Will people be saved during the tribulation?

Revelation Chapter 7

When we get to the seventh chapter of Revelation we encounter our first parenthetical chapter. What I mean by this is that the things described in this chapter could be placed in parentheses. The events of chapter seven actually occur in the midst of the events surrounding the chapter.

Many have questioned whether people will have the ability to be saved during the tribulation period. I think this chapter does a pretty good job of answering that question. I have heard many say that it will be impossible for someone to be saved once the tribulation begins. I cannot agree with that position based on the contents of this chapter. With an open heart and mind we will see what God says about this subject in chapter seven.

Chapter seven deals with two groups of people, in two different places. In the first portion of the chapter we are told of the 144,000 sealed Jews who go out to preach the gospel of the kingdom. In the latter portion of scriptures we are told of a multitude of Gentiles who will be saved during the tribulation.

In this chapter we see the love, compassion, and tenderness of the Lord. It is refreshing to see the compassion of God displayed in the midst of this terrible tribulation. God does not find pleasure in judgment, but rather is forced to display judgment because of the wickedness on the part of man. But these judgments are not just intended to punish, but to get people’s attention as well.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”   Romans 6:23

When chapter seven begins we see that God instructs the four angels, on the four corners of the earth, to hold back while God causes a great revival upon the earth. Just as God has 7,000 reserved who would bow their knee to Baal in the days of Elijah, God will have 144,000 who will not bow their knee to Antichrist.

God saves, calls and seals 144,000 Jewish boys. This seal will be the Father’s name written on their forehead and I believe will be visible, just like the mark of Antichrist will be a visible seal.

There is a good deal of confusion surrounding the 144,000. Let me say that they are NOT the church. The church is not upon the earth, but rather was raptured in chapter four. This group is NOT the “faithful observers of the Sabbath” as the Seventh-day Adventist claim. This group is NOT the “over-comers of the flock” as the Jehovah Witness claim. This IS literally 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.

These men will be anointed by the Spirit of God to preach the gospel of the kingdom.

Joel 2:28-29

At this time the Holy Spirit working through these sealed Jews will go about saving those that will call on the name of the Lord. Many do not believe this to be true for they do not believe that the Holy Spirit will be working in the earth during the time of the tribulation hour. This is not true, for we are witnessing the working of the Spirit in this chapter.

II Thessalonians 2:6-12

The word letteth is the Old English word for hinders. The point Paul is trying to make is that of the Antichrist and his rise. The Holy Spirit hinders the rise of the Antichrist until he is taken out of the way. These scriptures simply tell us that the hindering presence of the Holy Spirit is removed, not His total presence.

If one truly believes that the Holy Spirit is equal with God then they must believe that the Spirit has the same attributes as God. God is all knowing, all-powerful and all present. God is everywhere at all times, thus the Holy Spirit is everywhere at all times. The Holy Spirit therefore cannot be taken out of this world for He is everywhere.

Psalms 139:7-10

The presence of the Holy Spirit upon earth will produce one of the greatest revivals the world has ever known. These 144,000 will preach the gospel of the kingdom. They will preach the shed blood of Christ on Calvary, for this has always been and will always be the shed blood of Christ. They will also preach the advent of the king.

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”   Matthew 24:14

This is not the message of His first coming but his second. This message will be like that of John the Baptist. Therefore if we want to know more about this gospel we will need to look to John.

John first of all preached repentance.

“Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” Matthew 3:2

Second he preached the blood.

“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world”   John 1:29

The last part of his message was that of the coming of the King. This part of the message was not accepted. But one day soon the 144,000 will again preach this message and this time multitudes will accept the message and be saved.

After these Jews go forth preaching the gospel of the kingdom John now sees an innumerable group of people from all over the world standing before the throne of God in heaven. This group is not the church and they differ if studied. This group stands and has palms in their hands, while the church sits on thrones, wears crowns and holds harps and golden vials.

John tells us that this group is wearing white robes, which signifies that they have had their sins washed away by the blood of the Lamb. John also sees them waving palm leaves which speaks of victory won through the power of Christ. They are joyous for they have overcome the world and the devil.

Some will claim that this innumerable group is the church, but this is not the case. Notice that John is asked by one of the elders who this group is. John answers that he does not know, but that the elder knew. The elder tells John that this group is “those who have been saved out of great tribulation.” Friend you can say what you will but this an innumerable group who have been saved during the tribulation period. What a blessing it is that in any dispensation God is faithful to save those who will call on His name.

When we pick back up in chapter eight we will see the opening of the seventh seal, and the beginning of the seven trumpet judgments. Progressively the judgments will get worse and worse as we will soon see.

The Rapture of the church! Revelation chapter 4

Chapter four begins the third division of this book. You will remember in chapter one that Jesus told John to write the things that “thou hast saw, the things that are and the things that will be hereafter.” This tells us that the book is written in chronological order, past, present and history.

John begins this chapter with the phrase “after this.” Well that brings up the question “after what”? After the time of the seven churches is fulfilled. After the church age is over John sees a door in heaven open and hears a voice from heaven cry “come up here.”

This cry is no doubt the rapture of the church. It will be at this time that the Lord will return to this earth and call away millions of believers who are upon this earth. This rapture will send the world into a state of panic. Millions of people will go missing. Airports, highways and hospitals will be shut down.

Husbands and wives will be missing from their beds. Workers will go missing from their job. Every child will be gone all at one time. This will open up the door for the man of sin to enter the scene with an explanation of what is going on in the world.

This rapture will be a literal return of Christ in bodily form to literally call believers to heaven. Many do not believe that Christ will come bodily to call away the church, but we are told in Acts 1:9-11 that Christ will return in like manner as He went away.

How did Jesus leave?

“Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.”   Luke 24:39

Jesus possessed a literal, physical body that could be seen, touched and heard. When Jesus returns He will have a body and those that are going to be called to meet Him will see him.

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doeth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”    I John 3:2

This time that we call the rapture is the first stage of the second coming of Christ. Some will say that the rapture is not a Bible teaching because the word rapture is not mentioned in the Bible. Well the word Bible is not mentioned in the Bible, but nobody seems to have a problem with it. The rapture is different however than the revelation of Christ which is the second return of Christ.

Rapture                                                                Revelation

Described in chapter four                            Described in chapter 19

Precedes the tribulation                              Follows the tribulation

A meeting in the air                                       A return to earth

Removes the believer from the                Restores the believer after the judgment                           judgment

This call in verse one is the same call as in I Thessalonians 4:16-17. So this answers the question, “will the church be on earth during the tribulation hour?” The answer is NO! The church will not be on earth during the time of the tribulation. The church is mentioned 16 times in chapters one through three but is not mentioned in chapters 6 through 18, which deal with the tribulation judgments.

Why is the church not mentioned you may ask? First of all the tribulation is Israel’s judgment according to the scriptures.

“Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble: but he shall be saved out of it.”   Jeremiah 30:7

“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince that standeth for thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book.”      Daniel 12:1

Not only this but the first 69 weeks of Daniels vision was directed and spoke about the nation of Israel. If this is the case would it not make since that the 70^th week also be toward Israel.

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”     Daniel 9:24

Let me therefore state again that the church cannot be seen in the book of Revelation between chapters 6 through 18. You do see however the Jew and Jewish terminology mentioned over and over again.

Well, you say, I believe that the call of verse one is a call for John only and does not apply to all of the church. Well if this be true then explain to me chapter 4:10. This verse states that the four and twenty elders fall down before the throne and begin to cast their crowns at the feet of the Lord.

When are the believers to be crowned? After the rapture of course.

“And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”    Luke 14:14

“And when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.”     I Peter 5:4

It is obvious that the judgment seat of Christ must take place before the believer is crowned. If this be the case then when John sees these believers in chapter four they have already been raptured and crowned. And again these are the things that are to happen hereafter.

As John begins to see this vision the first thing that John sees in heaven is a throne. This throne was not vacant, but one sat upon the throne. Many may not agree with me on this but I believe that the scriptures teach that it is God the Father that is sitting on this throne.

Not only do we see the throne and the person upon the throne, but we also notice the rainbow around the throne. The first mention of a rainbow in the Bible is found in Genesis 9:13-17. In these verses God speaks to Noah and makes a covenant with him that He would never destroy the earth again with a flood. But this rainbow was only a semicircle. In fact the rainbow that you and I see today is a semicircle. The rainbow in heaven is a complete circle around the throne. In this world we only see half of things, but in heaven we will see the whole of things.

In Noah’s day the rainbow was a sign of a covenant based on the sacrifice of Noah in Genesis 8:20-22. The rainbow about the throne in heaven is also a sign of a covenant based upon a sacrifice. This is the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross.

Why is it so important for John to see this rainbow? This proves that God is a covenant keeping God. While he is about to bring great judgment upon the earth He will keep his promise made to Noah thousands of years before

Now notice these twenty-four elders. Who do they represent? We know that they are not angels or “living creatures.” These twenty-four represent those who have been redeemed from mankind. The name elder never is applied to angels in the Bible; neither does the Bible mention that angels will ever wear crowns or sit on thrones. Only redeemed men will wear crowns and sit on thrones.

I believe that these twenty-four represent the saints of the Old and New Testament. These are those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. More than likely the twenty-four represent the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles, meaning that these represent all redeemed from the Old and New Testament. This I believe is a good possibility for when we see the New Jerusalem come down from heaven in chapter 21 we are told that there are twelve gates that have inscribed on them the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. This city also has twelve foundations each foundation having the name of one of the twelve apostles written upon it.

Lastly notice the living creatures. The word here used, “living creatures”, literally means living being. These are not angelic beings, for they are distinguished from the angels who are mentioned in a class by themselves in chapter five. Neither are these creatures’ redeemed men for they do not join in the song of redemption sung in chapter five.

                                               

These living creatures do not wear crowns nor do they sit on thrones. These creatures are the guardians of the throne of God and they accompany it any where it goes according to Ezekiel 1:24-28.

The first mention of these creatures is in the book of Genesis 3:24 where they are called cherubim’s. They are placed at the entrance of the Garden of Eden to prevent the reentrance of Adam or Eve.

Then when God gave the instruction to build the tabernacle to Moses He instructed Moses to build the Ark of the Covenant with two Cherubim’s upon it. These two were the guardians of the mercy seat or the place where the presence of God came down and meet with the people.

But it was not until Ezekiel’s vision that we are given a description of these creatures.

We also can gather from the scriptures that there must be some sort of order of living creatures. For example in Isaiah’s vision of the throne of God he saw a Seraphim or different order of living creature. This Seraphim had six wings and cried “Holy, Holy, Holy.” But they stood above the throne, while Ezekiel’s creatures stood under the throne and John’s stood in the midst of the throne.

In verses 9-11 the four beasts begin to rejoice and it causes the elders to break forth in praise. As they begin to praise the one on the throne they fall down upon their knees and begin casting their crowns before the throne. What a tremendous day this will be when the saved of all mankind fall down before the one sitting upon the throne and cast their crowns before his feet.

For more information on this chapter watch the lesson I taught live from Landmark Baptist Church.  http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15911927

Revelation 3

In my last blog we discussed the first four churches mentioned in Revelation chapter two. In this blog we will discuss the last three. Let me remind you that these seven churches not only speak of seven literal churches in Asia Minor, but they also represent seven periods of church history. The vision of the seven churches is sandwiched between two visions. In chapter one we have the vision of the glorified Son of Man and in chapter four the vision of the twenty four elders around the throne in heaven. Therefore there must me some prophetic significance to the writings in chapter two and three.

