Decisive Moment Rev 15, 16, 19

Decisive Moment

Revelation 15, 16, 19

Christ came to deal with the forces that hold us back and hinder us from experiencing life in full. He accomplished His mission. Before His second coming, the seven bowls of Revelation Chapter 16 will bring judgment on those who worship the Anti Christ. Both sea and fresh water will turn to blood. Heat from the sun will scorch unrepentant and blasphemous people. Darkness and pain will fill the kingdom of the Anti Christ but sadly, hearts of people will remain hard against God. No wonder, God has employed the gospel of grace to win humanity back. The grace of God teaches repentance. If grace fails to turn people back to God, judgment is less able to do so. If His Love does not work, judgment will not. By the time an angel will pour the seventh bowl, a voice will announce that it is finished (Rev 19:11-16). There will be great earth shaking and a hailstorm, armies will gather for the battle of Armageddon, and Christ will appear (Rev 11:17; 19:15) and overcome. Babylon will fall in one hour and Christ will establish His kingdom.  God will have the last say and laughter (Ps 2:2-3; Ps 37:13, 14). May God help us to put our treasures on things that do not perish (Ps 37:1, 9).

The similarity of opposition to Christ when he was crucified at Calvary and when armies will gather against him at Armageddon is notable. When He was on the cross He made the announcement, ‘It is finished’ (Joh 17:30).  The book of Revelations reinforces the fact that Jesus conquered. Just before His return, a voice from the throne in heaven will say similar words, ‘It is done’ (Rev 16:17), to affirm and vindicate what Christ said on the cross.  At the cross, the forces opposed to Christ mobilized the best effort to stop Him. Instead, they fell to the resurrection power of God’s word - ‘he must rise again from the dead’ (Joh 20:9). Interestingly, according to the book of Revelation armies opposed to Christ will mobilize themselves in a valley called Armageddon. In that valley, they will face Christ and the word from His mouth overcomes them. The defeat of these armies will be so decisive that the Anti Christ leaders who mobilize the armies are thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 19:20) and Christ will establish his glorious kingdom on earth. Opposition to Christ will reach its worst point before the best is born.

The battle of Armageddon is a call to prepare for Christ’s second coming and to be steadfast in hope (Rev 16:15; Mat 24, 25). However many are waiting for a future Armageddon victory yet Armageddon also has a present day meaning. The book of Revelation consummates what Christ already provided.  Believers can enjoy today in very great measure what Christ will bring on His second return.  Human and spiritual enemies of Christ were overcome at the cross of Jesus Christ. His kingdom has come to the believers (Mat 10:7; Col 1:13). The second return is unique in its full enforcement of what Christ achieved on his first advent, particularly over rule of nations.

Without going into prophetic details about the battle of Armageddon, may I suggest that Armageddon is not just a place in the Middle East, or an end time event, but has immediate relevance to us.  Armageddon is symbolic of the conquest of the enemies of Christ. The battle therefore has meaning for today as it does for the future. It has meaning to you as a believer as well as to your enemy.

To the enemy it is a self-destroying moment of madness when his best plot against God only manages to attract his own worst defeat. To you, Armageddon represents a decisive moment where through Christ; long-standing problems give way to long lasting solutions. He appears to fulfill his promise and to manifest your long awaited break through. You need an Armageddon like victory for your long standing ministry problems, for your long standing sickness, for your long standing business problems,  for your long standing marital conflicts, and  for your long standing financial problem. 

The day you cried out Lord I am a sinner, I need you’ was a personal Armageddon moment. It was a marvelous moment that traded your incapacity with God’s capacity. Christ came to exchange your identity with his and your despair for hope. Today can be another life defining moment that brings perfect victory to your day-to-day experience. Are you tired of waiting? Are you tired of piecemeal solutions? Are you tired of swinging back and forth? Are you tired of going in circles? Are you tired of going up and down like a yo-yo?  You may be desiring a decisive move of God in your situation.  The moment can come anywhere anytime by repentance and faith in Christ (Mat 6:33). You alone determine who wins in your heart daily.   Trust in God, IT IS DONE through the precious blood of Jesus the battle is won.

Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building,

204B Bram Fischer drive,

Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa 

God's Ultimate Appeal Rev 14

God's Ultimate Appeal

Rev 14

Road signs include information, warning and stop signs. Ignoring the road signs can result in car crush, injury and possible loss of life. God knowing the hazards that lie ahead has provided a safe passage and has provided ample signs to guide humanity. People who ignore the signs will have no one else to blame but themselves, just like people who ignore evacuation calls when a Tsunami is imminent.

