Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Tues.’s Devo - God’s Kingdom Come

Read Rev. 20 & 21 How fitting that we would end the year with the last two chapters of Revelation. I’m sorry I had to hurry the last of this, but I want to start the new year with a new thing. I’ll explain tomorrow! Being an artist I love the imagery of Revelation. Today we see an angel come down from heaven holding a key and a chain. He seizes the Devil and chains him up and throws him in the bottomless pit where he locks him up for one thousand years. The martyrs of the tribulation were given thrones or positions of authority. They were now being released to reign with Christ a thousand years - the Millennium. Everyone else who had died still slept. This is called the first resurrection of the dead. They are saved from the second death which is eternal damnation. After this thousand years, Satan will be released for a while. Don’t you know he comes out angry. He gathers his troops from the earth to fight the saints. They surround Jerusalem, but God sends down fire and kills them. The devil is cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false prophet were thrown to be tormented forever. Next is judgment of the dead. The book of life and the book of deeds are opened and everyone is judged. Death, hell, and all who went the way of death are thrown into the fire. This is the second death. God’s new earth and new heaven comes down from heaven in majesty and splendor. This is where God’s people will live - pain-free, and full of joy. Next, John was taken to see the Bride which was the whole city of Jerusalem - God’s new kingdom. It is perfect. Every detail describes God’s holiness and his love for his creation. It is always illuminated and always open. No evil will penetrate its borders. Halleluiah! Lord, how glorious and great is your plan!

Monday, December 30, 2013

Mon.’s Devo - The Feast

Read Rev. 18 and 19 Chapter 18 is the account of the system of evil and marketing failing. When this happens there will be no reason to work or do anything. One moment it will be “business as usual”, and the next moment, total chaos. I was not alive when the stock market crashed in the thirties but I’ve see pictures of men jumping out of windows and people in total despair. That was just a drop in the bucket to what this final collapse will be. This will be God’s judgment on the whore. Chapter 19 is heaven’s perspective about that terrible day. In heaven, there is rejoicing and gladness. God has judged and his judgments are true and righteous. All heaven is praising God. It is now time for the marriage supper to take place. The Bride had made herself ready. She had earned the right to dress in white linen because of her righteousness. The heavens open and Jesus, called Faithful and True, appeared on a white horse. He is coming to judge and make war. There is a fire in his eyes, and many crowns on his head. Another name is written on him that is a secret. His robe has been dipped in blood and he is named The Word of God. Heavenly armies dressed in white linen follow him. A sharp sword comes out of his mouth which we know is God’s Word. On his robe and his thigh is written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Another angel gathers all the fowls to the supper of the great God. The food is the flesh of all the men and horses that fought against his kingdom. The beast and the false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire. All of the people who followed them are killed by the sword of Jesus because the Word contemns them. The birds eat their flesh. This was be the fate of many people and kings in the Old Testament. Lord, who knew that the marriage supper would be the flesh of the wicked? I trust your judgments and your ways for they are so much higher than mine.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Fri.’s Devo - The Whore

Read Rev. 17:1-18 Who is the great whore? We can look at verse five and get a good clue. She is mystery Babylon. Since Babylon stands for all the evil Satan can muster, then this mystery Babylon is a spiritual city that is the counterpart of the New Jerusalem that will come out of heaven. Both are a spiritual city. Babylon is Satan’s capital and he runs the world from it. All the money, all the systems of business are run by him and stem from him. Banks, the stock market, business, buying and selling is his department. Every wrong act done in the church has had money and power at its roots. The whole world has bought into it. The church has bought in to it. Verse nine tells us that the seven heads are seven mountains. There are seven mountains around Rome and seven mountains around Jerusalem. The devil always counterfeits the real. Mountains spiritually mean leaders or systems like business, entertainment and sports, science and medicine, education, religion, politics and the family. Satan desires that they all depend on the beast of finances and power to generate them. When all this falls and our money system fails, then the true monetary system of God will stand. Believers who put their trust in God will rise up and not be afraid. God will supernaturally provide for them and take care of them. When the market falls the only two mountains left standing will be religion and family. The devil’s system is the eighth. The ten horns are the men who are the leaders during that time. Satan will hand pick them and they will hate the saints and God. They will hate all religion that worships anyone but them. Lord, how easy it is to fall into the devil’s system of money and power. Help us to keep our hearts and our garments clean and walk in your provision and your will, and not in the world’s. Bless your people who depend on you to do business for them and haven’t fallen to the devil’s mark.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Thur.’s Devo - The Sixth and Seventh Vial