Sardis

This Sardis church began about 1520 A. D. and extends through 1720 A. D. This church however will continue into the tribulation period. This period covers the time period commonly known as the reformation period. This was a time of dead religion. This dead form of religion is still found in the Laodicean church of today.

The name Sardis means “the escaping one” or “to come out”. In the reformation period the predestine religion became a state sponsored religion and was embraced by millions that never truly came to know Christ. But during this time there were a few that were still alive. Men like Martin Luther who stood for truth, and the freedom to reproduce the scriptures in a language the common man could understand. It was October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg Germany.

Thus this church is the mother of dead religion. What was said about the Sardis church could be said of many churches today. We have a name that we are alive, but truly we are dead. I wonder how many churches today are dead in the eyes of the Lord, but in their eyes there is nothing wrong?

Once the Lord brings attention to the dead state of the church He calls upon them to repent. The Lord will lay out a five-fold plan for repentance.

The first thing the Lord asks this church to do is to be watchful and alert. 

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”   Romans 13:11

Second they are to strengthen the things that remain. Do everything possible to strengthen and keep alive the little bit of true religion they had.

Third they were to remember therefore how thou hast received and heard. They were commanded to remember the early days of their salvation, the days when they were alive with passion, zeal and a hunger to do the things of God.

Fourth they were to hold fast the truths of the gospel. God wanted them to get rid of the baggage or the excess things and hold fast to the truths of the gospel.

Five they were to repent. This was a church wide repentance not merely an individual repentance.

Even in the midst of this deadness there were a few that were true to the scriptures. These are promised the white garments of verse 4 and then they are promised the following in verse 5. The white raiment mentioned in this verse will be found on the bride of Christ when we see her at the marriage supper of the Lamb. In addition to this we are promised that our names will remain in the book of life for eternity.

Philadelphia

The Philadelphia church began in 1750 A. D. and continued until 1900 A. D. Again, this church will be found on earth until the time of the rapture. The name Philadelphia means brotherly love and this well describes the type of church this was.

This is one of the greatest churches in history. They had an open door, which probably speak of missions. Notice that this open door is promised by the one who holds the key of David. During this period in time doors were open in Korea, China, India, and Africa.

Although this was a great church it was not a church that was with little strength. This church was like a man coming back to life. It is the dead Sardis church revived. This is also a good way to describe this church era. It is a time of great revivals.

Revivals of great men like George Whitfield, D. L. Moody, Charles Finney and John Wesley.

With the little strength they had they stood for the word of the Lord and they did not deny the name of Christ. Because of this many were won to God.

Christ promises that He will make the false brethren bow before His feet. This will no doubt happen one day at the time of judgment.

“For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”    Romans 14:11

Finally they are promised that they will not have to endure the great tribulation that will soon come upon the whole world. This does not mean that this church would never have a hard time or face opposition, but that they would not be present when the time of great tribulation came upon the world.

This further proves the fact that the true church will not endure one minute of the great tribulation, but rather will be removed before that time begins.

Laodicea

The Laodicean church period covers the time from 1900 A. D. until the tribulation hour. This church is a working church, but they are working in a lukewarm fashion. This church is no doubt a type of the churches today. We will have revival meetings with paid singers and preachers, but we are missing the presence of God. This condition is so vile that it makes the Lord want to throw up. Christ would rather a church be freezing or on fire.

In this age the church is very prosperous monetarily. They are richer than they have ever been. If you look at churches today you will see that millions of dollars are being invested in fancy buildings, stained glass window and ultra plush pews.

In the midst of this building and money spending we lose the sight of the Lord. On the outside we appear rich, but truly we are poor. (Notice the contrast to the church in Smyrna who thought they were poor, but Christ said they were rich.)

This church is blind for they cannot see the millions around them dying and going to hell. If you were to visit one of these churches they would show you their great building, talk about all the programs they have to offer, maybe even brag on their fine preacher. All the while they are incapable of seeing their true condition.

Probably one of the saddest verses of scripture is Revelation 3:20. The church is told that Christ is standing, excluded on the outside of the church. What makes it even sadder is that this church has no idea that Christ is no longer there. They did not ask Christ to leave for they are carrying on like nothing had ever happened. Somewhere along the line Christ had removed Himself. He was no doubt removed because of the sin and lukewarmness of the church.

So how does Christ get back into the church? It is simple He must be invited. There is no need for a vote for committee. Christ simply says that if any man will open the door He will come in. Individually the members of the church must open their heart allowing Christ the rightful place He deserves.

In my next blog we will move to chapter four and deal with the rapture of the church.

It’s Time to make your voice heard!

When you read through the book of Esther you see a development in the life of Esther. After she receives the news that the wicked Haman had plotted against the Jews she is nervous and afraid. As she develops she moves to prayer, steps out of faith in appearing before the king and now in this chapter the time has finally arrived when she must make her voice heard. God has set the stage for what we see in chapter seven.

Throughout the pages of the Bible God’s people are told to make their voices heard. We are told to make our voice heard in praise. During the triumphant entry of Christ, we are told that the people cried “Hosanna” “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” The disciples wanted to quite the crowd. Jesus told them that if they were to be quite the rocks would cry out.

We are told to make our voice heard in witnessing. Jesus gave the example of the man who made a wedding celebration for his son. Once the wedding was prepared he called for the guests. One by one the guests declined to come. Because of this, the man told his servant to go out into the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, so that his house would be full. What a great example of the witness we should be.

We are told to cry out against sin and the list goes on. The church has been silent too long. It is time make our voices heard.

