Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

_Separation
Apr 15th, 2020
Looking into the WordArt Sadlier
Categories: Exhortation

Looking into the Word

In Genesis 18:1 we see Abraham sitting alone with his family in the door of his tent. Abraham had separated from the pagan Canaanite tribes; his tent was pitched far from them. Abraham’s life was marked by a tent and an altar. The tent signalled to those around him that this world was not his home, the things of this world had no claim upon him and he was just passing through. The tent was a mark of his separation. The smoke of the altar witnessed to all around that he was a worshipper of God.

In chapter 19 we see Lot sitting in the gate of the city. Sitting in gate identified him as a leader of the city. Lot identified with wicked worldly men of Sodom. He was not living a separated life, he identified with the city and all it stood for. Lot looked upon the wickedness of the men around him, day after day, month after month. We discover that sin around him affected him greatly; it affected his wife and his daughters. In verse 8, we see how Lot lost all sense of right and wrong. In later verses we see he lost his wife and later his daughter’s lost their sense of right and wrong.

Abraham chose to live a life separated from the world around him. He turned away from the riches the world had to offer and ended up a wealthy man. Lot sought the riches this world had to offer and ended up with nothing, he lost it all, including his family.

Today; New Evangelicals have repeated the error of Lot. They are not willing to separate from the world; they want all the world has to offer. They want its pleasures, its entertainments, its associations and its wealth and success. They want to walk with the world and they want the world to walk with them. They want the world to attend church with them, even if it means deceiving them that they are on their way to heaven.

The thought of walking a lonely road or of going outside the camp with Christ or of bearing His reproach is beyond their comprehension. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18).

Does that verse imply that those who are not separated are not received as sons and daughters? Lot was certainly a son of God, but what an awful price he paid for his compromise with the world!

Hebrews 13:12-14 says, “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.”

Lot sought to rescue the men who visited him from the wicked men around, but he couldn’t. In verse 9 the men of Sodom said in effect to Lot,” You are a hypocrite why should we listen to you?”  Abraham, by way of contrast, prayed for Lot and God heard his prayers and rescued Lot.

The man who is willing to separate from the world around him is the man God can bless and use to glorify His name. I believe he is the only man who can have real assurance that he is a child of God. If you play the role of Lot, you may be saved as by fire and miss the reward and blessing of God upon your life, or you may end up in the category of those to whom Jesus said, “Depart from me I never knew you.”

Sanders Supporters Pressure Biden to Move Farther to the Left
Apr 15th, 2020
CommentaryJONATHAN TOBIN/JNS.ORG
Categories: Warning

In a flight of fancy and an almost superfluous reminder of his irrelevance, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman suggested this week that a dream cabinet for Joe Biden should he win in November would include a rather odd choice for ambassador to the United Nations: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).

AOC's lack of foreign-policy knowledge is not the main reason to mock this suggestion. When asked this week whether the camp of the presumptive nominee had reached out to her in the wake of the withdrawal of her choice for president--Sen. Bernie Sanders--from the race, the congresswoman admitted that it hadn't. And given her continued expressions of disdain for the former vice president, she'd be well-advised not to hold her breath waiting for such a call.

Friedman's nonsensical column is a reminder that a Democratic victory is going to require the kind of reconciliation between the Biden and Sanders camps that was missing four years ago. In 2016, the Vermont Socialist's supporters were distinctly unenthusiastic about jumping on the Hillary Clinton bandwagon once Sanders belatedly conceded the Democratic race to her because they thought he had been cheated by the Democratic establishment.

It's assumed by many liberal pundits that the goal of denying re-election to President Donald Trump will be enough to unite all Democrats. While Sanders sent a strong signal to his supporters by not waiting any longer to endorse Biden, some of them aren't getting the message.

The senator's social-media shock troops--nicknamed the Bernie Bros, which spent much of the last year treating centrists like Biden as apologists for "fascism"--are still expressing anger about the way the rest of the party fell in line following the South Carolina primary in order to stop Sanders.

As Clinton proved, Democrats can't win without the same kind of enthusiastic support and massive turnout of young and minority voters that lifted Obama to victory in 2008 and 2012. They need to reassemble that Obama coalition in which blacks, Hispanics and liberals under the age of 30 unite with working-class white voters to defeat Trump.

