I'm in Love....

So, those of you that know me are thinking... awe, isn't that sweet...  BUT... this time I'm not talking about my dear sweet husband.  (Although I love him to infinity and beyond too!)  I'm talking about Revelation.  You know... the last book of the bible.  The one for years many of us have been afraid to read.  The one that up until recently when Tom and I did a Beth Moore study (yes... you read that right!  My husband did a Beth Moore study with me:-)  I thought was so full of things I could never understand that it was hard for me to push my way through it.  (BTW - If you haven't done Beth Moore's Revelation study - I consider it a MUST for every christian.  Very solid on presenting all the views from the commentaries and explaining how they arrived at that view!) 

Anyway...  I'm now loving the book of Revelation.  Over the last few days, I've decided to read it in a variety of bibles and translations.  As I've read through the new testament right after completing this study, I'm amazed at how God has opened my eyes to the number of references it contains to the end times.  So many things are linked from the old testament to the new testament, right into Revelation.  Very cool! 

During our study, this was our memory verse...  

Rev 17:14
¹⁴ They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

(which by the way, I'm still working on!) 

I guess with all the cool things in Revelation, I love this verse because it is truly the heart of who we are as Christians; and with him (Jesus) will be his called, chosen and faithful followers (THAT'S US LADIES!!!)  So, Satan can have a hay day for the time being on Earth.  BUT, Jesus IS coming again, victorious AGAIN, overcoming and we will be with him. 

Now, no promises that it will be all roses and blossoms.  It's going to be a rough road to get there.  We are going to have troubles.  No doubt about that.  But, whether it's today, tomorrow, next month, next year, in the next  generation, or the generation after that... whenever it's time for Jesus to come again... as a faithful follower, we get to be with him and join him.  AND then.... we get to live eternity in the Glory of God the Father.  WOW....  really - WOW.  Not just sweet songs and quietness, but joy and adoration.  Rejoicing.  No more sorrow, no more pain.  (WHoot - Hoot!)

Someone once told me to read Revelation out loud like a story.  I did this a few years ago sitting in a wooded area on a mini-retreat with my bible study.  My friend Deanne and I took turns reading and listening.  It was awesome.  My hope is that this weekend, as a way of concluding this 30 day journey, that I can find some quiet time to do that again.  To take it in. 

So... this is the end of my 30 day journey.  Guess you're all stuck with me going back to my random blogs!  We'll see what God puts on my heart for that piece! 

The last hour...

Hello again... 

We're getting so close to the end of the New Testament!  Woo-Hoo! 

Today's reading was I Peter: 3-5, 2 Peter, and 1 John

I paused today at 1 John 2:18 - 19

 ¹⁸ Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

I think this sticks out from a recent Beth Moore bible study that we did.  In it, she pointed out that their have been and will be several anti-christs.  This verse talks about that very thing - even now many antichrists have come.

I found her point really interesting and as I read this tonight, it flooded back to me.  You see, only God knows when the second coming is.  So... Satan has to always be prepared, and continue to send anti-christs.  Who the one-great anti-christ is, we do not know...  But we can bet that Satan will continue to put obstacles in our way. 

All this isn't to scare us.  It's to continue to encourage us to read his word and to know it and what he says.  When the false teachers are trying to lead us astray, we need to be firmly rooted in His truth! 

"Father God, thank you for the bible.  You give us truth in your own god breathed manner so that we can know what is from you and what is from man.  I pray that you'd give us wisdom in our difficult days to turn toward your word and your holy spirits promptings.  Lead us and guide us toward you and away from things that are not of you!" 

Water symbolizes baptism... Three small but powerful words

This is a piece of artwork by Thomas duBois. Tom and I have this set of 4, which we fell in love with years ago, and managed to get for each others as gifts over the first years of our marriage. I look at this piece daily, and tonight, it takes on special meaning...


I'm sitting here tonight and pondering how I missed so many things for so long in my lifetime. I had intended to write about how many things I LOVED reading in Hebrews yesterday...

And then, doing today's reading (Hebres 11 - 1 Peter 2) I read into 1 Peter 3. And at the end of Chapter 3, I read this...

1 Peter 3:20-21
20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.[a] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

SO... I'm sure that many of you got this before, and I'm just a bit slow in catching on... but seriously, I NEVER realized that the significance of baptism stretched back to Noah. Don't ask me why I never questioned why John the Baptist would do it... I just assumed he was moved int he spirit to do so!

God waited for Noah to build the ark for 120 years (I think...) and gave people time to change and believe.

The flood separated Noah from the lost and gave him a new life. Hmmm... the same is said of our spiritual baptism.

And was it 9 complete months he was out there before landing on the mountain? This is a stretch, but it seems like seeing the mountains and hitting ground is a bit like being "born again."

8 in all saved, to me has revelance to how it will be in the end times. Eight of Noah's out of how many people? So to, will it likely be for Christians as a % of the population...

WOW, WOW, WOW... (Ok - so if you're appalled I'm just getting this, I'm sorry!) But seriously, why don't we talk about this piece at some point during our baptism ceremonies????? (Then the slow ones like me would get it:-)

This piece has me a bit undone tonight. I'm digging into the commentaries and cross references in amazement! I think this is on my list of "dig really deep..." items.

"God thank you for new revelations. Thanks for answering that prayer of opening my eyes so faithfully. Continue to teach me things that are new to me... I'm ok with being humbled! And thank you for the promise of your holy spirit and it's cleansing in our baptism. Thank you for transforming us and bringing us out of the old and into the new."