In 2nd Cor 2 v 15-16 we read that preachers are "savour of death unto death..... and life unto life" - what does this mean?
One way of answering the question is to remember that the same sun which softens the wax, also hardens the clay.
As one who passes out tracts and speaks to the unsaved I find these verses particularly apt as they sum up the responses people make to the free offer of the Gospel.
With regards to the phrase "savour of life unto life" consider the following people I have spoken to over the years: (names have been changed to protect their identity).
1. I think of Mark. I first encountered him while he was selling the Big Issue in Canterbury. He was very open to the Gospel and was pleased to receive a Gideon NT. Over the years we had many conversations and he came to know the Saviour. As one who had been a drug addict, and seen 4 close friends die of drugs, he rejoiced in the Gospel and I rejoiced when witnessing his baptism.
2. I think also of James. He was clearly seeking God and I passed on a number of tracts and booklets to him as I spoke to him about Christ and the Gospel. One day, he approached me to say that he had been saved through the material given him (and, of course, through the Holy Spirit opening his heart - Acts 16 v 14). He is now settled in a church in Margate that faithfully preaches the same Gospel I shared with him.
3. I think, too, of Tracy. She was seeking after God and bought a book on Buddhism; that same day she came past me while I was giving out tracts and took one. To cut a long story short - she got saved, baptised, and is now worshipping God at an Evangelical church in Canterbury.
4. Also, I think of Paul. A young chap who was brought up in a Christian home (what a privilege) but rejected God at the age of 14. However, he came to realise that he needed God in His life and was seeking him. What a joy to point out the promise of Jeremiah 29 v 13 viz. that if people seek God with all their hearts they WILL find Him. He also took "Knowing God Personally" which I give out to seekers.
In all of these cases, and many more beside, the Gospel is truly a message of life unto life. However, there is a flip side to this - for many the Gospel is a message of death unto death; that is, they hate its message because it reminds them of their sin, their need of repentance and the eternal fate that awaits them if they don't get saved. Examples of these are as follows:
1. An atheist who I see walking his dog while I'm passing out tracts. He taunts me for what I'm doing and tells me to get a ******** proper job.
2. A Muslim man who said that I needed help when I told him that Jesus is divine. Another Muslim man who told me that it is idolatory to worship Jesus.
3. A lady who gasped with shock when I told her that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. On that same theme, another lady who told me that that teaching is "racist". Many times I've been called a bigot or narrow-minded because of the truths of John 14 v 6.
4. The Jewish man, very friendly in himself, but vehement in his denial of Christ as God's Son and strong in his rejection of the necessity of faith in Him in order to have eternal life.
Again, I could give many examples of people who seem to be hardened by the same Gospel which softens others.
As we tell people of Jesus and the only way to eternal life, let us NEVER compromise truth for the sake of popularity but always faithfully declare the Gospel knowing that it is "the power of God unto salvation" - Romans 1 v 16.
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
Thursday, 5 May 2016
What if they don't want to change?
While passing out tracts in Canterbury, one day, I was approached by a lady who identified herself as a "Zen Buddhist". During the course of our conversation she introduced the subject of homosexuality and my response to this was simple - the Bible does teach that it is wrong, but the Bible also teaches that they can be changed, 1st Corinthians 6 v 11 being a key verse in this matter. The conversation progressed amicably enough and, after about 15 minutes, she walked away.
Afterwards, as I reflected on this the thought went through my mind - "what if they don't want to change?". Indeed, that question can be asked of any unsaved person. It seems that John 3 v 19 is absolutely correct when it says that people "loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil".
Over the years I have had, literally, hundreds of conversations with unbelievers, the vast majority of whom appear to have no desire to repent of their sins and turn to Christ. Moreover, it is impossible - humanly speaking - for them to do so. Why is this? The Bible says: "The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1st Corinthians 2 v 14).
Humanly speaking, people will never come to repentance and faith in Christ as their personal Saviour; their eyes are blind, their ears are deaf, their understanding has been darkened, their minds have been alienated from God, their hearts are hard and they are spiritually dead.
