Monday 27 December 2010

Revelation unfolded

Have we ever seen anything like these before?

I do recommend that you read Revelation from the start but I have taken this section to start from and to describe some of the things that will happen.

Why choose Revelation? Simple answer is this Revelation 1:3
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. 

The image below is the timeline of all of Revelation Scriptures. 
As you can see the 7 Trumpets are towards the end of everything. The 7 Trumpets are part of the last of the 7 seals. 
On a side note the number 7 is Gods number as it has alot of mentions through out the Bible Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. 



If you wish to see the image in full detail please see "Biblical Maps" in my photo section on Facebook. Somehow it wont enlarge it here

We start in Revelation 8:6
In previous chapters in Revelation we have been told that the 7 angels with their trumpets are coming.... from the image above we are at the point when alot happens all at once. "Egyptian/Russian/Muslim Invasion of Israel", the earthquake and Israel repenting, end of war #1 and we are half way through the Gospel preaching. 

As you can see there is alot to happen to the world from the 7 Trumpets but how can we put these into something we come to see? We have had disasaters in the world so far but I fully believe that they are nothing compared to what will happen during this time.

Trumpet 1: Rev 8:7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 
Hail Storm:
Have we ever seen hail and fire mixed with blood? The closet I think we can get to this in things that have happened in this world ishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfVHRdHCGi4 
This is a hail storm which we see as a "bad storm" but when you read what will happen this you are watching is a small fraction of the truth.
What we have to ask is, is it actually blood mixed in with the hail? Do we think it could be red colured hail? Yes it is very possible. Does it mean we will have red hail? A bright red hail storm.. Not something we can actually visualise! 

Bushfires:
Lets look at the next part of the first trumpet. "A third of the Earth was burned up"..
We instantly think of bushfires that have happened. Take most of America and Australia. These 2 countries have probably the most horrific bushfires on a regular occurance. 
Let's take Austalia as they had a huge disaster in 2009. Here is one news article about it: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/08/2485648.htm 
Then you look at the video footage we have seen so far of bushfires:

What we have to bear in mind is this, yes all of this was VERY tragic and people lost their lives and it is never a good think and I am not belittling what everyone went through. What we have to think abous with Revelation is simply this. On a scale or measure between what happened in Australia and what will happen is a huge vast. 
1 third of the Earth will be burnt.. The land mass of the earth is currently 148,940,000 km² and thats only 29.1% of the mass of the Earth! The rest is water as it is today.. 
We are talking the land the size of north America, South America, Australia and Antartica all burnt completly! Yes it will be spread across the whole word so there may be still be patches of vegetation in places. 
Just looking back at the Scriptual passage it does say ALL green grass will be burned up. 



Trumpet 2: Rev: 8:8: The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 

This I can only believe as a volcanic eruption. There are so many different images and videos of eruptions on the internet to view and I am unable to find one that is close to what Scripture tells us will happen. View what you can online and you have a small view of this! In no way am I saying those people affected/died by volcanos have life easy or do this is a small thing they are/have gone through!.
A third of the sea turned to blood.. literally red, could be teh blood from the animals within the seas or the lava. Its something we can't image.
A third of the creates of the sea being killed. This is not just a case of fish dying. It is als a case of food stock as well. A massive amount being killed and inedable you will have massive problems. Starting 2010 and we already see what happens to fish stocks if they are not maintained corerctly. Here is a small insighthttp://www.fishonline.org/advice/avoid/ 
A Third of ships being destroyed. Again you think of the people on board those ships and then you have the impact of the loss of water transportation of things around the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container_ship 


Trumpet 3: Rev8:10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water—the name of the star is Wormwood.A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. 

Meteors falling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dan3wM3rns We look at this and it is just one meteor falling. Try to imagine a sky full and all of them hitting the Earth with such force and destruction. No where to run or hide. Blazing like a torch I don't feel tells us exactly how bright it will be. 

Bitter Water: Bitter water in the Old Testament is suppose to expand the stomach. Numbers 5:27 This would be more bitter than a glass of pure lemon juice. Also Exodus

Trumpet 4: Rev: 8:14 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. 

A third of the sun was struck.. Does this tell us that we will have an eclipse? Does it say that we will lose 1/3 of the brightness of the sun? From the word "struck" I can only take this to mean actually hit and lost. We rely on the sun so much for light, power and the balance of the Earth. 

What does a loss of sunlight also mean to everyday life? 
Plantlife and vegetation: 
Our plants and vegetation require sunlight to grow. If we don't have the same growing ability we have today then the lack of food is going to cause starvation and malnutriction. We would also see hoarding of food even more than we do today. People waring over food to proportions unimaginable. 

