"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage." 2 Peter 2:19
A powerful special interest wanted a bill passed...and the Texas house found a way to make it happen.
Citizens be damned.
Bottom Line: The Texas house seems determined, in this final week of the session, to give a clinic in why voters worldwide are livid with their elected officials....
"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." Matthew 18:6
A frustrated Texas House Republican committee chairman was forced to postpone a hearing on his anti-abortion bill Monday morning after five members on the nine-person panel didn't show up for the meeting — prompting what’s known as a lack of quorum.
At issue is a bill by state Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano. The measure, House Bill 16, would require doctors to care for a baby who survives an abortion procedure. It was unveiled earlier this month and already has more than 70 House members signed on as co-authors.
Four Democrats and one Republican on the committee were absent for Monday’s meeting, which was scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Leach said state Rep. Morgan Meyer, R-Dallas, missed because of a flight delay. Meyer’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The four Democrats, meanwhile, signed onto a statement Monday saying that they would not “join this charade,” apparently referring to Leach’s anti-abortion proposal that was on the committee’s calendar for consideration.
“While some members of the Texas Legislature insist on attacking as well as offending women directly and indirectly, we will not join this charade by participating in this political grandstanding on issues which are already codified in Texas and Federal law,” read a statement signed by state Reps. Victoria Neave of Dallas, Julie Johnson of Carrollton, Jessica Farrar of Houston and Yvonne Davis of Dallas. “We refuse to offend our fellow Texas women, their families, and licensed physicians by wasting time on unnecessary legislation designed to intimidate and restrict women’s access to healthcare.”
That's insane.
This bill doesn't stop a single abortion. This bill only goes into effect after the baby is 100% outside the birth canal. That's why we've been unenthusiastic about it. But Holy Toledo Democrats....
There will be plenty of time to discuss the proper response, but it's worth taking a second to reflect on the insanity of this position: Texas Democrats want to Deny Medical Care to Infants who are 100% outside the birth canal.
This website doesn't often tout our greatest hits, but this incident from six years ago is re-relevant:
Bottom Line: Clearly, some things never change....
The Great White Throne Judgment Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:11-15
The Awesome Scene (v. 11) - John 5:26-27 - Acts 10:42 - Acts 17:31 - If you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you ain't gonna be there; if you don't know Christ, you WILL appear there. - You CAN'T Hide from God!!!
Satan Bound 1,000 Years Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. The Saints Reign with Christ 1,000 Years And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. Satanic Rebellion Crushed Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Revelation 20:1-10
Christ on a White Horse Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
The Beast and His Armies Defeated Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. Revelation 19:11-21
Jesus RETURNS with His saints (vv. 11-16) A. Faithful and True B. A hidden name. - Psalm 2:12 C. The WORD of God (v. 13) - Isaiah 63:2-3 D. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords
Jesus DEFEATS His enemies (vv. 17-21)
Highlights:
Pastor Danny's health was attacked as he preached this message.
Rapture or not, you can't get around Revelation 19.
Things on Earth will have to get really bad for Jesus to return.
If you reject the first supper, you have to participate in the second one.
We'll start this post with a confession: This story is actually a month old, but we have refrained from commenting in this space because there were certain sentiments we wanted first to express privately.
In late November, a representative of the satanic 'temple' signed up to perform the invocation at a meeting of the Austin City Council. In fairness to council, the rules as they existed at the time allows basically anyone to sign up. Thankfully, by the Grace of God, logistics intervened and the 'invocation' has been indefinitely postponed.
Following this incident, Don Zimmerman proposed a new ordinance that would require whomever says the invocation to be invited by a specific council member. We fully support Zimmerman's proposal, which would establish clear lines of both spiritual and political accountability. Unfortunately, Zimmerman is leaving the dais in two weeks.
Also good, but Troxclair is going to be outvoted 10-1 next year.
But, again, this hasn't happened yet...which opens another possibility: Perhaps the process of indefinite bureaucratic delay can finally be used for something good.
Bottom Line: The Council majority has had their warning. We can't stop anything. It will be interesting to see what they do...
The Fall of Babylon the Great After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.” And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. Revelation 18:1-8
"I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. The Meaning of the Woman and the Beast But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”" Revelation 17:6-18
The Woman (vv. 7, 15-16, 18) A. Her Identity -- Apostate Religion B. Her Demise -- Expose her moral corruption. -- Beast will turn against her.