Read Rev. 16:12-21 The sixth angel poured out his vial on the Euphrates River. The Euphrates River flows through Iraq and Syria today. When the angel poured out his vial it made the Euphrates River dry up so that there would be a road for the enemies of the East to travel on. This was what God did to the Red Sea so that the Israelites could exit the slavery of Egypt. This time it will be to make a way for the Eastern countries to enter to fight in the last battle - Armageddon. During that time a spirit of witchcraft will be released like frogs. Theses spirits will be so manipulative that they will be able to convince the kings of the earth to gather in the Valley of Mediggo. This is when Jesus will come like a thief, as is prophesied in Luke 17:39 and 1 Thess. 5:2. This is time when they need to be watching and keeping their garments clean. The seventh angel came with a vial full of woe. When he poured his vial, God spoke from heaven saying, It is done. The earth heard voices and thundering. They saw lightings and felt the earth quake greater than it had ever experienced before. The earthquake divided Jerusalem into three parts and other great cities were affected. God remembered his anger towards Babylon and poured out his wrath on all evil. Every island was demolished and the mountains were leveled. Isaiah prophesied of the coming Messiah who would exalt every valley and make every mountain and hill low. He would level and make everything even so that Jehovah could be revealed. (Is. 40) Lord, what an awesome sight. May you be revealed through us today.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Wed.’s Devo -

Read Rev. 16:1-11 Judgment! Merry Christmas! What a topic to be talking about on such a wonderful celebration. I am tempted not to continue today, but I am on this race to finish Revelation by the first of the year. I have an idea of something different I feel like we are suppose to do next year and we need to start on January 1st, so I am going to continue on with Revelation today. I pray you are having a wonderful day full of loving family, lots of laughs and lots of great food. In today’s reading, we are talking about THE Judgment on the earth. Jesus has reaped all of his fruit from the earth and it is time to end the earth as we know it. All of God’s wrath is being poured out on the earth and it is coming in the form of plagues like God sent on Egypt during the time of Moses. The first plague attacks their bodies. Sores which are evil in character will appear. I can’t even imagine what this could be - maybe some sort of VD. The second plague fell upon the sea. It killed everything in the sea, which made the sea bloody. The next plague is upon their source of water. The rivers will be turned to blood. The angels seemed very pleased that God would choose to make them drink blood, since they were responsible for shedding so much innocent blood. The forth plague was upon the sun. It became hot enough to scorch men with fire. Instead of repenting, they just cursed God more. Interesting fact: the sun was created on the forth day and was used in the forth plague. The fifth plague fell on the government - “the seat of the beast”. Verse 10 says that “his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain.” I don’t know if this was a physical darkness or just a description of the evil and deception of this government. When this government falls, it’s deception might be exposed and it might cause anguish which will cause them to bite their tongues. Whatever it means, it doesn’t sound pleasant. God is judging the kingdom of Satan and his followers. Lord, Ps. 19:9,10 says that your judgments are true and righteous altogether and that they are to be desired above gold and silver, so even though they sound so awful to us, we praise you because your judgments declare your holiness.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Tues.’s Devo - The Great Harvest