How, then, can they be brought into a position whereby they recognise their need of Christ, repent and accept Him? Consider the following Bible passages:
In Matthew 11 v 27 Jesus stated that people will not know Him unless it has been revealed to them by Jesus Himself.
In Matthew 16 v 15-17 Jesus asked His disciples who they believe that He is. Peter replied that He is the Son of God, to which Jesus responded by stating that this was revealed to him by His Father in Heaven, and he didn't come to this conclusion by natural means.
In Luke 8 v 10 Jesus told His disciples that they had been "given" to know "the mysteries of the kingdom of God".
In John 6 v 44 Jesus said that people could not come to Him unless they were "drawn" by His Father, and in verse 65 of the same chapter Jesus said that people will not believe in Him unless it has been "given" to them by His Father.
In John 10 v 26-27 Jesus told a group of people that they did not believe because they were not of His sheep and that His sheep hear His voice.
In Acts 11 v 18 we read that God granted gentiles "repentance unto life" - a gift.
In Acts 13 v 48 we read that "those ordained unto eternal life believed", the inference being that people not so ordained do not believe (see John 10 v 26).
And, finally, in Acts 16 v 14 we read that Lydia listened to Paul's preaching and responded because the Lord "opened her heart".
Taking all these verses together we can see that, as we spread the Gospel, it is the Lord who grants the gift of faith. The work of evangelism is our responsibility, the work of converting people is God's responsibility.
Bearing all this in mind, what should our response be?
Firstly, we should be full of praise and adoration to God for opening our eyes and drawing us to faith in Christ and secondly, we should re-double our efforts to preach the Gospel knowing that we have a certainty of God's blessing in the conversion of precious souls, as it pleases Him to do so.
All people who have been given to Jesus WILL come to Him (John 6 v 37).
Afterwards, as I reflected on this the thought went through my mind - "what if they don't want to change?". Indeed, that question can be asked of any unsaved person. It seems that John 3 v 19 is absolutely correct when it says that people "loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil".
Over the years I have had, literally, hundreds of conversations with unbelievers, the vast majority of whom appear to have no desire to repent of their sins and turn to Christ. Moreover, it is impossible - humanly speaking - for them to do so. Why is this? The Bible says: "The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1st Corinthians 2 v 14).
Humanly speaking, people will never come to repentance and faith in Christ as their personal Saviour; their eyes are blind, their ears are deaf, their understanding has been darkened, their minds have been alienated from God, their hearts are hard and they are spiritually dead.
How, then, can they be brought into a position whereby they recognise their need of Christ, repent and accept Him? Consider the following Bible passages:
In Matthew 11 v 27 Jesus stated that people will not know Him unless it has been revealed to them by Jesus Himself.
In Matthew 16 v 15-17 Jesus asked His disciples who they believe that He is. Peter replied that He is the Son of God, to which Jesus responded by stating that this was revealed to him by His Father in Heaven, and he didn't come to this conclusion by natural means.
In Luke 8 v 10 Jesus told His disciples that they had been "given" to know "the mysteries of the kingdom of God".
In John 6 v 44 Jesus said that people could not come to Him unless they were "drawn" by His Father, and in verse 65 of the same chapter Jesus said that people will not believe in Him unless it has been "given" to them by His Father.
In John 10 v 26-27 Jesus told a group of people that they did not believe because they were not of His sheep and that His sheep hear His voice.
In Acts 11 v 18 we read that God granted gentiles "repentance unto life" - a gift.
In Acts 13 v 48 we read that "those ordained unto eternal life believed", the inference being that people not so ordained do not believe (see John 10 v 26).
And, finally, in Acts 16 v 14 we read that Lydia listened to Paul's preaching and responded because the Lord "opened her heart".
Taking all these verses together we can see that, as we spread the Gospel, it is the Lord who grants the gift of faith. The work of evangelism is our responsibility, the work of converting people is God's responsibility.