Speak up before the king

In chapter seven we see the seventh banquet mentioned in the book of Esther. The three main guests at this banquet are the king, Esther, the queen, and Haman. I’m sure that when Haman goes to this banquet he does so with mixed feelings. He is happy to be the invited guest of the queen, but at the same time his pride is hurt because the honor he just had to give to Mordecai in chapter six.

As the king did on two other occasions he asks what the petition of the queen is. Once again he offers her up to half of the kingdom. (This did not mean he would really give her half of the kingdom. This was an expression used to demonstrate that the kingdom was willing to be generous.) It seems that this petition of Esther is something that has been weighing heavy on the kings mind. He does not waste any time in asking Esther about it. I’m sure this has been heavy on Esther’s mind as well. No doubt she has rehearsed this speech many times.

Her request was that her and her people be spared from certain doom. You will remember way back in chapter two that Mordecai had instructed Esther not to reveal her nationality when she entered the contest for queen. She has kept that secret this whole time. I’m sure this statement perplexed the king. I can see the shock in his face. “What does she mean her people?” “Is she not Persian?” “Has a secret been kept from me?”

It is now time for Esther to take her place with her people. For her to do this was to not only identify her nationality, but to reveal her religion as well. In this day to be identified as a Jew was much more than nationality. Having made her request it is now in the hands of the Lord.

Startled the king asked who the person was that would do such a thing. Either the king is looking for someone to blame or he does not even realize yet that Esther is a Jew. The king was already hit with one surprise when he found out that his queen was a Jew. He is going to be hit with another. He is about to learn that his number one man is the one responsible for this problem.

Speak up before it’s too late

I can see Haman’s mouth fall open. He has no words. He does not know what to do. Haman may not have known, but God has promised that no weapon formed against His people will prosper. God promised Abraham that he would bless those that blessed him, and curse those that cursed him.

The king is so shocked and enraged that he storms off from the table into the garden. We don’t know what was going on in the king’s mind. It may have been anger. It may have been embarrassment. It could be far more than these two things. Did Haman really want to slay the queen? If Haman wanted to kill the queen could it be that he was involved in the crime of Bigthan and Teresh? Could he want to kill the king as well?

I don’t know what the king thought but I know that it was not by chance that the king was just reminded that a Jew named Mordecai saved his life. If Esther was a Jew, and Mordecai, the man that saved his life was a Jew, then why would he want to kill the Jews? The king walks up and down in the garden trying to control his anger.

When the king returns to the room he sees Haman pawing at the couch of Esther. Haman knows that his last resort is to beg the queen for forgiveness. Seeing this, the king immediately accuses Haman of trying to molest the queen. This crime is punishable by death. The gallows that Haman constructed for Mordecai were convenient, so they take Haman and hang him on his own gallows. Apparently Haman had let it be known that he intended to hang Mordecai, because the people of the palace knew about the gallows he built.

The day before Haman led Mordecai around the city with royal apparel on. Now he is being led through the city with his head covered. No doubt Haman’s wife and his ten sons witness his execution.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”  Galatians 6:7

Haman sowed hatred against the people of God. Haman attempted to kill Mordecai by hanging him on the gallows. Now Haman is hanging 75 feet off the ground with a rope around his neck.

National Day of Prayer

As most of you already know today is the day that our nation has set aside as a day to pray. While I believe that everyday should be a day of prayer, it is wonderful that we set aside a day to remind us of the need to pray.  I can’t help wonder how our nation, our world, or even our homes would be different if we pledged to make every day one of prayer.

 

I thought I would take just a second and share my prayer with you today.

“Lord, I’m so thankful today. I have been blessed beyond what I deserve. You have blessed me with a wonderful home, with health and with happiness. Most of all you have blessed me with the privilege of knowing you as my savior. I’m so glad that on February the 23, 1993 you saved a 14 year old kid who was on his way to hell. From that point I have never been alone. You have me your Spirit who lead, guides, and comforts me every day.

Today I pray for my family. I love my wife and two girls. I’m glad that you placed them into my life, and could not imagine my life without them. Bless them today, give them protection and happiness. Please bless mine and my wife’s family, my church family, my pastor and his wife.

I pray for those that we love who are suffering today. I pray for those who have sickness, heartache and suffering. I pray for those who are sick in sin. I have family that is lost. I lift them up to you today pleading for their soul. Lord please don’t let any of my family die lost. I pray for that small group of people who I am privileged to minister to. I pray for my Sunday school class, the children I minister to at church and for the one who is reading this blog.

I ask your protection over our country. America is not what she once was. We have allowed too many distractions to come into our lives that have caused us to take our eyes off of you. Please send revival to our country once again. Let it begin with the local church and move throughout our communities, our states and our nation.

God you are good, your mercy is great and your truth endures through all generations. You are worth our love and praise.

In Jesus name, Amen.”

That is my prayer today. What is yours? Have you prayed today? Let me finish by saying that if it has been awhile since you last prayed, today would be a good day to fix that problem.

Your friend in Christ,

Joshua Sharp

Is God glad we killed Osama Bin Laden?

I usually don’t post two blogs in one day, but this is something that has been on my mind all day. I thought I would share my thoughts on this subject in this blog. So, Is God glad we killed Osama Bin Landen? The answer to this question is two-fold. Truthfully the answer is yes and no.

Let me begin by saying that the Lord takes no pleasure in the death of the unrighteous. God spoke through Ezekiel telling us “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”  There has never been a sinner die and go to hell and God be pleased about it. “God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

In my blog earlier today I talked about the death of another wicked man by the name of Haman. (If you did not read my earlier blog it's entitled "It's time to listen to the voice of God.) Haman was a man not unlike Bin Laden. He hated the Jews, he hated the one true God and he was willing to murder and kill if that is what it took to promote his cause. It is wasn’t for the hand of God moving on behalf of the Jews Haman would have succeeded and eliminated the Jewish population. But before God allowed Haman to be killed he warned him on more than one occasion to repent of his ways.

