Do you ever wonder what messages Jesus would pen down in his letters to us today? Prepare to embark on a spiritual expedition, as we decode the profound teachings embedded in the seven letters written by John to the seven churches in Asia. This episode is no ordinary discourse, it's a peek into the divine essence of faith, with intriguing interpretations of Jesus as the one who is, who was, and who is to come, and the Holy Spirit as the seven spirits. We delve into how accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior reveals the Holy Spirit within us.
Our journey doesn't stop there; we move to the thought-provoking parable of Lazarus and the rich man. This episode provokes deep reflection on our relationship with God and the significance of seeking Jesus before it's too late. We'll also guide you on how to invite Jesus into your life, underscore the importance of repentance and humility, and help you settle your eternal address. This isn't just a podcast episode, it's a spiritual awakening and an invitation to explore the depths of your faith. So, are you ready to embark on this sacred journey?
Do you ever wonder what messages Jesus would pen down in his letters to us today? Prepare to embark on a spiritual expedition, as we decode the profound teachings embedded in the seven letters written by John to the seven churches in Asia. This episode is no ordinary discourse, it's a peek into the divine essence of faith, with intriguing interpretations of Jesus as the one who is, who was, and who is to come, and the Holy Spirit as the seven spirits. We delve into how accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior reveals the Holy Spirit within us.
Our journey doesn't stop there; we move to the thought-provoking parable of Lazarus and the rich man. This episode provokes deep reflection on our relationship with God and the significance of seeking Jesus before it's too late. We'll also guide you on how to invite Jesus into your life, underscore the importance of repentance and humility, and help you settle your eternal address. This isn't just a podcast episode, it's a spiritual awakening and an invitation to explore the depths of your faith. So, are you ready to embark on this sacred journey?
Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I give you thanks for today. I give you thanks for the people within the sound of my voice, near and far. Wherever their life may find them, lord, may you be there with them. Your word says that wherever two or more gathered there, you are in the midst of them and through this miracle of technology, that's possible. No matter what, no matter where, because I'm one, whoever's listening to me is the other and therefore, lord, we ask you to come, and we know that you're faithful to come. I give you thanks for that.
Speaker 1:Father God, I pray for all people today who have a heavy heart. I pray for all people who have a heavy heart today due to a loved one, due to a loved one experiencing medical difficulties or any other difficulties. Pressure on families, lord, in today's world is astronomical. The amount of pressure that is on a family today, lord, I ask that you would be with them, that you would keep them focused on you, that they would keep the number one thing, the number one thing. Father God, I give you thanks for all things that you've provided and all things that you can continue to provide. Help us to stay focused. Help us, as a friend of mine used to always say, to be focused on you and know that you are in charge, that you. None of this causes you consternation and none of this caught you by surprise, father. God, I often wonder for myself whether or not or when things are going to happen, and I know that you said that no one is to know the day or the hour, but your father and I know that the next thing on the prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church, as my pastor told me, lord, and it's wise counsel. It's bittersweet, lord. God, touch hearts today. Reach out, touch hearts, bring people to a life-saving knowledge of yourself. I asked these things in Jesus, holy and precious name. Amen, let's go ahead and jump in.
Speaker 1:I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and a wonderful Christmas. It was a Wonderful time for me. I got to go home and spend time with my family, which was a gift, and I ask Without giving details because the Lord knows I asked that anyone who hears this would keep my family in their prayers this week and especially today. There are some things upcoming and they're in the Lord's hands. We trust him. We want some resolution, we want to know so that we can move forward, and I asked, lord, that you would keep my family in prayer. I ask, I ask for all of you To entreat the Lord and keep my family in prayer and I would thank you and be blessed by that. Okay, let's go ahead and get started.
Speaker 1:We are Continuing our study after the new year in the book of Revelation. We are Plotting along. We are in chapter 1, verse 4. The good news is we are gonna go through verse 8 today. So that is that is good news, in that that's where the Lord led us. We've got a lot to cover. So let's go ahead and get started. Let's pick up.
Speaker 1:We pick up in Revelation, chapter 1, verse 4, new King James version. It says John to the seven churches which are in Asia grace to you and peace For him who is and who was, and who is to come, and for the seven spirits who are before the throne. Revelation 1 4. So, first things first, let's remember our rules. Okay, our rules quite simply are that when it's literal, it's literal. So in the beginning of this section, we know that this is the beginning of seven letters Written to seven actual churches in Asia near the end of the first century. The seven churches are in order of appearance Ephesus, smyrna, pergamus, thyatira, sardis, philadelphia and Laodicea.
Speaker 1:In the verses and chapters that will follow in the coming weeks, each of these churches will receive a letter from Jesus Christ. What a thing to receive a letter from Jesus. What a thing. I Challenge you to ponder that, as I have through the next three chapters. What would your letter say? I Been wondering and thinking about and praying through what mine would say Remember we, we, those that believe in Jesus, are the church.