Diseases and Mental Disorders: Immunity is strengthened during daylight as a person feels uplifted. People are generally motivated more during the daylight hours. 

Germs: UV light kills germs and with this decreased the world will end up with more germs and even some that are unknown taking control of our life and food. 

Animals: The sun's movement throughout the year causes natural biochemical changes in our circadian rhythms. These solar shifts even affect the activities of animals (for example, in the winter, hibernation). So this will also affect the number of animals in the world and will have a knock on effect on food.

Trumpet 5: The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. 

The longest description of what will happen during any of the trumpets.

It mentions the "star" that has fallen.. but if that star is not something physical like a human/spirit then how can it be given the key to the Abyss? Also why in the next sentance is the word "he" used? I have no idea!!

Giantic furnace – We already have something in this day and age that produces alot of smoke such as volcanos but can we image the amount of smoke coming from the Abyss? Not at all! 
Imagine no sun at all and the sky being completly black. 
Now out of the Abyss come locusts and where before we have scorpions these are given power to torment the people of the Earth. One difference is that God actually commands the locusts NOT to touch anyone with the "seal of God on their foreheads". What this seal actually is we have no idea. There are other scriptures which give us a small insight but nothing like a complete answer. Also we must look later in Revelation where the "mark of the beast" is something that those who do not believe in God take either on their right hand or on their forehead. There will be a difference in that mark but the mark of the beast is not mentioned until Revelation 14 so what is the mark of God?
Why 5 months? No idea as this time frame had been chosen by God. 
Also even if you do have the "mark of God" on your forehead you will not escape the 5 months of torment from the locusts. Why? Again no idea. Does this mean there will no rapture before the Scriptures of Revelation start? Again no idea. 

Men will seek death but it will elude them. Tells us there is no way out of this even if we do try and take our own lives or that of others we wont be able to.


Trumpet 6: Rev: 9:13 "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates"
Fact: 1/3 of mankind will be killed. Lets have a look a bit more into the figures of this.. The Earths popultion is estimated to be in 20008 at 6,692,030,277. Put this into relation of the population of the United Kingdom is 61,399,118 million which is a small fraction of the worlds total. It is less than 1/10!! 
America population is estimated at: 304,059, 724 
India population estimated at: 1,139,964,932
China population estimated at: 1,325,639,982
(Figures are taken from Worldbank.org)

Out of the 6,692,030,277 we will have to estimate 1/3 of these are Christians 2.1 billion people. Now I will assume all of these 2.1 billion Christians are taught and accept the Truth of Gods World without question. This will make the maths a little easier.
(Stats on size of Christianity is taken from Adherents.com)

Now you are looking, after taking all Christians out of the equastion, at the population of China, roughly, being wiped out by this! It might and probably will not be confined to one area but will be spread out across the world. 

200 million (Something in the range of 3 times the number of the UK population) being sent. Rev: 9:16
Rev 9:17 describes the troops this way "The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury "

Could you imagine being, or watching people, killed by plagues of fire, smoke and sulpher and not being able to do anything about it? When we see someone has burnt themselves nowadays we quickly douse them in water. You can't do this. The worlds water is in very short supply and what is not clean for use is heavily infected.

What is even more frightening of this reading is that whiever is not killed by all of this still will not repent and accept God!

Now we see there is a break from the Trumpets which I may cover in later articles!

Trumpet 7: Rev 11:15 
This is the time that we have been waiting for!! Scripture tells us: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever "
How mighty this is! This is something I have read a few times but it is not until now that I fully realise the impact of this piece of Truth. How can we imagine all that we have read coming to realisation in this verse? 
No more pain, suffering and death. A perfect world. Indescribable and something the human mind can not comtemplate as we have made this world the sinful place it is today.

All those that are dead before this day will be judged by God. Rev 11:18 tell us "The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great and for destroying those who destroy the earth. " 

People ask why should we worry about living a good life for God? Several reasons come to mind but one of the main ones would have to be to please God as He made us. Then we look, as we are human, at what will happen to us if we do not. You look at Christians today who are persecuted and killed for their Faith and wonder why. Do you want to go through all of this? When you die you still are going to be judge so there is no escape. Are the materialistic things in the world today worth going through all this wrath, torture and termoil? Search within yourself deeply.. Decisions you make WILL affect your life!

Then twe read what else the 7th Trumpet holds: Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm"

We look at the weather we have had in recent years and can we compare it to what it will be? Answer is NO! 
Here is a small view of what to expect to happen if you are still alive at this time. 
Here is a short clip of a lightning strike close up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLJ6oqToKrc&feature=related 
Imagine the power that is in that one strike. Now image that several thousand times over and striking all around you. 

