And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2
I put my head down, so she asked me what was wrong. I told her when I thought of giving up the things I love to do, my stomach would turn into knots and I would feel miserable.
"I don't understand why I feel this way," I said. "Part of me really wanted to change, but I didn't feel like I could, so I gave it to God, but I knew I wasn't going to do anything about it. I need to understand why it was so hard to do what was right."
"Darin, you have let yourself be conformed to the standards of this world for so long, that when you felt convicted, you probably thought you had to give up everything that was sinful in God eyes in order to feel like you were truly saved. But, when you thought of giving up the things that you have grown to love; like, partying with your friends, smoking pot, pre-marital sex, and whatever else that you have grown to love that is a part of this sinful world, you felt miserable.” She continued, “You had no desire to give up the things that are displeasing to God, thus feeling like you weren't truly saved.”
"You need to start with the little things, instead of the things that seem impossible to give up. After that, you can gradually work your way up, and then God will give you the strength to give up the things you love," she said. "Then you will know the will of God, and you will be able to glorify His name through the many experiences you have encountered in your life. “
I thanked her for making me understand and for giving me hope, because I didn't think I was ever going to be able to change with the way I was going about it. I felt relieved because her way made more sense, and it was going to be a lot easier.
After I calmed down from being so excited with what I had learned, I helped my mother prepare lunch. As she ate, I grabbed the lesson she wrote for me and started going over it.
After I finished reading it, I started thinking of the discussion we had and I asked her, "Mom, what was that verse that you quoted from Revelation?" She answered by quoting (Revelation 1:3) which says, blessed is the one who read the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
Then she asked, " What made you ask me that?” I answered, "Because you really got my attention by telling me some of things that will happen after the coming of the Lord. I was wondering if you could teach me more about the book of Revelation, so I could use it to have more of an impact on Kelly or anyone else for that matter."
She told me that she wished she could, but she didn't think that she was the right one to teach me, because the book of Revelation is very hard to understand, and she didn't want to mislead me. She could tell I was a little bummed out, so she told me that she thought she heard Michelle Holcomb was home from college for Easter break.
Then she said," I will ask her mother on Thursday night bible study, if Michelle would be interested in going over the Bible with you. Since she's going to a Christian college, she probably knows the book of Revelation, better than I do."
I told her I would love to get together with Michelle; if that was something she wanted to do. So, she told me she would find out on Thursday, and then she would let me know. After that, she had to go back to work, and I went on with the rest of day.
By the time Thursday came, my mother could see that I was trying to work on the little things, like doing things around the house without having to be told or doing what she asked me to do without giving her a hard time. She even made a comment about it at lunchtime, by telling me how proud she was of me for my effort. Before she left to go back to work, I told her I would try and get home earlier than normal, so she wouldn't have to wait up for me. But by the time nightfall came, I had forgotten about what I said to my mother. I was with Karen, and when I was with her, nothing else mattered. She was the most important thing in my life.
When I was on my way home, I thought about what I told my mother and I looked at my watch. It was after eleven, so I drove as fast as I could to get home. When I arrived, I went straight to my mother's bedroom to see if she was awake. I opened up her bedroom door and whispered, "Mom, are you a wake?"
She rolled over and answered, " Yes, I've been waiting for you to get home, so I could tell you that I saw Michelle at church. She said that she would be more than happy to get together with you."
After that I told her I lost track of time, and that I was sorry for making her wait up for me. Then I asked her if there was a specific time Michelle wanted to get together. She said, she told Michelle that I would call her tomorrow morning. I said, “Tomorrow morning! Why so soon?" She answered, "I figured tomorrow morning would be the best time, because you pick up Karen from school in the afternoon. And I'm pretty sure she starts spring vacation tomorrow, so you wouldn't have any free time the following week, because you would be with Karen the whole time she was on vacation." I thanked her for thinking of me, like she always did, then I kissed her goodnight. After that I started to leave, but then I told her I all most forgot something. She asked, " What?" I answered, " I asked Karen if she would go to church with us for Easter Sunday and she said, she would." Then I asked her to pray that God could use this time for Karen to want to know Him as her Lord and Savior. She told me she was very happy she was coming and that she prayed for both Karen and I every day.
The next day, my mother got me up before she went to work and told me to call Michelle. I didn't want to get up at first, but I knew if I didn't, I would miss the only opportunity I would have before Michele left. So, I got up and called her on the phone. She told me that my mother filled her in on most of the details, so she already knew what brought about my interest and why I wanted to learn about the book of Revelation.
