“Superior Knowledge”

Posted on by korgrocker

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling-block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.”
1 Corinthians 8:9-13 NLT

There was a significant problem in Corinth, as idol worship was deeply ingrained in every aspect of their society. No one could go anywhere or do anything without bumping into something to do with an idol. According to the historians, a temple might be no more than a large room which doubled up as a meeting place or social venue, so those early believers somehow had to reconcile meetings that took place in these centres of idol worship with their Christian beliefs. Inevitably, some believers still retained some vestiges of idol worship, not being fully and irrevocably convinced that the idols and “gods” concerned were just useless and dead lumps of stone. They knew that there was only one real God, but on the other hand, there were little niggles in their minds. These were therefore the Christians with weaker consciences. But some of their fellow believers had settled the matter in their own minds and had a strong faith in God to the extent that they were pretty happy to join in the meals with the idol worshippers. These were the ones with what Paul called “superior knowledge”, which had set them free from the shackles of idol worship. Presumably, they sat down at one of these meals, giving thanks to God for the food and drink, and proceeded to enjoy a good feed without thinking about the idol in whose name it was being held.. 

Paul’s instruction to the firm believers was to back off and remember the weaker believers with sensitive consciences that would have been terminally offended by the actions of their stronger brethren. Paul has agreed that idol food, in and of itself, is not evil, just as the false gods are not real. He does not disagree with the Corinthians with “superior knowledge”, but he does disagree with the application of their knowledge, because of its effect on their weaker brethren. 

In Matthew 18, Jesus was asked who the greatest is in the Kingdom of Heaven. In reply, He called a child to join Him, and there in the middle of His group of disciples, “ … He said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). But Jesus didn’t leave it there. We read in the next verse, “Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”. We must pause at this point and reflect on who a small child is and how they behave and think. The one thing that strikes me, after many years of fostering, is the innocence of these children and how easily it can be corrupted by those in authority, particularly their parents. My wife and I have been deeply saddened by children whose innocence has been taken away or violated, leaving them damaged, with a life skewed and even destroyed by the actions of those entrusted to bring them up. Of course, we did our best to repair what we could, but in those early years, a small life is formed and developed into either something good and fully equipped to face their life ahead, or corrupted with a future damaged almost beyond hope. Jesus warned those who failed one of the little ones in Matthew 18:6-7, “If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung round their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!” 

We must remember that a new believer has just been born, born again, and that therefore puts them in the same position as the little child standing amongst Jesus’ disciples. The more mature believers around the “little children” in our churches and fellowships have a responsibility to be careful not to do anything that would make them stumble and even fall. We pilgrims may have strong consciences that will carry us through worldly situations, but if a new believer happens to see what we are doing, it might even, in extreme circumstances, cause them to leave the faith. Jesus said in Matthew 18:10, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven”. In one church I attended, the leadership decided that they would refrain from drinking any alcoholic beverages because of an alcohol-related sensitivity amongst some in the congregation. That was an application of exactly what Paul was encouraging the Corinthians to consider.

But we pilgrims, with our faith and sensitivity to the ways of God, know all of this, and we pray for the new believers amongst us, as we help them in their early years, discipling them when we have the opportunity, and all the while being careful in how we behave. And we must always be aware that it is not only the new believers who are watching us. There are those in the world around us who observe the behaviour of Christians and who are quick to condemn if they find an opportunity.

Father God. A sobering message today, but one in which Your desires for Your children come to the fore. We pray for our fellow believers and ourselves as well, that Your Spirit within us will lead and guide us in Your ways. Please help us to guard our tongues so that we will never cause anyone to question their faith in You. Please also direct our steps away from anywhere that would lead to places where You don’t want us to go. We praise and worship You today, deeply thankful for Jesus and all He has done for us. Amen.

Mere Mortals

Posted on by korgrocker

“what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honour.”
Psalm 8:4-5 NLT

Was David elevating himself above his station in life when he declared that mankind has been “made only a little lower then God”? The NIV translation reads, “You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour”, but it seems the original Hebrew does in fact say “God”. There are many differences between human beings and God. In fact, the gulf is so great that it is almost mutually exclusive. God is Spirit, mankind is physical. Two different kingdoms, but there is a link between God and man, as there is between a Creator and His creation. Isaiah wrote about the connection between a potter and the pots he was making. “How foolish can you be? He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay! Should the created thing say of the one who made it, “He didn’t make me”? Does a jar ever say, “The potter who made me is stupid”?” (Isaiah 29:16). Paul took up this theme in Romans 9, “ … Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?” (Romans 9:20-21).

