I’ve often heard God can bless ignorance, but He cannot bless stupidity. Do you know the difference? Stupidity is informed ignorance that refuses to change. Jesus is talking about people who have been informed about God, but they simply ignore Him.
This reminds me of those homeowners in California who build $3 million homes on the side of cliffs for the great view, but whenever there are heavy rains, those same houses go sliding down with the mud. Those elegant structures become mobile homes as they slide down the hill and crash into pieces—yet people keep building their homes there!
Ehud was left-handed, but he didn’t allow his disadvantage to stop him from being God’s servant. What’s your excuse? You may think your weakness is that you aren’t educated enough to teach children, or that you’re too shy to stand at a door and greet people. But God is looking for people who turn adversity into advantage. God delights in using people that the world thinks are unfit.
The most important question we can ask ourselves is, “Is my name written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life?” But can we know for sure? Yes you can. That’s why Jesus said to “rejoice because your names are written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” He wouldn’t be so cruel to tell us to rejoice over something you can’t be sure about. Is your name in the Book of Life? Are you sure?
When God tells us to do things sometimes in the word, we look at it and we say, “Why?” That’s not the right response. We should just obey the Lord and not ask why, because God is trying to get us ready for even bigger and better things. Sometimes when God tells us to do simple things in the word of God, we want to look at and say, “Why would we do that? We want bigger and better things!” God is just training us. He is getting us ready.
Have we ever lived in a world and do we live in a world right now where all the governments of the world are upon the shoulders of Jesus? When the Security Council of the United Nations meets in New York do they fall on their knees and say, “Lord Jesus, this is your world and what do you want us to do”? Of course not. That hasn’t happened yet–but it will! Why do you think Jesus told us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven?” I believe the Bible teaches the time will come when Jesus will live and reign on Earth and we’re going to reign with him!
The main part of this message deals with the strategy of judgement. The seven-year period of Tribulation follows a chronological framework of the three series of sevens. There were seven seals, seven trumpets and now we come to the third series of sevens: The seven bowls (or vials) of wrath that are going to be poured out. What are these seven bowls of wrath?
Earlier in our study of Revelation we were introduced to these 144,000 individuals. Who are they? Throughout history there have been many groups who have claimed to be this 144,000. When we studied about them before, I told you they are 144,000 Jewish evangelists who go about during the time of Tribulation preaching the gospel of the kingdom. We studied that 12,000 of them come from each of the 12 twelve Jewish tribes, and while the Antichrist and the false prophet are spreading their doctrine around this world, these 144,000 Jewish evangelists are spreading all over planet earth the gospel of the kingdom of God.
How do you think people on earth are going to react judgement after judgement after judgement after judgement? Thousands of people are killed. There are signs in the sky. There is environmental damage there are all kinds of disasters happening. What do you think is going to be the reaction of mankind?
In the Bible there is a highly organized strata and structure to angelic organizations. We don’t get all the details about it, but anytime you read the words “principalities and powers” that’s a word that means ranks of order, both the good angels and the fallen angels. In Ephesians chapter 6 when it says, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers.” Have you ever wondered what those words meant? It means against the organized, structured ranks of demons. God’s angels are organized with archangels and the other angels we are talking about. So these seven trumpet angels appear and they are going to be the ones who blow these trumpets to announce judgment on the earth.
