Scripture for Jan. 27th: Revelation 19:11-16

Sermon: The Return of Christ!

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on His head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

“Sure Jesus is coming to the earth – someday.” For so many, the idea that Christ will come back to earth as a conquering and reigning King is somewhat far-fetch. Some will ask, “Okay, so maybe He really will come back someday, but what does that have to do with me right now?”

The fact that the Bible declares that Jesus Christ will come back to Earth one day should cause Christians to live their lives with patience and joy. When a person does not know what the future holds, he or she can become anxious and filled with worry. However, the Bible tells us what the future will be for every Christian – they will experience victory over sin and death through the power of Christ. The future is not bleak, but rather it is filled with hope and great anticipation as we look forward to the day that Christ returns. If we are looking forward towards that day, knowing that we, too, will experience victory with Christ, then our current circumstances and difficulties become more bearable because we know the end of the story of life – God wins! And what joy this should bring every believer!

This coming Sunday we will talk more about the importance of the return of Christ in the life of every believer as we continue the sermon series, “The Remarkable Revelation.” I hope to see you then!

Scripture for Jan. 20th: Revelation 13:11-18

Sermon Title: The Beast of the Earth

"Then I saw another wild animal coming out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb. His voice was like that of the dragon. He used the power of the first wild animal who was there with him. He made all the people on earth worship the first wild animal who had received the bad cut to kill him but was healed. The second wild animal did great powerful works. It spoke and made those who did not worship the first wild animal to be killed. He fooled the men of the earth by doing powerful works. He did these things in front of the first wild animal. He told those who live on the earth to make a god that looks like the first wild animal. The first wild animal was the one that was cut by the sword but lived. The second wild animal was given power to give life to the false god. This false god was the one that was made to look like the first wild animal. It was given power to talk. All those who did not worship it would die. The second wild animal made every person have a mark on their right hand or on their forehead. It was given to important men and to those not important, to rich men and poor men, to those who are free and to those who are servants. No one could buy or sell anything unless he had the mark on him. This mark was the name of the first wild animal or another way to write his name. This is wisdom. Let the person who has good understanding learn the meaning of the other way to write the name of the first wild animal. This name is a man’s name. It is 666.


"Revelation is a scary book." This was said to me recently when I told someone about the sermon series on Revelation. She said she never really read the book because it "sacred" her. And she went on to ask why God would allow such a book to be part of the Bible. Her view of Revelation is unfortunately common among many Christians. Because the images and descriptions that are found in Revelation are often disturbing, many Christians avoid reading it."

But Revelation was meant to be a book filled hope for the believer. It was written so that the believer would know that Christ would return to the earth one day and at His return, justice would prevail. Although it often looks as if injustice will regain forever on the earth, Revelation makes it clear that there is hope for those who long for a just world - the day will come when Christ will overcome the Devil and evil once and for all. The book also reminds us that we are to live our lives as if the world is passing - and to set our hearts and minds on the things that will last for eternity (Col. 3:1,2). Revelation is the end of a book, the Bible, and at the end of the book it proclaims that Christ is truly the ultimate Winner! This should be encouraging to every believer, particular those who struggle through troubling circumstances. The trials of this world will soon fade and shortly the day will come when Christ will grant to each believer the ultimate victory over sin, death and evil itself.

This coming Sunday we will talk more about why Revelation is a book of hope as we continue our sermon series, "The Remarkable Revelation." Hope to see you then!

Scripture for Jan. 13th: Revelation 13:1-10

Sermon: The Beast of the Sea

“The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 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 filled with wonder and followed the beast. People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it 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 Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. Whoever has ears, let them hear. “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”

What will the Anti-Christ be like? This Scripture gives us a good description of him. He is a Gentile (v. 1), who is given the power by Satan himself (v. 4). He will be a great political leader, uniting the world under his reign. He will wage war against those who worship God. He will be so greatly admired that people will worship him. He will be the world’s greatest political leader ever.

He will be a man that will cause great destruction. However, we are reminded that God will still be in charge during the Anti-Christ reign. Those who will suffer under his reign might question this, so God provides encouragement to them by reminding them: “this calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.”

I think we need this encouragement now as well. As we go through trying times, we often ask, “Where is God?” We question how God could allow tragedy and pain in our lives and in the lives of those we love. And yet the message is the same for us: we need to patiently endure and be faithful. The end is truly near – we will someday soon stand before God and suffering, pain and death will be no more. Our questions will be answered and our doubts will be gone. We need to only have “patient endurance” and wait on the Lord.

This coming Sunday we will talk more about the beast of the sea and the patience that God calls us to have as we continue the sermon series, “Remarkable Revelation.” We will also answer the questions, “Where is America in Biblical prophecy?” and “Why is Israel so important in Biblical prophecy?” I hope to see you then!

Scripture for Jan. 6th: Revelation 6:1-17

Sermon: The Judgment Begins

"I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword. When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been. I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

“The end is near.” Predicting the future and foretelling the end of humanity has been common throughout human history. And certainly in this country there have people in the past and recent years who have made it their duty to tell others how and when the end would come. The Bible tells us that no one knows when the “end” will come (Mt. 24:36), and in fact, it also describes the “end” as a beginning – it is the start of the reign of Christ. This is truly the focus and message of Revelation – it is not so much a book that describes the “end” as it is a revelation of Jesus Christ and how He appears now, what He is doing now and what He will do in the future. The book of Revelation does not lift up the future, it presents the victorious and glorified Christ. Because of this, the future may be bleak for the world, but it is as bright as the sun for those who believe in Him (Jn. 1:12; Rom. 6:23).

The Scripture above describes what will accompany “the end” – the judgment of God. God will not always hold back His judgment, but at some point in time He will judge the earth in a fierce manner. It will be sure and strong and the earth will experience things that it never has. Until that time, we live in an age of grace – God holds back His judgment, calling everyone to repent , believe and receive His forgiveness. As we read the Scripture above, may it remind us to never ask for justice for ourselves. Instead, our cry to God should be for His mercy – we don’t want what we deserve (judgment), we want what we don’t deserve (forgiveness and grace).

On Sunday, we will present an overview of the Book of Revelation and discuss God’s judgment as we begin the sermon series, “The Remarkable Revelation.” Hope to see you then!