GREENE STREET LETTERS: Revelation Now

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Revelation Now

I have been studying.....wait for it........her it comes.......in the book of Revelation. NOOOO!!!! Not Revelation!!! Yes.

I found a book by a man named Clarence Larkin that was written in 1919. I first was made aware of Clarence Larkin while I attended Central United Methodist. He had written a book called Dispensational Truth, and I was drawn to it to study and read it.

Yesterday, while visiting my local Christian Bookstore, I ran across a copy of REVELATION by Mr. Larkin and decided to purchase it. The very first thing I encountered was something that I don't think I ever read in any other commentary on this particular book.

Revelation 1:3-- Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. Notice....it says you are blessed when you read this book. No where does it say you have to understand it. It is a book filled with imagery and symbolism and in-your-face-truth. If you begin a study on Revelation you will find a gazillion commentaries with a gazillion different ways of looking at the book. Mr. Larkin said we are simply blessed when we read it. We are blessed when we "keep those things which are written in it." What things? Salvation.......our inheritance..........over and over and over Jesus says, "To him who overcomes." The blessing comes from pressing on in Christ. Not giving up. (and as a side note...you can't press on when you're sitting down doing nothing)

No matter what your slant is on scripture, it is hard to refute that we are living out God's plan today. Each day that passes pulls us closer to the events in Revelation. Some of which are currently being played out around the world. All the talk of moving to a one world government and a one currency financial system are all precursors to events we see in Revelation. We are in the most incredible times and seasons as we will see God in a way that we have never seen Him before.

In John16:33 we read:

These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Praise God!
The only peace that will be available will be in Christ. Turmoil and stress will be the order of the day. But those who follow Jesus will be in peace.

Maranatha LORD Jesus!

Verse Of The Day:

John 16:31

Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?"

1 comment:

Bobby said...: The main focus of the book is Jesus. It's a revelation of Jesus Christ. I haven't heard Larkin's name in years.; May 8, 2009 at 9:12 PM

Looking At The World Through Cracked Lens

As ol' Paul wrote in his Corinthian letters.."We see in part and we know in part." Now what piece of this bit of wisdom do we not get? I wish to not run around acting and trying to be some sort of Biblical G00-Ru (I meant to spell it wrong). Or a sage of sages.

I simply want to be able to communicate some of what God has given to me. Why? Do I think what I get is better than what you may have received from Him? Nope. But I do think encouragement comes when we share our daily story of struggle and victory in an effort to encourage each other.

Thanks for letting me share.

Time to soldier on..

mbb

Our Statement of Faith

We believe that God is the eternal king. He is an infinite, unchangeable Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, goodness, justice, power and love. From all eternity He exists as the One Living and True God in three persons of one substance, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit equal in power and glory. we believe that God created mankind in His image, male and female, for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth. Under the temptation of Satan, our original parents fell from grace, bringing sin, sickness and God's judgment of death to the earth. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God's good creation. Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam's original sin. Human beings are born into sin, subject to God's judgment of death and captive to Satan's kingdom of darkness. We believe that Jesus, God's Son, was sent to this world, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary, fully God and fully man in one person. He is humanity as God intended us to be. Jesus was anointed as God's Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit, ushering in God's kingdom reign on earth, overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation, preaching the good news of salvation, healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. Jesus' atoning death on the cross took God's judgment for sin which we deserved as law-breakers. Jesus' resurrection and ascent back to heaven opened the door for those who received salvation to begin a relationship with God.

Little Nets Into Deep Waters

Fishing nets were designed for one purpose only. To catch fish. Nets are no good if they stay on the boat. Nets serve no purpose if they are never used. I think maybe God sees us this way. We are all created for a purpose (by the way, the creator gets to define what our purpose is). Any other use besides the one we were created for does us no good. But when the creator places His hands upon us, casting us out into those scary, dark places with deep waters, it is then we can see the reality of our purpose. He knew there would be a catch waiting for us. I think I will be the net God has called me to be.

The Twelve Steps

As a community of people in recovery, we affirm that our higher power is Jesus Christ. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Just as God told the children of Israel He was going to give them a promised land, He has revealed to us that He desires to give us a "Promised Life." When Israel got to the promised land, God instructed them to go and in a possess it, fight for it and claim it. In recovery, the 12 Steps are the directions given to us on how to fight, possess and claim this promised life.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Revelation Now

1 comment:

THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD