Heavenly Hosts

VIDEO: Heavenly Hosts

The Book of Revelation shows us that we must be careful how we deal with angels. John was shown wondrous things when the Lord called, “Come up here.” He fell down at the feet of the angel and worshiped him... 

Then said he to me, See you do it not: for I am your fellow servant, and of your brothers the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. (Revelation 22:9 AKJV) 

We should never pray to or worship anything but God. He alone deserves our adoration, and He alone can answer our prayers. The hosts of Heaven are the servants of God and include His servants, angels or messengers, and the army. This includes Michael, Gabriel, or even lesser angels. 

Revelation Seals 4-7

 

The first three seals saw the emergence of the Antichrist and two of the “horsemen of the apocalypse.”  These occur in the first part of the tribulation or the final of Daniel’s weeks. Let’s continue looking at the remaining seals the Lamb of God will break before God’s wrath is unleashed on this earth.

Fourth Seal

And when he had opened the fourth seal…  behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:7-8)

Death quickly follows famine for we see hunger is one of the tools used for death to take life. It is interesting to note that only one-fourth “part of the earth.” Since it is part of the earth and not a percentage of mankind, it is likely that only some countries will experience the effects of this seal.

First Three Seals of Revelation and the Antichrist

If we look at Daniel and Revelation, then we will know when the seven-year tribulation will begin as certain key events occur. Much of the world may be unaffected at first, so knowing what to look for is vital!

When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoever reads, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15 AMPC)

We were told by our Lord that we should look for and recognize this event as being close to persecution and His return to rule and reign. This also means Christians will be around when it happens. What is the “abomination of desolation?” Discussing the events surrounding the return of our Lord should show us what to look for and help us pinpoint this event.

Studying the events around the second coming should invigorate the body of Christ. After all, we are all expectantly waiting for this time. Unfortunately, instead of uniting us as a body working for the Kingdom of Heaven, it often creates division and strife. As we continue looking into the Book of Revelation, please remember that what we choose to believe concerning the return of the Lord doesn’t affect our salvation.

We are all brothers and sisters, adopted into the family of God. If what you believe doesn’t line up with what I believe, that is okay. We can agree to disagree and celebrate the fact that one day, we will all know  the truth!

Healing Your Soul

VIDEO: Your Soul

If we go back to the Book of Genesis, we can see God’s original intention and plan for mankind through His created beings, Adam and Eve, and how through the fall and the ongoing influence of sin down through the generations, we became damaged in our souls and bodies. 

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the Earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the Earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26–27 ESV) 

...and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 NKJV) 

There are two important things to note in these two accounts of the creation of mankind. 

1. God made man in the image of Himself, the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). We were designed to look and be just like Him (spirit, soul, and body).  
2. God gave His breath of Life (His Spirit breath) and man became a living being. It wasn’t until man received the breath of God, His Spirit, that he lived. 

Strengthening Your Spirit

VIDEO: Your Spirit 

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23 AMPC) 

Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians demonstrates that we are a three-part being, just like our Creator. God is a spirit, and we are spirit beings who have a soul and live in a body. This is why Paul listed the three parts to every human in this order. Many Christians have been taught that they have a spirit, soul, and body, but they may not understand the role of each of them. Some believe the soul and spirit are the same but as you can see, that is not what the Bible says. 

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 AKJV) 

We could not divide the two if they were one and the same. The spirit is the part of us that is connected to God and Heaven. The soul is our mind, will, and emotions: that connects to the things of this Earth. It is God’s will that the spirit rule over the soul and body. The soul with its memory, will, and emotions depends on the functionality of your brain and body for it to express itself or be conscious. The spirit can exist on its own, apart from the soul and body.