Read Rev. 14:12-15:8 All throughout scripture, we see where the people are told not to reap their whole land, but to leave some for the poor. (Lev. 22:23) Remember Ruth? This is the first time the whole earth gets completely reaped - even the corners - the four corners of the earth. Verse 13 is a great promise. It blesses these who die in the Lord, who die a Christian. They enter into rest and will be rewarded for everything they did for Jesus. In verse 14, Jesus is the angel who reaps the harvest. He is the one who planted the seed and watered it with his prayers and watched over it till it grew. The next angel is the angel of fire. He is waiting for Jesus to reap his fruit, because he is coming with fire to extinguish what is left. - the wood, hay and stubble. While this was happening, John sees a sea of glass that has flames of fire, where the overcomes are standing, singing their song of victory. This song is the song of Moses - the song of deliverance, and, it is the song of the Lamb - the song of salvation and victory. As they sing, the curtain to the Holy of Holies is opened. Out of the temple comes the seven angels with the seven vials of God’s wrath. The whole temple is filled with the smoke of God’s glory. The seven plagues are about to be poured out on the ones left on the earth. Note that there are no believers left on earth at this time. Lord, what a day this will be! All glory to Your Name!!!

Monday, December 23, 2013

Mon.’s Devo - The Last Messengers

Read Rev. 14:1-11 This is the taking up of the faithful 144,000 that came to the Lord during the Great Tribulation. Are these the same 144,000 in chapter 7? I don’t know. I think the number is more than a numerical number. It stands for government completed - so it is the sum total of those who made God their king. They didn’t defile themselves with the world so God found them virgins to sin, true followers. As these people are taken up from the earth, an angel is released to preach salvation to those who are left on the earth. We have learned that these messengers come in the form of men on the earth. So, there must be a person that has been close to being a believer on earth that becomes a believer when these 144,000 leave. This person is filled with the gospel and has the opportunity of preaching to everyone still left on earth. His message is one of repentance because judgment is quickly coming. Another messenger rises up prophesying the fall of Babylon. Babylon stands for the whole worldly system of money, religion and politics. Satan is its leader. A third messenger is raised up to warn the people against buying into the government’s promises of help and protection. The person who puts their trust in the Babylonian kingdom will be judged by God. Their judgment will be an everlasting judgment of fire and brimstone. As I read this I realize that we are living in a type of this right now. We have a government that is Babylonian by nature and is always promising help, welfare, hope, and protection. You don’t have to be very discerning to see that it has failed miserably in all these areas. Our only hope is to put our trust in God. He is our king. He is our Protector, our Provider, our Hope. He is the only one who can come to our aid. Lord, we are so grateful and honored to call you our King.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Fri.’s Devo - The Mark of the Beast

Read Rev. 13:13-18 The anti-christ is going to be able to call down fire from heaven and do miracles. Some wonder if Vladimir Putin isn’t the Anti-christ coming with a promise of peace. There is a comet called ISON that is suppose to hit the earth this next year. Could this be the fire from heaven? I don’t know, but, I seriously doubt it since a comet is not something man calls down. I would speculate it is not going to be an actual fire, but more like a passion like the one that hit the world when the Beatles hit the stage. The mark is an interesting topic. Many have said it would be a computer chip or tattoo, but since everything else in Revelation has been esoteric in nature, I would think this would be the same. I wonder if it isn’t a belief that is engraved in the hearts of the people. The ones who buy their lies will be the ones with the mark of the beast. The fact that it is on their right hand or their foreheads speaks of their actions or their mindsets. No one will be able to buy or sell without having the mark, the name of the beast, or the number of his name. I think to understand what this means we have to look at it in reverse. If we are Christians then our heart is marked. We bear the cross in our hearts. We also confess the name of Jesus and take his name as our own. We are a part of God’s family. Every letter in the name Yaweh characterizes who he is. It will be the same when the anti-christ comes to power. The letters of his name will describe him. Jewish letters also have numerical weight. The anti-christ’s name will equal 666. Six is the number that means “man”. Man was created on the sixth day. This “man” will be Satan’s embodiment: body, soul, and spirit: 6 - 6 - 6. These are just my thoughts. I know that the closer we get to the end, the clearer this will all be. Lord, may we see with spiritual eyes and not be lulled asleep with “business as usual”. Remind us that we are living in the last of the last days.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Wed.’s Devo - Rome - The Beast