There is of course perhaps a degree of relativity here, with human beings having intelligence far above that of an earthworm, for example, and the ability to be creators in their own right. Just look around us and we see many “potters” making their own “pots”. Each one of us is able to create something from the materials we have to hand. And of course we all know someone who sets themselves up as a “god” in their environment, be it the workplace or their local neighbourhood. But the fact remains that David wrote something that, superficially at least, seems to be incorrect. How could human beings be a “little lower” than God?

Perhaps David was writing something prophetic about what was to come. If we turn to Hebrews 2:9 we read, “What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honour.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone”. Paul wrote in Romans 8:29, “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters”. Through our connection with Jesus, and amazingly how bizarre it sounds, we have the potential within us to join Him in His status as being a “little lower than God“. In our positions of being brothers and sisters of Jesus we have within us unlimited possibilities to do God’s work. Have we really got our minds around what Paul write in Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think“? It is this potential for accomplishment that is possible because of His power, and our willingness to serve and be obedient to Him, that challenges me. Does this elevate us pilgrims through faith to a position a “little lower than God“? God said it can. Do we believe Him?

Dear Father God. In You we have enormous potential to do great things for You. Stir us up, we pray, to violate our human thinking and replace it with Your thoughts. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Do You Want to Get Well

Posted on by korgrocker

“After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?””
John 5:1-6 NKJV

To be sick, blind, lame, or paralysed in the days when Jesus lived in Palestine was a terrible and hopeless condition to be in. There was no remedy from the medics, such as they had, or anyone else. But there was a glimmer of hope in the gloom. Apparently, someone had discovered that the turbulence caused by the spring that fed the Pool of Bethesda had healing powers, because they believed it was caused by an angel, who came down from Heaven and stirred up the waters. Whoever made it into the Pool first was then healed. As a consequence, the Pool was populated by a “great multitude of sick people”, all there in the hope that they would be the first to make it into the Pool. The verses today don’t say how often the waters were stirred up, but in a society without any other alternative, there was no other choice.

In modern times, there is another spring of water with, it is claimed, healing properties. This spring is at Lourdes, in France, and many Catholic visitors go there to bathe in its waters, also in the hope that healing powers can be found. There have been many documented miracles, enough to attract thousands of sick visitors every year. To many of these people, Lourdes is a last resort. They have been told that there is little or no hope that they will get better from whatever ails them, and these people have much in common with the sick people lying around the pool of Bethesda. From Wikipedia, “According to Catholic tradition, the location of the spring was described to Bernadette Soubirous by an apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes on 25 February 1858. Since that time, many millions of pilgrims to Lourdes have followed the instruction of the Blessed Virgin Mary to “drink at the spring and bathe in it”.”

Picking up the account in our verses today, we see that during His visit to Jerusalem, Jesus visited the Pool of Bethesda. We are not told why He went there, but, in the knowledge Jesus only did what His Father commanded, He was there for a purpose. We also don’t know if His disciples were with Him, though John must have been to include the story in his Gospel account. But by the Pool, Jesus found a man with an “infirmity”. We don’t know what this was, but it was such that he was practically helpless, needing someone to help him into the pool when the waters bubbled up. But then, Jesus asked the man a strange question, “Do you want to be made well?” Surely the man wanted to be healed because otherwise why was he there? I have met two ladies with illnesses or disabilities who have responded to prayer for healing. One was made totally well, but the other, although apparently healed, quickly lapsed back into her previous state. The first lady bravely faced into the consequences of her healing with the loss of disability benefits and consequent financial challenges. The second lady realised that through healing she would lose her identity as the “lady in a wheelchair”, as well as the loss of a full time carer and other financial benefits. The first wanted to be healed. The second didn’t. But they were both healed through prayer and by a miracle of God’s grace.

The man at the pool had been in a desperate paralysed condition for thirty eight years, and amongst all the people sitting or lying around the Pool, he was the only one that Jesus sought out. Why was that, I wonder? The quick answer is that I don’t really know. There have been suggestions, such as Jesus might have known the man from a previous encounter, or that for most of the people there, God had already supplied a miraculous solution for the first person to enter the water after it bubbled up. Of course, Jesus may have healed others, but John’s Gospel account doesn’t record any.

We pilgrims know that God, regardless of our human state of health, can heal us. He does so through the medical profession, but He also heals through miraculous encounters with the Holy Spirit. Through our faith in Him, we trust Him with our life on this earth, and the life to come. There is no other way.

Dear Father God. You are the One who heals us, and we give You all the glory for the occasions when that happens. Please forgive us for our lack of faith. Amen.

