Comments for Bible Readings

Comment on Revelation 22 by Administrator

Administrator — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:32:40 +0000

The river of the water of life, proceeding from the throne of God and from the Lamb, the Tree of Life bearing twelve fruits for the healing of the nations…no need for lamps because the Lord God is your light…this and so much more waits for you! The Lord reminds us that He is both Alpha and Omega, He was there at the beginning of Revelation and He is there at the end! The Lord finalises His words to John by giving him a command to publish broadly the words of the Prophecy and adds a blessing to those who read it and pay attention. Revelation has caused us to travel through an incredible range of emotions and ends with a roar of triumph, but we are left with an important choice to make. Will we reach out for and call for the return of the Lord and the completion of all things or will we ignore and walk away from the potential that waits? It is time for the Spirit and the Bride to say “Come!” and him who hears to say “Come!”. What joy awaits us!

This was the final chapter and the completion of a great task. Congratulations to everyone for seeing it through! Tommorow we will Launch our new “500 Club”. We will be reading through the whole Bible in the next 500 days. I will be continuing to offer a short daily commentary to assist you along the way. Thanks for being a part of this I am looking forward to taking the next step with you!

Comment on Revelation 21 by Administrator

Administrator — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:47:57 +0000

So we come to it…the culmination of the purpose of God and the joy of the Lord! A new heaven and a new earth (the old, that had been corrupted, has passed away) descends to greet the Bridegroom and every tear is wiped away, death is banished as is sorrow or crying. At the beginning of Revelation Jesus proclaimed Himself as “the beginning and the end”…here He fulfils this promise and stands at the ending of one earth and at the birthing of the ‘new’. God’s plan and His design for His Holy City has always included you and me. We are, after all, “living stones being built into a spiritual house” 1 Peter 2:5 As the Lord’s temple we will shine like the sun because the light, reality and presence of the Son will be with us forevermore! This chapter is a soaring picture of the fulfilment that awaits those who belong to the Lamb. The imagery is limited to human words and metaphor but the emotion behind the text expresses so much anticipation of the potential that awaits. This is the completion of the story, the good news that follow the time of darkness, rebellion and judgement. It brings us life, resolution and joy! Have a great “day of the Lord” as you reflect upon that!

Comment on Revelation 20 by Administrator

Administrator — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:50:22 +0000

The surety of the salvation of the righteous and the certainty of eternal punishment is clearly spelled out in this passage. The stakes of the game of life are very high and should never be underestimated. Our understanding of a loving and merciful God needs to be tempered with the attributes of His justice and judgement. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God!” Hebrews 10:31 Revelation 20 brings to focus the price that some must pay for their faith. Some loose their natural lives because of their desire to gain an eternal throne. It is a difficult thing to contemplate but our relationship with the Lord should be of such intimacy and relationship that even this ultimate price does not appear too high.
As this passage closes so too does the judgement of God, all enemies have been put down we now await the celebration and victory of the Lamb and the Church (the Lamb’s Bride)!

Comment on Revelation 19 by Administrator

Administrator — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:10:32 +0000

The culmination of the war between the lamb and the dragon is played out step by step. The victory is complete and glorious and the White Horse Rider is revealed as Jesus, the Captain of the Lord’s armies and the Word of God! Names are important all through the scriptures and none are more important than those that are written in heaven (Luke 10:20). Think for a moment about the name that is written for Christ – KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS – this sums up the struggle, the challenge and the victory of the book of Revelation and we are privy to the internal workings of this victory. Heaven rejoices at Babylon’s fall, Christ appears vistorious and triumphs over all the opposition and establishes His kingdom upon the earth! It is truly a day to rejoice and be glad for the Marriage of the Lamb and the Bride has come!

Comment on Revelation 18 by Administrator

Administrator — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:08:07 +0000

The fall of Babylon is not greeted with joy but with lament. People of the world put their trust in Babylon’s power and its ability to secure the economy and prosperity of those who traded with her. The problem is that men and women are very quick to trust in man’s wealth, wisdom and security but are relucant to do the same with God. It seems that it can take a life time to learn the truth that our lives are better when centred in the things of God. This world only offers uncertain riches but the Lord offers you gold and precious gems that do not fade and will never be taken away! The overwhelming message of this passage is to put away our trust of the world’s system and cleave wholly and openly to the Lord and all He has for us! Have a great day!