Speaker 1:So each letter would be written to us individually. We are the church. It's not a church building with plaster and carpet paint. For when that meeting place, which is all it truly is, is a meeting place for believers. When, when that meeting place is empty, it's just that it's an empty building by virtue of the fact that we have been saved. We have been saved, have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. We are the church of Jesus Christ. Each individual person is the church of Jesus Christ. The church, as it's defined, is Simply a meeting place. That's how it's defined by the world. But we know we have the Spirit living inside of us and we are the church. So ponder this week what your letter would say.
Speaker 1:So a couple of things to notice in this first verse here John is the writer, I John Okay, and he brings the reader peace from the one who was, who is and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who surround the throne. The first is a reference to Jesus. The one who is, who was and who is to come was, who is and who is to come. So the first is a reference to Jesus himself and the seven spirits are the Holy Spirit. Now there are some who point to the seven spirits as a contradiction. They say, if the Holy Spirit is referred to in the masculine singular, the Holy Spirit is a he. We know that he's part of the Trinity Father, son and Holy Spirit. If that is true and he's referenced in the masculine singular, a singular he, how is it that the Holy Spirit can be seven spirits?
Speaker 1:Well, to be quite honest with you, it's not something I ever really considered, but I look at it this way If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. That's what we discussed at the top. He's taken up resonance in your heart and he has, as he has, in the hearts of all believers. All believers who have accepted Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit living inside of them. If this is true and it is then it is also true that the Spirit lives in the can lived within the seven churches. Jesus told his disciples that the Spirit would come to each of them in Jerusalem.
Speaker 1:Flip over with me to Acts 1 so that you can see this. This is right before the Ascension. Okay, this is Acts 1, verse 8. Jesus speaking, he says but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witness to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. So that's that, and I don't want to spend a whole lot of time on it. It was just something that was rather interesting in my study getting ready for this message.
Speaker 1:Back to Revelation. Now pick up in verse 5 and we'll go through verse 8. I'm gonna read the whole, the whole shot. Here we go Again. New King James Version. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler over the kings of the earth, to him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and has made us kings and priests to his God and father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Even so, amen.
Speaker 1:And this is Jesus speaking in verse 8. We've covered this in previous studies. I am the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end says the Lord, who is, who was and who is to come the Almighty. That's Revelation 1, verses 5 through 8.
Speaker 1:Now let's break it down. Verses 1 through 8 are the preamble of the book, the beginning, the announcement of what is to come. Verses 5 and 6 are the statement, are a statement rather, of who and what Jesus is, and it also and it is also what we believe is Christians, if you think about it. So he was our sacrifice for all time, the lamb who was slain to take away the sins of the world. The old him says and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first born from the dead this is verse 5, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To him, who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Revelation 1.5. Okay, this is what we believe is Christians.
Speaker 1:Now verses 6 and 7, tee up what is coming, okay. And he made us kings and priests to his God and Father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Even so, amen. The short answer is gang, we win. Oh, larry, how can you say that we win? I mean, that's kind of morbid, right? He's going to come and everybody's going to mourn and it's going to be a bad thing and all of these things. Couple of things, we, as believers, have been invited into a priesthood. It says in Hebrews. We are in a priesthood with Jesus by virtue of the fact that we were saved, and that's a big deal. That's a big deal. And so we're going to circle back to that in just a second. And this is what's coming. Judgment is coming. You know it's interesting, the gospel.
Speaker 1:So many places preach a watered down gospel. Okay, and I'm not going to name names. Anybody who knows me knows how I feel about these people and how they're ripping off hundreds of thousands of people who believe that they are in the right spot and they're just getting ripped off, and I'm not going to name names, I'm not going to come that far because we've got other, more important things to talk about, but the reality of it is that people are getting ripped off every day because the gospel is being taught without judgment attached to it. The reality of it is that Jesus is coming to set things right, in the process of setting things right, he's going to judge the world and it says every I will see him. And even those who pierced him, even those who pierced him, those who pierced him, those who, who, who rejected him Every time he's rejected, those who rejected him, those who said no, those who were exposed to Jesus Christ and said no, and you know what, at this point in time, that's very, very sad, and that's what John is saying, and all the tribes of the earth were warned because of him, because there will be a winnowing, a separation. Even so, amen, we win, we who follow him, who have counted the cost and picked up our cross and followed him Luke 923,. We win. We will be delivered, one way or the other. Our deliverance will come in death, when we take our first breath, in glory or at the rapture. One way or another, we win and it'll be glorious. Beware, as I said, there will be judgment as well. It says he is coming with the clouds. Every I will see him. Even they who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Even so, amen, every I will see him. It says Even those who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Even so, amen. Those who deny him, those who are unrepentant, those who do evil, they will be judged and cast out. John says amen, let it be so or we agree. Judgment's coming, and I know that's unpopular and it's a topic as I touched on earlier in churches today. It's very unpopular. No one wants to speak of judgment or repentance. After all. It makes people uncomfortable, it forces them to squirm in their seats, and it should. It should.
