Revelation 1:1-3 ESV
“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”
In the Scriptures, we have been given a glimpse into the
future, so that we know what is coming, and so we know what to expect, and so
that we will be prepared for it when it does come. Now, we may not know all the
specifics of who is who and what is what exactly, and we may not know exact
dates and times that these things will take place, but we have been given
enough information throughout the Scriptures that we should be prepared in
advance so that we are not taken by surprise when they do happen.
Now, I know that some of you are convinced that none of this
will happen to you, and that you will be raptured before any of this takes
place. But this was written to us, the church, the body of Christ, the servants
of the Lord. For this wasn’t just for seven specific churches in John’s day and
time, although it is addressed to them, anymore than the rest of the letters in
the New Testament are only intended for the people of that time and not for the
rest of us who came much later. For we are to learn from this, too.
Revelation 1:5-7 ESV
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.”
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who is also God,
the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – left his
throne in heaven, came to earth, and he was born as a baby to a human mother,
but with God the Father as his birth father. For he was conceived of the Holy
Spirit and not of man. So when he walked the earth he was fully God yet fully
man. And he grew up to be a man, and he ministered on the earth for three years
before his enemies had him put to death on a cross.
But it was the will of God the Father that Jesus Christ
should suffer and die on that cross, for in his death, he who knew no sin
became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. So, when Jesus
died, our sins died with him so that we, by faith in Jesus Christ, can die with
him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, which is the purpose for
which he gave his life up for us. So when we believe in Jesus, we are crucified
with him in death to sin, and we are raised with him to walk in newness of life
in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his
righteousness.
[Isaiah 53:1-12; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans
6:1-23]
So, we aren’t just freed from the punishment of sin, and it
isn’t just so we can go to heaven when we die, or when Jesus returns for his bride.
Jesus Christ died on that cross to deliver us out of our slavery (addiction) to
sin so that we would now become slaves of him and of his righteousness, and so
we are no longer enslaved to sin. And the righteous requirement of the law is
fulfilled in us who walk (in conduct, in practice) no longer according to the
flesh but now according to the Spirit (Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14).
And one day he is going to return for his bride, his
faithful ones, but not for those who give lip service to him only, but for
those who are walking in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to the
Lord, and not in sin, in practice, by the grace of God, and in his power,
wisdom, and strength. And all to the glory and praise of God, too. But those who
give lip service only to him will hear him say, “I never knew you. Depart from
me you workers of lawlessness,” because they didn’t obey the Lord (Matthew
7:21-23).
Now John was given the assignment by the Lord to write down
in a book what the Lord was going to show him, and he was to send it to the
seven churches. And John saw, in the Spirit, what appeared to be the Lord
Jesus, from what I understand, and it was a marvelous sight to behold.
Revelation 1:17-19 ESV
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, ‘Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this…’”
Yes, that is definitely a description of the Lord Jesus
Christ, for Jesus is the first and the last. And he died, but he was
resurrected from the dead, and now he lives that we might die with him to sin
and live to his righteousness. And yes, he holds the keys of Death and Hades,
and so no one and nothing has any power over him or any ability whatsoever to
circumvent his will. So, Satan has no power over us, and he can do nothing to
us unless God allows it to happen. And if God allows it, he will bring us
through it.
For our future is in God’s hands if we are his true
children, and if our lives are surrendered to him to do his will. Well,
actually, the future of all humankind is the hands of God and not one of us can
circumvent his plans and his purposes. So we are not to fear what the future
holds for us, whether it will bring about good or bad, peace or disaster. So,
we just need to keep doing the will of God and just be ready mentally and spiritually
for when “all hell” breaks loose. For that is where things are headed.
Phil Johnson / Bob Benson Sr. 1975
Give
them all, give them all,
Give
them all to Jesus -
Shattered
dreams, wounded hearts, and broken toys..
And
He will turn your sorrows into joy.
He
never said you'd only see sunshine.
He
never said there'd be no rain.
He
only promised a heart full of singing
About
the very things that once brought pain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsOnwWsHnIw
Caution: This link may contain ads
No comments:
Post a Comment