Read Rev. 13:1-4 I want to go back to yesterday’s reading and explain more of the history of Rome. Rome was the head that was wounded to death. This happened when Emperor Constantine came to power and united the nominal Christian church with the State at the First Nicea Council of AD 325. Two years later, Constantine made Byzantium the new capital and named it Constantinople. It is Istanbul today. This created rivalry within the administration and the empire eventually split forming East and West (symbolizing the two legs in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2). This split spread to the Roman church. Emperor Theodosius outlawed the worship of ancient gods and made it mandatory to convert to Roman Catholicism. When Theodosius died his sons ruled the East and the West and the Empire was occupied by their enemies of Gaul, the Visigoths from Germany, and the Hun. Pope Leo was able to persuade Attila the Hun not to invade Rome thus empowering the Roman church and the office of the Pope. The West eventually fell to the Germans. They planned to rebuild the Roman Empire and Emperor Justinian was in charge of its restoration. He tried to rid the land of heretics and rebuild. At his death he had depleted the funds for restoration and the land was open for attacks. The shift of Rome from an Imperial to a Papal power healed the beast’s womb. Today, Rome rules a universal Empire with greater power than she has ever known. The United States is a type of Rome and the Protestant doctrine is a type of the Roman Catholic church. I know we don’t want to hear that, but it is true. They have in the past and will continue to persecute the true Bride of Christ. The foolish virgins will conform, but the wise virgins will keep their oil always in their lamps and continue to wait and watch for her bride groom to come for her. Lord, may we be full of oil and ever waiting for your return.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Tues.’s Devo - The Beast

Read Rev. 13:1-3 This beast rising up out of the sea is the Roman Empire. The ten horns are the ten kings of the Holy Roman Empire who were crowned. They were considered divine and took names that were blasphemous. Nero claimed to be “Savior of the World” on the Roman coins. There was a rumor going around after he committed suicide, that he would rise from the dead and join their enemy, Parthia in conquering Rome. The king who was probably was king during the time that Revelation was written was Domitian. His name meant “Our Lord and God”. This emperor cult influenced the church who wanted to appear to be loyal supporters in exchange for protection, and prosperity. They didn’t want to seem unpatriotic to their nation by not paying homage to Rome and the emperor. Satan was the dragon who gave the kings their power, their position, and their authority. (vs. 2) He was cast down out of heaven in chapter 12 and now we see him rising out of the sea in the form of a beast. The womb was healed when political Rome was merged with papal Rome. All the world marveled and followed the beast. I remember watching on television a new Pope coming to office and how ritualistic it was. It was a big deal when the Kennedy’s came to office and they were Catholic. The world thought they were going to set up the Pope in America and they were outraged. His religion almost cost him the Presidency. Now it is the popular thing to show a Catholic mass instead of the traditional church service in a television program. There are many Christians in the Catholic religion, but their doctrine is mixed and unbiblical. God is calling us back to the purity of the Word. We don’t need to add anything to it or take anything away. Lord, help us to know how to think during the age we are living in. Give us your heart and your thoughts. We want to honor You above all.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Mon.’s Devo - War in Heaven

Read Rev. 12:5-17 In Ps. 2:9 David prophesied that God’s son will one day rule the nations with a rod of iron. Jesus came preaching salvation and grace to the poor in spirit, but he was a rod of iron to the religious that were self-righteous. He preached for three and a half years, or 1,260 days, then was caught up to God to sit with him on the throne. The church fled into hiding for fear of her life. Of course, the devil was furious that Jesus had conquered sin and death and rose victorious, so he waged war on the spiritual beings of heaven. He had been in heaven until this time. He was now cast down to earth just like Jesus prophesied to his disciples when they came back from ministering. (Luke 10:18) Satan and all his demons were cast to earth where they roam to and fro looking for a place to dwell. No longer can the devil accuse us to the Father. The heavens were cleansed, but the earth was polluted. Now the Devil reigns on earth and he is very angry because he knows he only has a short time of reign. He immediately brought persecution to the church of Christ. He is still at war with the church - anyone who keeps God’s commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. An interesting note is that from the time of the meeting in Nicea to make the pope the incarnate God, to the day the pilgrims landed on Plymoth Rock it was 1,260 days. America was God’s “promise land” for those seeking to worship him and flee false doctrine and persecution. Our nation was founded on the principle of “In God We Trust” but has adulterated herself in the name of political correctness and tolerance. The gospel was never suppose to be seeker friendly. It is a knife that cuts asunder soul and spirit, bone and marrow, and the thoughts and intents of man’s hearts. The truth is always the narrow road that is hard to follow and not popular. Lord, may we walk the path of truth and not care about what man can do to us.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Fri.’s Devo - The Travailing Woman

