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LET’S STUDY REVELATION # 45

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REVELON BOOK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The analogy here is that the remnant has realized that Jesus Christ is their rejected Messiah, and that He is about to return to earth. They are now in extreme straits, and they are praying, “Thy kingdom come…deliver us from evil…”

 

Isaiah says, “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory” (Isaiah 66:7-11).

(End of the previous study

 

Satan and His Wrath Against Israel

Described (12:3-17)

“And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.  And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.  And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.  And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:3-17).

 

The other “wonder” or “sign” seen in heaven is that of a great red dragon (vs.3-4). Just as God will use Israel and their kingdom to fulfill all His will in the earth, so the Devil uses the kingdoms of this world and that of the beast, in particular, to carry out his plans. The seven heads comprise seven Gentile kingdoms to carry out his will against God and His Christ by persecuting Israel. This ought to explain all the suffering Israel has endured and is yet to endure.

 

The Devil has many names or titles in Scripture. Each one is symbolic and depicts some aspect of his wiles and nature. He is called, “that old serpent,” to illustrate his subtlety and deceit.  He is called “Satan,” because he is an adversary to God’s people. He is called a “red dragon” to show his ferocity and bloodshed. He is called an “angel of light” to illustrate his deception. He is presented as a “roaring lion” to picture his power and might. He is the “prince of the power of the air” to show his domain and the nature of his kingdom. Satan is none of the above in his form, yet he is all of them in his nature. These “signs” are not to be taken as though they themselves literally exist; rather they symbolize that which is literal.

 

 

All these names are given to him to reveal his various attributes. Just as the woman was symbolic of Israel, who was blessed and protected by God and will bring forth a Son who will defeat Satan, so the serpent is symbolic of the power and hatred behind the Gentile powers that seek the destruction of Israel.

 

The dress and attire of the woman are symbolic of different aspects of her character, purpose, and government. The description of the dragon is also symbolic.

 

The “wonder” or “miracle” of the Gentile powers can be seen. Satan is the power energizing them to persecute the woman down through the centuries. Satan himself does not have seven heads, he is the Anointed Cherub! His heads, or ambassadors, are the seven kings, “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy” (Revelation 13:1). “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 17:3). “And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 17:7). “And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth” (Revelation 17:9).

 

You will notice in each of the above passages the beast is comprised of seven heads or kings. These seven kings rule consecutively and constitute the one great beast consisting of seven kings.

 

Commentators vary somewhat as to who these ancient kings are. Tim Lahaye says the seven heads consist of five kings prior to the vision given to John. The sixth, which existed in John’s day, was Domitian. The Antichrist will be the seventh. He lists four by name: Babylon, Medo-Persian, Greece and Rome. James Knox thinks the seven heads are seven-series of Roman governments of the past. Dr. Peter S. Ruckman says they are:

 

  1. Nimrod, the king of Babylon.
  2. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
  3. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.
  4. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon
  5. Darius, the king of Persia.
  6. Unnamed “X,” the mystery man–the sixth head is a mystery and unnamed.
  7. The seventh head, of course, is the kingdom which conquers Alexander the Great and takes over the world. Preparatory to the first advent of the Lord Jesus Christ: Rome!

 

George Williams says they are:

 

1.   Egypt

2.   Syria

3.   Assyria

4.   Babylon

5.   Persia

6.   Greece

7.   Rome

 

We shall see in the next study.

HE KISSED THE DOOR TO HEAVEN, AND WENT TO HELL

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judas kiss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Ken Blue

Jesus said, I’m the Way,

The Truth, the Life, the Door.

All those who hear My words,

Find the life they’ve searched for.

 

He chose Twelve Disciples,

And sent them forth to preach.

Equipped for every task,

His gospel they did teach.

 

But one did not believe

The kingdom he proclaimed.

He was one of the Twelve,

And Judas was his name.

 

So he devised a plan.

For a price, he’d betray,

The One who proved to be,

The Truth, the Door, the Way.

 

A kiss would be the sign,

The enemies would know.

“Hold Him fast and bind Him,

And do not let Him go.”

 

Judas said, “Hail Master,”

And kissed Him as before.

He sealed his fate that day,

As he kissed Heavens door.

 

Let this be a warning.

You know the story well.

Judas kissed heaven’s door,

And sent his soul to hell.

THREE INDISPENSABLES

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               Personality

 

triangle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aptitude            Character

 

By Ken Blue

It is impossible to give accurate percentages on the learning curve between audio, visual, and participating. These depend on the presentation, and the memory retention of each individual.

However, when it comes to ones effectiveness in any field, there are three indispensable qualities. Especially is this true of the ministry. These are personality, aptitude, and character.

  • Personality: “the condition or fact of relating to a particular person; The complex of characteristics that distinguishes an individual or a nation or group; especially : the totality of an individual’s behavioral and emotional characteristics.” Merriam Webster Dictionary.

One should note especially the words “relating to a particular person.” If you cannot relate with a person, you will not be able to minister to them. One book I would recommend is How to Win Friends and Influence People. “How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the first best-selling self-help books ever published. Written by Dale Carnegie and first published in 1936, it has sold 15 million copies world-wide.” Wikipedia.  The more people you can “relate” with, the more you can reach them with your message. It will not matter how much Bible you know, or how well you can preach, if you have flaws in your personality that repels others.

