Posts with the category “revelation”

Urgent RepetitionPastor Ben KirkmanGrowing up on a farm, my childhood was filled with many urgently repeated warnings. When I failed to consider those warnings, I often found myself in dangerous situations. I seemingly enjoyed finding out the consequences of unheeded warnings. (I am honestly not sure how I survived my childhood.) It was a slight challenge to decide which story of unheeded warning ...  Read More

Carry the LightPastor Josh YatesWe experience so many things in our lives. There are ups and downs, successes and failures, and struggles and victories. These events are so often personal and very close to us. A loved one is suffering. We have personal challenges with health, finances, and relationships. Maybe you made a bad decision and are struggling through the fallout. Possibly another person ...  Read More

Almost TherePastor Philip PiaseckiHave you ever found yourself waiting for someone to pick you up or meet you somewhere, and they are running late? Not only are they late, but they double down by telling you they are “almost there.” When in reality they are not even close. They tell you they are five minutes away when really they are fifteen minutes away? This is one of my biggest pet peeves. It i...  Read More

Bible BookendsSierra CombsIf you were to wander around my house, you would find old books in every corner. Even the closets are full of books that I have no room for. If it is old and has a beautiful cover, I feel as if I need to have it, and I have many hundreds to prove my obsession. While I do very much love to read and learn, ironically most of my reading is done on a digital device. Yet it st...  Read More

We Will See His Face!Pastor Roy TownsendWhen I think of all the things that I have learned in the last few years, I cannot believe the importance of seeing someone’s face. My friends that are working in the school system tell me of the difficulties with not being able to see the student’s face or with the students’ difficulty in not being able to see the teacher’s face. As a teacher and pastor, it...  Read More

Do You Desire Jesus’ Return?Pastor Roy TownsendAs a child growing up in the church, I always heard the saying, “Jesus is coming soon. Be ready!” I want to be honest in saying that these words caused great fear in me. Not only did I hear this message often, but we sang about the return of Christ in our worship times. We sang a southern Gospel song which included this language:"Jesus is coming soon,...  Read More

I Can Only ImagineCathy StoryThe other day our children said, “We are going to draw what Heaven looks like!” We chuckled and told them to go for it, draw what they think Heaven will look like. The white paper and yellow crayons came out and their best ideas of Heaven were created with all of their childlike imagination. I typically do not consider myself strong in arts and crafts, or spatial sense...  Read More

A Person and a PlaceDebbie Gabbara“No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the LORD your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will never set; your moon will not go down. For the LORD will be your everlasting light. Your days of mourning will come to an end.” Isaiah 60:19-20 (NLT)My granddaughter asked me...  Read More

A Wedding CelebrationPastor Ferdinand SandersWhether or not you are married, I feel like it is safe to say that we are all familiar with the wedding ceremony. This celebratory occasion is when friends and family all gather together, some traveling great distances, to celebrate love, commitment, and sacrifice. It is the union of marriage. For many women, this is a day that they have dreamed of for ...  Read More

No Shoes in HeavenJohn StoneWhat do you expect when you get to Heaven and meet Jesus?Each of our expectations varies, but I have recently asked this question to people and the answers tend to be heartbreaking. They seem to reveal a lack of understanding of how much our Heavenly Father actually loves His children or perhaps an underestimation of the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning work on the cross...  Read More

ReunitedPastor Noble BairdThe whole concept and idea of a new Heaven and new Earth are mind-boggling. Maybe, this is true for just me, but this is a concept and an important part of Scripture that has always been difficult for me to understand and comprehend. Although I have done some studies, I truly believe we can never study Scripture enough. Just when we think we may have exhausted a passage, ...  Read More

All Things NewJeannie YatesAlmost everyone I know that has grown up in the church has made their own “replica” of Heaven out of paper towel rolls and cotton balls. I remember that day of Sunday School well. We were given an assortment of everyday items to build and create what we thought Heaven looked like, and then the best part, we spray painted it all gold! We all wonder what Heaven will be lik...  Read More

