Revelation 7~~A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Grace Thru Faith

Between the 6th and 7th seals there’s a pause where two important events take place, one on Earth and the other in Heaven. Both involve the disposition of a group of God’s people, but neither one is the Church. It won’t be mentioned again until the end of chapter 17.
 

144,000 Sealed

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000. (Rev. 7:1-8)
The multiple use of the number four here emphasizes that the Creation is in focus, because by the end of the Fourth Day of Creation light had been distinguished from darkness, the atmosphere had been formed, the land had been separated from the water, vegetation had begun to grow and with the addition of the sun, moon, and stars, day had been divided from night.  By the end of Day Four the Creation was complete and ready to support life, and so the number four is thought of as the number of Creation.
But the next cycle of judgments will be delayed until one other event takes place. This is the commissioning of the 144,000 Jewish believers who many believe will be the Lord’s primary evangelists during the remainder of Daniel’s 70th week. They carry the seal of God on their foreheads which makes them the only ones on Earth to be protected from the coming judgments.  In Ezekiel 9:4 we read of a similar case where before the City of Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, angels went through out, searching out and sealing the faithful to protect them from the destruction. Here the Lord again delays the coming judgments until His faithful can be sealed, but this time it’s just a select few that He’s chosen for His specific purpose.  Everyone else on Earth will be at risk, whether believers or not.
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Blessings,

Revelation 2 And 3 … Seven Letters To Seven Churches, Part 3, conclusion~~A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

The letters to the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea will bring our study on the Seven Letters to the Seven Churches of Revelation 2 and 3 to a conclusion.

To the Church in Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13)

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: Philadelphia means brotherly love.
In the chronicle of church history, Philadelphia represents the evangelical church born in the 1800′s during the 2nd Great Awakening. (The first took place about 100 years earlier primarily in the Northern colonies.)
For centuries scholars had taught an allegorical interpretation of scripture, especially prophecy, but in the mid 1800’s the rank and file was energized by a return to the literal interpretation. The pre-tribulation rapture and 1000 year reign of the Lord on Earth, views that were prevalent during the 1st century but abandoned with the allegorical interpretation were once again popular. The church was born again.
(Title) These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Jesus is the Messiah who holds the keys to the Davidic Kingdom. He alone has the authority to grant and refuse entry.
(Commendation) I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
The open door is the one through which John will enter heaven in chapter 4 to stand before the Throne of God, a type of the Rapture. The Church in Philadelphia, receiving no criticism, is also granted admission. This is symbolic of the fact that for those saved by grace through faith, it’s as if they’ve never committed a single sin.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21)
In the 1st Century Philadelphia, like other gentile churches of the day, was beset by “Judiazers.” They insisted that before a Gentile could become a Christian, he had to become a Jew and keep the law. They’ll be forced to admit that the path to Christianity did not lie through Judaism, but went straight to the foot of the cross.
In the latter days, the advocates of Replacement Theology (those believing the church has replaced Israel) and other groups claiming Israel’s inheritance as the favored children of God, will also be required to bow down before the true church and admit the error of their ways.
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Blessings,

Revelation 2 And 3 … Seven Letters To Seven Churches, Part 2 A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

As the Roman Empire grew in prominence, Rome soon became the world’s center for the practices and traditions of the Babylonian pagan religion. Pergamum slowly faded from the scene, but the mixed marriage of Christianity and Paganism that originated there has produced four offspring, Roman Catholics (Thyatira), Main Line Protestants (Sardis), Evangelicals (Philadelphia) and the Apostate Church (Laodicea).  All are alive on Earth today.

To the Church in Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29)

“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

Thyatira means continual sacrifice. (In the Catholic Church, the Lord is still on the cross, and Catholics believe that the communion wafer becomes His actual body and blood as it’s consumed.) It’s the first letter with a future in view, which led me to the conclusion that the earlier three churches are gone. It’s also the first whose members are divided into two categories, the saved and the unsaved.