It remains to be seen whether or not that will happen. But the aspect of this effort that is of particular interest to pro-Israel activists is what sort of price Biden is going to have to pay to Sanders in terms of policy and appointments.

The pro-Israel camp in the form of the Democratic Majority for Israel group played a not insignificant role in helping to undermine Sanders at a point in the campaign when he was the frontrunner and Biden seemed dead in the water.

The result was not just a series of primary victories for the beleaguered Biden, but also for the pro-Israel wing of his party over a Sanders campaign that had been largely taken over by pro-BDS forces and other opponents of the Jewish state.

But the dynamic of the election is such that now, rather than being chased out of the party as some pro-Israel activists would like, AOC--as well as pro-BDS anti-Semites like other fellow "Squad" members Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)--are, at least for the next few months, more important than ever.

Biden cannot afford to emulate the way Clinton gave short shrift to Sanders's supporters once she had secured her party's nomination. If Biden wins, it will only be with the active support of the hard left and their rock stars, like Omar, Tlaib and AOC.

In any normal year, the first real test of this proposition would come during the prelude to the Democratic National Convention, when the party platform would be written. In 2016, despite Sanders's placement of opponents of Israel on the platform committee, Clinton's camp was able to marginalize them. Nor did Clinton pay them much heed during the course of her complacent and ultimately disastrously inept campaign.

Biden, who has spent the last year trying, with mixed success to be all things to all people, understands that he can't treat the Israel-haters and anti-Semites on the left with the same disdain as Clinton did. And with normal campaigning on hold and the quadrennial convention coronation unlikely to occur because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Democratic leader will be even more hard-pressed than before to appease Sanders and his leftist allies.

Tradition tells us that Biden will tack to the center during the general election campaign. But anyone who follows the Bernie Bros on Twitter knows that if there is one issue on which they are most vocal, it is in seeking to undermine the U.S.-Israel alliance. An enthusiastic reaffirmation of that alliance is bound to alienate the leftists Biden needs to fire up this fall.

In order to do that, he's going to have to not just talk about Medicare for all and the expansion of other entitlements, but to make gestures on foreign policy to the Sanders camp. And the most likely sacrifice to be made on the altar of radical support for Biden may be any notion of him reaffirming some of Trump's pro-Israel gestures on Jerusalem, his Mideast peace plan and his Iran policy.

It's going to take a lot of courage on Biden's part to resist pressure to back away from Israel, especially if Trump ally Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains in office. While the

Democratic establishment would prefer to treat the Sanders camp and its Israel-hating cadres with the same contempt as Clinton, the left may wind up having more influence over Middle East policy than Biden's centrist donors would like.

While Biden's main challenge now is running for president while stuck in his basement as the virus rages on, the question is whether he will have to pay for the support of Sanders and his online trolls in ways that may offend pro-Israel Democrats.

Only in Goshen, Where the Children of Israel Were, Was There No Hail - Exodus 9:26
Apr 15th, 2020
Morning MeditationF. B. Meyer
Categories: Meditation;Inspirational;Book Study

Those who are included in the provisions of the covenant are sealed. The storm may sweep around them, but the great angel, who ascends from the east, cries with a great voice to the angels to whom it is given to hurt the earth, and the sea, and the trees, saying, Hurt them not till we have sealed the servants of God in their foreheads (Rev 7:3).

The only spot on which the soul is safe is within the encircling provisions of the covenant. Israel stood there, and was safe - not only from the hail, but from the destroying sword. The invulnerable walls of that sacred enclosure were the oath and promise of God to Abraham. God had bound himself by the most solemn sanctions to be a God to this people, and deliver them; it was necessary, therefore, that He should be their pavilion and canopy, catching the hailstones on His outstretched wings and securing them from hurt.

The covenant is entered, not by merit nor by works. There was neither the one nor the other in that race of slaves; but they stood there simply because of their relationship to the Friend of God. So we enter the blessed safety of the better covenant, through our relationship with the Lord Jesus, who is the Beloved of the Father, the one glorious and blessed Man. Without beauty or merit, the soul attaches itself by faith to Him, and discovers that it was loved before the worlds were made.