Had Osama Bin Laden been willing to repent of his ways and turn to God then I believe he could have found salvation. John 3:16 tells me that God sent His Son to die for the sins of the whole world. Osama Bin Laden is burning in hell as I write this blog, and although he was a terrible man, God takes no pleasure in his death.

While God does not take pleasure in the death of the unrighteous, He does from time to time have to eliminate them. A lot of praise will go out to a lot of people for finding and killing America’s number one enemy. The fact of the matter is that if God was willing they never would have found him.

I believe that Bin Laden's hatred for America was because we supported Israel. His number one enemy was the Jew and that meant we were his enemy as well. The trouble with being the enemy of the Jew is that, when you are the enemy of the Jew you are also the enemy of God.

Way back in the book of Genesis God told Abraham that he would make him a great nation. Along with the promise came another promise. God promised to bless them that blessed Abraham (his decedents the Jews) and curse them that cursed Abraham. God has made good on that promise. One of my heroes J. Vernon McGhee was famous for saying “The Jews have been around to attend the funeral of every enemy who tried to kill them.”

Osama Bin Laden was an old enemy with a new name. His name could have just as easily been Pharaoh, Caesar, Haman, Hitler or Stalin. Each of these men have in one way or another tried to eliminate the Jewish people and each of these men have suffered a similar fate to that of Bin Laden.

Woe unto the person, or nation that turns to harm the Jew! It is my hope that America will forever be the friend of Israel. God will bless those that bless the Jews. The day we turn our back on our Jewish friends is the day God turns his back on us. Let us, as the people of God, pray that that day never comes.

God took no pleasure in the death that took place late last night, but the enemy of the Jew is the enemy of God. Osama Bin Laden picked the wrong fight.

It's time to listen to the voice of God

Have you ever heard the saying “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”? Well that could not be said for Haman in Esther chapter 6. The fact is, as when chapter six begins it will be the last day of the life of Haman.

When I taught this lesson to my class at church I titled chapter six “It’s Time to listen to the voice of God.” If Haman would have listened to the voice of God this day may have went different. Before the chapter is over Haman will be warned many times about his wickedness, and on each occasion Haman will ignore God’s voice. Haman continues to run head first into his wickedness.

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”   Ezekiel 33:11

The fact is that God has no pleasure in the death of a sinner. God does not want anyone to die lost and go to hell. The Father rejoices, the Son rejoices, the Spirit rejoices, and the heavens rejoice when a sinner is saved. If Haman would have turned to God he could have been saved. God would have loved to save Haman.

God speaks His will, verses 1-3

Many times God speaks to us without us even realizing it. We assume that when God speaks He does it in such a way that there is no way we can misplace His voice. This is not always true.  Sometimes God speaks in a “still small voice” as He did to the prophet Elijah. Sometimes He speaks through an event in our life. Sometimes He speaks through others. Maybe He speaks to us through something we read, or hear. In chapter six He will speak through a sleepless night.

I believe it is important that we train ourselves to hear the voice of God. There have been many times that God has spoken to me. Most of the time when God speaks He does it in a small way. A nudge saying maybe you should do this, or not do that. I try my best to listen.

This night in Shushan was a sleepless night. Haman is up all night supervising the construction of the gallows that he intends to hang Mordecai from. The king is up all night as well.  Shakespeare wrote, “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,” King Solomon agreed by saying,

“The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.”  (Eccl 5:12)

I’m sure that the king had spent many nights awake. No doubt the king had many responsibilities and worries that kept him up at night. He worried about the finances of the kingdom. He worried that someone would try to take his life. Maybe he ate too much at the queen’s feast. We don’t know why he is awake, but God is keeping him awake for a purpose. This night however will be one of the most eventful in history.

Since the king is unable to sleep he orders one of his servants to read to him. Again, this is the hand of God working. The king had many forms of entertainment at his disposal. He could have called for a musician to play music or a troubadour to tell him a story in a song. He could have called for some of his officers to come play a game. He could have called for a woman to come to his chamber. Instead the king asks one of his servants to read to him.

The Persians had a strict order of honor and rewards. This kept the people loyal to the king. As the servant reads the account of something in the mind of the king clicks. It’s like a light going off. He realizes that nothing was ever done to honor Mordecai for saving his life.

You can almost picture the servant reading and the king sitting up in his bed asking, “You didn’t read what was done to honor that man. What did we do for him?” The servant looks over his notes and replies, “Nothing was done to honor him.” If Mordecai would have been honored 5 years before, the events of this day could not have occurred. There was a definite reason that Mordecai’s deed was wrote down, but no honor was given.

God speaks to the wayward, verse 4-14

God takes no pleasure in the unrighteous, but he also takes no pleasure in the unrighteous person’s death. The bible is clear that God does not bring judgment without first bringing a warning. Before Judas betrayed Christ he was warned. Paul tells us in his epistles to warn the unruly. God does not just judge someone without first giving them the opportunity to repent.

I have seen God warn people about their sin. I have also seen people ignore the warnings of God. To see someone ignore the warnings of God is one of the scariest things you can watch. In these verses we will watch Haman ignore the warnings of God. We will also see what happens to a sinner that continues to ignore the warnings of God.

Haman hasn’t slept this night either. He has been up all night supervising the construction of the gallows he intended to hang Mordecai on. Once they are built he goes to the palace early to get permission to kill Mordecai. I’m sure Haman thought that if he would get permission early then Mordecai would have to hang there all day, giving everyone the opportunity to see his dead body.