(Title) These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

It couldn’t be clearer. While born of the Virgin, the One speaking to them with fire in His eyes is to be addressed as the Son of God, not the son of Mary.

(Commendation) I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

The Catholic Church is known for its efforts in bringing mercy and compassion, as well as the Gospel, to God’s children.

(Criticism) Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.

The title “Queen of Heaven” by which many Catholics refer to Mary, was first used of Semeramis, wife of Nimrod the founder of Babylon, and mother of Tammuz. Semeramis declared herself a goddess, claimed that Tammuz was born of a supernatural conception involving the Sun god, and began the first counterfeit religion, a mother-child cult.

According to legend, while out hunting one day Tammuz was killed by a wild animal. Semeramis mourned for 40 days at the end of which Tammuz was raised from the dead.  She formed a celibate priesthood to commemorate this and named a chief priest who she declared to be infallible. The 40 day mourning (now called Lent), the Yule log, evergreen tree, mistletoe and hot cross buns were all used in the rituals they instituted, and the mother-child cult was born.

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Blessings,

Body, Soul And Spirit~~by Jack Kelley

Grace Thru Faith

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebr. 4:12-13)

Some people view the soul and body interchangeably, while others think the soul and spirit are the same. But it’s more accurate to think of them as separate components.  Our soul is the conscious part of us, composed of mind (intellect), will, and emotions.   It makes choices and controls our behavior by giving orders to the body. Our spirit is the subconscious part, an internal adviser to the conscious soul.  It’s  our conscience.

Both soul and spirit are intangible and eternal and are housed in our body which is tangible and temporal. Our body is designed for use in this life, and when we die we leave it behind. Paul described our body as our earthly dwelling and spoke of how we long to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.  Believers don’t desire so much to be rid of our earthly bodies, he said, as to receive our heavenly ones. He said receiving our heavenly body is the very purpose for which we were created, and that’s why God gave us the Holy Spirit at the first moment of our belief. He’s a deposit guaranteeing what is to come, which is the exchange of our earthly dwelling for our heavenly one. (2 Cor. 5:1-5)

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Blessings,

Psalm 99~~A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Grace Thru Faith

The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise your great and awesome name— he is holy. The King is mighty, he loves justice— you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.

Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel was among those who called on his name; they called on the LORD and he answered them. He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud; they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them. O LORD our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds. Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.

Some non-believers say they won’t ever give their lives to the Lord because they think He’ll make them give up everything they enjoy. Some believers think that having been saved by grace they can now do anything they please. Both are wrong

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Blessings,

Psalm 98~~A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Grace Thru Faith

Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Many Bible commentators, when writing about the End of the Age, stop at the Lord’s return at the end of the Great Tribulation. This psalm is obviously written about the time beginning immediately afterward. Here’s how things will go according to the Lord’s own account.

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Blessings,

The Root of Thanksgiving by Skip Heitzig

 

   

What exactly should Christians be thankful for? Many of us, including me, would say things like family, country, homes, health and jobs. That's a great start. But let me suggest something deeper and more profound: our salvation.

In Colossians 1:3 Paul wrote, "We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you." Paul was in jail when he wrote that! But he was so in tune with God that his circumstances didn't rob him of joy and thanksgiving. Paul inherently knew that there was a deeper reason to be thankful: God had rescued him from spiritual darkness, out of a spiritual prison. God continued to do great things for him, even in the midst of trials.

Paul wrote, "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light" (Colossians 1:12). The word qualified means "to make meet" or "to make able." The idea is that God has enabled us to have something. Put simply, God has given us the privilege of a relationship with Him by forgiving us of our sins and providing a means to turn from the darkness and toward the light.

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Are Your Sure of Your Salvation?

Many people struggle with the certainty of their salvation, especially new believers. How can we know where we stand with God? The Bible teaches that the assurance of salvation rests securely upon four unshakable pillars.
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