Category: Insights

The Fall of Babylon, Part 3, Chapter 18

Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a huge millstone. He threw it into the ocean and shouted,

“Just like this, the great city of Babylon will be thrown down with violence and will never be found again. The sounds of harps, singers, flutes, and trumpets will never be heard in you again. No craftsmen and no trades will every be found in you again. The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The happy voices of brides and grooms will never be heard in you again. For your merchants were the greatest in the world, and you deceived the nations with your sorceries. In your streets flowed the blood of the prophets and of God’s holy people slaughtered all over the world.” (vv. 21-24, NLT)

The Angel and the Small Scroll, Revelation Chapter 10

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face shone like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire. And in his hand was a small scroll that had been opened. He stood with his right food on the sea and his left food on the land. And he gave a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders answered.

When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down.”

Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand toward heaven. He swore an oath in the name of the One who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it. He said, “There will be no more delay. When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as He announced it to His servants the prophets.”

Then the voice from heaven spoke to me again: “Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel, who is standing on the sea and on the land.”

So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. “Yes, take it and eat it,” he said. “It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!: So I took the small scroll from the and of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach.

Then I was told, ” You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, an kings.”

God’s People Will Be Preserved, Revelation Chapter 7

Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, hold back the four winds so that they did not blow on the earth or sea, or on any tree. And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea. “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of His servants.”

And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God – 144,000 were sealed form all the tribes of Israel: (12,000 from each of the 12 tribes). (vv. 1-8, NLT

God’s Discipline Proves His Love, Hebrews Chapter 12

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that is so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in you struggle against sin.

And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to youy as His children? He said,

“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when He corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.”

As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really His children at all. Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits and live forever? (vv. 1-9, NLT)

Jesus Is Like Melchizedek, Hebrews Chapter 7

This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek has appeared. Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed. And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied,

“You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”

Yes, the old requirement about a priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless. For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron’s descendants because priests without such an oath, but there was another oath regarding Jesus. For God said to Him,

“The Lord has taken an oath and will not break His vow: ‘You are a priest forever.'”

Because of this oath, Jesus is the one how guarantees this better covenant with God.

There are many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, His priesthood lasts forever. Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. (vv. 25-25, NLT)

Melchizedek is Greater than Abraham, Hebrews Chapter 7, Part 1

This Melchizedek was a king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him. Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means “king of justice” and king of Salem means “king of peace.: There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors – no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God.

Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle. Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel who are also a descendant of Abraham. But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God. And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed. (vv. 1-7, NLT)

Merry Christmas 2024

I want to share some Christmas Reminders, that a good friend shared with me.

May the Christmas gifts remind you of God’s greatest gift, His only begotten Son, Jesus.

May the Christmas candles remind you of Him who is the “Light of the World”.

May the Christmas trees remind you of another tree upon which He died for you.

May the Christmas carols remind you of the song the angels sang, “Glory to God in the Highest.

May the Christmas season remind you in every way of Jesus Christ our King.

(author unknown)

A Good Soldier for Christ Jesus, 2 Timothy Chapter 2

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure it if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.

This is a trustworthy saying:

If we die with Him, we also live with Him.
If we endure hardship, we will reign with Him.
If we deny Him, He will deny us.
If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.

Reminder everyone about these things, and command them in God’s presence to stop fighting over words. Such arguments are useless, and they can ruin those who hear them. (vv. 8-14, NLT)

Christ is Supreme, Colossians Chapter 1

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.

He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see – such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities of the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together.

Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who will rise fro the dead. So He is first in everything. For God in al His fullness was pleased to live in Christ and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything between heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. (vv. 15-20, NLT)