When Haman arrives the king hears someone stirring in the court so he asks who is outside. When he finds out that it is Haman he calls him into his bed chamber. Again, the hand of God is moving. Had Haman arrived an hour later the king may have already consulted with one of his other advisors. God wanted Haman to be the first one there. God wanted Haman to be the one that spent the day honoring Mordecai, not killing him.

When Haman is called for the king asks him a question without giving the background of the question. “What should be done to the man the king wants to honor?” Haman thought the king meant him. After all, he was the prime minister. He had been given the ring of the king. He was given permission to destroy the Jews. Surely the king was thinking of him. Little did Haman know that before the day was over the situation would be reversed. Haman would spend the day honoring Mordecai and the gallows that were meant for Mordecai would hold his body.

Imagine the sequence of events. First he has to go find Mordecai and bring him to the palace. He has to put the royal clothes on him and get him on the king’s horse. Next, he had to walk up and down each street of the city proclaiming that this was the man that the king wanted to honor. When all this was done he was to take Mordecai back to the palace, remove the clothes from him and send Mordecai away. This was quite a day.

When the day is over Haman heads home. He has his hood over his head like someone has died. He has been publicly humiliated and does not want anyone to see his face.  When he arrives home he again gathers his family and friends like he did in chapter five. What a difference a day can make. This time he does not call them to brag, but to share his humiliation. When he tells his wife and friends about the day he has had his wife speaks up. What she says is very interesting.

Basically his wife is saying that there is no way Haman can prevail over Mordecai. God is sending another warning to Haman. Had Haman repented of his deeds and asked for forgiveness, God would have forgiven him. This may have spared the lives of himself and his ten sons. I don’t know if she thought the day was a bad omen or if she knew the history of the Jews, and God’s promise to Abraham. She did know something was not right. Just as Pilot’s wife warned her husband not to have anything to do with Jesus because of the dreams she had the night before. Haman’s wife is warning him about bad things that lay ahead.

While they are discussing these things a knock is heard at the door. It is an escort come to bring Haman to the banquet Esther is making. As Haman leaves he has no idea he is headed to his last meal. Oh, how things would have been different if Haman would have listened to the warnings of God.

Watch your mouth!

This past week I experienced something that shocked me. Let me start by saying last week was not a good week. Everything that could go wrong did. Mainly the trouble came from work. Those of you who work with the public know there are some crazy people out there. Some people feel like the world is out to get them and then there are those that feel like if they scream and yell they can get anything they want. They do this with no regard to the person on the other end of the screaming temper tantram.

Well last week I had two such customers. Both yelled, screamed and cursed at me with really no reason other than the fact they felt it would help them get their way. You may ask what this has to do with my blog on theology. The reason this is relevant is because one of these men is an usher at one of the largest Baptist churches in Knoxville and the other is a priest at a local Catholic church. That’s right, two men that claim they are religious, love God and attend church on a regular basis yelling, screaming and cursing.

The only thing that I am thankful for was that they were doing this to me. That’s right, I’m glad it was me they were cursing at. The reason I am glad is because I already know Christ. I am saved. I have a good church to attend. Imagine if they were doing this to someone who did not have the background I have. What if it was a lost man they were cursing at? Would that man think to himself, “If that’s the way a Christian acts then they are no better than me.” “If that’s Christianity I don’t want anything to do with it.”

No wonder James tells us that the tongue is set on fire from hell. “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.”

So this got me thinking. First I’m thinking about my own tongue. Let me be very clear that I have never cursed at someone because I was not getting my way. At the same time there have been many times when I have lost my cool and said things that I wish I could take back. Most of the time these hurtful things are said to the ones that I love the most, namely my family. I’m sure that you readers have never done anything, or said anything hurtful to your loved ones, but I have.

Second, I am thinking how embarrassing it is that those of us who say we belong to Christ act like we belong to the Devil. How can you be an influence on someone who is lost, if you cannot control yourself? The answer is that you can’t. You cannot bite some ones head off, and then invite them to church Sunday. There is a reason God placed our tongue behind a wall of flesh and a wall of ivory.

Let me finish by saying that when we are unable to control our tongue we are not only hurting the ones we are speaking with, we are also hurting the church of Jesus Christ. Let me give you the same advise I’ve been giving myself the past couple days, “Sometimes I need to just shut up.”

It's Time to take action

Esther Chapter 5

In the fourth chapter of Esther we read the account of Mordecai’s mourning. This mourning eventually comes to the attention of Esther. Mordecai explains to Esther the evil plot of Haman to destroy the Jews. Haman has convinced the king to sign into law a decree that allowed the Persian people to kill the Jews, take their possession, and the Jews were not even allowed to defend themselves. When Esther is presented with these facts she determines that she will go before the king (a potentially deadly decision) and beg for the lives of her people.

I have titled chapter five “It’s Time to Take Action.” Just to determine to help was not enough to save the Jewish people. If the Jews were going to be helped, Esther would have to act on what she had determined.

A church was praying one night that God would do away with the new night club that was built right next to it. While gathered around the altar praying the congregation heard sirens, ran outside and saw the night club burning up in flames. The congregation was so surprised that God had answered their prayers. Then the pastor notices one of his members running around the back of the church with a can of gasoline in one hand and a lighter in the other. The pastor asks what the member is doing. The dear sister replies “sometimes you have to put legs on your prayers.”

I’m not saying that you should do something this crazy, but I am saying that sometimes we need to put legs on our prayers. Just think what would have happened if David would have just prayed that Goliath would go away. What if Moses would have just prayed for God to make a way around the Red Sea? What if Jesus had have just prayed that God would provide a way for us to be saved? What if Esther would have just prayed for God to change the kings mind?

No doubt all of these people prayed, but each of these people put some legs on their prayers. Sometimes it is not enough just to pray that God will save your family. Maybe you will have to go after them. Sometimes it is not enough just to pray that God will restore your home. Maybe you have to make it happen. It is not just enough for you to pray for God to use you in His service. You have to get busy. Esther is about to get busy putting legs on her prayers.