Misconceptions About Heaven and HellPastor Kyle Wendel“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, acc...  Read More

HellAdam MooreOne of my favorite summertime and fall activities is to sit out in my backyard near an open bonfire. We have a yard full of trees that are constantly dropping branches so there is always an abundance of good material for making a fire. It never fails that as the fire gets red hot and the embers begin to glow that at some point my mind comes full circle to a literal place the Bible ca...  Read More

Judgment or HellCaleb Jones“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had don...  Read More

Spared from AnguishMitchell HolmesI would like to take a moment to describe a situation for you. Imagine with me that you are driving on the freeway and suddenly ahead of you is a massive backup of vehicles. It becomes quickly apparent that there is something major going on and the freeway is backed up for miles as more and more cars are stopped by this massive traffic jam. At first, you are optim...  Read More

The Urgency of the GospelPastor Justin DeanOne thing I have always struggled with is procrastination. Science projects were always started the night before being due, homework in high school was done in the class before, and papers in college were turned in at the last possible minute. I like to think that I am not the only one who struggles with procrastinating.Naturally, we want to put off thing...  Read More

SentencingPatrick BicknellI recently saw this video of a man, some years ago, who was interviewing a celebrity from the United Kingdom whose name was Stephen Fry. In the interview the man asked him, “Suppose when you die, and everything about God is true, and you have to stand before Him one day what will you say?” He responded like this, “I guess I would say, bone cancer in children? How dare you...  Read More

Encouragement and ComfortPastor Ferdinand SandersIf I had to guess, I would assume that the book of Revelation elicits one of two responses from people sitting down to read it. I think that there is a group of people out there who chase the intrigue of reading it for its sense of supernatural mystery and overall apocalyptic feel. While others (maybe most), tend to keep Revelation “on the shelf” be...  Read More

HopeJosh Thayer“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. Afte...  Read More

He is KingSierra CombsI recently sat on a bus with some fellow staff members, and the topic of eschatology came up. Actually, I think I was the one who brought it up because I love hearing what my brothers and sisters in Christ think about the end times! It is quite interesting that there are so many wise, God-honoring, and God-loving Christians who passionately hold different views on how it is a...  Read More

Will You Reign With Christ?William KinneySince childhood, I have always been fascinated with fictional stories of medieval times. More specifically, I enjoy the tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. King Arthur is excellent, but I have always been more impressed with the knights loyal to King Arthur, such as Sir Lancelot and Sir Galahad. Like most knights in those times, though ...  Read More

“Who is in Charge?”Don SchelskeWhen President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981, the White House staff scrambled to reassure a concerned world that the U.S. government was still in business. With Vice President George H. W. Bush flying back from Texas, apparently, the staff had no clear direction as to who was in the driver’s seat.U.S. Secretary of State and retired Army General Alexander Haig walked...  Read More

Take Them CaptiveJeannie Yates“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years w...  Read More

Spoiler Alert - God WinsDavid HudgensAt the time of this writing, the 2022 NFL football season had recently begun. Commercials across all media platforms ramped up as promoters sought to energize even the most casual fan to engage in the pastime of supporting their favorite team as they compete for the yearly prize of being crowned champion. The industries of television, radio, film, and social me...  Read More

The Greatest Finale Ever WrittenPastor Justin DeanIn my opinion, not many TV shows end well. Maybe it is because I do not ever want the show to end, but I tend to feel that something is always missed in the final season or finale. There are several reasons like some storyline is left unexplored, a character did not end up with the romantic interest that everyone wanted, or they could not bring bac...  Read More

The Sovereign KingPatrick Bicknell“And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.  And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but ...  Read More

That None Should PerishJohn RiggAs we near the end of the book of Revelation, we also near the end of all things as we currently know them. Presently, you and I know only a world that includes sin and unrighteousness, but we are told throughout the Scriptures, that this will not always be the case. Unrighteousness will not always prevail. In the now, if we are willing to confess our sins before Go...  Read More

