if everything's about to go wrong, the dragon is standing in front of the woman ready to kill Jesus....AND THEN....Jesus was taken up to heaven to be with God (after his death and resurrection). 

In the meantime, God's people are in the wilderness, a place of spiritual refuge and protection form Satan. Because God helped the woman to escape into the wilderness, we, as true believers, can be sure that he offers security to us too! Satan might always be trying to attack God's people, but we have protection with God. Some will have physical harm :( but all will be protected from spiritual harm. Remember God rules over all....TRUST HIM.

v7-12-

7 Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. 8 And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. 9This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. 10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last—    salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth—the one who accuses them before our God day and night.11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.”

1,260 days is 3 and a half years...again, 3 and a half is half of the magic number 7. Satan's only has power and authority for 3 and a half years, an incomplete time....his reign will never be as long as God's! 

When I first read this, I thought, who on Earth is Michael??? But I looked it up, and he's a high-ranking angel. One of his responsibilities was to guard God's community of all believers.

So, a war between the good and evil was underway. But with Christ's resurrection, Satan's ultimate defeat was assured! WOO! Whatever we face, we must remember that Christ is victorious!

Think of a boxing match. These athletes take so many hits just in the hope that they can win the fight. In our fight with the devil, his ultimate blow that knocked him out, was when Christ shed his blood for our sins. Even though Christ was in pain, bleeding and nearly about to loose, he put his trust in God, he still managed to win the battle. As we face the battle with Satan, we should not fear it or try to escape the boxing ring, we should loyally serve Christ, who alone brings victory.

v13-17-

13 When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time.

 15 Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth. 16 But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon. 17 And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children—all who keep God’s commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus.

Satan is out to get the church- all believers. But he won't succeed because the outcome is assured from Christ's sacrifice. The devil will attack us, but if we choose to live God's way, He'll always give us a way to escape. Don't waver in your commitment to God. This battle is ongoing and there really isn't any time for indecision! 

:)