She also let me know that she was very interested in the book of Revelation and throughout her studies, she found Revelation to be very powerful and sad. After she told me that, I started asking her questions about what she had learned. She told me it would be better if she explained when we were together, so we made plans to meet at the church at 9 a.m.
We both got there around nine and went to a private room, so we wouldn't be distracted. I showed her the lesson that my mother wrote to prepare me for my visit with Kelly. She told me that she could tell my mother had put a lot of thought into her lesson for me, and that it was very good.
Then she told me that my mother told her, that I went to Kelly's church and that she thought it might have caused me to question the Bible that we used.
“I never came out and said that” I said. “I told her that I was a little confused, because their Bible didn't seem much different from ours.” Then I paused and asked, “What makes you believe that the Bible we use is the true word of God?”
“By faith,” she answered quickly. “The faith I have in the Lord, our Savior, tells me that our Bible which is the same Bible many different religions use and have been distributed around the world is the true word of God. From Genesis, written at the time of Moses, to Revelation, written by the apostle John, about 65 years after Jesus' death.”
Then she said, “The books of the Bible had many different authors living in different times and in different places. Yet not one of these writers contradicts another. God guided them, so that they wrote in their own words what he wanted them to say. This means that the Bible is a completely dependable and a trustworthy book, and we can believe in everything it says because it comes from God.”
She said that in 1611, the best-known English Bible, the King James Version, was published. It was revised many times over many years but remained the standard translation well into the twentieth century. During the second half of the twentieth century, many new translations became available. The most popular is the New International Version. It's a completely new translation of the Holy Bible made by over a hundred scholars working directly from the best available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek text. The fact that participants from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand worked together, and gave the project its international scope. That they were from many dominations- - including Anglican, Assemblies of God, Baptists, Brethren, Christian Reformed, Church of Christ, Evangelical Free, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist, Nazarene, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, and other churches helped to safeguard the translation from sectarian bias. The entire International Version underwent three revisions, during which the translation was examined for its faithfulness to the original languages and for its English style.
All this involved many thousands of hours of research and discussion regarding the meaning of the texts, and the precise way of putting them into English. It may well be, that no other translation has been made by a more thorough process of review and revision from committee to committee than the New International Version. Furthermore, there are many people, like John McDowell, who thought Christians were out of their minds. He put them down, and he argued against their faith. He wanted to prove the Bible to be historically untrustworthy. But in his quest, he found and abundance of evidence, evidence that he would not have believed if he had not seen it with his own eyes. It brought him to the conclusion: if he were to remain intellectually honest, then he had to admit that the Old and New Testament documents were the most reliable documents in all antiquity. In his book titled In More Than a Carpenter, Josh focuses on the person who changed his life – Jesus Christ. It's for people who are skeptical about Jesus' deity, his resurrection, and his claims on their lives.
Here is a clip for a sermon my Pastor did that talks about his quest to prove the Bible wrong and how it changed his life in the end.
She continued to tell me that there have been other groups of people who have also spent many hours of review and revision, which have led to other publications of the Bible, and the founders of new dominations. But, again, it was the King James Bible that was used as a foundation for people to use, because it was the standard translation since 1611. There are many Christian scholars who have made it possible for us to have a better understanding of the Word of God, because of the precise way it was translated into the English language, but even still, you have to ask God to show you the full meaning of His word, so that you can live according to His will.
CLICK the image for a more in-depth look into God's word.
Each member, who was involved in the final publication of the New International Version, is accountable to God and his commandments. (Deuteronomy 4:2 NIV) says, “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it but keep the commands of the Lord you God that I give you.” And (Deuteronomy 12:32 NIV) Says, “See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.” (Proverbs 30:5-6) “Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge Him. Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” And in (Jeremiah 26:2-3 NIV) “This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord's house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen, and each will turn from his evil way. Then, I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done.”
I was amazed with her knowledge of the Bible and told her that because of what she said and the scripture that she showed me, I would never doubt God's word again. But because of what I learned, I asked her, “If these verses come from God's word, then why is it so evident that there are other publications written from the King James Bible that have not kept the commands of the Lord our God?”
She answered with scripture, (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 NIV) says, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”
By my reactions, she could tell I was upset and asked if I wanted to continue our study another day. I told her I was all right and that I wanted to learn more, so she asked me to turn to (Revelation 22:18-19). It states, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book; if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
After we finished reading the two verses, she said, “Since this is a prophecy of the future, the weights of the consequences are more severe. We have all been warned, yet there are so many people who are blinded by sin, that they will and have ignored the prophecies of God.” Then she said, “God warns us of people like this in (Romans 16:17-19 NIV) which says, “I urge you brothers to watch out for those who cause divisions and puts obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent of what is evil.”
