Your Servant / An Original Work / September 21, 2011
Lord, I love to have You near me
As I go throughout my day,
Walking daily in Your footsteps,
As I humbly pray.
List’ning to You, hear You teaching
Me to live and work for You,
Lord, I pray You lead and guide me
Daily in Your truth.
Lord, I want to be Your witness,
Telling others of Your grace;
Telling how they can be set free
Of their sins today;
Share with them the love of Jesus,
He died on a cruel tree,
So that we’d be forgiven
For all eternity.
Lord, I want to serve You only,
As I bow on bended knee,
Making You my Lord and master,
And Your servant be.
Humbly walking in obedience,
Doing what You say to me,
Lord, may I be an example
Of one who’s set free.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io7ncxAL15Q
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Revelation 13-14. I will summarize some of this and will quote some.
My Understanding: This passage begins, “And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.” The dragon is Satan. And, then the author told us about two beasts – one out of the sea and one out of the earth. The one out of the sea had ten horns and seven heads. These represent kings, rulers and kingdoms. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority, i.e. the power, throne and authority of the devil. “One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.” I can’t help but see here the fatal wound to Kennedy’s head, as this is the anniversary of his historical assassination, yet I don’t know what that would mean in all reality or what his head (the authority over him, perhaps) would represent.
Rev. 13: 5-18 (NIV ’84):
The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
He who has an ear, let him hear.
If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed.
This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.
Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.
I believe with all my heart that we are already witnessing the beginning of this, though I don’t know at what stage in progression we are at this point with regard to the events spoken about here. I just know the Lord has been showing me that factions of our government and military are involved in a worldwide campaign to destroy the governments and nations of the world and to bring the whole world under one global rule. The Lord has continually revealed to me, his servant, that these events, or part of them, are already taking place at the hands of our government and military and their allies (NATO), and that their goal is truly to consume the whole world and to bring it under their rule and authority. The events presently going on with the supposed “Occupy Wall Street” demonstrations are just repeats of what this global order has been doing across the globe, and we are next.
So, this is not in the far off future. Much of this is already taking place and is making preparation for this rule of the beast. And, much of the persecution and killing of the saints of God has already begun on many levels. That is why this calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints, because many are already going through this, and we will yet go through this, as well. This also calls for much wisdom and insight, because many believers in Jesus are being led astray by the lies of the enemy, and are believing, and are supporting this beast system through their support of the US government and our military. There is a reason it is called a great deception and that the Bible says that even the elect will be led astray, if that were possible. If we read the books of the New Testament, we learn that it is possible, because the church is warned over and over again to be on the lookout for false teachers who would lead them to error and to following after a lie.
Following this description of these two beasts is a description of God sealing those who are his with the name of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and of the Father written on their foreheads. Though this may be literal in the sense of their names actually written on our foreheads, I also see something here that I believe is much greater than just written words, and that is that the names (character) of God Almighty is indelibly inscribed into our minds, thoughts, actions and behaviors, and that our minds are set, like a flint, toward obedience to Jesus Christ (see Isaiah 50:6-8). This is what it means to be true servants of Christ. They sing a new song that only those who have had their minds inscribed with God’s holy character can know. They choose not to defile themselves in sexual or in spiritual adultery, but they keep themselves pure for God. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes, i.e. they are followers of Christ in all that they do, because they want to please their master. No lie is found in their mouths; they are blameless. If they (we) are still on this earth, we are not yet made perfect, but once we reach heaven, we will be made perfect, because God is perfect.
Then, John described an angel who was flying in midair. He had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth. “He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water’” (Rev. 14:7 NIV ’84). To fear God means to give him all our honor, respect, submission, humility, repentance, and obedience, and to take seriously in our lives the things he takes seriously, and to do this before men as well as before God, and to do it consistently with our thoughts, actions and minds, which are set with the character of Almighty God permanently inscribed. To give God glory means to give him the credit for all he has done in our lives, and by our very lives and how we conduct ourselves on a day to day basis to do so with the praise and adoration of God in mind. So, in everything we do, we ask, “Will this bring honor and glory to God, or will it bring disgrace to his name (his character) in my life?”
This is the gospel, that we fear God, that we give him glory by how we live our lives, and that we truly worship him. I know of no better passage of scripture to describe the worship that our God requires and desires of us than Romans 12:1-2:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Lastly, there is both a proclamation and a warning of judgment. Babylon the Great can be so many things. I have often seen the US government and their allies as such, and yet they are also part of this global world’s system. I have also seen it as the institutional church, as she is the great adulteress. Whatever it represents, it represents a system that is opposed to God and God intends to judge her, and we are often called to come out from her, so she represents a very worldly system, even in the church. And, I believe this first judgment is a judgment against the worldly church. This is followed by a warning to not take the mark of the beast. Again, although this may be a literal mark, I believe the greater concern is that we not accept the influence (mark) of the world’s system on our minds (foreheads) or in our deeds (hands). Again, “this calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.” And, John continued, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them” (Rev. 14:13 NIV ’84).
I Will Uphold You / An Original Work / November 4, 2011
Based off of Isaiah 41:8-20; Ephesians 6:10-18
You are My servant; I’ve chosen you.
I’ve not rejected you; I’ve been true.
Do not be fearful; I am with you.
Don’t be alarmed, for I am your God.
I will give you strength, and will help you.
I will uphold you with My right hand.
All who’re against you will be disgraced.
Those who oppose you, they will perish.
Enemies you search, but will not find.
They war against you; nothing will be.
I am your Lord God, who takes your hand;
Says, “Do not fear, for I will help you.”
The poor and needy, water they need.
Their tongues are thirsty; no drop to drink.
I will give answer; not forsake them.
I will make rivers flow from within.
My living water I will outpour
On those who seek Me; and Me adore.
Jesus provided the sacrifice;
For our sins blood bought; He paid the price,
So we’re forgiven all of our sins,
When we invite Him to come within.
He cleanses us from our impure hearts.
His life within us gives a new start.
http://youtu.be/i0LFPI-isSU
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