The In-betweenCathy StoryHow often do you stop to think about how interesting the times we live in are? I do not just mean the times historically or politically, but spiritually. Spiritually we are living in a time of in-between. We live the ever-present moment of knowing that Jesus has come, and Jesus will come again. For those who have chosen to profess belief in God and that He sent His son to ...  Read More

What Were You Thinking?Joe WilsonSo I have to admit, I can be hyper-focused on the news when something major is happening or is just about to happen. I will watch for hours just waiting for a new piece of information, no matter how small it is. I am not sure if it is the excitement of the unknown or the curiosity about how it will affect me and my family. At times I am shocked at what I am witness...  Read More

Continual TrustingPastor Josh YatesThe story is told that John Kavanaugh, who was a noted and famous ethicist, went to Calcutta, seeking Mother Teresa, and more. He went for three months to work at “the house of the dying” to find out how best to spend the rest of his life. When he met Mother Teresa, he asked her to pray for him. “What do you want me to pray for?” she replied. He then uttered the ...  Read More

Idolatry TodayStephen Billings“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.’” Revelation 17:1-2When I think about the daily grin...  Read More

Judgment is ComingMitchell HolmesRevelation chapter 17 deals with the assured downfall of Babylon, a city and symbol of opposition to God. Despite showing up in the Bible in various places and times, the term “Babylon” is always used to exemplify those that stand on their own understanding and turn away from the Lord in the forms of antagonism to the Christian faith, blasphemy, and idolatry. Sever...  Read More

Jesus Wins!Pastor Keaton WashburnA couple of months ago, I played the game “Risk” for the first time. If you are not familiar, the goal of the game is to conquer the whole map. Each player takes their turn and chooses to take reinforcements or spend their reinforcements in hopes of expanding their empire. Winning requires strategy, a bit of luck, and enough people skills to create allies. I am not...  Read More

The Lamb Will ConquerPastor Philip PiaseckiI love to go to the movies. I feel like there are not many experiences that compare to being in a full theater, all sharing the same experience of seeing the plot of a movie unfold. When my wife and I started dating, I wanted to take her to the movies. I quickly learned an interesting personality trait that she had, she loved reading the plot of the movie...  Read More

Walk in RighteousnessRich SawickiThere are a few main subjects in Revelation chapter 17 that we need to look at, but first, we need to know what they represent.• The Great Prostitute: represents the great city of Babylon• The Beast: represents Satan or the Antichrist• The Fall of Babylon: represents God’s judgmentIn Bible times, the great city of Babylon was a port city near the Euphrates River. P...  Read More

A Real and Present DangerJohn Stone”Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.” Revelation 13:18 (NASB)“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:7 (NASB)Revelation chapter 13 describes a time of great fear for Christians; a...  Read More

The Dwelling PlacePastor Patrick RowlandFrom the beginning of time, Satan has waged war against Christ and His followers. It all started in the Garden of Eden as he deceived Eve and sin disrupted God’s perfect creation. God’s plan for redeeming His creation was sending Jesus, His own son, as the final sacrifice for our sin. Revelation chapter 12 shows the “behind the scenes” story of the birth and...  Read More

Who do you Worship?Caleb JonesSometimes it is really hard to distinguish the voice of God. We constantly have distractions right in front of our face that make it difficult to understand who God is, what He wants for us, and what decisions He wants us to make. We live in a very self-centered, “me” culture. Have you ever recalibrated yourself with social media usage? Have you stopped using it becau...  Read More

False MiraclesPastor Roy TownsendAs I was preparing for this writing, I came across a section that highlighted false miracles. False miracles have always fascinated me as they are recorded in the Bible. Pharaoh’s magicians in the Old Testament were able to do some pretty spectacular miracles when they were battling Moses and Aaron. Exodus 7:10-11 records, “So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and di...  Read More