Revelation 5: The Reigning Lamb
Introduction: This chapter is a most important chapter to help the Christian who is on earth and who cannot penetrate the events of heaven to know how God runs the universe behind the scenes. We will see that the words spoke at the Great Commission that He has all authority in Matt. 28:18 are true and being acted upon. We will see the exaltation, authority and ongoing working of Christ for the church as Paul describes it in Eph. 1:20-23, ‘that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand...
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Revelation 4:1-11: The Throne that runs the universe
Introduction: Your view of the universe determines your reaction to suffering. If you are an atheist who views the world to be the result of time+chance =everything, then you have no reason to complain about suffering, it just is. If you are a Hindu that believes that this experience of reality is an illusion then suffering is not processed but denied, and it is hoped escaped by how well we do in each life finally reincarnating ourselves by our own efforts out of the cycle of pain. Deism that admits to a creator but that the laws of nature...
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Revelation 2:12-17: Pergamum
Introduction: It is good military practice to use part of your force to press the attack against an enemy so that they bunch up their resources in one area spreading themselves thin in other areas, thereby creating a weakness, and you can then breakthrough in the weakened area. All of us struggle to fight a war on two or more fronts. Many of us are able to stand up to a trial, but we tend to crumble when all sorts of things of all sorts of types come against us. This was the problem at Pergamum. Pergamum had been...
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Revelation 2:8-11: Smyrna
Introduction: Things are not what they seem! This is one of the most important truths that Christians are to learn from the book of Revelation. We see in this book that it is those who die as martyrs who are the victors over satan Revelation 12:11. The slain lamb of Christ is in fact the Lion and ruler. The invincible Rome is Babylon and will be judged. What appears to be a perfect storm of catastrophes manufactured to wipe out the church are in fact the God ordained, allowed and controlled prejudgements anticipating the removal of all evil. This...
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Revelation 1:9: The normal Christian life
Introduction: We finally come to the first vision. The people of God are in a battle, they are about to be at the centre of the most powerful forces of the universe unleashed. They are about to be killed in large numbers. Massive upheavals are about to happen in the political sphere. Terrible judgements are about to be poured out upon the world. The Son of Man who will one day judge the world is going to be shown to set a series of events in motion which have gargantuan ramifications for the church. What do you think the...
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