There are several questions we have to think about here:
Do you want to go through all of this?
How do we feel about our friends and family going through this?
What do we have to do so we do not go through this?

If you have not already given your life to Jesus Christ then maybe today is the time to do this. Not just to avoid what is mentioned above but with everything else Scriptures tell us.

Are you ready to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour?


(Draft Version 1 08/02/10.. More edits to follow)

Sunday 26 December 2010

Christian Alphabet

A is for Adam - the first man God created - Genesis 1
B is for Baptism - 
C is for Christmas - A Celebration of the birth of Jesus
D is for David - A small man used by God for amazing things
E is for Eve - Created from man
F is for Forgiveness - 
G is for God - The Almighty One
H is for Heaven - Where God sits
I is for Isaiah - A great prophet
J is for Jesus - Given for our sins
K is for King of Kings - What Jesus is
L is for Love - God is love - 1 John 4:8
M is for Miracle - Jesus rising from the dead
N is for Noah - Another great servant of God
O is for Open - What our hearts must be to accept God
P is for Prayer - A powerful tool for all Christians
Q is for Quitting - Something we must never do!
R is for Repent - Another must to do thing to accept God
S is for Salvation - As believers we all have this
T is for Truth - Gods Word
U is for Unified - All Christians must be this in the fight against evil
V is for Victory - When Jesus takes the world back!
W is for Welcoming - Exactly what all churches should be
X is for eXodus - Moses lead this from Egypt (I know it starts with E!)
Y is for YHWH (Gods name)
Z is for Zion

Saturday 11 December 2010

Unity..Why it is so important for all churches!

Why churches should be united!

We have to face facts here in this world we live in as we should all be united "in Christ" to promote Gods Kingdom but are we?

Fact: No....

It's a crying shame we are not.. but we have to really open up and take a look in the mirror as to why.

We all recieved Him and believe in His name and all have the right to become children of God – John 1:12. This does NOT say "children of God in seperate families who do not speak and help each other"..
One family under One God and it is that simple!

Jesus taught us to share so it would also be great if we all shared resources as well. Let us have a look at some Scripture on this:
One being: Philipians 2:3 onwards.... "Do NOTHING out of selfish amibition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking forward to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others"

Remember what Jesus said about not being able to take things with you. Matthew 10:25 and Luke 18:25
So if your church is rich in what it has knowledge or supplies then share. If another church offered its help to you would you say no? Did Jesus say no to anyone?

Now let us look at the world aspect of this:
Take the Army of whatever country you are living in. They all are in tune with what the General is telling them to do in order to achieve the bigger picture. Victory for the Army NOT just your little battle.
If a section of that Army decides to go 300 miles east of where it is suppose to be or not support fellow troops then you end up with alot of casualties and the bigger picture of victory is very much at risk.
This is what we face today in the world we live in.

We are ALL united by our Faith in Jesus regardless of the little things like what hyms we all sing, way we preach or even what we wear. It is all about GOD. He looks on the inside not the outside and not the "laws" we think we should keep.

If it is down to the way someone preaches this again should not be an issue because we are all given "gifts" by God and the way I speak and the way you speak may be totally different but we both can reach different people whom the other could not. The message is delivered through that person but by the Holy Spirit! Are you saying the Holy Spirit is wrong? If, of course, they arenot preaching Truths then of course say something and be wary. The Scriptures tells us this as well.

As long as we are preaching Truths from the Bible then there should be no issues.
The only issue you have to face up to is this... Is the reason you are not joining with other churhes is because you want the glory for yourself and to benefit your church? If this is so then I do hope and pray you take some time speaking to the Lord and gaining guidance.

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Want to be Jesus for a Day?

Do you want to be like Jesus? Ever thought about what it would be like to walk in His shoes about 2,000 years ago? Nice hot days and walking around performing miracles such as healing, feeding masses, raising the dead and walking on water.

Let's take 1 day in Jesus' life and understand what it would have been like to be Him on this particular day...

Scripture: Matthew 27:26
Imagine it is 2,000 years ago.. You have been arrested for some reason which has been made up... it is a very hot day and standing there infront of a King who questions you to get answers and then does not want to make the decision, cause he knows something, on what to do with you but who then asks the crowd of people what he should do with you. 
The king asks you""Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," "Matthew 27:11 Can't get any more truthful than than statement..
The crowd are shouting for you to be killed. I am not talking 10-20 people but a hundred atleast, all shouting GUILTY, KILL HIM!!! Do you want to stand up and speak for yourself? Jesus did not! So you can't! Scripture Matthew 27:14 " But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. "
You are found GUILTY.... surprised?

