READ THE LAST CHAPTER---GOD WINS!!

                                               READ THE LAST CHAPTER---GOD WINS!!

Have you ever read a book and couldn’t wait to read how it ends?  Have you secretly read the last chapter because you were anxious to see if there was a good ending?  Well, I have.  I know it takes away the mystery but for those that are super curious it does make sense. 

The same is with the Bible.  How many of us have read the Bible and been selective in what we read?  How many of us have read the whole Bible?  Does it seem like reading the last chapter of the Bible would be great because it will give you the conclusion of the book? 

The last book of the Bible is Revelation.  What does revelation mean? According to Meriam Webster’s Dictionary-- An act of revealing or communicating divine truth.  Something that is revealed by God to humans.

Don’t be afraid to read the Book of Revelation.  The majority of Pastors do not like to teach it because some say, “It will scare the congregation.”  There are a lot of “scary” things in the Bible so why is the Book of Revelation one that is sometimes shunned?  I think because there are those that only want to talk about prosperity or the “feel good” message. 

Can we honestly think that God did not have a plan from creation to salvation to restoration of all things?  God created Adam and Eve in the Garden.  He gave them dominion over the earth.  They lost their authority when they were deceived by Satan and ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. 

God had a plan of salvation.  He sent Jesus to die for our sins.  He was resurrected and because of this we are born to Eternal Life.  This was not to be the end.  Do you not think that God intends for His creation to go back to the beginning?  Should we not return to the Garden of Eden where God was said to walk and talk to Adam and Eve?  The book of Revelation speaks about the culmination of all things and the plan for the restoration of all things.  

¹⁹ For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. ²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Romans 8:19-22 (NIV)

Why should we read the book of Revelation?

1.      The Revelation of Jesus Christ

 The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, Revelation 1:1 (NIV) God gave John this revelation of Jesus to His followers so that they would know the things that would happen in the Last Days and beyond these days.

In Matthew Chapter 24:3-10, it says,³ As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.  (NIV)

Jesus was giving the apostles the groundwork of what to look for as a sign of His coming. 

2.      It is specially written for us, the people in the end times         

In this last Chapter, the Book of Revelation, we find hope.  Hope that we are living from victory to victory.  Yes, Jesus did die on the cross and the devil thought that he had won but little did he know that Jesus would resurrect from the dead.  Jesus purchased our salvation at the cross and the resurrection was the event that insured our eternal life in and through Him now and forever!  He showed us how to live and how to love and as He explained to the Apostles, yes, we will be going through hardships but the best is yet to come if you are a follower of Jesus. 

 ⁷Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.  For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.  ¹¹ They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  Revelation 12:7-11 (NIV)

3.      We have been invited to the wedding banquet.

⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”  Revelation 19:9 (NIV)

4.      There will be a new heaven and earth and God will dwell with His people!

 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

⁵ He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.  Revelation 21:1-7 (NIV)

5.      Jesus is assuring us that He is coming back soon and we will live with Him forever! 

¹² “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you^[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.  Revelation 22:12-17 (NIV)

True Believers, which are those that have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ, will abide with Him forever.  Yes, there is evil in the world but one day at the sound of the last trumpet, Jesus shall return and take His bride away.  I have read the last Chapter of the Bible and GOD WINS; WE WIN; HE HAS ALREADY WON!!  So go ahead, read the last chapter, because the best is yet to come!!

 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”  Revelation 22:7 (NIV)

³ Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.  Revelation 1:3 (NIV)

 

 

ABOVE THE FRAY

                                                              ABOVE THE FRAY

 

Do you sometimes feel that you need to get above the fray or in other words to get away from the bluster, the noise, the turmoil of the world just to see beyond what is around you?  Are you looking for a reprieve?

Well, look no further because there was a person in the Bible during Jesus' time who, it appears, was anxious to see things from a different vantage point.  That person was Zacchaeus.

In Luke 19:1-6 it says, “As Jesus was passing through Jericho, a man named Zacchaeus, one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business (and of course, a very rich man), tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds.  So he ran ahead and climbed into a sycamore tree beside the road, to watch from there.  When Jesus came by He looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name! “Zacchaeus!” He said, “Quick!  Come down!  For I am going to be a guest in your home today!”  Zacchaeus hurriedly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.”  (The Living Bible)

Zacchaeus was a rich man who was one of the despised people in those days because he was a tax collector.  Yet even, he, with all of his riches, must not have been satisfied because he was searching for more.   Hearing the words of Jesus and not being able to see the Messiah, Zacchaeus chose to go above the obstacles in his way by climbing a tree to get a better vantage point.

