Revelation 8

Scripture

 

Revelation‬ ‭8:13‬ ‭ERV

 

“While I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying high in the air. The eagle said in a loud voice, “Terrible! Terrible! How terrible for those who live on the earth! The terrible trouble will begin after the sounds of the trumpets that the other three angels will blow.”

 

Observation-What does it say?

 

In this chapter, the seventh seal from John’s revelation is revealed. The opening of the seventh seal reveals the appearance of seven angels with seven trumpets. When the first angel sounds his trumpet, hail, fire, and blood come hurling down to earth, burning up a third of the earth’s trees and grass. When the second trumpet from the second angel sounds, something like a huge mountain gets thrown into the sea, killing a third of the living sea creatures and ships, and turning a third of the sea into blood. The third trumpet being sounded will cause a great star to fall from the sky and land on a third of the rivers, and contaminating a third of the earth's water supply. Then when the fourth trumpet is sounded a third of the sun, moon, and stars are struck, turning them dark. This causes a third of the day and night to be without light. It’s then in John’s vision that he hears an eagle call out “Woe! Woe! Woe to the people of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

 

Understanding-What does it mean?

 

Just when you think it can’t get any worse...

 

John’s vision from God is a pretty scary thought. With all those calamities just from the first four trumpets being sounded, and then an eagle flying by pretty much saying “you ain’t seen nothing yet folks!” I don’t want to imagine what it would be like living on earth during these times. I mean it sounds like the weather is going to be really cold and dark, and food and water are going to begin to be really scarce. It’s a really scary thought for anyone who is left behind during the rapture. Something a person shouldn’t wish on anyone! But the good news is we still have time. We don’t know how much time we have left, but I think it’s best we better take advantage of what time we do have. Time to tell our family and friends the good news of the gospel of Christ. Time to share to anyone and everyone. The signs are upon us that time is counting down towards the end. We should take the Marine Corps attitude that we “leave no man behind.”

 

“And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.”

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Matthew‬ ‭24:6-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

 

Life Application

 

Like a good boy scout, I must be prepared.

 

“A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:45-51‬ ‭NLT‬‬

 

-Moses Gaddi

Psalm_63

Scripture

Psalm 63:3-5³ Because your love is better than life,    my lips will glorify you.⁴ I will praise you as long as I live,    and in your name I will lift up my hands.⁵ I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;    with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 

Observation

Because Your [lovingkindness] is better than life: This is the reason why David was so motivated to pursue God. The [lovingkindness] of God was better, more meaningful to David, than life itself. This means that David both knew and experienced something of God’s [lovingkindness] that many believers today do not know and experience.

• People regard life as natural; David regarded God’s great love as natural.
• People enjoy life; David enjoyed God’s great love.
• People value life; David valued God’s great love.
• People will sacrifice to live; David would sacrifice for God’s great love.
• People want to give life to others; David wanted to give God’s great love.
• People despair without the sense of life; David despaired without the sense of God’s great love.

…David spoke of a satisfaction that too few people know, even among believers. He spoke of the deep satisfaction that comes in a surrendered seeking of God, of receiving His great love, of praising God without reservation.Taken from https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-63/ 

Understanding

Pastor Gary closed out yesterday’s message with a call to action – to step into our destiny!  He also spoke to how the “inoculated God” is how many people live…a little God here, a little there just enough to make us feel good but not enough to live in His power. But it is in His power, in our destiny that we get to experience what David is talking about here – a love better than life.  That power, that full satisfaction won’t come in the inoculated version, but only when we turn, about face towards God and seek Him fully.  

Life Application

God, I want to experience you fully! May I stay unsatisfied with the pieces of you or the fragmented love of the world…may I turn to you – fully, wholly, completely – and may I be unwilling to settle for anything less.In your name I pray, Amen.Rei

Psalm 62

Scripture  Psalm 62:5-6  My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

Observation-What does it say?  The authorship of this Psalm is attributed to David.   In his life, David saw a lot of troubling times. Some of these were brought on by others, while some were a result of his own decisions.  In this song, we see David committing his plans to God. It displays trust in Him, despite all of the wickedness around. David reminds us that God is truly the One who wields power, not those around us who we perceive as holding power over our lives and who we allow to put burdens on us.  

Understanding-What does it mean?  As part of my job, I had to go through a formal field training period.  It was one of the most stressful times I have ever experienced. Everything I did for a five month period was observed, critiqued, evaluated and documented.  The rest of my career was dependent on my performance during this time. For the better part of the first two months I was failing miserably.  

One day, as I was driving into work, I was listening to a podcast that was discussing parenting and being a father.  During the discussion, the statement was made, “If you want to feel like a man, act like a man.” Essentially, sometimes you have to fake it till you make it.  I had heard similar statements before, but never really thought of a practical application. So when I made it to work, I started acting as though I was the most successful person in my department.  Eventually, I passed field training and, for now, the rest is history.

With as crazy as life can be, I find myself having to constantly remind myself of God’s goodness and His mercy.  Even though I know the Bible is true and God has a purpose and will that is righteous, I find myself in places where I don’t believe it to be true.  Which is why worship is so important, it is a verbal reminder of what is true and a way to put our minds in a place to accept God’s goodness and His will.  
God knows that we have a tendency to forget Him and His goodness.  In Deuteronomy 6, Israel was instructed to fake it till they made it as they were going into the promised land.  4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 

Life Application  Jesus, I will sing of Your love and greatness everyday.  I will talk about Your mercy with my friends. I will meditate on Your words and write them down in my life.  Help me make my actions a living book that people around me can read Your love and greatness through.  

 

-Tyler R. Galloway