Read Rev. 12:1-4 In Revelation 12 we see the entrance of the woman. This woman is redeemed Israel. The Bride is a Gentile bride and represents the Gentile believers of the early church. This woman is pregnant with the Word. She is bearing Jesus, the son. The moon is the church, which is her foundation. The crown of twelve stars shows that her headship is the teachings of the twelve apostles - the witnesses of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. This woman is about to give birth and is in labor. The dragon stands for Satan who is waiting to devour her child, as soon as it delivers. This red dragon used Imperial Rome to try to destroy Jesus when he was born. Caesar Augustus ruled Rome and called himself “son of the divine Julius”. The insignia on the pennants of the Roman armies was a red dragon. The seven heads of the dragon were the seven Emperors who deified themselves. The ten horns represented Papal Rome and were the ten kings of the Holy Roman Empire who are crowned. His tail represents the “tale” Rome used to deceive Israel causing a third of man to reflect the Messiah. The deceived stars were blotted from the Book of Life according to Is. 9:15 and Ps. 69:26-28. Satan tried to kill Jesus and Moses, a type of Jesus, at birth, by having all the male boys killed. His plan failed and both were born. The woman in verse 5 fled to the wilderness just as Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt until God told Joseph it was safe to return. Moses fled to the wilderness when his life was threatened. America is like political Rome. Even though America is not the strongest nation now, she is still looked up to and admired by all nations. Most nations want to dress like Americans and they all think that Americans are rich. They watch American television programs and think we all live like that. Our denominational churches are like the Papal Rome. We all have our doctrines that we follow, even if they defy the Word and we persecute one another because of our different beliefs. Lord, may we rise up out of our blindness and see the truth of your love and your Word.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Thurs.’s Devo - The Second and Third Woe

Read Rev. 11:13-19 When the two witnesses ascend to heaven, a great earthquake follows. It destroys one tenth of the city and 7,000 men. Even the remnant, the believers that are still left are afraid and they praise God because they know He is in control. That was the second woe and the third is on its heels. The first woe was in Revelation 9 right after the 5th trumpet. The four demons were loosed who killed a third of the population. The seventh trumpet sounds and a voice comes out of heaven saying, “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” When God says this, the twenty-four elders that are seated around the throne get off their thrones and fall to the ground, faces to the ground, and worship God. This marks the end of God’s judgement on the earth. It says in verse 18 that the nations are angry that God would end it and call for judgment. Not only is the earth going to be judged for their sins, but all who have lived over time will be judged. Those that feared God and spoke for him were rewarded. The temple of God is opened in heaven and all must attend. In the sky there are lightnings, voices, thunderings, earthquake, and great hail. One of the positive sides of judgment is after it comes restoration. Lord, thank you for your plan to restore the earth in righteousness. Forgive us of polluting your earth with sin. May your righteous kingdom come!