Why did Jesus point out Zacchaeus?  I think that maybe Jesus saw the extra length that he went to so that he could see with his own eyes, the Messiah.  Jesus saw his heart and his efforts and even though others criticized Jesus for going to a notorious sinner’s house, Jesus knew that  Zacchaeus  was seeking to have a relationship with Him and that he did not care who saw his actions because he had come to a realization of Who Jesus was.

What is our vantage point?  Are we looking at things that are seen or should we be looking at things unseen?  How many times do we get so caught up in everyday life and all the noise around us and take time to search out the Savior, Jesus, and spend time with Him? 

What are the obstacles in our lives that keep us from taking time to be with our Savior?  There are so many distractions around us that we need to let go of and carve out special time to be with the Lord.  We need to live above the fray of the world that would seek to keep us in a state of anxiety or fear.  The Word of God says that we should not be conformed to the things of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  Colossians 3:2 says, “Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here.”  (Living Bible)

Jesus is walking your way today.  He sees you.  He knows your heart. Don’t let Him pass by without joining Him.  Salvation came to Zacchaeus’ house that day.  I’m sure that the angels in heaven rejoiced that day. 

If you have not made a commitment to make Jesus your Lord and Savior or want to recommit your life to Christ, pray this prayer:

Salvation Prayer:

Dear God,

I come to You in the name of Jesus

I believe that Jesus died on the cross

For my sins and rose again

I ask you to forgive me for my sins

I turn away from my sins

I ask You Jesus to come live in my heart

I surrender my life to You

Thank you Jesus, for dying for me

And giving me eternal life

Amen

A Prayer for Peace of Mind

Almighty God, We bless you for our lives,
we give you praise for your abundant mercy and grace
we receive. We thank you for your faithfulness even
though we are not that faithful to you.
Lord Jesus, we ask you to give us all around
peace in our mind, body, soul and spirit.
We want you to heal and remove everything that is
causing stress, grief, and sorrow in our lives.

Please guide our path through life and make our
enemies be at peace with us. Let your peace reign in our family,
at our place of work, businesses and everything we lay our hands on.

Let your angels of peace go ahead of us when we go out
and stay by our side when we return. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

FAITH AND DIVINE HEALING PART 1

FAITH AND DIVINE HEALING   PART 1

What is faith?  According to Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things, (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses.)”

Why is faith so important in order for anyone to be healed?  I think it is important because I believe that faith is the trigger that sparks God’s healing power.  Remember the woman with the issue of blood?  She thought to herself if only I can touch the hem of His (Christ’s) garment I will be healed.  Faith requires an action.  She believed in her heart and she acted on it.  So many times Jesus has said that it is because of your faith that you have been healed.  Jesus, many cases, asked people to perform an action and then they were healed like when Jesus asked the man with the withered hand to stretch forth his hand.  Many times in a healing service, the person, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, will tell people that believed that they have been healed to “do something that they could not do before.”  

Is healing always instantaneous?  Not always, in fact, one of the blind persons Jesus healed did not receive his sight instantaneously.  Jesus healed a blind man and it took a couple of times for Jesus to pray for him for him to be healed. In Mark 8:23-25 it says, “And He caught the blind many by the hand and led him out of the village; and when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him, Do you (possibly) see anything?  And he looked up and said, I see people, but (they look) like trees, walking.  Then He put His hands on his eyes again; and the man looked intently (that is, fixed his eyes on definite objects), and he was restored and saw everything distinctly (even what was at a distance).”

God’s healing power and answer to prayer was evident in February 2016 when our granddaughter, Anastasia, a few weeks before she was born, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor that was wrapped around one of her kidneys.  We were all shocked because all the ultra sounds had not shown anything until this routine test.  There were many, many friends and family who prayed and we stood on the Word of God in Matthew 18:19 that says that if two or three agree about whatever they ask it will be done by the Father in heaven.  We stood on God’s Word and several days after Anastasia was born they performed surgery to remove the kidney with the tumor and they did a biopsy on the tumor and it was no longer cancerous but benign!!  We give God all the honor and the glory.  By the way, during the time of her initial diagnosis I felt led to look up the meaning of Anastasia, and in Greek it means Resurrection so that was a sign to me that everything was going to be okay.  And today she is a very healthy and beautiful 4 year old that gives us such great joy!!

Doctors say that between 80-90 percent of illnesses are directly related to stressful situations and can directly cause illness.  I know in my own life, I tend to get sick when I am stressed out.  I also heard from a doctor that fear can shut down the immune system so it seems that our psyche as well as our body are so directly connected—one affecting the other.  

Our being consists of our body, soul and spirit.  Our soul is made up of our mind, will and emotions.  In III John 1:2 is says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and (that your body) may keep well, even as (I know) your soul keeps well and prospers.” 

According to Katie Souza, she states that our souls have been wounded through 2 main sources:  Sin and Trauma

Sin—When we sin against ourselves.  Those sins, according to the scripture, can wound us.  Maybe somebody sinned against us.  Someone may have verbally or physically attacked us, rejected us, abandoned us, and we were offended and have un-forgiveness in our heart towards them and even towards ourselves when we sin against ourselves.  These sins and any un-forgiveness can wound us.

Trauma—Tragic events can leave wounds in our soul such as a tragic accident, a death in the family, the loss of a job or relationship, such as a divorce or loss of a child and many other tragic events.   All these can cause a wound in our soul.

HEALING PRAYER

If any of you have an illness and/or condition, put your hand over your heart and we’ll say this prayer together.  REPEAT AFTER ME

Jesus, I repent for any sin

That may be the root cause of this illness

I put the blood of Jesus on it

I forgive anyone that has sinned against me

I put the blood of Jesus on it right now

I plead the blood of Jesus over it now

I also decree that any sin from my ancestors

Thru my blood line

Is washed by the blood right now

In the Name of Jesus

It is being removed now in Jesus Name

I receive the blood of Jesus in my soul

I have been risen to new life

Through the resurrection

And the power of the blood of Jesus Christ

My soul is renewed

I am being strengthened and reinforced

With mighty power in my spirit

My soul is being filled

By the blood of Jesus

With resurrection power

I receive it now

I receive it now

My body is being healed by the blood of Jesus

Resurrection power is healing my body and my soul

I receive it now

I receive it now    Amen
 

AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER

 

                                                           AUTHORITY OF THE BELIEVER

 

What is Divine authority and to whom is it given?  Authority, according to one of the definitions is, “The right and power to command.”  Jesus said in Luke 10:19-20, “And I have given you authority over all the power of the Enemy, and to walk among serpents and scorpions and to crush them.  Nothing shall injure you.  However, the important thing is not that demons obey you, but that your names are registered as citizens of heaven.”  (Living Bible)

Jesus imparted His authority to the disciples and since we are also His disciples, as believers, this authority has been given to us as well.  The promise of the Holy Spirit was to give the disciples the strength and the wisdom and the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit would then impart.  We are emissaries for Christ because we represent Him on earth and as a representative, we are given authority to RE-PRESENT Him to the world.

We are also ambassadors for Christ.  An ambassador is also a ranking government representative in a foreign land.  We essentially are living in a foreign land because we get our “marching orders” from heaven.  Remember, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  An ambassador is a high ranking officer representing the head of state with full authority to represent the government.

We are citizens of heaven, and as such, can in effect, represent the Kingdom of Heaven having been given authority from the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords---Jesus Christ!  (Authority of the Believer by Pastor Jim Feeney)

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  1 John 4:4 (NIV)

 

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.  Matthew 10:8 (NIV)

 

The following are biblical examples of Christ’s authority working in the lives of believers:

Conversion and witness—The Samaritan woman came to the well because she was thirsty and little did she know that what she was really thirsting for was a touch from God.  She knew that the Messiah was coming, the Anointed One, who would tell them everything that they needed to know.   Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am He.”  (NIV)  As a result of the Samaritan woman’s conversion, she went back to her town and testified to the people that they must come see a man Who must be the Christ.

Leading a person into the Baptism of the Holy Spirit---The Lord told Ananias, a disciple, in a vision, to go to a certain location and lay his hands on Paul who had been blinded on the road to Damascus.  “Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Acts 9:17 (NIV)

Deliverance (casting out demons---And these signs will accompany those who believe; in my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;  Mark 16:17  During Jesus’ ministry He cast out many demons.  We have been given this authority too.

Heal the sick---Healing the sick is part of the great commission.  Whatever Jesus did, the disciples were able to do.  It wasn’t until they received power from on high at Pentecost that they were unafraid and bold and went out to the other parts of the world and continued the ministry of Jesus.

Prayers answered---We need to have faith for prayers to be answered.   “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.  Mark 11:23 “ Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.  Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  James 5:13-16 (NIV)

Walking in the gifts of the Holy Spirit---The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit; prophecy, word of wisdom, word of knowledge, miracles, healing, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, faith and discerning of spirits, are the tools that the Holy Spirit gives us to work in conjunction with Him to manifest His glory so that He can work through us so He can reach others through us.  (Pastor Jim Feeney)

Authority is given but if it is not accepted or used, it is useless.  We, as Christians, need to accept the mantle of authority so we can walk in it and use it for the glory of God.  It is He, working through us that can manifest the compassion and love that Almighty God is seeking so passionately to bestow on a world that is lost in the darkness of despair and hopelessness.

So accept this mantle and walk in it because, we, you and I, are ambassadors for Christ.  We are His flesh and blood.  St. Teresa of Avila said;

 “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”