Speaker 1:Very early on in my faith, my family lost a member that had been dear to me, and in the midst of his final days I suddenly realized that I didn't know what would happen to him when he died. The reason I didn't know was because it wasn't taught in the church I was attending. They didn't talk about it. They didn't talk about it. Now, that's not their fault. The Bible is there for me to read and to understand and you know what Part of that's on me. But it wasn't taught. But it dawned on me that I didn't know what was going to happen to him when he died. I understood heaven and hell for certain, but what was not clear was what would happen to him. The saddest part is, as I think back on it, my soul knew. My soul knew, but I was unwilling to accept the truth of it. I went to my church that night and asked the question of my pastor and I broke down when he gave me the answer Gang, the truth is, if you do not accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, when you die you will go to hell. That was a very real place. Jesus talked about it a lot. You'll spend an eternity separated from God. Jesus spoke at length about this many, many times in Scripture. Turn over to Luke's Gospel, chapter 16, verses 19 through 31. And we're going to read through this.
Speaker 1:This is the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. It says there was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day, but there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores who laid at his gate desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried and being in torments in Hades. He lifted his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said son, remember that you had your lifetime. In your lifetime you received your good things and, likewise Lazarus, evil things. But now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great golf fixed so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us. Then he said I beg you therefore, father, that if you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers and he may testify to them least, lest they also come to this place of torment. And Abraham said to him they have Moses and the prophets. Let them, hear from them. And he said no, father Abraham, but if, but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent. But he said to him, if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded through one rising from the dead. There is so much here, but let's focus on just a few things as we close up. Ignorance of Jesus is no defense, not in this age or any other. I'm going to be real honest.
Speaker 1:Abraham tells the rich man in verse 29,. They have Moses and the prophets. Let them hear them. Remember the Bible says it is not God's heart that anyone should suffer. He will, in his mercy, give you every opportunity to come to a relationship with him. The question is will you obey and accept the free gift of salvation before it's too late? Finally, look at verse 30 and 31. The rich man asks Father Abraham to send one from the dead to his family that they might be spared his fate. Verse 31 is chilling. But he said to him if they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded through one rising from the dead.
Speaker 1:The prayer from the parable has been answered. We do have one who is raised from the dead, and yet, and yet. Let's go back. He is coming with the clouds, every eye will see him, even they who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Even so, amen. There will be those, even at the end and we're gonna get into this as we get deeper into the book of Revelation who will refuse to believe, those who will shake their fist at heaven even as the sky comes down.
Speaker 1:Even so, john says amen, and you know what? Amen. It's gonna happen and therefore I agree. But you know what? This is the crux of our faith. I say it every single week. There's not one person I don't want to see in heaven and therefore, and therefore, I sit here in front of a microphone and I talk about Jesus and I talk about the things of the Lord, and I share the gospel as best as I can, with the talents that God has given me.
Speaker 1:The time is coming gang. Time is short, and I know that. If you look back through history, you know people have said that forever but you know what the reality is. If you look at Scripture and read it literally with a literal lens, you will see what I'm saying is true. So the question becomes. What are you going to do about Jesus?
Speaker 1:Jesus is the only one who demands an answer, and I'm speaking to those who might be listening to me now, who do not have a relationship with Jesus or are curious about whether or not they actually have a relationship with Jesus. I'm speaking directly to you. What are you gonna do? You know, if you want to settle this and you should, because tomorrow's not guaranteed and it's not just a fear line, it's a fact. We know that All you have to do is turn on the news and find out that tomorrow's not guaranteed we you have to make a choice, one way or the other.
Speaker 1:And if you want to settle your eternal address and you want to bring Jesus into your life, to radically change you from the inside out, all you have to do is humble yourself and talk to him. You can say dear Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner in need of a Savior and I am tired. I'm so tired of compromise, I'm so tired of where I am in this world. And you know, I don't know what tomorrow brings, but I want to know that, no matter what it brings, you're with me. I want to repent from my sins right now. I want to turn from them and I want to follow you the rest of the days of my life.
Speaker 1:I believe that you came to this earth, that you lived for me, that you died for me and on the third day, god raised you again from the dead. I dedicate my life to you. I want you to be my Lord, my God, my Savior and my friend. Thank you, jesus, amen. And if you prayed that prayer today, welcome to the family of God, welcome, and I'd sure like to know about it. I really would and I thank you. I would thank you very much to drop me an email at the thoughts I have towards you at thethoughtsihavtowardyoucom, or you can hit me on social media, at Instagram the thoughts I have towards you, or Facebook at the thoughts I have towards you. That's the time we have for this week, gang. Thank you for being here. Make it count and be blessed.