Ah, blessed Lover of souls, we see how the storm swept Thy heart, that it might never touch us. Thou art our hiding-place, our shield, our deliverer, our strong tower. Without dismay we Can anticipate the storms of death, judgment, and eternity, sure that wherever Thou art there can be no hail.

Nothing New Under the Sun: Drought, Locusts and Plagues
Apr 15th, 2020
CommentaryMICHAEL BROWN/ASKDRBROWN.ORG
Categories: Prophecy

How often have you heard the Bible mocked as antiquated and irrelevant? "It's a bronze age book about a tribal deity," the critics tell us. "It has nothing to say to us today." The reality is that the Bible, which is God's Word, is always relevant and timely. That's because God hasn't changed, the world hasn't changed, and human nature hasn't changed.

These Ancient Words Are Still Relevant

When our daughters were young teenagers, I once read to them a section from Proverbs which describes the seduction of alcohol and the after-effects of getting drunk. I wanted them to see how relevant the ancient Scriptures were to our modern world.

The text begins with this vivid description: "Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? Those who linger over wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper" (Proverbs 23:29-32).

God hasn't changed, the world hasn't changed, and human nature hasn't changed.

Yes, that wine glistens in the cup, but soon, it will bite. And that bite will sting.

Next is the description of drunkenness and the folly of the drunkard: "Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mind will imagine confusing things. You will be like one sleeping on the high seas, lying on top of the rigging. 'They hit me,' you will say, 'but I'm not hurt! They beat me, but I don't feel it! When will I wake up so I can find another drink?" (Proverbs 23:33-35).

Ancient words, for sure, yet as relevant today as the day they were written, more than 2,500 years ago.

There's Nothing New Under the Sun

Today, in the year 2020, God's Word continues to speak afresh, reminding us that there is nothing new under the sun. (Wait! That's in the Bible too. See Ecclesiastes 1:9.)

In recent months, there have been devastating forest fires in Australia, reportedly killing more than one billion animals.

Then there were the terrible locust invasions that ravaged East Africa, with a second, even worse wave on the way.

Then we were struck with a plague, COVID-19, which could ultimately take the lives of several hundred thousand people. (The present number of deaths is roughly 120,000.)

And in each case, despite our wonderful technology and our many scientific advancements, we have been relatively powerless. We have not been able to stop the drought, the fires, the locusts or the virus. Sometimes the best we can do is run and hide.

The Verse Right Before "If My People ... " Could Have Been Spoken This Month

And that brings me back to a passage in the Word of God, where the Lord spoke to King Solomon after the dedication of the Temple.

We are all familiar with 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says this to the children of Israel, "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

But what comes immediately before this verse? It is 2 Chronicles 7:13, which states, "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people."

This was spoken in the mid-900s B.C., so, nearly 3,000 years ago. Yet it could have been spoken this month.

Drought. Locusts. Plague. A devastated earth and a devastated people. The only solution is repentance and prayer.

Now, I am not saying that the wildfires in Australia were divine judgment or that the locust invasions have been divine judgment or that the coronavirus has been a divine judgment. God Himself knows.

Confronting the Same Problems, Needing the Same Solution

But I am saying that there is nothing new under the sun. That the same challenges that confronted the human race three millennia ago are still confronting us today. And that humbly seeking God remains the ultimate solution.

Not surprisingly, a recent America-based poll commissioned by Joel Rosenberg's Joshua Fund found that "44.3% of poll respondents said they believe the coronavirus and resulting economic meltdown is a 'wake up call for us to turn back to faith in God,' signs of 'coming judgment,' or both."

Humbly seeking God remains the ultimate solution.

The poll also found that, "Fully one-in-five non-Christians (21.5%) polled said the crisis is causing them to start reading the Bible and listen to Bible teaching and Christian sermons online even though they usually don't, search online to learn more about Bible prophecy and God's plan for the future of mankind, and have more spiritual conversations with family and friends."

As the old saying goes, there are no atheists in foxholes.

People Are Coming to God, Who Is Always the Same

Of course, some do remain atheists to their dying day, but the truth remains the same. When we are confronted with our own frailty and our inability to change life and death situations, we are more likely to pray. That holds true for believers as well as unbelievers. Calamity has a way of bringing us to our knees.

So, while some skeptics continue to mock, others are recognizing their need, turning to the Book they once ridiculed and reviled.

When they do, they will encounter the living God who still saves and heals and delivers.

