Thoughts From the Bible

Read Revelation 10: 1- 11- It is hard to separate this chapter into sections, but the last verse gives guidance to us and to John in what God was preparing to do.  “Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many people, nations, languages and kings.” John was told it would be easy to speak about the tr agedies ahead, but the reality of those tragedies would be greater than our imaginations and would make one ill to imagine.  As I think about all the events of these last few years of the world as we know it, we need to acknowledge the awesome power God holds in his hands to be able to control the events of the entire world at one time.  We never seem to fully realize how truly awesome God is, yet he loves each one of us.

Revelation 9: 20- 21- “The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood; idols that cannot see or hear or walk.  Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, the ir sexual immorality or their thefts.” How desensitized to the horrible things of life must people have become as written in these verses? Our media today are continuing to push the bou ndaries of what is acceptable to portray in stories whether in movies or no television.   All the continual violence desensitizes people to the horrible side of life and in these verses, we see it depicted in life.  One third of all people have been killed yet, they still do not acknowledge the true God of the universe.   We should guard our spirits and remain sensitive to the needs of people and how we can by physical arms and hands of God while here on earth.

Read Revelation 9: 12-19 -  I know there are fewer people in our society today interested in reading the Bible. There are even leaders of churches who are spending less time on the scriptures and more time on speeches that are designed to make people feel good. Revelation can be a difficult book of the Bible to read because it is so descriptive of some very devastating events.  We need to draw attention to this book and the events contained in it so people will learn the reality of the spiritual battle that will be fought and the spiritual battles that are being fought on a daily basis.   This passage talks of death, horrible death. In verse 15, "So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind." It will be a harrowing time, but we can live this time with Christ by simply accepting Him as our personal Savior.  It's not complicated.

Read Revelation 9: 6-11-   We have movies being made today with very sophisticated levels of computer graphics.  These characters or beings are very horrible creatures in some cases.  People watch these movies and spend their money to see more and more of these movies.  These imagination creations pale in comparison to the reality that will be seen when these locusts are released on the word. Verse 7 says "The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle.  On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men." These are the tolerable characteristics of the locusts.   Then we see in verse 11 the root of madness, "And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon." These creatures will be vicious and will torture those who have not been declared as Christians for 5 months.   We need to know these types of d...

Read Revelation 9:1-6-   Why would God allow something like this to happen.  We cannot lose sight of the fact the world will be focused on Satan and will glorify evil things.  We some of that today across the globe.  A continual move away from God and the principles of God.  In verses 5 and 6 it is written, "And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months.  Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.  In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them."   Five months is a long time.  Certain things happen in our lives, and we say to ourselves, "I can do anything for 30 minutes." "I can endure anything for an hour." Five months? Constant intense stinging as if by a scorpion for five months.  The intensity will cause many to beg to die but that won't happen.  There will be no escape.  We need to recogni...