The book of revelation reveals Christ. Revelation 14 shows Christ standing victorious on mount Zion. He is standing in a context where the beasts and Babylon are falling. He will be the one to remain standing. He will be the one with the final say on earth’s affairs. He will stand together with his people.

The revelation of Christ exposes the evil one and his horrible works. Nevertheless, before the judgments that come on earth because of evil works God sends out warning messengers/angels.  Revelation 14 presents several messengers and their messages inviting people back to God and the reasons why they should accept the invitation. The messages make up God’s final appeal before doors of hope close on those who reject God’s hand of mercy. The messages present a last opportunity. Actually, every opportunity could be the last. As we look at the warning messages from five messengers, let us evaluate our attitude to opportunities God gives in life particularly regarding the Lord Jesus Christ.

Invitation: All are welcome (14:6)

An angel or messenger was sent out carrying the wonderful gospel of Christ to all people of the earth. The angel went out proclaiming Christ to every nation, tribe, language and people. The grace of God that rescues from the worst of sin is loud, clear and wide. All humanity invited to heed the call to repentance and to abundant life from dead works. Even in great tribulation, God is and will be reaching out to people. God has never sent anyone to hell (2 Peter 3:9). To the contrary, he has provided everything for averting hell.  People who end up there will have fought hard for it. Anyone who fights hard enough will end up there. Doors are wide open. Let God win in your heart. Stop rationalizing your godless state and situation. The call is for whosoever to come and receive freely the gift of eternal life. Finding salvation is easier than not. Today is the day of salvation. Every opportunity to straighten things in your life could be the last you have. God has made his ultimate appeal for you to make him your ultimate appeal.

Reason 1: Call to worship the creator (14:7)

God made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water and all that is in them and therefore deserves worship. The angel was saying it makes sense to give God the glory and credit. He knows the design and purpose of your life. To experience your deepest fulfillment and your best potential you must come to him and let him show you the way.

Reason 2: Call to abandon a sinking ship (14:8)

The angel announced the fall of Babylon, any people and value systems without God. Trusting in God is the wise option. Any other option is ultimately a waste because a life without God is doomed. All other ground is sinking sand. Jesus is the solid rock on which to stand. It is time to sober up from the wine of the wrath of Babylon’s sexual immorality.

Reason 3: Call to think consequences (14:9)

Think consequences/outcomes. Do not be deceived whatever you sow you will reap. Actions have corresponding consequences. Let us sow in righteousness, and faith. The beast and his image and mark mentioned, represent attitudes and actions that reject God’s way and demean His being. Obedience through grace in Christ leads to blessing. Disobedience attracts God’s disfavor.

Reason 4: Call to think eternity (4:13)

There will be no hope for salvation to those who reject Christ. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? We are in a battle to win our souls and those of others for eternity. We will all die some day. The question is whether its death in  Christ or outside Christ. ‘And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.’ Christ is the source of eternal hope. That hope generates patience and faith in believers even in the most trying circumstances.

THE TWO SHARP SICKLES FOR REAPING

Reaping is taking place and will take place in a final way.

1) The sharp sickle in the hand of the son of man (14:14, 15)

God works according to time.  Time for reaping saints for eternal life has come (John 4:35; Mathew 9:37). When the time is up the Son of man will come and take the harvest.   The taking up of believers  to be with Christ and for getting their rewards is called the rapture (1 Cor 15:52; 1 Thes 4:16, 17)  ‘Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.’ 1 Cor 15:58 

2) The Sharp sickle in the hand of an angel (14:18)

A time will come when sinners will be harvested for judgment (Rev 19). The decisive moment to bring sinners to judgment comes when nations gather in a valley in opposition to Christ. This confrontation is also referred to as the battle of Armageddon. Christ conquers by the word from his mouth.

  

Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building,

204B Bram Fischer drive,

Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa 

The Beast or the Best Rev 13, 17, 18

The Beast or the Best

Rev 13, 17 and 18

The story of the woman in Revelation 12 ends in her triumph over the dragon. In Chapter 13, the dragon continues persecuting believers in Christ through two beasts that appear.  The first beast represents an anti Christ spirit that leads to the Antichrist who will control a one-world political order. The second beast represents false religion from which arises a false prophet who controls a one-world religious order. Together the two beasts preside over a secular world system referred to as Babylon, which resists anything of Christ. The two beasts and Babylon had features with lessons for our present life.

