• Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.

  • CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.

Bible study

Status
Not open for further replies.
B

Ben12

Guest
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John: Who bare record of the Word of God, and of the Testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that read, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." (Revelation 1:1-3).

Blessed is he that reads, hears, and keeps the message of this Book. There is a special blessing reserved for those who do so, yet so often people have shunned the Book, either because it was veiled to their understanding (though it is declared to be a revelation), or else they thought it was too negative--- filled with images of beasts, woes, and the various judgments of God. But as the holy Spirit causes His light to shine upon the truth, again and again we find it to be a positive message of hope and victory.

Furthermore, note the phrase, "For the time is at hand..." He does not relegate this to a far-off future series of events, but it becomes experientially worked out in each of us as He draws us to Himself, conforming us to His image. As Jesus stated, "The hour comes, and now is..." (John 4:23). For those whom He is drawing to Himself as the firstfruits of His new creation order, it is not only coming, but already begun. The in working process has started, and must continue until it is fully consummated, to His glory. So, for the multitudes it is coming, for the firstfruits it is on now, as they "taste the good Word of God, and the powers of the world (age) to come.'' (Hebrews 6:5).
It has been said, there are five ways to interpret the Book:

1) Historically, it all happened a long time ago.
2) Present, in our now, but mostly negative, as people try to fit the events of their day into its pages, wondering if these certain happenings fulfill the judgment and doom they have been told is to come, to signify times end, though they hope they can escape from it all.

3) Futuristically, it will all happen out there some time.

4) Idealistically, poetically, using mental images from which to form your ideals and values, etc.

5) All of the above, practicing parts of each. Perhaps that is how many view it today. Some of it is viewed historically, some of it is viewed

prophetically, and betimes men look to see if it verifies the time table that "the end is upon us.'' While occasionally passages are used to draw images and pictures that men apply to their day, as they interpret various points and fit them together.


Now we would present a different approach, as the holy Spirit quickens various passages, and gives us a POSITIVE VIEW, with our Lord Jesus Christ as the Center of our focus, for this is declared to be, "A REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST." This phrase tells it all. The book was written for one purpose, to be the revelation of a Person, not of historical events, nor of future doom and negativism. Every woe, every vial, every thunder, etc. has but one purpose, TO BRING FORTH THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. All that is written of beasts, images, marks, Babylon, etc. are simply issues that are exposed because of the Light. Every revelation of Him will expose the darkness, not to bring terror, but to swallow it up into the Light. "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world though Him might be saved." (John 3:17). SALVATION IN FULL is the ultimate victory to be brought forth. "Behold, I make all things new." (Revelation 21:5). Amen!
Furthermore, God "sent and signified it," that is, He revealed the message through signs and symbols. They are not literal, HE IS THE REALITY! The signs and symbols are but a means to an end, not an end in themselves--they point to Him, revealing more of His nature, His character, His purpose, that He might be glorified, for the fulfillment is found in HIM. This is a book of positive spiritual realities communicated by the means of these picturesque scenes and events. You will not read of their fulfillment in the Daily News, because they are not speaking of world events. This is the unveiling of a Person who has not yet been seen in all His power and majesty. But as He is revealed TO US, and IN US, you will see these things fulfilled in a people who are becoming ONE IN HIM--thus it is a revelation of Him, albeit also being in a people who share and manifest His glory.


Significant that twice in the first chapter (1:8,1:11), and twice in the ending chapters, (21:6, 22:13) emphasis is given, "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, says the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." It is this fact which makes this such a positive Book. From the Center to the Circumference, from the Beginning to the Ending, it is GOD ALL THE WAY. The more He becomes the Alpha and Omega of all things in our own life, the more our eyes are single unto Him to see Him in all the happenings that unfold in our pathway, the more we rejoice in the positive outworking of the will of God in us. However negative an event in our life might first appear, because HE IS THE OMEGA we know that all is secure--His will is being done "on earth, as it is in heaven."

 
Upvote 0

MrsSagorski1611

Active Member
Feb 17, 2007
88
7
40
Florida
Visit site
✟30,233.00
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Politics
US-Others
I am not a person with a lot of patience, Noah had to have had a LOT of patience! There was people laughing and scoffing at him, I'm sure his wife and sons weren't exactly always 100% with him too. They might have questioned... "What on earth are you doing dad!?"
 
Upvote 0

WorshipngWarrior

Active Member
Feb 24, 2007
131
10
Virginia
✟22,791.00
Faith
Messianic
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Republican
Actually, the Lord brought Noah to my mind this morning; not having read the entire thread here and being new... well, I am just going to dive in...I was meditating on the Lord's timing and His wisdom. Then I was thinking about the different ages when God told His people something that was about the future and how they handled it. Like Abraham and Sarah who were promised and child but before the promised child came , they took the matter into their own hands and Ishmael was created. Then I thought about the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai who became impatient, insecure and took matters in their own hands while Moses was on the Mt. w/God. They created their own god.

Then I thought about Noah - who was faithful to obey the Lord and plugged away to build this ark. I began to think about the confidence he had in God so that no matter what he saw or heard; he did not veer from the directive given him by the Lord.
 
Upvote 0

JPPT1974

Happy USA 250th!
Mar 18, 2004
292,133
11,561
51
Small Town, USA
✟627,149.00
Country
United States
Gender
Female
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Single
Politics
CA-Conservatives
I am not a person with a lot of patience, Noah had to have had a LOT of patience! There was people laughing and scoffing at him, I'm sure his wife and sons weren't exactly always 100% with him too. They might have questioned... "What on earth are you doing dad!?"

Tell me about it my friend as I
Don't have any kind of patience
Sorry to say. But Noah did have a lot
Of patience even though his family didn't
Always agree with him.
Noah knew that however, God was with him
When his family didn't understand him.
 
Upvote 0

rita727

Well-Known Member
Jul 29, 2006
10,532
1,299
In the South
✟42,068.00
Country
United States
Gender
Female
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Private
LOL...I never can get the spelling right.
Haha, dat's okay Bob. :thumbsup:

I don't have much patience either, and I'm also a shy person. I imagine Noah got a lot of spotlight while he was making a boat out in the heat.
 
Upvote 0
Status
Not open for further replies.