After that, she grabbed my hand and said, “Darin, there are many people who will never believe what the Bible says to be true and will never come to know Jesus as their personal savior. Even if Jesus came down from heaven and performed many miracles just like he did when he walked the earth as a man, there would still be people who wouldn't believe. Just like the high Priests, who knew the prophecies of Moses, rejected him and did not believe him to be the Son of God.”
Then she quoted (Matthew16:4). “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to them, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” She continued by saying, “Some people have told me they would believe in Jesus, if He showed them miracles like those in the Gospels. But what makes them think they would react any differently than the religious leaders of Jesus' day? Anyone who sincerely seeks the truth has all the evidence necessary for faith. The resurrection of Jesus is a historically credible event. The power of the risen Christ can be seen in many of His Followers. The New Testament speaks to the mind and heart of every sincere seeking soul. To ask for more is a hypocritical request. Demanding a miracle to believe in Jesus ignores the evidence of his resurrection.”
After that, she explained herself by quoting (John 3:19-21 NIV), “This is the verdict; Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of the light, because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
Then she squeezed my hand and said with a firm voice, “We are all without excuse.” I looked at her as if to tell her I didn't understand; so she told me to turn to (Romans 1: 18-20 NIV). “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
The title of this photograph is ' Lake of Fire.'
Then she said, “I stated earlier that I found Revelations to be powerful and sad.” I shook my head yes and she continued by saying, “It is powerful because the wrath of God is being revealed to us through visions seen by the Apostle John, 'who testifies to everything he saw- that is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.’” (Revelation 1:2) Then she said, “Darin, you will be able to appreciate John's visions, because of your broad imagination.” After that, she told me to turn to chapter 4. She read the whole chapter and I followed along. After she finished reading, she said, “The Sea of glass, in verse 6, probably represents God's holiness, which “sets Him apart even from those who dwell in Heaven.”
Then she said, “It would also have the effect of reflecting the brilliant, gem-like light around the father and magnifying the awesome blaze,” which is told in verse 3. After that we read chapter 6. Then she stated, “The first time I read chapter 6, it made me sad because 'the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves. Instead of repenting, they called to the mountains and the rocks to fall upon them, so that they would be hidden from He who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.”
Theory of Intelligence Part 4 -explains the meaning of this photograph in detail.
It starts at, 'A Deeper Meaning of Revelation'
After that I said, “You would think that after the 6th seal, they would have gotten on their knees and repented, especially after 'the sun turned black like sackcloth, the moon blood red, and the stars fell from the sky.'
She agreed and said, “The imagery of the four horsemen in 6:2-8 comes from Zechariah 1:8-17, 6:1-8. An in the Old Testament, horses were rarely used for peaceful purposes; they suggested war to the Jewish mind.”
Then she said, “Before the seventh seal was opened, the angels of the four corners of the earth were instructed in a loud voice in chapter 7 verse 3 'Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.'” Then she looked at me and said, “The 144,000 were from the tribes of Israel, and they were selected by God to warn people of the seven bowls of God's wrath that was yet to come, and that they could escape His wrath by the repenting of their sins.”
After that, I looked at her and asked, “Why did God instruct His angels to use trumpets in Chapter 8 verse 6?” She answered by saying, “Deep in the History of Israel, trumpets were used to warn people of an emergency and to summon them to battle. So, it is natural for the prophets to use them as a symbol to warn the people of an approaching judgment.”
She then told me to turn to Ezekiel 33:2-6, which states, “Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.'
When she finished reading verses 2-6 of Ezekiel, she said, “Darin, if you have any doubts of where you might end up after you die then don’t wait another minute before making sure that when the trumpet of the Lord sounds you will leave this earth at the Rapture. After that trumpet, after the church is gone, it will be too late to reconsider.” Escape the coming night (Volume 2 Pg 34)
I replied, “You don’t have to worry about me because I know where I’m going.” Then she told me to turn to Revelation chapter 9 and she read from verses 1-6. 'The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. And out of the smoke, locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffer was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. During those days, men will seek death, but will not fine it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.'
When she finished reading, she looked at me sadly and read verse 6 again, 'During those days, men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.' She looked up again. She was expecting me to say something, but I was speechless. I put my head down and she continued to read verses 7- 11, which gave a description of what came out of the Abyss.
After closing my eyes and imagining what it would be like, I heard her say, “The terrors described in chapter 9 would make even the bravest person faint with fear.” Then she said, “You might imagine that after all the wrath that God rains down, people would acknowledge Him and repent. However, that is not the case because Revelation 9:20 says, ‘The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands.’” (Charles F. Stanley Daily Bible Pg 1534)
I shook my head and said, “Michelle, I don't understand how people could still reject God after all we have just read; especially, when it's all right here in black and white.”