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Wed.’s Devo - The Two Witnesses

Read Rev. 11:1-12 John is given a rod and told to measure the temple of God, the altar, and the people that worship there. He is to measure the true believers that are around the throne of God. The nominal Christians are called the Gentiles and they are in the outer courts. Daniel prophesied the last 7 years of Tribulation in Daniel 9. The first half of that 7 years are these 42 months where the Gentiles will tread upon the holy city. The true Christians are the holy city. They are the city set on a hill. The true Christians will be under severe persecution. During this time, God will send two prophets, the two olive trees and the two candlesticks. The fact that they are described as olive trees tells us that they are sent to the Jews. They are also described as candlesticks because they will be living menorahs to bring the revelation and light of God. They will have the spirit of Elijah and Moses and do many of the same miracles that they did, like stop the rain and turn the water to blood and call down plagues. Once they have established their name on the earth, the Beast will fight back. He will finally kill them, and their bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem for three and a half days while the earth celebrates their death. After the three and a half days, God will breath life back into these beings and they will stand up to the amazement of all the cameras and people watching. Then, they will ascend to heaven in a cloud. All through the Bible, there are heavenly beings who make appearances on earth. They come in the form of watchers in linen, angels, big fish (Jonah), etc. I think these two witnesses are witnesses of heaven and earth. They were sent down to prophecy for 260 days wearing sackcloth. This was their mission and they performed it. They will be the part of God’s judicial system in the end. Lord, open our eyes that we might see you now and be able to present you to our world.


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Tues.’s Devo - The Angel of the Lord

Read Rev. 10:1-11 A new angel came down from heaven clothed in a cloud and had a rainbow on his head. His face looked like the sun and his feet looked like pillars of fire. God sent the children of Israel a cloud to follow during the day and a pillar of fire to follow at night. The cloud shielded them from the heat of the sun and the fire gave them light at night. These symbols are also used to describe the Shekinah Glory of God himself. The rainbow was the promise to Noah and all generations after, that God made a covenant with us that He would never to destroy the earth again with water. When Moses came from being with God on the mountain his face shone so much that, Moses had to put a veil over his face to make the people unafraid of him. Fire has to do with judgment, cleansing, and the power of the Holy Spirit. These were all pictures of covenants God has made with man. But as a whole, this is the picture of God himself. He is reclaiming his creation. This angel had an open book in his hands that was small. This book is the covenant - The Bible. He sets his right foot on the sea and his left on the earth to reclaim his creation. He let out a roar like a lion, then the seven thunders spoke. This angel - God, is about to pronounce the end of all time. When it is time for him to sound, all the other thunders will be released. God’s mysterious plan for the earth will finished and it will happen just like the prophets said it would. These seven thunders, or judgments are sealed. John was allowed to see them, but not write them. John was told to go take the little book from the angels hand. When John did, the angels told him to eat it up. It would be sweet to his taste, but bitter to his belly. That is just what the Word is. It is sweet to those who find shelter in it, but bitter if you are using God’s Word for your own personal gain or you disobey it. In the last verse, God promised John that he would prophesy again before the world. Lord, you are mighty in splendor and who can stand before you?!! 


Monday, December 9, 2013

Mon.’s Devo - Personal Thoughts

I have to say that blogging Revelation has been my biggest challenge and I am very tempted to quit and start a new book. I am by no way a theologian on the subject of Revelation so we are going to glean what we can and keep going. There are many websites full of info, most of which I find questionable, so read them with discernment. I have more questions than answers. One of my questions is: if we are living in the Laodecian Age, then what are we doing still here, if the church was to be raptured between the 3rd and 4th age, unless we don’t understand the rapture. I always thought that Enoch was a picture of the rapture. He was just taken from the earth, much like Elijah only no one saw Enoch leave. It is like he just walked with God right off the earth into heaven. I also thought that Noah was a type of the church that went through tribulation. God created a safe place for Noah and his family to ride through the tribulation of the earth and not be harmed by it, but preserved to start civilization over again. Now, I don’t know what I believe. I know that the word “rapture” is not in the Bible. So, are we in the last age, about to see the world end in a One World Government? It is amazing to see how many states have bowed to the doctrine of same-sex-marriage. It is because, if they don’t, they won’t get governmental help and favors. The mark of the beast will be economic in nature, and it sure looks like the mark is a covert mark - more of a standard of conduct or reasoning. If we are the last generation, and if God took a bride from the believers who chose to believe him and his Word already, then he is still taking a bride. Joseph took a Gentile bride Asenath, which means “I shall be hated”. I think that would describe the true bride. It also means, “she has stored up”. May we be the bride that has stored up the Word of God in our hearts, that no matter what they do to our flesh, we will overcome. The last angel was to return the hearts of the children to the father and vise versa. Our fathers are the fathers of the faith and their teachings. The speakers of today have reminded us of the prophets of the last generation, like William Brahnam, Downey, A. A. Allen, Katherine Kullman, Elizabeth Edder, and others, not to mention our Biblical fathers like Abraham and Paul. The bride is the one who hears the voice of the father and obeys it. She is the one who will proceed from her closet of prayer and intimacy with Christ. She is the one who loved him to the end. Lord, may that be us.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Thurs.’s Devo - America in Revelation