Bearing all this in mind, what should our response be?
Firstly, we should be full of praise and adoration to God for opening our eyes and drawing us to faith in Christ and secondly, we should re-double our efforts to preach the Gospel knowing that we have a certainty of God's blessing in the conversion of precious souls, as it pleases Him to do so.
All people who have been given to Jesus WILL come to Him (John 6 v 37).
Friday, 8 April 2016
Proof that Genesis 12 v 3 is correct. (Israel lives!)
In Genesis 12 v 3 we read that God said to Abraham: "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you....."
I have long taken this to mean that people who bless the Jews are blessed by God and those who curse the Jews are cursed by God, and this interpretation has been proved correct throughout history. Many political leaders have floundered after betraying Israel and have been either dumped from office, or faced serious problems until they have come to their senses and did right by Israel.
This was proved to be the case with various Prime Ministers eg Churchill lost the election in 1945 after telling Chaim Weizmann that the Jews could expect no more help from Britain; Heath was ejected after betraying Israel by recalling arms that had been sold to the Jewish state (and paid for) and Callaghan lost a vote of confidence in the House (37 years ago last month) after betraying Israel by breaking a promise to let them have oil at cut-price (he was advised to break this promise by the arch-lefty Tony Benn). Even Maggie, who had previously been pro-Israel, betrayed them by dispatching Wally Waldegrave to speak to the PLO at a time when the PLO were committed to the destruction of Israel, she lost a leadership election the following year.
The latest example of Genesis 12 v 3 being proved true has been Cameron. Until late February he had been reasonably pro-Israel and had even publicly said that he was a friend of Israel, he also opposed the "boycott Israeli goods" campaign.
However, all that changed in late February when he attacked Israel in the House over the settlement programme (how else is the Jewish state going to settle Jews who come into the country, they need that land to house their own people). He made it clear that he was deeply unhappy with Israel and appeared to fundamentally shift his position. Since then he has had nothing but trouble - a shock resignation from the cabinet (IDS) with all the fallout that entailed, open rebellion over his decision to use tax-payers money to finance the "In" campaign over the EU and the exposure of his dishonesty over the Panama Papers.
Clearly his days as PM are numbered - if wants to survive as PM he needs to repent of his anti-Israel stance and go back to his previously stated position as a friend of Israel.
God is NOT mocked. Amos 9 v 14-15 clearly teaches that the Jews would return to their own land "and never again be uprooted"; Cameron needs to acknowledge the validity of that prophecy and come out as a strong supporter of Israel or he will be out of office.
I have long taken this to mean that people who bless the Jews are blessed by God and those who curse the Jews are cursed by God, and this interpretation has been proved correct throughout history. Many political leaders have floundered after betraying Israel and have been either dumped from office, or faced serious problems until they have come to their senses and did right by Israel.
This was proved to be the case with various Prime Ministers eg Churchill lost the election in 1945 after telling Chaim Weizmann that the Jews could expect no more help from Britain; Heath was ejected after betraying Israel by recalling arms that had been sold to the Jewish state (and paid for) and Callaghan lost a vote of confidence in the House (37 years ago last month) after betraying Israel by breaking a promise to let them have oil at cut-price (he was advised to break this promise by the arch-lefty Tony Benn). Even Maggie, who had previously been pro-Israel, betrayed them by dispatching Wally Waldegrave to speak to the PLO at a time when the PLO were committed to the destruction of Israel, she lost a leadership election the following year.
The latest example of Genesis 12 v 3 being proved true has been Cameron. Until late February he had been reasonably pro-Israel and had even publicly said that he was a friend of Israel, he also opposed the "boycott Israeli goods" campaign.
However, all that changed in late February when he attacked Israel in the House over the settlement programme (how else is the Jewish state going to settle Jews who come into the country, they need that land to house their own people). He made it clear that he was deeply unhappy with Israel and appeared to fundamentally shift his position. Since then he has had nothing but trouble - a shock resignation from the cabinet (IDS) with all the fallout that entailed, open rebellion over his decision to use tax-payers money to finance the "In" campaign over the EU and the exposure of his dishonesty over the Panama Papers.