The appearance of the beasts (Rev 13:1, 2, 11)

The first beast resembles the dragon (Rev 12:3) by having ten horns and seven heads, one of which had a scar. The ten horns represent the enormous power the beast had[1]. Perhaps of greater interest are the seven heads that represent the perfect ambiguous and blasphemous nature of the beast. With its many heads and faces, it is not easy to identify and defeat the beast system in a society. When one face is losing, the beast brings up other faces. If you could succeed in chopping off one head, the other six heads would even grow stronger. The beast is highly deceptive and elusive. The second beast was similarly deceptive by appearing like a lamb yet speaking like a dragon. A stark reminder of the wolves in sheep’s clothing described by the Lord (Mat 7:15). What the second beast spoke drew people away from God and pointed them to worship the Antichrist. False religion encourages men to worship Satan and human power, scholarship, and systems.

The multi-faced nature of the complex beast system called Babylon requires that the witness of Christ be strong in every sector of society. Babylon hijacks control of political and commercial systems, legal processes and statutes, educational curriculums, technological advancements, religious institutions, media and arts to promote humanistic philosophies and a global culture with values that are self-destructive.

The power and brutality of the beasts

Babylon was so powerful and rich that it was known as the great city (Rev 17, 18). It sat where power, money and movement were. It is a symbol of forces bend on apposing anything of God. In the Old Testament, Amalekites were known for attacking the weak points of God’s people. The Philistines were a perennial enemy confronting the strong points. The Midianites concentrated on attacking at harvest time to plunder the harvest.  The Assyrians can be remembered for laying siege and holding people captive. Likewise, the Babylonians majored on taking God’s people captive. In captivity, Babylon reeducated the people and employed their wealth, skills and gifts to further its interests (Daniel 1). 

The beasts who presided over Babylon possessed satanic powers to influence nations and bring people into captivity in their thinking and behavior (Romans 12:2).  They apply pressure on them to conform to the world system, even when it violates Christian conscience (Rev 17:7). The beasts use two main ways, which are deception and force.  They deceived through display of riches and performing mighty signs and wonders that mislead people.  They forced people to worship an image of the beast and to have a mark of the name or number of the beast on the forehead and right hand. Without it one could not buy or sell. The number was 666.

The downfall of Babylon

Babylon has fleeting pleasures and baseless confidence. Its false sense of security is exposed in Revelation seventeen and eighteen (Jer 51:45; 63,64) when Babylon falls and Christ reigns. The message from Revelation is that God’s kingdom will strike back. Actions have consequences (Num 32:23; Gal 6:7).  Babylon suffered double what it inflicted against the saints (Rev 18:5-7,10; Esth 7:9).  Commercial, Political and religious Babylon fell. Chapter 17 ends with the kings of the nations working with the first beasts to turn against the second beast (Rev 17:16) and working with the beast to bring her down. Evil is self-destructive. The political – commercial Babylon cannot be reformed,  Christ will come to replace it with His kingdom (Rev 18:1,2, 21).  Judgment will come in one hour (Rev 18:8, 10). Babylon actually fell at the cross when Jesus overcame satan and rose from the dead.  Through patience, endurance and faithfulness the saints are able overcome the two beasts (Rev 17:14).

The appeal to humanity

While some people were forced, many chose to worship the beast (13:8). They marveled at its military and commercial power and exclaimed ‘who is able to make war’” against the beast. One would expect the world to be angry and terrified by the beast but that was not largely the case.  The world especially kings and commercial leaders were passionately captivated by the beast and worshipped him (13:.4; 17:2). When Babylon fell (Rev18:10; Rev 18:11-15) the kings wept and wailed for her, so did the merchants. Today people are impressed by man's achievements; his power and his plans for the future and are increasingly secular and human centered. Loving the world, is loving Babylon and its destiny.  Love of the Babylon is enmity with God. 

God however encourages his people to rejoice at the fall of Babylon (Rev 18:20). He warns them to come out of Babylon by being positively different in order to make an eternal difference (Rev 18:4).   ‘Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.’  Christ taught that until Babylon falls, we should engage, influence and transform society as salt and light (Mat 5:14-16). We still can sing the Lords song in a foreign land Psalm 137:3-4. We are in the world but not of the world. We are ambassadors of the kingdom of God who live on different rules from Babylon. Where commercial prosperity is not for affluence of a few but for sharing, where giving is the key to receiving and serving is key to promotion. The kingdom of God sets free. Babylon brings to bondage. The Babylon system exploits, the kingdom of God gives and uplifts. The Babylon path is wide and the kingdom path is narrow but leads to life (Prov 14:12; mt28:18; Luk 10:19). Praise God, believers are destined for ultimate conquest and have already conquered in Christ.  Babylon system is doomed but the Kingdom of God will last forever. Who will you worship - the beast or the best? Today choose the best. 

Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building,

204B Bram Fischer drive,

Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa 

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[1] Refer to Daniel 7 and Revelation 17:12. The ten horns also represent power expressed through ten kings or nations.

