Worship God
In having read through the entire New Testament there are chapters and verses I have had to read multiple times to understand parts to help me further understand the whole. I had to read through Revelation 22 a couple times and then a section of the chapter jumped out at me. Revelation 22:8-9 is significant as it clarifies the worship of the source and not the messenger. John, the writer and seer of the visions summarizes his experiences with the angel who showed him these things and he began to worship the angel. To me, this is a natural response to someone has helped you and revealed things to you that you now hold dear. For instance, you may praise the teacher aide for helping you understand math when you both have had the same teacher. Or you praise Jesus or angels and scoff at God. John, was not scoffing at God, but he did worship the angel and bow at its feet. The angel corrected John and told him that the angel is a fellow servant with (not above) John and the fellow prophets. We can do the same and focus on the messenger and not the message or even the source of the message. We need to remain focused on praising and worshiping God and not idolizing the messenger.
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The Messages of the Three Angels
Three angels were seen in this vision. The first angel spoke to all the nations and brought forth an eternal gospel and said "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." The second angel said "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality." The third and final angel followed and gave warning not to have the mark of the beast or recipients will feel God's wrath. The take away from all three angels is that there is an eternal gospel, people need to flee sexual immorality and do not be fooled by the beast nor receive its mark.
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The Fifth and Sixth Trumpets
The fifth trumpet (Revelation 9:1-11) released locust type creatures from a black smoke. The locusts were to harm only people who did not have the seal of God upon their forehead. This does not mean an actual locusts or an actual stamp or seal, but could also mean the will of God at the forefront of their mind (my opinion) and the way to avoid these locusts (demons) is to be truly follow after what God wants from you, His will and your obedience to it. Dave Guzik writes, "These are obviously not natural locusts. They avoid plants and attack men like
scorpions attack. They are "A visual representation of the hordes of
demons loosed upon the earth." (Walvoord). Furthermore, regarding the seal, Guzik says "Those who
have the seal of God on their foreheads (the 144,000 and perhaps more) are protected, but none
other are. This is an inescapable judgment of God." The sixth trumpet released four angels (possibly different angels from chapter 8) which killed a third of mankind with mounted troops numbering over 200 million. Guzik says it may not be exactly 200 million, but that number could have been used to signify the insane amount of mounted of troops like there were too many to count. They had fire, smoke and brimstone coming out of their mouths and that is how 1/3 of human kind was killed. Chapter 9 closes out by stating that the rest of mankind that did not die from the plagues did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold" and other materials that cannot "see, hear or walk" like Jesus could. Nor did they "repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts."
And in case anyone tells you we are "near" the end of times and the end of the world, they are probably wrong based on the fact that numerous others have "predicted" the same thing- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dates_predicted_for_apocalyptic_events
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Shed Selfishness, Seek Sacrifice
For those who spent more time thinking about doing what makes them happy and doing what pleased them, they showed that they were not honoring the Lord. God is not waiting for us to find what makes us happy and just live doing that, but He is wanting us to sacrifice. Paul points out that some were focused on worshiping their bellies (literally and figuratively on living for self). Paul points them out in Philippians 3:19 and says their end is destruction (more figurative to eternal damnation). He says that since they worship their bellies, their minds are on earthly things. Look, we all slip up, but some are living lives of missing the mark when it comes to the target of seeking to be Christ like.
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Temptation and Idolatry
Paul wanted to warn the Corinthian Christians against idolatry. He is still on the point of eating food that has been offered to idols. Paul saw that as a temptation and idol worship. Of course it is. If you eat something offered to a god and not God, that is idolatry. The temptation comes from that when the desire is to do that which God would not honor. As natural as you may feel it is, which it may very well be, giving into that is still temptation.We must remember 1 Corinthians 10:13 as rely on that to pull away when we are tempted.
1 Corinthians 10:21 shows us that Paul was trying to keep people from having a dual partnership with demons and with God. You cannot drink from a cup or eat of food offered to demons and still be on God's side. that would not honor God. As much as people might have said "Paul leave us alone, it is not hurting anybody", they would have been sadly mistaken. I hear many people in these days say that certain things are natural or no big deal and "mind your own business", but being that Paul built that church and believers were getting it wrong, he had to say something.