Clearly his days as PM are numbered - if wants to survive as PM he needs to repent of his anti-Israel stance and go back to his previously stated position as a friend of Israel.
God is NOT mocked. Amos 9 v 14-15 clearly teaches that the Jews would return to their own land "and never again be uprooted"; Cameron needs to acknowledge the validity of that prophecy and come out as a strong supporter of Israel or he will be out of office.
Friday, 4 March 2016
Revelation 12 v 12 tells us why.
As we survey the current situation in the world, and in England, we are tempted to ask the following questions:
1. Why are there so many wars with much attendant suffering, particularly among civilians? Every time we listen to the news there are fresh reports of appalling savagery.
2. Why are so many people, who once professed to be saved, falling away? It seems that many who we once knew as keen and zealous Christians have either fallen away into immorality, or have apostasised by supporting unbiblical practices.
3. Why is there such a marked increase in the persecution of Christians? Not only are the countries which are the usual suspects involved in this, but also in England, the "cradle of freedom", Christians are being persecuted and denied even basic human rights.
4. Why is there such a huge increase in unnatural perversions being openly flaunted and, indeed, supported by official government policy? Even supposed Christians are supporting this!
As we ask ourselves these questions we may be inclined to bewilderment and perplexity BUT the answer is simple. In Revelation 12 v 12 we read the following: ".....Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time".
In plain, simple English what this text is clearly teaching is that because the devil knows that his days are numbered, and that Christ is coming soon, he is throwing all his might into causing as much mayhem and strife as he can before his time runs out!
Instead of being perplexed by the increasing wickedness and persecution in the world we should see it as proof that the Bible is true. If there were fewer wars, Christians not falling away, no persecution and marriage being sanctified, even by politicians, then we would be inclined to doubt the statements of the Bible, especially that of Revelation 12 v 12.
However, if the Bible is true, and it is, then we can expect the situation to get much worse by the day. The devil will intensify his efforts to attack the believers and the Bible, BUT the true Christians must stand firm and hold to the promises of God's Holy Word.
The Lord Jesus will indeed return - and then we shall see the tables turned!
"Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered....." - Psalm 68 v 1
1. Why are there so many wars with much attendant suffering, particularly among civilians? Every time we listen to the news there are fresh reports of appalling savagery.
2. Why are so many people, who once professed to be saved, falling away? It seems that many who we once knew as keen and zealous Christians have either fallen away into immorality, or have apostasised by supporting unbiblical practices.
3. Why is there such a marked increase in the persecution of Christians? Not only are the countries which are the usual suspects involved in this, but also in England, the "cradle of freedom", Christians are being persecuted and denied even basic human rights.
4. Why is there such a huge increase in unnatural perversions being openly flaunted and, indeed, supported by official government policy? Even supposed Christians are supporting this!
As we ask ourselves these questions we may be inclined to bewilderment and perplexity BUT the answer is simple. In Revelation 12 v 12 we read the following: ".....Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time".
In plain, simple English what this text is clearly teaching is that because the devil knows that his days are numbered, and that Christ is coming soon, he is throwing all his might into causing as much mayhem and strife as he can before his time runs out!
Instead of being perplexed by the increasing wickedness and persecution in the world we should see it as proof that the Bible is true. If there were fewer wars, Christians not falling away, no persecution and marriage being sanctified, even by politicians, then we would be inclined to doubt the statements of the Bible, especially that of Revelation 12 v 12.
However, if the Bible is true, and it is, then we can expect the situation to get much worse by the day. The devil will intensify his efforts to attack the believers and the Bible, BUT the true Christians must stand firm and hold to the promises of God's Holy Word.
The Lord Jesus will indeed return - and then we shall see the tables turned!
"Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered....." - Psalm 68 v 1
Monday, 8 February 2016
The saddest words in the English language.