Read Rev. 13:5-12 This beast, the Roman Catholic Church will have power over Jerusalem for 42 months. Forty-two is the number of “man’s opposition to God”. In Judges 12:6, Ephraim refused to join Israel in their conflict against Ammon. As punishment, Jepthah killed forty-two thousand Ephraimites. In 2 Kings 2:24, some teen-agers made fun of Isaiah and God sent she-bears to kill forty two of them. Man cannot oppose God and get away with it. Jesus was 42 generations from Abraham. Israel set up camp in forty-two sites before reaching the Promised Land. The leaders of the Roman Catholic Church persecuted everyone that disagreed with them. God sends out a warning in verse 10: if we lead someone into bondage, we will follow them. If we kill someone with the Word, we will also be condemned by the Law. Our mission is mercy, forgiveness, and truth. Verse 11 tells of another beast emerging that had two horns “like a lamb”. This is America. America’s number is thirteen. Thirteen original colonies, thirteen stripes. And now, here she is in Revelation thirteen. She embraced the Roman Catholic teaching and adopted it for herself. America was founded because she ran from Catholicism and wanted religious freedom. She fashioned a Constitution and government that would protect that freedom, but little by little, she sold herself to the enemy and now she “speaks like the dragon.” This forty-two weeks is the same “time, times and half a time” spoken about in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7. In Daniel 7 it says that this leader will try to change the set times and the laws. We see that right now in our present administration where the Constitution is constantly being compromised for what our leader wants. I wonder if one of the laws and set times he will try to change will be to enable him to run for another office. Lord, don’t allow us to shrink back in fear. The devil runs a great smoke screen, but You are the real deal. You are the conquering King and we are your bride!

Fri.’s Devo - The Sixth Trumpet Part 2

Read Rev. 9:13-21 I want to talk again about the four angels. These four angels are released to bring divine wrath on Israel by the princes of Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome until the times of the Gentiles is complete (Luke 21:22; Daniel 9:24; and Acts 3:21). In a type, it ended when Daniel was taken out of the land to Babylon, and it will end when the end is here. These four princes and their vast army are supernatural forces (Daniel 10; Zech. 6) They will fight in the battle of Armaggedon. Their king will be Satan who is the angel of the bottomless pit. Abaddon is the name of a destroying angel (or demon). Apollyon identifies this destroying angel as Satan himself as identified in the 5th seal. This trumpet corresponds to the sixth church age, Philadelphia - the church of brotherly love. During this time, the believers on the earth will bind together like never before. They will need each other to survive. The mark of the beast will be in operation, so they will have no way to buy or sell. God will supernaturally provide for them. The few that survive will be the generation that doesn’t taste death. They will be on earth when Jesus returns. Others on the earth, who take the mark, will have hard hearts and they will keep doing their evil works. They will face judgment and have to account for their sins. Lord, I am so grateful for your blood that covers me and the little knowledge I do have of you. Increase our understanding and love for you. 