That's because "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

Yes, that's in the Bible too.

Let the Headlines Speak
Apr 15th, 2020
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

For The Full Story Click on the Individual News Item

Please read these news items with discernment. We do not endorse or verify these news items, we simply present them as news reports.

Three Massive Volcanoes Erupt in Indonesia
And although all of the four volcanoes are located in the same region, their activity was unrelated. That’s because each volcano boasted a different magma chamber, reports the Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center

Dangerous Ground: NY Gov Boasts We Flattened The Curve – ‘God Did Not Do That’
The city with so many dead that a deep trench was needed to serve as a mass grave and extra laborers had to be employed to bury the discount coffins? New York City, not Mogadishu. You would think, considering all of that, that the COVID-19 pandemic would be a tremendously humbling thing. Many New Yorkers, it goes without saying, do not believe in God (this is a city with one of the highest abortion rates in the world.) “The number is down because we brought the number down,” he told the press. “God did not do that. Faith did not do that. Destiny did not do that.

“Arctic April” grips North America Breaking Hundreds of All-Time Cold Records
Record cold and snowfall hit many parts of North America over the Easter weekend, continuing what has so far been a largely Arctic April. Records were toppled across many U.S. states, with Montana, Iowa, South Dakota, and Colorado seemingly worst hit.

Mississippi mayor cancels fines to churchgoers as DOJ intervenes in coronavirus dispute
AG Barr says cities can’t single out churches during pandemic lockdown if they let other businesses operate similarly.

Trump announces funding halt to World Health Organization
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a suspension of US funding to the World Health Organization because he said it had covered up the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak in China before it spread around the world. Trump told a press conference he was instructing his administration to halt funding while “a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”

White House Leaks Draft Plan To Reopen American Economy
The plan has been seen and discussed by members of the White House coronavirus task force. But remember, this is only a piece of what is supposed to be a more comprehensive framework that each governor can adjust to their liking. A federal official who spoke on the condition of anonymity with WaPo said the final plan will have 8 parts;

Leaked emails show Fauci was called Hillary’s ‘Doctor Admirer,’ wanted Hillary to know ‘we all love her’
Fauci has emerged as a key figure as President Donald Trump wages a two-pronged attack against both the coronavirus and the disinformation campaign about it led by Democrats and the establishment media.

North Korea fires ‘barrage’ of missiles, South Korea says
South Korean military officials assessed North Korea fired missiles from both the ground and from airborne fighter jets, Fox News reported. The launches likely come as a show of force on the eve of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung’s 108th birthday, as well as a distraction ahead of South Korea’s upcoming parliamentary elections.

White House: $200 million US taxpayer-funded media company is running Chinese propaganda
The White House issued a statement on Thursday blasting a publicly funded media outlet for echoing what it described as Chinese propaganda. The Voice of America (VOA) was slammed by the White House for calling the Wuhan, China, lockdown a “model… for countries battling the coronavirus around the world” “Even worse, while much of the U.S. media takes its lead from China, VOA went one step further:

Strong mag. 6.1 earthquake – New Zealand on Tuesday, 14 April 2020 – information
– 11 hours ago. Date & time: Tuesday, 14 April 2020 01:06 UTC, Depth: 33.0 km, Magnitude: 6.1

Germany arrests five suspected ISIS members for planned attacks vs. US
The federal German prosecutor’s agency announced on Wednesday that five alleged Islamic State members were arrested in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia for planning terrorism attacks against US forces. “They jointly founded a so-called cell in Germany. They initially planned to travel to Tajikistan to take part in fighting against the government as part of the armed ‘jihad.’

Coronavirus stay-at-home orders stir protests nationwide amid fears of economic collapse
At least 15,000 cars and trucks are expected to descend on Michigan’s state capital on Wednesday to protest what they’re calling Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s tyrannical new guidelines to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus in the state. The…“drive-by” demonstration…aims to bring traffic to a gridlock in Lansing…“Quarantine is when you restrict movement of sick people. Tyranny is when you restrict the movement of healthy people,”…

‘Starve or get sick’: Africa’s lockdown dilemma
Women and children fell to the ground, bloodied and trampled in a desperate surge for food being handed out in a Nairobi slum, as police fired teargas and men with sticks beat the hungry. As African countries grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, observers warn that the traumatic scenes which played out last Friday will not be the last if governments fail to help millions of urban poor who live hand-to-mouth.