Take Action on the things you Ask for

When chapter 5 begins we see the king sitting on his throne. No doubt he is surrounded by his attendants and officers. He is conducting some sort of official business. While the king sits on the throne, in an alcove stands a very nervous Esther. Esther had been preparing for this moment for three days. When she steps into the throne room the moment is dramatic. I can picture Esther stepping into sight and just standing their nervously waiting for the king to notice her. The question is will the king raise his scepter to her? We have no record of this, but I would imagine in that moment Esther prayed.

You can almost see as the king looks up and notices Esther. In the midst of the crowd of people around the king, he notices Esther. She must have been striking. In that moment the king’s heart is moved toward Esther and he raises his scepter to her. Can you see her smile? I can. She goes forward and places her hand on the end of the scepter.

He knows that she has come with a need. Something is troubling the queen, maybe she is trembling. Seeing this, the king wanting to make Esther feel comfortable, tells her that she can ask whatever she wants and he will give it to her. Instead of making her request known, Esther invites the king and Haman to a lunch. She wants Haman there when she lets the king know that he has tricked the king into the death of the Jews, her death.

The question is, “Why didn’t Esther just go ahead and tell the king Haman’s evil plot?” Dr. Wiersbe says there are at least four reasons.

1. It wasn’t the right time? The king was unprepared to receive this shocking news. It could have been that the king would have considered her accusation an act of treason, or maybe just gossip.
2. It wasn’t the right place. It would have been against palace etiquette for the queen to make her plea publicly.
3. Esther wanted Haman, and only Haman present when she told the king about the evil plot.
4. One more event had to occur before she could share her burden with the king. This will happen that very night. We will see this in the next chapter.

Take Action on your Attitude

The chapter ends with the wicked Haman calling his friends together and bragging about the day he has had. Haman is so excited. He was the honored guest of the king and queen. He has also been invited back the next day to another banquet.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”   Proverbs 16:18

There are a few things that men like to brag about. They like to brag about their riches, the money they make. They like to brag about their children, or grandchildren. Then they like to brag about their promotion or position. Haman boasted about all three of these things. Notice the number of times the word “his” is used. He is so full of himself.

The last thing men like to boast about is how great they are with the women. Haman is bragging that the queen invited him to lunch, and then tomorrow he will eat dinner with her. If Haman knew what the queen had in store for him, he would have turned down the invitation. Things are not going as well as he thinks.

But, all of these good things are meaningless as long as Mordecai will not bow to him. The size of the man can be determined by the size of the things that irritate him. Mordecai was only one man, a man that Haman should have ignored. Instead Haman complains that all the good things that have happened to him are meaningless because Mordecai will not bow to him.

Haman’s malice is so great that it has infected his wife and friends. It is suggested by Haman’s wife that they build gallows for Mordecai. So that night Haman had built gallows 75 feet tall. I would like to point out that the name Mordecai means “little”. Mordecai was a short guy. Why build gallows that tall? The reason that Haman does this is because of the hatred he holds in his heart. Satisfied with this plan Haman ends the night with construction of the gallows that will eventually end his life.

Christian?

The phrase “Christian” is one that is heavily abused today. We say that we live in a “Christian nation”. Most people here in the south will proudly proclaim that they are “Christians”. But have you ever stopped and asked yourself, “What does it really mean to be a Christian?” I think we might be surprised by what it truly means to be a Christian.

To be a Christian means that you are like Christ. In Acts chapter 11 the disciples were the first group of people referred to as Christians. These men were called Christians because they conducted themselves in a way that reminded the people in Antioch of Jesus Christ. Therefore to be a Christian you must be like Christ. So, that brings up a good question. What was Christ like?

Jesus was a man who cared more about others than He did himself. Everything that Jesus did, He did for someone else. From the time that Jesus left heaven to be born in Bethlehem until the present, when He is seated next to His Father making intercession for the child of God. Everything He did was for others. When Jesus walked among men He confessed that there were times that he didn’t even have a place to lay his head, but when the multitudes came to hear Him teach and grew hungry He always found a way to feed them. Jesus was mocked, beaten and killed by an angry mob. Why, because He cared more for others than He did Himself. He cared more about your sins and my sins than He did His own personal wellbeing.

Jesus went about to do good. Everywhere He went He was looking for someone to bless. Jesus was a shining example of how to care for the poor, how to reach out to a community, how to share the good news that is the gospel message. Whether it was healing the sick, feeding the hungry, teaching the ignorant, He always went about to do good.

I could say so much more. Jesus was a man that had compassion. Jesus was a man who was willing to compromise when necessary, but unwilling to compromise when necessary. Jesus was a man who believed in hard work, paying your bills, being honest in business and helping your fellow man.

So, this brings me to another question. Are you Christ like? Are you a Christian? Do you care more about others than yourself? Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was. He answered that the greatest commandment was to love God with all your heart, but He quickly added that the next greatest commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself.

Do you go about trying to do good? Could it be said of you that you are compassionate? Are you willing to compromise if needed, and at the same time unwilling to compromise on certain things? Do you work hard, pay your bills, and are honest in business? If you can’t answer yes to these things then you may not be as much like Christ as you think you are. Oh how we use that term “Christian” so loosely.

Let me say before I finish that another characteristic of Christ was that He always had His priorities in the right place. When Martha complained that her sister Mary was not helping her with the house work Jesus answered that Mary had chosen the “good part.” You see, Mary was not working around the house because she was sitting at the feet of Jesus. On another occasion Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for complaining about the disciples. The Pharisees did not feel that the disciples were doing enough for the poor and needy. They felt they should spend more time working in the community and less time with Jesus. To this Jesus explained that the poor and needy would always be around, but He would not.