Thursday, December 5, 2013

Thurs.’s Devo - The Sixth Trumpet

Read Rev. 9:12-21 The golden altar John saw was the one that the ark of the covenant was placed. These horns represent power - four aspects of God’s power. God looses the four angels that are bound in the river Euphrates. Bound up angels are fallen angels that have now become demons. They had been bound for centuries in the river Euphrates. If you recall in Genesis, the Garden of Eden had this same river running through it. They are given permission to kill a third of mankind for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year. They had with them a calvary of 200 million demons. Instead of breastplates of righteousness, they had breastplates of fire, jacinth, and brimstone. Fire is the symbol of cleansing, trials, and judgment. Jacinth is a blueish, reddish, purplish stone. It is symbolic of color and royalty. The brimstone is the symbol of Satan’s destructive power and hell. They had heads of lions and out of their mouths spewed fire, smoke and brimstone. What a depiction of the devil. He looks really scary, but out of him mouth is smoke. Their power was in their mouths and it has always been. It is what the Devil says to us in our ears that trips us up and robs us of our confidence and power. Tails have to do with our past. It is always there, behind us. How the devil uses our past to enable us. This creature had heads in his tail. He is very smart about our past and these heads are specific demons that he uses against us. They are specific to our circumstances. Even through this terrible time on earth, there will be many people who will not repent just as their were many Egyptians who lived in the time of Moses who refused to repent. There was a small remnant of Egyptians who did repent and followed Israel out of Egypt. Lord, we pray for the ones who have to go through this time. May they choose to follow you.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Wed.’s Devo - The Fifth Trumpet

Read Rev. 8:13-9:11 Chapter 8 ends with a “Woe”, for the next three trumpets. The church is raptured at this point and those left will have to go through the “woe”. When the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, Satan fell from heaven to the earth. He opens the lid to hell and releases great evil. This evil is so great, it changes the atmosphere. Locusts are released that sting the ungodly like scorpions. It is so painful, that many contemplate suicide to escape the pain. They are only allowed to sting the ones who don’t have God’s seal on their foreheads. The fifth trumpet corresponds to the fifth church age - Sardis. The locusts of those days were the false teachings that rose from the pit of hell. Scorpions kill by raising their tails overt their heads but do not kill. The church leaders of their time exercised power over the people. Their stings spiritually paralyzed the weak followers. It was written to them to be watchful, and to strengthen the things which remain, because they were not found perfect before God. These people who remain after the church is taken, will be left so that they will have another opportunity to repent. In Rev. 3:3 they were told to remember what they had received in the past and hold fast to it, and REPENT. On them, Jesus will come like a thief and steal the true church from them. They will not understand or know when that will happen because it will be hidden from them…. but not from the true church that is ready. God never does something he doesn’t first tell his prophets. In the fifth seal we see the repented ones who die during this time. They are given white robes and told to rest till others join them in death. We see these locusts have hair like women, iron breastplates, and wings. Their king was Abbadon in the Hebrew, and Apollyon in the Greek. This is the angel of the bottomless pit. Lord, we pray for those who will be left that they will be strengthened for the time they will have to endure. Give them repentant hearts.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Tues.’s Devo - The Fourth Trumpet

Read Rev. 8:12-13 This fourth trumpet goes right along with the fourth church age - Thyatira, and the fourth seal. It also correlates with the fourth day of creation. Before this, the judgment was falling on the earth, but in this trumpet, it moves to the heavens. On the fourth day the sun, moon, and stars were created and that is what was touched in this trumpet’s judgment. In the first four trumpets it talks about a third. This will be the time when the church exits the earth. I wonder if that is why a third of the moon is darkened. The moon represents the church, since we reflect the light of the sun or God. If a third is darkened, then I wonder if these are the ones taken. Only those who have made themselves ready will be taken. The rest will stay to go through tribulation. When the righteous are taken out of the earth, darkness will reign. Scientifically, there was an article in the New York Times in May 2004, which was titled, “Globe Grows Darker as Sunshine Diminishes 10% to 37%. After WW11 the should literally became a darker place. (Probably from the atomic bomb and its effects on the atmosphere). Remember in the age of Thyatira, the Pope was raised to the position of Jesus and many fell to believe the lie. This caused a spiritual darkness. This is also the time when Satan is kicked out of heaven and comes to earth. Lord, be with your people who are left on the earth during this time. Give them strength and courage to stand.