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| God has used the book of Revelation as the capstone of the entire Bible. It reveals the ultimate fulfillment of prophecies going back to the beginning of Genesis. And through that, we can discover how to apply those insights to our lives today. |
The Real Reason Satan Is
Raging Against Christians Right Now
God has used the book of Revelation as the
capstone of the entire Bible. It reveals the ultimate fulfillment of prophecies
going back to the beginning of Genesis. And through that, we can discover how
to apply those insights to our lives today.
Atheist philosophers tell us that human life is
meaningless.
But Revelation assures us that God cares greatly about our
individual lives—and about the future of planet Earth. Although things seem to
be spinning out of control, God has a triumphant conclusion planned.
But are we ready? Are we ready today for
that conclusion?
Though Jesus could return at any time, the
signs seem to be aligning for His return sooner rather than later.
Every day, there is more terrible news from the
Middle East — the very region where history began and where it will all
end.
Today, the nation of Israel, the holy land,
seems all but isolated, including from its old ally, the United States.
Today, more Christians are martyred than ever
before.
Today, the rapid and ruthless rise of ISIS has
resulted in an actual state that controls large regions of Iraq and Syria, plus
parts of Nigeria, Libya and Southeast Asia.
The ISIS reign of terror crosses national
borders,
enforcing its rule with beheadings and mass slaughter. But although it
is brutal, ISIS provides stability, and many who live under ISIS control
welcome the stability of oppression.
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| 11 Christian children murdered by ISIS |
I'm not saying that ISIS is the precursor to
the Antichrist. But as we look at the horror coming out of the Middle East, it
is impossible not to compare those scenes with the Antichrist's reign of
terror, as described in Daniel, Revelation and other prophetic passages of
Scripture.
Daniel tells us that during the time of the
Antichrist "there will be a time of
distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until
then" (Daniel 12:1).
But the signs go far beyond Middle East
conflict and much closer to home.
Today, the United States federal debt stands at
$18.6 trillion, 74 percent of the GDP. And entitlement spending will soon
explode the debt sky-high. Those who pay attention to the global debt crisis
can easily envision the global economic collapse described in Revelation 18.
Also today, we see U.S. government officials
trampling our First Amendment rights in ways unthinkable a few years ago.
Today, religious liberty is endangered as it
takes a backseat to political correctness.
Today, fundamental truths about gender and
sexual behavior are cast aside by secular and religious authorities
alike.
Paul said in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 that in the
church there would be a great "falling
away" from the faith before the Day of the Lord.
We already see a great "falling away" in the evangelical church. Many churches
that once preached the pure gospel of Jesus Christ have defected.
Why is all this happening now? The Bible does not
tell us, but here is my opinion:
I believe Satan is intensifying his actions
against Christians because he senses that time is growing short. He is
desperate to do as much damage as he can, to cause as much suffering as he can,
to take as many souls with him as he can.
Although the headlines are filled with evidence
that society is on a collision course with the book of Revelation, do not be
alarmed.
God did not give us the book of Revelation to
frighten
Between the bookends of Genesis and Revelation,
the Bible spans the history of the human race. Genesis tells the story of
humanity's creation and fall. Revelation describes the redemption and eternal
destiny of all believers.
The book of Revelation is indispensable. If we
did not have Revelation, we would have an incomplete picture of Jesus Christ and
the Christian faith.
The Old Testament presents a picture of Jesus,
the promised Messiah. The Gospels present a picture of Jesus, the Teacher,
Leader, Servant, the Crucified and Risen One. The Book of Acts gives us Jesus
as the Ascended One.
In the epistles, we see Jesus as Savior and
Lord.
But only in Revelation do we see Jesus fully
glorified, King of kings, Lord of lords and Judge of all.
In Revelation 1:8, the Lord says, "I am the Alpha and
But the Alpha-Omega
statement also appears at the end of Revelation. In Revelation 22:13, the Lord
says,
Jesus is saying: "I was here at the beginning, I am here now, and I will be here at
the end. I was here at Creation, and I will be here when heaven and Earth are
Jesus is the King of Glory, worthy of honor and
praise—the Lord of the beginning and the end.
John, who was probably closest to Jesus of the Twelve,
looked at the glorified Jesus and did not say, "I saw my good friend Jesus." He said, "I saw someone like a Son of
Man."
Then he proceeded to describe the Lord's
appearance. The Lord was "clothed
with a garment down to the feet and with a golden sash wrapped around the
chest. The hair on His head was white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes
were like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a
furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters. He had in His right hand seven
stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. His appearance was
like the sun shining brightly" (Rev. 1:13b-16).
The sight of the glorified Jesus was so awesome
that John "fell at his feet as
though dead."
Certainly we must long for the day when we will
see
But as readers of Revelation know, there will
be a Great Tribulation too. But when will that happen? And will the Lord take
His church out of the world before the Great Tribulation begins? Only God knows
the answers.
But let's not get sidetracked by minor details,
because then we might miss the big picture. The "big picture"
- First, all who welcome Jesus Christ as their
Lord and Savior will be welcomed into heaven when He returns.
- Second, Jesus will return as He
promised.
- Third, Jesus will sit in righteous judgment
over all who have refused to accept Him as Lord and Savior during their earthly
lives.
- Fourth, when Jesus appears, all who love Him
will be with Him forever.
Christians of good will may debate the details
of this prophecy, but those four principles are beyond debate.
So we must be ready.
As Jesus tells us: “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord
will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what
time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have
let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man
will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matt. 24:42-44).
If we study the book of Revelation, it will not
merely increase our knowledge. It will change our lives.
Because of its life-changing truths, you and I can live
Are we ready for the Lord's return?
Are
you struggling with a big decision or wondering how your eternal future will
play out?
Why
not talk to the God of the universe and let Him work in your behalf?
He
says, “I will instruct you and teach you
the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you" (Psalm
32:8).
Ask
God to show you what to do. Pray the following prayer:
“Heavenly Father,
I admit that I am a sinner and my sins have separated
me from You. I now want to turn away from my past sinful life and begin a new
life with You.
Please forgive me. I now receive your Son, Jesus Christ
as my Savior, my Master and my Lord. I believe and confess that Jesus Christ
died for my sins, was buried, and rose from the dead.
I want to receive all that Jesus Christ has provided
for me as my Savior. Your Word says, ‘Whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved’ (Romans 10:13).
I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is the Way, the
Truth, and the Life, and no man comes unto the Father, but by Him.
Lord Jesus, I pray and ask You, to come into my heart
and be Lord of my life. I thank You that you have given me eternal life, and
according to Your Word, I am born again.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy
Spirit that is in me now. I surrender my life to You.
Use me for Your glory.
In Jesus Name. Amen.”
Related Posts:
“You Are My King”
Robert
Gay
lyrics
Enthroned
in your glory
Clothed
in raiment white
Your
eyes burn with fire shining bright.
The
four and twenty elders
Knell
around your throne
Casting
forth their crowns at your feet.
In awe
at your splendor
And
the glory of your throne
I lift
my voice in worship
To
make your glories known.
(Refrain) x3
You are my King (Are my King)
You are my Lord (Are my Lord)
You are Jehovah
The living Word (The living Word)
Almighty God
The Prince of Peace
You are the Great “I Am”
My victory.
Michael Youssef, Ph.D., is the founder and president of Leading the Way
with Dr. Michael Youssef, a worldwide ministry that leads the way for people
living in spiritual darkness to discover the light of Christ through the
creative use of media and on-the-ground ministry teams. Youssef was born in
Egypt.
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