  • Aptitude: “a natural or acquired capacity or ability; especially : a tendency, capacity, or inclination to learn or understand.” Merriam Webster Dictionary.

The capacity to learn and understand differs with each individual. However, it is my belief that most of us use very little of our God given potential.  In the ministry, one must learn how to visualize, and plan. If others are involved, then he must have the qualities of leadership in order to get others to join in. Then there is the matter of organization. This includes men, materials, money, and time. Finally, the pastor must be able to control all the above. All these can be learned, if one will pray for wisdom, and commit himself to mastering them.

 

  • Character: “the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation.”

 

Without a doubt, your character is your most valuable asset. You must be seen as sincere, honest, caring, well mannered, polite, ethical, non-pretentious, nor high minded, or self-important.

If people see the absence of these in a pastor, they lose all respect for him, and hold him accountable. You may “wow” people with your personality. You may impress them with your aptitude to preach or minister. But, they will never overlook your character flaws. Most pastors who ruin their ministry, is because of the “little” character flaws that are seen by others.

“Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. 1 Timothy 4:15-16.:

 

THE POWER OF USING POWERPOINT

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By Ken Blue

 All appears quite on the home front. The brethren who were vehemently against PowerPoint have evidently seen the light, or retreated into a cave. There is no need for fear. There never was, but anything new terrifies the brethren, until they can convince others they came up with the idea. So, do thy self no harm.

 If your church is small, and you seldom have visitors, PowerPoint will be of little value to you. Most churches of a hundred or less operate as a family atmosphere. All the members know each other by name, they are one happy family, and many hope it stays that way. Everyone has access to the pastor, and he loves it. In addition, all the members bring their Bibles, and can find the books with ease. If you don’t have visitors, and your church is not growing, you may not need Power Point.

 On other hand, if you have visitors each Sunday, PowerPoint can be a great advantage, and should be used. Keep in mind that most visitors are self-conscious, and your church is a strange environment for them. They do not want to be pointed out, nor embarrassed as they fumble through the Bible in an attempt to keep up with the pastor. So, if you want your church to grow new converts, make it easy for visitors and new members to follow you. You want your visitors to return next Sunday. Give them a reason to return.

Wisdom will dictate that you put your sermon outline, sub points, and Bible verses on Power Point. The benefits of doing this far exceed your fears. It is better to make is easy for people to trust Christ than it is to try to teach them to find verses in the Bible before they are saved. Win them first, and then teach them. Preaching and teaching is an educational process. You should use every tool available to reinforce your teaching. Power Point, and handouts will do that.

Now, for those who fear that people will not learn how to find the books in the Bible, and that is the excuse many pastors use, the key is to not put the verses up on PowerPoint in the evening service. Visitors seldom attend these services.

Pastor seldom give it a thought that most believers in both Testaments did not have a Bible in their hand. The priest or the preacher read aloud, and the people listened. So, don’t get the idea that the Bible is a fetish that must be held in your hands. It is the Word of God, no matter how it is proclaimed.  

 

You should not throw the baby out with the bath water. Learn how to balance your ministry so you can best help those who attend. However, you should create handouts of your sermon, and let the people fill in the blanks. Yours is a teaching ministry. Let wisdom guide you instead of fear.

Creating an outline, and putting Bible verses for PowerPoint will require a little more effort on your part. However, the benefits far outweigh the time invested. Don’t allow PowerPoint paranoia  to paralyze you. I believe there are two reasons pastors refuse to do the above; it requires work, and they are lazy, they fear what other pastors will think and say.

 

PASTORS WHO ARE PUPPETS

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ARE YOU A PUPPET PASTOR OF A CHURCH

puppetBy Ken Blue

When I was a child, I always enjoyed the time of the Apple Blossom Festival. Not only did it bring several hundred people from other states, a carnival also came to town. There was everything you can imagine for the children, and the adults.

In addition to the hundreds of rides, games, concession stands, and clowns, there were always several puppet shows going on at the same time. As kids, we were mesmerized by the music, the characters, and the life-like stories. In fact, we would get so caught up in the story, and the action that we failed to notice that there were adults behind the curtains pulling, and manipulating the strings to create the action. The puppets had no life of their own, they were unknowingly controlled by the pull of others.

I must admit, there was a time in my early ministry when, I too, was a puppet on an invisible string.  I could not see it, but those with discernment could. The sad part was, I wasn’t sure of my own identity, or who was pulling the strings. I wasn’t sure, but I believed if I did not move according their influence, the strings would be cut.

Pastors, including myself, fall into a “herd mentality.” Little by little, we believe if we should offend or break from the herd, the wolves will devour us. The only safety, is loyalty to, and cooperation with the brethren. If you doubt this, just invite a guest speaker, or attend a conference not on their approval list. Oh, how the gossip will fly. “Blue is no longer a Bible believer. He now has PowerPoint, and I hear they serve coffee. What a shame. His church has become a theater.” Those are the more generous criticism.

I have discovered, and painfully so, that many I counted as true friends forsook me “faster than a speeding bullet” when I determined to pastor counter to their brain washed MIND SET. There are many pastors who would like to rearrange their ministries, but they fear, and they know the second they did they would indeed become “independent Baptist.” Pastors need to understand that “the brethren” do not build their church. Are you a puppet, pastor?