Comment on Revelation 17 by Administrator

Administrator — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:36:08 +0000

The identity of the Harlot has always been a subject of great debate. For the early Christians (40-140AD) Rome was referred to as Babylon. The imagery has led many to point at individuals or organisations in history labelling them in direct opposition to God. The fact is that history seems regularly to repeat itself and many of the prophesies given can fit different senarios. Again we will find broad brush strokes are beneficial at the begining. There is another who stands against the Lord and His Church. The fact that she is depicted as a “harlot” is interesting. This stands in direct opposition to the church’s position as pure and undefiled “Bride”. There is a choice to make, which way will you go? The Harolt is riding a beast with seven heads and ten horns. John says himself that there is more than one way of looking at them. “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The Seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings….” To fully identify the seven kings or the ten horns is a very popular pastime but seems to often come up short. More important is the fact that the Lord is determined to see His purpose through to the end and it is best for us to line up with His purpose and ensure that we do not waver. The time is short and we need to be both vigilant and aware!

Comment on Revelation 16 by Administrator

Administrator — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:50:08 +0000

As the wrath of God is poured out men and women are given an opportunity to respond. All the way through this chapter there is a recurring theme…”they did not repent”. Repentance is a powerful thing, the Lord’s mercy is of such a magnitude that even His wrath towards the world can be halted by sincere repentance and yet, even in the midst of the most terrible trials, people failed to bow the knee. The bowl judgements are reminiscent of the ten plagues that fell upon the Egyptians and the result was the same – they curse God and remain in fear. And so the battle-lines are finally drawn and the Devil and his demons line up on one side and the Lord and the righteous line up on the other and we come to Armageddon – that great day of God Almighty!
Evil will not prevail forever – there is a day of reckoning approaching.

Comment on Revelation 15 by Administrator

Administrator — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:53:04 +0000

In today’s reading we find a great and precious promise. At first glance this chapter seems filled with woe and the announcement of further pain, plauges and judgement but there is something that is easy to miss unless you are careful. John says that he saw another great and marvelous sign…”seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.” There is a completion of the wrath (anger) of God. His wrath does not continue for ever. His mercy endures forever. His righteousness endures forever, His forgiveness endures forever, His love endures forever. The Psalmist said “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” Psalms 30:5 The culmination of the wrath of God promises us the continuation of His love, mercy, justice and grace. These are the truths we live under and the truths we should be sharing with those who still have to endure the challenges the Lord allows to bring them to their knees before Him. Enjoy your day secure in the knowledge of His love for you!

Comment on Revelation 14 by Administrator

Administrator — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:15:31 +0000

We see the 144,000 standing with the Lamb on Mt Zion. This is a picture of the fulfilment of the promise that the Lord will be victorious and stand by our side for eternity. But the story is not limited to 144,000 the task is greater and the rewards more substanial. We now come to the reaping of the world and the joy that it brings the Father’s heart! Death is often portrayed as the “grim reaper” with sythe in hand but this is a distortion of this scripture which speaks of a great harvest. Harvest was always a time of joy, a time of fulfilment and blessings. You and I are the reaping of the Lord, we have been placed in the winepress and we are saved from His wrath because His grace is upon us! What joy, What peace, What HOPE! We must believe and prepare for a great harvest of men and women in these last days, don’t be constrained by fear of the evil, celebrate the possibilities and power of the good! Have a great day and see you at Church!

Comment on Revelation 13 by Administrator

Administrator — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 23:33:28 +0000

This is the most debated and manipulated scripture in the book of Revelation. Movies, conspiracy theories, speculation and down right craziness follows these passages wherever they go. I again state that my belief is that these words will only be fully understood in the time of their fulfilment and whilst it is good and important to be aware we have to be careful that we do not give into fear. There are two beasts presented…· The beast out of the sea, representing the Antichrist · The beast out of the earth, representing the false prophet who promotes the Antichrist. Terrible tribulation falls upon those who stand against the beast but the Lord empowers them to endure. The second beast supports the first with deceptive works of power and miracles and leads many away into deception. We are given a warning to beware of the coming of the beast and the mark and the number 666. This has led to accusation enmasse as to who the beast is. In the time I have been a Christian I have been told that the beast was Henry Kissinger, Mikael Gorbachev, any of the Popes, Napoleon, The Emperor Nero, Al Gore and some have even suggested myself!
I am not making light of this because it is a serious scripture. I just believe that it is important to take the big issues to heart and to be careful about getting caught up in the details. The Big Issues: 1. There is a Beast (The enemy of God and God’s people). 2. There will be a time when the world will have to choose between God and the Beast. 3. The Beast will use deceptive powers and miracles to draw people to himself. 4. Many will be deceived. 5. Christians will have to be ready (and should now be ready!) to make a stand. 6. Your forehead and hand belong to the Lord and you have been sealed with His love – don’t allow yourself to be given to another!