Oil market falls too big to offset with output cuts, IEA warns
The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Wednesday forecast a 29 million barrel per day (bpd) dive in April oil demand to levels not seen in 25 years and warned no output cut by producers could fully offset the near-term falls facing the market. Benchmark Brent crude futures LCOc1 fell following the IEA’s monthly report, trading down more than 4% or $1.30 to $28.30 per barrel at 1027 GMT.

Gun battle erupts in Cairo between security forces, fighters
A gun battle has erupted in Egypt’s capital, Cairo, between security forces and members of a “terrorist group”, according to state television. The exchange of gunfire on Tuesday took place in the al-Amiriyah district. A security source told AFP news agency that a policeman succumbed to his wounds following the shoot-out. Another officer was also hospitalised.

IMF projects Lebanon’s economy will shrink 12% in 2020
The International Monetary Fund projected Tuesday that Lebanon’s economy will shrink 12% in 2020 amid the country’s worst economic and financial crisis in decades. The announcement came as the local currency hit its highest pound-to-dollar exchange rate ever on the parallel market. Lebanon has suffered in recent years from a lack of economic growth, high unemployment and a drop in hard currency inflows from abroad.

Central Banks Add More Gold To Their Reserves
“…the days where the dollar is the reserve currency are numbered and we’re going back to basics.”

Wildfires continue raging in Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, ignite fear of radiation spike, Ukraine
Forest wildfires within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine continue raging in the contaminated areas on Tuesday, April 14, 2020. While Ukrainian authorities said one fire burning in the zone was put under control and there are no threats of radiation, some locals and the head of the tour guide association stated otherwise.

Literally no one has any idea how many people COVID-19 has killed
…it’s time everyone wised up about those daily COVID-19 fatality reports. They don’t represent the number of people it’s killed. They represent the number of death certificates listing it as a cause. And those two things are most definitely NOT the same.

When The American Economy Reopens, It Will Be Inside Of A Vast Permanent Network Of Digital Surveillance, Contact Tracing And Tracking
We have been telling you this the whole time, and by now it should be quite apparent, the America you knew before the coronavirus lockdown is not coming back. We told you how the coronavirus pandemic, or more accurately called the Plannedemic, was a real virus being used to bring in the New World Order. Not just in America, but in every nation around the world. America will reopen for business, no worries about that, but don’t bother locking the barn door when it does, the cow is already gone.

Trump Announces U.S. Will Halt World Health Organization Funding
“Today I’m instructing my administration to halt funding of the World Health Organization while a review is conducted to assess the World Health Organization’s role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus,” President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday at a White House Rose Garden press briefing with the Coronavirus Task Force.“

The Global Population Just Reached 7,777,777,777 People On Earth, What A Great Time For The Pretribulation Rapture Of The Church To Take Place
So, when will the Pretribulaton Rapture of the Church take place? Whenever the Father and Jesus Christ decide it’s time for it to happen, that’s when. In the first century, when the New Testament was being written, there was a custom among the Jews in Galilee, that the father of the groom would decide when the time was right for his son to go and get his bride, who was off making herself ready while he waited. And so it is with the Rapture of the Church, the Son will go and pick up His Bride, the born again, blood-washed Church that Jesus started when He went to the cross. As I was writing this article, the world population reached 7,777,777,777 people, what a great time for the Pretribulation Rapture!

The lockdowns are WORKING: Daily deaths begin to fall in the US after four weeks of social distance; two million deaths averted
Driven largely by the numbers from New York, daily deaths from the Wuhan coronavirus have peaked in the USA and may be headed for a slow downward trend over the next six weeks. This is, of course, due to the social distancing “lockdowns” that were put in place from March 15th – March 20th, breaking the cycle of exponential spread of the virus.

Now That Churches Are Closed With Weekly Services Moved Online, Google Begins Censoring ‘Unapproved Sermons’ And Deleting Their Accounts
It was only a matter of time, and frankly, I am surprised this didn’t start happening sooner but here we are. First they force all churches to shut their doors, forcing a mass exodus over to social media so church services can continue. Then when everyone makes the switch and preaching starts resounding around the Internet, now tech dictators like Googleare deciding what can and cannot be preached online.