Lastly, 1 Corinthians 10:23 has been used out of context numerous times. I have heard it used to validate someone's sinful behavior while only quoting the "all things are lawful" part while completely ignoring the context of the chapter and of this letter to the Corinthians. It wasn't about "how bad is it" it is about "how good is it." Paul points out "not all things build up" which means not all things that are allowable as your own personal rights as humans are able to build you up as Christians. Our rights under Christ are what matters most.
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Passing Judgment
I love the saying of "small potatoes" as it has meant something is not a big deal. In Romans 14:1-11, we are looking at some "small potato" issues such as day of worship of the Lord and type of food you eat. The food one eats may be due to a dedication to the Lord and that should not be judged by one who eats differently. Both should be eating to honor the Lord which would mean not over or under eating for selfish or worldly reasons (like body image comparisons). Just like no one should judge another for the day they worship God. We are also to accept those at different levels of faith, especially the weaker. The weaker may have not been taught well, may be new in their faith or may be like the Pharisees with legalism. There is a different between weak and rebellious, let the holy spirit guide you.
W
e also need to check ourselves. We do not do it based on what makes sense to us, but we use scripture to gauge what we need to do. We are not to cause others to stumble by subjecting them to the things that they struggle with (Romans 14:13). If you like to have a drink but you you know your friend cannot control themselves with alcohol, then do not drink around them. do not do this out of love for them. This is an example of putting others before yourself. That also means that if there is a potential argument about eating steak and your friend thinks steak is unclean, then just have the steak later after the friend has gone.
Ultimately we all have to give an account to God as Romans 14:12 states. God knows what we have vowed to Him and what we have dedicated to Him for His honor. We must remember that was we encounter others who are also believers and have different dedications to the Lord. Their vows to God are not our business to judge.
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The Deity, The Healing, The Opposition
Upon being brought aboard land safely, they found that the island was called Malta. The native people there were very kind to Paul and his group. There was a moment when Paul had been bitten by a snake and did not become ill or have anything bad happen to him. The native people initially thought Paul was evil because he had been bitten, but since nothing bad happened after the snake bite, they considered him a God (Acts 28:1-6). And then we see Paul heal the chief man on the island and get honored for his actions (Acts 28:7-10). It's kind of interesting how in one moment people can perceive you one way and then praise you the next.
Upon arriving in Rome, Paul began to defend himself again pleading his case of innocence. But this time instead of being opposed, they met him with chances for open discussion. They said that there have been no letters from Judea and no one traveling with Paul had anything negative to say about him. They set up a day for Paul to speak and share the gospel and that he did (Acts 28:17-23). Some were convinced by what he said while others opposed (verse 24), but he was allowed to do so without any pressure from the Pharisees (verse 31).
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Paul's Defense
Have you ever been accused or even falsely accused of something? It is not fun to have than done. I have had it from loved ones and even strangers. There is a way to handle these types of situations and the way Paul is very similar to that of Jesus. Jesus faced temptation in the desert and faced accusations from the Pharisees many times. He never got defensive, but he did defend himself with truth from scripture. Paul's defense here is not one of yelling and screaming and pointing fingers, but one of truth.
In verse 10 Paul "cheerfully" makes his defense while acknowledging the length of time Felix has been in power. To me it shows an initial sign or respect which sets the tone for how his defense will continue and end. In verses 11-13 Paul tells Felix that he can check any of the accusations that have been brought against him. In verses 14-19 Paul says what he is "guilty" of and still challenges the accusers to find him guilty of what they accuse him of. In the last sentence I wrote "guilty" because he had not done something wrong in the eyes of God but only in the eyes of the accuser. Paul verifies that he is guilty of worshiping the same God that the accusers worshiped. He says he is guilty of having hope in God, wanting to give alms to his nation and present offerings. He admits to being in the temple but being purified while there and then says challenges his accusers again. Paul was not afraid.
Paul was kept in custody and told by Felix that when Lysias the tribune comes then the case will be decided. Felix showed his greed by making Paul sit in custody for 2 years as that was Roman law and Felix had hoped for a bribe. For if Paul had offered Felix a bribe, Felix would have let him out.
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