The Beast (vv, 8-14, 17) A. The Seven Heads -- Some people believe this is the Catholic Church, but it's unlikely. B. The Ten Horns -- They will kill the woman and will prepare to kill the Lamb
The Saints of God (vv. 14, 17) A. Victory in Jesus -- Matthew 20:16 -- Matthew 22:14 B. The Authority of God.
Highlights:
"This is one of the hardest passages of scripture I will ever preach in my entire life."
That which is unveiled at the apocalypse is preeminently the glorified and enthroned Christ!!!
The Lamb will overcome them.
Woman is connected to a city -- Rebuilt Babylon.
Iraq?!?
"Praise God and one day all the 'ism's' will be 'WASM'S'."
God already knows.
It's not a works religion, but praise God if you're saved you're going to work and you're going to enjoy it!!!
"And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light." 2 Corinthians 11:14
Last week, Konni Burton filed a bill that would increase transparency and parental involvement in government schools. This was met with hysteria from disingenuous national left wing groups claiming the bill would 'out' homosexual students. Today, Burton explained the issue in detail:
[T]he focus of our bill has nothing to do with issues of sexuality and gender, and everything to do with how parents are treated by the government entities they fund. I would firmly stand against any policy that treated parents as unessential in their child’s life, regardless of what group the policies were intended for. You will not find the words “sexuality” or “gender” anywhere in the proposed bill. You will find, in addition to what is already a parent’s right to know (again, listed above), that we include the child’s general well-being and health, both physical and mental, in our proposed legislation.
It’s also imperative to note that existing law, as well as my proposed bill, have an exception for abuse or neglect, which clearly calls for reporting without the knowledge or consent of the parent.
Beyond that, the bill does not require a school district employee to stop everything they’re doing and reach out to a parent. Again, state law already secures a parent’s right to know on numerous elements of their child’s life and teachers today are not expected, asked, or mandated to stop mid-lesson to reach a parent. Currently, a teacher may decide when and how to proactively reach out to a parent about anything of importance to them, which is how it should work. The proposed bill does absolutely nothing to change this present mechanism for a parent’s right to know. The bill does, however, strengthen the existing expectation that when a parent contacts a school and inquires about their child, they will receive accurate information and not be punished by local policies that while well-intended, do more harm than good.
Many of the extremely sad and dire scenarios being spread by those who peddle in misinformation and stoke the flames of fear are not only incongruous to the proposed bill as written, they are incongruous with existing state law. In short: parents and schools have always been partners in the education and rearing of children, and they have always exchanged information in the best interest of the child. However, myself and others witnessed firsthand a local school in my district attempt to subvert that relationship.
[Author's Note: This was the sermon that covers the Supreme Court's 'marriage' ruling in Obergefell.]
Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds. Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great. Revelation 16:10-21
"Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” First Bowl: Loathsome Sores So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died. Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, And You have given them blood to drink. For[d] it is their just due.” And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. Revelation 16:1-9
Pastor Danny Forshee. Great Hills Baptist Church. June 14, 2915:
The First Plague: Painful Sores (v. 2) - For everyone who takes the mark of the beast. - Sixth Plague in Exodus.
The Second Plague: Seas iuto Blood (v. 3)- Genesis 1:21 - The Second of each round of judgement deals with blood. - Hard, crusted, coagulated matter. - Chemically speaking, sea water is very similar to blood. - Produces economic collapse when you can't transport goods.
The Third Plague:Waters to Blood(vv. 4-7)
The Fourth Plague:Scortching Heat(vv. 8-9) - Isaiah 24:4-6 - Water cycles will change dramatically. - Massive Global coastal Tsunamis
Highlights:
Anything that has a modicum of greatness comes at a great price.
Sin is ALWAYS judged.
Choice is whether Jesus takes it or you do.
"I would rather have Jesus take on my sin than bear it myself."
God's first desire is always Mercy.
"The more we reject Him, the more defiant and recalcitrant we become."
Because God the Father said no to God the Son, He says an eternal YES to His children.
God's default position is always to bless, but when we reject those blessings we suffer."
God will always do that which is just.
If you think sexual sin is bad today, it's nothing compared to what it's going to be in those days.
Reaping the Earth’s Harvest Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. Reaping the Grapes of Wrath Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. Revelation 14:14-20
When Jesus comes, it is going to be a day of reckoning.
You see the wrath of God poured out on sinful man.
We are past needing Judgement but God continues extending GRACE.
Whenever you come across a text like this you have two choices: Believe it or don't believe it.