If I were to ask you what are the saddest words in the English language, I wonder what you would say? My answer to such a question would be "If only..".
Huge numbers of people torture their minds with deep and bitter regrets that haunt them to the point where their lives are seriously blighted; indeed, there are people who suffer mental illness as a result of dwelling on their regrets.
They will keep saying to themselves things like "If only I had not done such and such thing" or they may say to themselves "If only I had done such and such thing"; and so it goes on, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, until the mental stress becomes too much and they have a breakdown.
People in such a state are to be grievously pitied, it must be terrible for them. However, people's regrets about things done, or not done, in this life, are as nothing compared to the bitter regrets people will have in eternity as they contemplate lost opportunities to be saved.
I've had many conversations with an atheist man, in Ramsgate, over the years and, one day, I asked him the following: "When you stand before God what do you think He will say to you?", his reply showed that he knew more about God than he let on -
"He would say to me 'you should have listened to that man with those leaflets' ".
If this atheist does not respond to the Gospel, and I've warned him many times about the consequences of unbelief, he will have all eternity to keep repeating the words "If only..."
I'm sure that there are multitudes of lost souls who are, even now, torturing themselves with bitter regrets because they didn't respond to the Gospel; "if only I had listened to that preacher" or perhaps, "if only I had read that leaflet given to me in Canterbury, Ramsgate, Ashford, (or any number of places where street evangelists spread the Gospel)" or perhaps, "if only I had read that New Testament given to me at school", and so it goes on, and on, and on.
Indeed, the worst torment in Hell may well be this bitter sense of regret. Perhaps that is what Jesus meant when he said the following ".......where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched", could it be that "their worm" is the accusing conscience worming its way into them and eating them up with these huge regrets and "If onlys...."??
These are sobering thoughts indeed, and I can only thank and praise God daily for what happened to me in September, 1975 when, after hearing a presentation of the Gospel I came to repentance and faith in Christ - a decision I have NEVER regretted. In eternity there will be no "If only..." for me.
I trust that, as the Gospel is preached, there will be many who come to their senses and respond positively to the only message that brings an eternity of bliss, and not an eternity of torment.
Huge numbers of people torture their minds with deep and bitter regrets that haunt them to the point where their lives are seriously blighted; indeed, there are people who suffer mental illness as a result of dwelling on their regrets.
They will keep saying to themselves things like "If only I had not done such and such thing" or they may say to themselves "If only I had done such and such thing"; and so it goes on, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, until the mental stress becomes too much and they have a breakdown.
People in such a state are to be grievously pitied, it must be terrible for them. However, people's regrets about things done, or not done, in this life, are as nothing compared to the bitter regrets people will have in eternity as they contemplate lost opportunities to be saved.
I've had many conversations with an atheist man, in Ramsgate, over the years and, one day, I asked him the following: "When you stand before God what do you think He will say to you?", his reply showed that he knew more about God than he let on -
"He would say to me 'you should have listened to that man with those leaflets' ".
If this atheist does not respond to the Gospel, and I've warned him many times about the consequences of unbelief, he will have all eternity to keep repeating the words "If only..."
I'm sure that there are multitudes of lost souls who are, even now, torturing themselves with bitter regrets because they didn't respond to the Gospel; "if only I had listened to that preacher" or perhaps, "if only I had read that leaflet given to me in Canterbury, Ramsgate, Ashford, (or any number of places where street evangelists spread the Gospel)" or perhaps, "if only I had read that New Testament given to me at school", and so it goes on, and on, and on.
Indeed, the worst torment in Hell may well be this bitter sense of regret. Perhaps that is what Jesus meant when he said the following ".......where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched", could it be that "their worm" is the accusing conscience worming its way into them and eating them up with these huge regrets and "If onlys...."??
These are sobering thoughts indeed, and I can only thank and praise God daily for what happened to me in September, 1975 when, after hearing a presentation of the Gospel I came to repentance and faith in Christ - a decision I have NEVER regretted. In eternity there will be no "If only..." for me.