Wings from Above Rev 12

Wings from Above

Revelation 12

In our world, it may seem God is absent, asleep, or weak because evil persists. All such thinking is far from the truth. The book of Revelation is a sweet and sour reading experience. From an earthly temporary perspective, its horrendous judgments are sour. God however invites us to look from a heavenly perspective to experience sweet hope even in the worst of circumstances. A reminder that above the clouds of life, the sun is shining and joy will come in the morning. Instead of fearing, we stand in awe with the millions bowing in worship at his throne.  God has loved us so much that angels marvel (Psalm 8:4). We have guaranteed victory through the work of Christ.

Chapter 12 records two signs that John saw, a woman with a child and a red dragon. The nation of Israel brought forth Jesus, and his church, who will rule the world. A general lesson is that satan will fight what ever is born of God’s people. Satan is real and roaring like a lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8-9). He is the cause of all the havoc we see in our world today.  He destroys and deceives but in all is a loser (John 10:10; 1 John 3:8). In a conflict between evil and good, good prevails. In a conflict between lies and truth, truth prevails.  In a conflict between oppression and freedom, freedom prevails. In a conflict between hatred and love, love prevails. In a conflict between accusation and intercession, intercession prevails. Where the enemy is accusing you before God, Christ is at the right hand of God the father justifying you (Revelation 12:7-10). Thank God, we have such a high priest interceding for us.

In the story, the dragon shows great persistence. He first goes after the child. When he failed, he went after the woman and after he failed, he went after her other offspring, believers in Christ. God protects your three interests below that satan threatens.

1) God protects your dreams (Your interests in the future)

Satan threatens the potential of people by wanting to destroy them and their ideas in infancy. He comes after what God wants to bring forth through you. However just as God protected the baby he will protect your dreams and potential. What ever is born of God overcomes the world (1 John 5:4; 18). Your dreams in Christ will happen whether they are a victorious life, of financial well being, powerful ministry, lasting marriage or other.

The woman found safety and nourishment in a place prepared by God in the wilderness. In that place, she was nourished in God’s refreshing presence. In times of our storms of life, God also leads us by the Holy Spirit to a place of nourishment. We need to often retreat to a place of prayer and worship. There we receive God’s perspective and new strength. Wilderness is a place where things we ordinarily depend on are scarce, business is not as usual, and all we have is God.[1]

2) God protects your heart/confidence (Your interests in the present)

The dragon after being cast down to earth persecuted the woman.  Persecution is a weapon to batter confidence (Rev 12:13). The daily shaking, and stretching of faith we experience batter our confidence in God and weakens our witness, peace and joy. The woman’s confidence in God (faith) was under threat but God gave her victory.

a) God gave her wings to flee to the wilderness of spiritual nourishment again. The wings carry the woman beyond reach of her enemies to the wilderness to be encouraged, renewed, and strengthened.  From the face of the enemy to the place prepared by God. She received two wings of a great eagle. In other words, she got strong wings capable of taking her high above her persecution.  God gives those who wait upon him wings to rise above circumstances (Isaiah 40:31; Psalm 55:3-7; Exodus 19:4). You have experienced the effect of soaring with wings from above when you have said, ‘I don’t know how I made it with such a background, with so little, when so weak, etc’.  

b) The earth swallowed up the flood sent to drown the woman (Revelation 12:15; Exodus 15:12). God knew the enemy was going to send a flood and proactively gave her wings to fly above the flood. As if that was not enough or to show who created and controls the earth on which the flood was flowing, he caused the earth to open up and swallow the flood (Revelation 12:16). God can protect in unusual ways. Further, when we walk in the Spirit already a life-giving river is carrying us (Ezekiel 47; Isaiah 59:19) and from our innermost beings flow streams of living water (John 7:38).

c) God gave power to conquer. God did not only protect the woman and those being persecuted but gave them power to over come (Revelation 12:11-12).  They conquered by the word of their testimony, the blood of the lamb and loving God more than their lives (John 12:24-25; Philippians 1:21). When did you last speak out your testimony of who Christ is and what he has made you? Speak out your confidence in him and his promises.

3) God protects your legacy (Your interests in the past)

‘And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev 12:17).

We are in a battle whose victorious outcome was predetermined on the cross. Legacy is what you leave behind after you have been there. If after you have left a place, job, or situation what you leave behind (offspring) is lost, your legacy is under attack. The dragon threatened the woman’s legacy. When the enemy cannot destroy you, he will attempt to erase the memory of you. He wants you to depart with your virtues, vision and values.

Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building,

204B Bram Fischer drive,

Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa  

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[1] In context of end time prophesy, during the great tribulation God will keep Israel in the wilderness for 3.5 years (Mathew 24:15f; Isaiah 16:4; Daniel 11:41).