The Jesus of the Gospels is the same Jesus as the Jesus of the apocalypse.
I know you don't want to hear it but, in Jesus' name, listen to me...either you repent or you go to hell and you will have no one to blame except yourself.
70 to 80% of men in the Church watch pornography.
Either your sins will be paid by Jesus on the cross or by yourself in hell.
"I don't want to go to hell, I want to go to Jesus."
The person behind all of this is God.
"It's not that He's not speaking, it's that we're not listening...and we have only ourselves to blame."
"Just come, Lord Jesus, come."
"I hope that you know Him."
"God, please forgive us."
"God, come what may...help us endure afflictions."
"Some of our people, Lord, need to get right with you."
The Proclamations of Three Angels "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people— saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.” Revelation 14:6-13
The gospel is gonna continue to be unpopular until Jesus comes.
Just because we disagree does not mean we are discriminating.
Yes it's a message about judgement and it's a message about hell, but it's also a message about blessing and about how God honors His people eternally!!!
Your way is NOT as valied as God's way, and Jesus is the ONLY way to God.
Everyone's gonna hear it, most are gonna reject it.
"I believe Babylon is going to be a city and a force."
Politics, religion, and business all intermingling in a corrupt morass.
Author's Note: Basically, all of the worst aspects of the Capitol in Austin or Washington D.C. on steroids.
If you reject God's final authority, then you will suffer.
The Beast from the Earth Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. Revelation 13:11-18
The Beast from the Sea
"Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." Revelation 13:1-10
The Activities of the beast (vv. 5-8) Daniel 7:21,25
The Admonition of God (vv. 9-10)
Highlights:
"The Devil is still God's devil." - Martin Luther
Who is the Lamb?!?
"This is a sermon I'll be glad I've preached...after I've preached it."
"No he has not come and no he is not our current president."
At one time, people thought JFK was the antichrist; which should give us perspective when leveling that charge against any particular American politician.
I don't fear evil, but I do respect it.
Just like the Holy Trinity, there's an unholy 'trinity.'
Whatever God means for good, satan tries to create a counterfeit for evil.
People hate Jesus because He's the real one.
"If you don't know Jesus, you're gonna worship the beast and you're gonna go to hell."
Remember the Lamb, because there's a victory coming.
It's going to get worse before it gets a whole lot better.
"Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.” The Woman Persecuted Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:10-17
How to overcome Satan A. The Blood of the Lamb B. Their Testimony C. Their Courage
Sorrow on Earth (vv. 12-17) A. Attack One - Exodus 19:4 - Psalm 57:1 B. Attack Two C. Attack Three
Highlights:
"I'm gonna talk a lot about the Devil today."
Satan accuses us to God and he accuses God to us.
"Your test in life gives you a testimony for your life."
The Kingdom of Heaven "is augmented and increased" when you share it.
"He's still the God of the impossible!!!"
"We are marked as the people of God because we obey God."
And yes, that DOES mean go to Church on Sunday.
It is an honor to obey the King.
You don't know how long you have to live, you better giver your life to Christ today.
This might be the last time God gives you an opportunity to get saved.
Author's Note: As we type this post in a library in Austin, TX in September 2016. we cannot help the conviction that it will stay on the internet forever. You could be reading this at some point years from now. If you have read this far down this blog post, and you do not know the Lord, this means YOU.
The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon "Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Satan Thrown Out of Heaven And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:1-9
"Seventh Trumpet: The Kingdom Proclaimed Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail." Revelation 11:15-19
The Sight (v. 19) A. Joy in Heaven Hebrews 9:23 B. Judgement on Earth
Highlights:
God temporarily allows Satan to reign on Earth.
Falling on your face is the pre-eminent form of Worship in the Bible.
Satan always 'rules' with murderous intention.
The preeminent God reigns on their puny 'gods' and it makes them mad.
First word out of the mouths of the 24 elders is thanks.
Specifically mentions the arc of the covenant.
Our sin has to be judged; the only question is whether we allow Jesus to bear it or if we choose to bear it ourselves.
There are people reading this right now who will allow themselves to go to hell because they refuse to swallow their pride and humble themselves before God.
Author's Note: If you think this statement *might* apply to you, this statement applies to YOU.
There's only one way to get to Heaven and that's through Jesus!!!
Jesus is the culmination of all those Jewish prophesies in the Old Testament.
The Two Witnesses "Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire. The Witnesses Killed When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. The Witnesses Resurrected Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly." Revelation 11:1-14