I trust that, as the Gospel is preached, there will be many who come to their senses and respond positively to the only message that brings an eternity of bliss, and not an eternity of torment.
Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Is God's love unconditional?
Some churches teach that God loves people just the way they are. Is that correct theology? There is a sense in which God does love all people - eg. we read in John 3 v 16 that ".....God so loved the world "; it is also true that the reason why I am a Christian is because God loved me while I was in my sins, and drew me to repentance and faith in Christ. Were it not for God's love I would not be on the road to Heaven now.
However, for a "minister" to teach people that God loves them "just the way they are" is deeply misleading and may even cause them to end up facing God's wrath for all eternity - why do I say this?
When people are taught that God loves them "just the way they are" it is very likely that they will think in this way - "if God loves me just as I am, then there is no need for me to change the way I'm living". To put it simply, such people will continue living in rebellion against God and not see the need for repentance. Indeed, why should they repent? If God loves them anyway surely He will let them into Heaven in the end?
When viewed in this light we can see just how dangerous such teaching is. It is on a par with the heretical view that all people get to Heaven in the end (universalism) or that everyone gets a 2nd chance to be saved after death, a so-called post mortem conversion. In my evangelistic work I have come across ministers who have taught such views and they are leading people astray - how many people are there, I wonder, who have passed into eternity without being right with God because they sincerely believed that all people will get to Heaven in the end, or that they will have another chance to repent after death. A preacher who has led them astray will have their blood on his hands.
For preachers to say that God loves people just as they are is equally as dangerous as universalism or post-mortem conversion. It is a travesty of the truth and a blatant undermining of the Bible.
Yes, God does love us but He also calls us to repentance. The free offer of the Gospel goes out to all people, everywhere. We are all sinners and, in our natural state, under His wrath. However, because He loves us He sent His son to die for our sins and rise again to be our Saviour. All those who truly repent and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour will have eternal life, but all those who will not so repent, and believe, will suffer eternal damnation. Any minister/preacher who deviates from that is giving people a false sense of assurance.
John 3 v 36 is clear - "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him"
However, for a "minister" to teach people that God loves them "just the way they are" is deeply misleading and may even cause them to end up facing God's wrath for all eternity - why do I say this?
When people are taught that God loves them "just the way they are" it is very likely that they will think in this way - "if God loves me just as I am, then there is no need for me to change the way I'm living". To put it simply, such people will continue living in rebellion against God and not see the need for repentance. Indeed, why should they repent? If God loves them anyway surely He will let them into Heaven in the end?
When viewed in this light we can see just how dangerous such teaching is. It is on a par with the heretical view that all people get to Heaven in the end (universalism) or that everyone gets a 2nd chance to be saved after death, a so-called post mortem conversion. In my evangelistic work I have come across ministers who have taught such views and they are leading people astray - how many people are there, I wonder, who have passed into eternity without being right with God because they sincerely believed that all people will get to Heaven in the end, or that they will have another chance to repent after death. A preacher who has led them astray will have their blood on his hands.
For preachers to say that God loves people just as they are is equally as dangerous as universalism or post-mortem conversion. It is a travesty of the truth and a blatant undermining of the Bible.
Yes, God does love us but He also calls us to repentance. The free offer of the Gospel goes out to all people, everywhere. We are all sinners and, in our natural state, under His wrath. However, because He loves us He sent His son to die for our sins and rise again to be our Saviour. All those who truly repent and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour will have eternal life, but all those who will not so repent, and believe, will suffer eternal damnation. Any minister/preacher who deviates from that is giving people a false sense of assurance.
John 3 v 36 is clear - "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him"
Thursday, 7 January 2016
Revelation 20 v 4 - proof the Bible is up to date.