She answered by saying, “By the time the trumpet judgments sound, there is a hardness of heart that has overcome people in the world. I know it sounds like a sorrowful sight but the thought that those people will face the final judgment should move Christians to proclaim the gospel openly now while hearts are still receptive.” (Daily Bible Pg 1534)
Hebrews 3:13 admonishes, “Exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
Michelle stated, “It’s always a joy to read and proclaim the Word of God, but some of that Word–like the passages describing catastrophic divine judgment–give me no pleasure, nor the prophets or to the Lord. (Charles F. Stanley Daily Bible Pg 1538)
After that she turned to chapter 10 and read verses 8-11. Then she said, “John is told that he must yet preach ‘about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.’ (10:11) But John is warned not to preach this message of judgment unless he has assimilated it into his own life.” With a tear running down her face, Michelle explained herself by saying, “Too often we traffic undigested truth. People preach about judgment when it ought to bring tears to their eyes. It’s only when we have internalized the message will there preaching have power and authority.
After wiping her face she continued by saying, “Anyone who preaches only that which is sweet like honey is missing the rest of the counsel of God. The same Gospel that sends me to heaven will send another to hell. The preacher who doesn’t preach all the message of God does a disservice to those who listen. (Escape the Coming Night Volume 2 Pages 112-113)
She explained that pastors, priests, and ministers usually don't preach about Revelation, because some people are genuinely uncomfortable with the idea, because wrath implies cruelty to them. This is deep-seated feeling to be faced and prayed about, instead of being ridiculed or applauded. Then she gave me an example by saying, “A violent father can leave a person with a marred perception of God's wrath in his or her heart, long after that person has accepted the Christian view intellectually.” She continued by saying, that people would find the message offensive, because they look to God as a God of Love. She told me, she had heard people say, that they didn't believe there was a place called hell. They believe God is a God of Love and wouldn't send anyone to such a horrible place. These are people who don't know the Word of God, because if they did, they would understand what God did for them when He sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins.
It’s a curious fact that the more ungodly a culture becomes, the more “spiritual” it considers itself and the more likely its members will say things like, ‘I can’t believe in a God who would allow such suffering.’ (Charles F. Stanley Daily Bible Pg 1566
Then she said, “The Bible presents hell as a literal place that is very unpleasant. A place designed to punish those who lived in rebellion against God while on earth. The images of hell are supposed to warn us of a real place called hell and alert us to take steps not to find ourselves there. Hell is a place of fire and smoke, populated by creatures whose only purpose is the infliction of pain and suffering.”
Then she stated that the Chapter of Revelation we just went over (Chapter 9) gives us a glimpse into the horrors of hell. This brief encounter ought to be enough to unsettle anyone's conviction that hell is nothing to be concerned about. Hell on earth during the Great Tribulation is bad, but at least it only lasts a few years. Hell is a place of eternal suffering and restlessness because its doomed souls are forever separated from God, the only One who could have made them whole. “There is no peace for the wicked,” says the Lord (Is. 48:22) (Charles F. Stanley Daily Bible Page 1558)
“The smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night.” Revelation 14:11
Escape the Coming Night (Volume 2 Pg 89) The Place Dreaded by Demons If demons don’t even want to go into the bottomless pit of hell, how bad must it be? When Jesus encountered demons in the man who lived in the land of Gadarenes (Luke 8), the demons begged Him not to send them to the pit. (Luke 8:31). They wanted to remain free to roam; they didn’t want to be sent to the abyss where they would be confined. There are many angels (demons) that are not free, that are confined to the abyss at the present time. So Jesus sent them to a herd of pigs which the demons drove into the sea.
(Volume 2 Pg 90) The Place Where Angels are Retained In Jude 6 we learn about the angels who are confined in the abyss, the bottomless pit, at the present time: “And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day.” So angels who rebelled against God (heaven being their “proper domain”) have been assigned to the abyss until their judgment and permanent casting into the “everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).
(Volume 2 Pg 90) The Place Where Jesus Christ Preached The abyss is the place Jesus Christ preached between His death and resurrection. He went there to proclaim victory over death to the fallen angels. First Peter 3:18-19 describes this post-Calvary visit of Christ to the “spirits in prison.” He didn’t preach the Gospel to them. Rather, He went there to announce that He was going to be victorious over death. They had hoped that the cross was the end of Christ, that their leader Satan had succeeded in putting to death the Redeemer of mankind. But His message to them was that He had won, and they had lost.
CERN
Unleashing the Supernatural
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