So there you are and they decide to whip you. Imagine this whip has a handle about a foot and a half long. At the end of the handle, it had four leather thongs with heavy, jagged bones or balls of lead with jagged edges, wound into the end of the straps. Some historians who studied the "law of those days"... say Jesus was whipped more than 41 times. Think you can handle it? 

The soliders then take you into the middle of a hall filled with alot more soliders and they strip you to humlitate you! Then they put a robe on you.. not to make you look good but to humilate you even more.. then they put a crown on him. This is a crown with a difference! FULL of thorns. Oh and its not just placed on your head.. it's RAMMED on digging into your head! Blood must havebeen pour down your face as well...Sore yet? They give you a rod to hold like the Kings in those days held. Still taking the mickey out of you by falsely worshipping you until they get bored. Little did they realise that one day they will see what they actually did on this day.. They remove the rod from your hand and hit you with it on the head and then they all spit on you. Would you have lost your temper yet? Give up yet?

By this time they have the cross ready for you... It's not a case of you walk there and they hang you up.. 

No! You are forced to carry the cross (it is about 12 ft long and has to be very thick, its going to hold you up later!!) and your carrying it through the streets. So imagine people in your home town are, who hate you, laughing, spitting and shouting abuse at you. This was not for a few streets but a good few miles. Oh I forgot to mention... it's not 15-20C it is 35-40C.. no water. No chance to stop and take a breather! Do you think they can they hurt you even more??? How about punishing someone else as a substitute maybe?

Before you get carry your own cross some bloke then was picked from the crowd as he passed and was forced to carry your cross because you can't. Scripture says "A man named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross". So now you have someone else being beaten and carrying your cross because of you! 

Pilate places a sign above your head : THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Pilate is questioned on this and he insists it is left there.. He knows the Truth!! Is this his way of seeking the grace of Jesus?

Now finally you get to the hill. Well you are not even into your punishment yet.. Remember you are sentenced to crucifixion! Now they offer you a drink.. but this drink is spiked and you know it! So you decide not to drink

Now they take these nails. Look at the length of your hand for me.. thats roughly how long they are....and about 1 inch thich...Now look at your wrist! They hammer this nail into your wrist.. and then the other! No pain killers to help. No antibacterial to stop infection. 
Now they decide to hammer a huge nail into your ankles so you can't hold yourself up!

Ok there you are hanging... 35c heat.. no water... no pain relief.. mocked and spat at and all because you are innocent! Fair? Now you've been there for a while!

Then some soldier decides to slice open your side just to see if your dead yet. Oh and if your not they will break your legs so you die quicker... simply cause in these days they did not allow anyone to still be on the cross alive during Passover! This is why Jesus gave his last breathe.. once again to forfil scripture... Scripture Pslam 34:20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. 

Just before Jesus died he said " Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Mark 15:34
Now Jesus knew that Gods plan was for him to do this.. His own Father allowed this.. FOR US!

Would you do go through all this without putting up a fight?
Would you do this for your best mate or family?
Would you do this for me?
Would you do this for people you do not even know who are alive now?
Would you do this for billions of people yet to be born?
If someone said "Do this and I will give you whatever amount of money you want. Would you?

So you have just proven your life is so priceless and yet Jesus gave His for YOU!

Jesus took all of this like none of us would. He did not kick up a fuss. He did not seek revenge. He did not try and talk His way out of it all. No running to escape it, infact he WALKED into it all because He knew it was going to happen!

Fact! Jesus did.. Alot of Christians read about the crucifixion of Jesus and are upset by it all and really do understand the meaning of why it happened.. but how many actually walk it in their minds? It's a chilling walk of that day.. do you agree?

This would never happen to a guilty man today.. let alone an innocent one!

Oh yeah.. and God allowed this to happen to his ONLY begotten son to forfil Prophesy!! FOR YOU and ME!
Imagine the pain God went through as well.. Why? He loves us!

In Matthew 16:24:25 Jesus said this to his disciples.... If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 
Jesus gave his life for us so we can have a life.... As Christians we give our life to Jesus in love and respect.

This is all Scruptual truth.. It's hard to swallow and Jesus did this so we could have a path back to God and have the chance of everlasing life! Scripture John 10:9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved 

Every Christian should have this in their heart every day and we need to grab hold of this when we are being tested by others in the world. If Jesus did not give in to this or evil should we?

I can't and will never force you to be a Christian.. it is a step YOU must decide to make. We are here to answer your questions and help. 

A few questions for you to think about....

Do you think Jesus did this for you? 
Do you think you can give your life to Jesus? 
Are you willing to take that "Step of Faith"?

The choice is yours... God knows what is in your heart and has a plan for you.. it is up to you to open up and accept it.