I've just been reading through the book of Revelation and was reminded, as I read chapter 20 v 4, just how up to date it is. In this verse we read of believers being beheaded for the witness of Jesus. When Islamic State take over a region they often give Christians a stark choice - convert to Islam or die; those who refused to renounce Christ are beheaded. (This is what happened to Egyptian Christians who were captured by IS in Libya. As they were being martyred some of them shouted out "Jesus is Lord"). This barbarity is in direct fulfilment of Revelation 20 v 4 and shows just how relevant the Bible is.
Moreover, I've just finished reading an excellent book entitled "The martyrs of Malatya". It is about 3 Christians who were murdered by Islamic fundamentalists in an orgy of violence which involved attempts to decapitate them. Again, further evidence that the Bible is true.
Indeed, over the last 100 years or so, more Christians have been murdered for the faith than in the previous 19 centuries put together. As the Bible clearly predicts that persecution will increase in the run-up to Christ's 2nd coming we can be confident that that time is approaching.
While on the subject of the book of Revelation, there have been many interpretations but the most helpful I've come across goes like this:
In chapter 1 v 19 John was told to write the things he had seen, what is now and what will take place hereafter. This gives the 3-fold division of the book viz. chapter 1 is about John's vision of Christ, chapters 2-3 is about the church age from the day of Pentecost until Jesus comes again, and chapters 4-22 are about the end times and the final consummation of all things, the eternal state.
In chapter 1 John wrote clearly about what he had seen, and how he worshipped Christ, another proof that He is God and worthy of worship.
In chapters 2-3 he wrote about the good and bad points of the 7 churches. As we survey the Christian churches we can see how all 7 are represented. For example there are worldly churches, little more than social clubs; there are faithful churches, bearing a powerful testimony in the midst of suffering; there are compromised churches that allow sin in their midst, and so on.
In Chapters 4- 22 we read a clear account of end time events starting with the rapture of the church in Chapter 4 v 1 "....come up here and I will show you what will take place after this".
As we read Revelation it is helpful to bear this 3-fold division in mind in order to aid correct interpretation.
Ultimately, the book is about the final triumph of Christ over the devil and we see that in chapter 20 v 10 where Satan is cast "into the lake of fire" for ever.
As we continue in the Christian life let us always remember that we are on the victory side and that we are the ones "who will have the last laugh".
Moreover, I've just finished reading an excellent book entitled "The martyrs of Malatya". It is about 3 Christians who were murdered by Islamic fundamentalists in an orgy of violence which involved attempts to decapitate them. Again, further evidence that the Bible is true.
Indeed, over the last 100 years or so, more Christians have been murdered for the faith than in the previous 19 centuries put together. As the Bible clearly predicts that persecution will increase in the run-up to Christ's 2nd coming we can be confident that that time is approaching.
While on the subject of the book of Revelation, there have been many interpretations but the most helpful I've come across goes like this:
In chapter 1 v 19 John was told to write the things he had seen, what is now and what will take place hereafter. This gives the 3-fold division of the book viz. chapter 1 is about John's vision of Christ, chapters 2-3 is about the church age from the day of Pentecost until Jesus comes again, and chapters 4-22 are about the end times and the final consummation of all things, the eternal state.
In chapter 1 John wrote clearly about what he had seen, and how he worshipped Christ, another proof that He is God and worthy of worship.
In chapters 2-3 he wrote about the good and bad points of the 7 churches. As we survey the Christian churches we can see how all 7 are represented. For example there are worldly churches, little more than social clubs; there are faithful churches, bearing a powerful testimony in the midst of suffering; there are compromised churches that allow sin in their midst, and so on.
In Chapters 4- 22 we read a clear account of end time events starting with the rapture of the church in Chapter 4 v 1 "....come up here and I will show you what will take place after this".
As we read Revelation it is helpful to bear this 3-fold division in mind in order to aid correct interpretation.
Ultimately, the book is about the final triumph of Christ over the devil and we see that in chapter 20 v 10 where Satan is cast "into the lake of fire" for ever.
As we continue in the Christian life let us always remember that we are on the victory side and that we are the ones "who will have the last laugh".
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