John's Word of Greeting - Revelation 1:4,5.
Apr 15th, 2020
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Inspirational;Book Study

"JOHN", John is the servant of God according to verse one. Chosen by God to be the human instrument through which God's revelation was to come. What a privilege to be God's servant, what honor could be greater? Every believer is given some opportunity to be a servant of God. Don't miss your opportunity when it comes!

"to the seven churches which are in Asia;" This book is written to the church, to believers, not to unbelievers. The message is directed to God's children who are members of the Body of Christ, the Church!

The number seven is the number of perfection or completion, the seven churches are representative of the Whole Church of the entire Church Age. So the message is to every church and every believer of the Whole Church Age. When you hold the Book of Revelation in your hand, you are holding a personal letter from the Triune God, AWSOME!

"Grace be unto you and Peace," it is amazing that even as the book is about to reveal the awful judgment of God upon an unbelieving world, God speaks to His children and says, "Grace and Peace." We see an infinite contrast within the very nature of God. God hates sin and unbelief to an infinite degree, that degree is revealed in a Lake of Fire which will burn eternally in judgment upon disobedience and unbelief. That is contrasted with the infinite love of God for His own, who trust Him and obey Him. Jesus said in Jn. 15:9 "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you." The believer is the object of the same infinite, eternal love shared between the Father and the Son.

What a contrast, to be set aside for all of Eternity to be the object of God's wrath and judgment. - OR - to be set aside for all of Eternity to be the object of God's infinite love and blessing.

If you are not saved, do no take the issue of your salvation lightly, please go to the NEWSLETTER page and click on,"Have You Considered?" and view and hear how you can become the eternal object of God's love, instead of the eternal object of His wrath.

"From Him which is, and which was, and which is to come," This opening chapter is first and foremost about God. We see the truth about the Triune God presented. Some rightly state that the word "Trinity" is not found in the Bible, neither is the word "Bible." That proves nothing! Actually the Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek and contained no English words. That does not change the fact that the truth of the Triune God is woven in, throughout the whole Bible. The above phrase can only represent the Eternal God. So John gives us a promise from God the Father.

"And from the Seven Spirits which are before His throne." The greeting is also from the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead. Again the number seven speaks of the perfection of the Holy Spirit. ".

"And from Jesus Christ," (vs.5) In verse eight, the same description is given of Christ that is given in verse four of the Father. Why the same description of the Father and the Son? Because they are One in essence. We have here three persons, but one essence, one God. This is taught throughout the scripture. Those who reject it, cannot see it, because they are resisting the truth, because they are unregenerate. (see 1 Cor. 2:13,14)

In Jude 4: it says, "Denying our Lord Jesus Christ," Jude says those who do that are under condemnation, but Jude defines clearly what it means to deny Jesus Christ. It is not denying the person of Christ. Notice what Jude said, "Denying the only Lord God." The issue is clearly not denying the person of Christ, but denying that He is God.

This point is labored in this first chapter because, apart from understanding this truth, there is no message in the Book of Revelation, no revelation of Christ. The book is about God the Son defeating the usurper and setting up His throne on earth.

Notice CHRIST'S THREE TITLES in verse five. First, He is "the Faithful Witness." Theodore Epp said, "when Jesus Christ gave His message He was speaking as the creator of all things and controller of all things and one who has all the past, the present, and the future in His hands. He is eternal and will stand as a witness of God when all man-made things have come to nothing." As a witness Christ has given to the world the truth concerning salvation.

Second, He is OUR PRIEST, "the first begotten of the dead." He is not only our sacrifice but our Priest who offered Himself as a sacrifice for us. He is a Great High Priest because He is alive forevermore. He is the first man to enter into indestructable life, because He lives we too shall live.

Third, He is our KING "the prince of the kings of the earth." Nebuchadnezzar, learned this long ago, "Now I Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment; and those that walk in pride He is able to abase." Understand that as the book opens, a usurper is on the throne of this world, ruling over this present evil world system. The book is the record of the rightful King removing the usurper and taking his place on the throne of this world.

He shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His Father David; and He shall reign over the House of Jacob forever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:32, 33. That is the consummation of God's purpose in the Book of Revelation.