It is possible to get so involved in helping others, working in the church and in the community, that we lose sight of what is really important. Jesus complimented the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2 for all their hard work, but also warned them because they were so focused on their work they lost sight of their love for God. It is sad when a church ceases to be a church and becomes a community outreach center. Yes, we are to help others, but that should never take the place of spending time with God.

I know it seems like a fine line we are supposed to walk. Jesus said that the path that leads to heaven is straight and narrow. Fortunately we do not have to walk this path alone. Jesus knew that we would need help, so He promised that he would never leave us alone. I challenge you to examine yourself. Ask yourself the question. Could it be said you are a “Christian”?

Refuse to no nothing!

Esther chapter 4

In Esther chapter three we read about the terrible decree of Haman that sent shock waves through Persia. Haman has convinced the king to put a group of people to death. Without a concern the king signs the decree. As the decree goes forth the Jews are afraid and mourning, while the people of Shushan are confused. Esther is secluded in her royal palace and doesn’t even know about the problem.

At this time there are around 15 million Jews in the kingdom of Persia. All of them are going to die. The only option is to pull up stakes and leave, but there is nowhere to go. Even Israel wasn’t safe because it was under the control of Persia.

In chapter four we see the reaction of Mordecai and his call for help from Queen Esther. It was no coincidence that Esther is in the position she is in. God will use her to do an amazing work.

When Mordecai heard about the decree the king had signed he tears off his clothing, puts on sackcloth and ashes and begins to morn. Mordecai completely believed the decree would be carried forth. The Laws of the Meds and Persians was unalterable according to the book of Daniel.

At this time there were approximately 15,000,000 Jews in the Persian Empire. Now because of one very small man each of these lives is in danger. Let me point out that 15 million lives were at stake, but only one man was willing do anything about it. These other Jews were going to lose their life. Their children were going to die. Destruction was coming, but they do nothing about it. This reminds me of the average Christian, we see trouble ahead, sin is killing our family and we just sit back with our head in our hands and do nothing about it. Thank God there was one man who was not willing to sit back and do nothing.

I wish we would get to the place in our minds where we say, “I can’t do everything, I can’t do what someone else does, but I refuse to do nothing!”

Mordecai is not afraid to let everyone know where he stood, who his affiliation was with. At first he was not willing to reveal that he was a Jew, but in the face of trouble it brings out the best in him. Sometimes trouble is good because it brings out the best in some of us.

While this is happening Esther is perfectly safe inside the kingdom. This bad news had not reached into the palace. When news finally arrives that Mordecai is mourning in sackcloth and ashes Esther does not understand. They tell Esther that Mordecai is moaning, groaning, crying and making a big show of it. In light of this news Esther does the only thing she knew to do. She takes a brand new suit of clothes and sends them to Mordecai. If the king was to come out to the gate and see Mordecai like this he would be in trouble.

Let me say in passing that the new clothes could not change the king’s decree. So many times we try to change the punishment of sin by putting on a new set of clothes. Some people put on religion. Some put on self righteousness. Others put on the coat of denial. The problem is that none of these will change the situation.

Mordecai did not accept the clothes. Mordecai knew that a new suit of clothes could not solve the problem. I can imagine that when the clothes return back to Esther she knew something was wrong.

Mordecai sends a message back to Esther telling her the reason for the mourning. He tells her of the decree to kill the Jews. Mordecai even sends a copy of the decree to Esther so that she is able to read it for herself.

When Esther receives the decree and reads it for herself she does not know what to do. If she approaches the king without being called she could easily be put to death. If she does nothing millions of Jews will die. Because she is confused she reaches out to Mordecai for help. Mordecai was her adopted father, and gives her some good advice.

Mordecai begins by explaining to her that if she does nothing than she is going to be killed any way. Just because she is in the king’s house that does not mean that she will not be slaughtered with the other Jews. Haman would make sure that ALL the Jews were killed, even the queen. Later we will discover that the king didn’t even know Esther was a Jew.

Then he asks the question “who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Mordecai is able to see the hand of the Lord in the life of Esther. It is not by chance that Esther is on the throne.

God has been arranging things for this very reason. Looking back thousands of years we are able to clearly see the hand of God moving in the affairs of the nation. It was no accident that Vashti was put away. It was no accident that Esther won the contest to become the queen. God has been moving all the time.

I would imagine that this was much harder for Esther to grasp. Esther did not have the benefit of history. Esther could not see the end result. It took faith on Esther’s part to believe it was God’s hand moving in her life.

So many times troubles and trials arise in our lives and we react like Esther. We are scared. She believed that if she went in to the king, she would be put to death. This was the end for her in her mind. This trial was going to be the death of her. All she could do is have faith that this trial was not going to kill her, but benefit her.

There may be someone reading who is facing something that they believe will be the end of them. You believe that this trial cannot be overcome and the outcome is going to be bad. It could be that this trial is not for your harm, but for your benefit. Can I encourage you to have faith in God? I know that you cannot see the end result, but be assured if God brought this into your life; He will bring you through it.

The lion that tried to kill Samson later fed him. The giant that tried to kill David became a stepping stone to make him king. The sorrow and sickness that tried to kill Job became a blessing to him in the end. The suffering that killed Jesus became the means of victory for you and I. God may not be trying to kill you. Maybe he is trying to bless you. Esther was not accidentally the queen. God was going to make this trial a blessing.

God knows what is going to happen tomorrow and next week. He knows the end from the beginning. All we can do is trust Him. One day you will be able to look back on this trial and see how God brought you through.

With nothing but faith in her heart queen Esther tells Mordecai to have the Jews fast. She and her maids would fast. And then in three days she will go before the king. If she dies, then she dies. She is willing to do what she can do. She refuses to do nothing.