Stairway to Heaven

Posted on by korgrocker

“As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.” “How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.” Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!” Jesus asked him, “Do you believe this just because I told you I had seen you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth.””
John 1:47-51 NLT

In this, the last verse of John 1, Jesus told His disciples that they would see “the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man”. And He referred to Himself as “the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth”. Superficially, this claim by Jesus might seem wondrous, but with little practical application in today’s world. That is, until we see this for what it is – a doorway, a connection, an opportunity, a picture, of the link between the spirit world of Heaven, and the human world of Planet Earth. We remember the Sunday School story of Jacob’s Ladder, the account of which we can read in Genesis 28:12, “As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway“. Jacob only saw a vision of what was to come, a vision fulfilled by Jesus.

Jesus, in His statement about the stairway, released a profound truth that reverberates across this world and all generations who have ever lived within it, and who are yet to be born. There is no other link between the Kingdom of God, and the kingdom of this world. Jesus said in John 14:6, “ … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me“. There is no other way into God’s presence. Many other religions claim otherwise, but their adherents will be disappointed. 

But we read that angels are using this staircase and provide a link between Jesus and His Heavenly home. The angels are servants of God and through Jesus they are able carry out God’s plans in this world. They come and go as God requires. So we mustn’t be surprised if one day we meet an angel. He might not be immediately recognisable as such but perhaps we will look back at this particular point in our lives and wonder.

This picture of the busy staircase between Jesus and Heaven provides us with a faith-link right into God’s presence. We pilgrims know Jesus and we have access right to the throne of God, in faith that, through Jesus, the staircase is still alive and well and doing what God designed it to do. The disciples found it, saw it, and one day made use of it themselves. We modern day disciples will one day discover its marvels at first hand, as we pass into God’s presence. So it goes without saying that we must introduce others, who don’t know Jesus, to this gateway into God’s Kingdom, the gateway who is Jesus Himself. Many want to get into Heaven, but they will never find out how without our introduction to the Saviour.

Dear Father God. Please lead us to those who need to find You and Your stairway to Heaven. Amen.

Sinning Angels

Posted on by korgrocker

“For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.”
2 Peter 2:4 NLT

Peter told his readers that even angels are not immune from God’s righteousness and justice. The graphic language of this verse stimulates imaginations into all sorts of pictures. But we never think of angels as being sinners, that is until we read Genesis 6. “Then the people began to multiply on the earth, and daughters were born to them. The sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives” (Genesis 6:1-2). Theologians widely interpret the phrase “sons of God” as meaning angels in the context, and it is believed that the rebellious satan tried the strategy of mixing heavenly and earthly beings in a sexual relationship. And we find out later in this chapter in Genesis that giants resulted from the union. “In those days, and for some time after, giant Nephilites lived on the earth, for whenever the sons of God had intercourse with women, they gave birth to children who became the heroes and famous warriors of ancient times” (Genesis 6:4).

We pilgrims know of course that God desires justice. He is perfectly righteous in all His ways, as we read in Psalm 145:17, “The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness“. We read in Psalm 7:11, “God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day“. So Peter wrote in our verse today that “God did not spare even the angels who sinned”. It is widely thought that demons are fallen angels, angels who have sinned, so the timing of their incarceration in “hell” (actually in the Greek this place is called Tartarus, a holding area just for these rebellious and sinful angels). We don’t know when these angels were thrown into Tartarus, but it is probably still some time in the future. What we do know is that God didn’t “spare” them, even though they were angels. The use of this word “spare” reminds us of what Paul wrote in Romans 8:32, “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else“? This word “spare” means not holding back. It implies a necessary, but painful, act, perhaps irrevocable. So we might give away our “spare” change into a donation box, or take a “spare” item to a charity shop. But what God refused to “spare” was precious and dear to Him. It was an act of incredible and amazing love and kindness that He even gave up His Son for us. God spared Him.

There are consequences to sin. It has to be judged and dealt with, and the spirit realm is full of the spirits of sinful angels and people, waiting for that time when they are judged for what they have done in their life. Angels are immortal beings but they, like humans, have the ability to make choices. Satan, who, from what we can see in the Bible, was also called Lucifer, was the senior angel, a worship leader in Heaven. Yet he made a choice to rebel against God and suffered the consequences, being thrown out of Heaven along with a large number of angels who sided with him. And Peter reminded his readers that they would one day come to a miserable end in a holding place called Tartarus. 

Is all this of any relevance to us pilgrims? After all, have we ever seen an angel? And aren’t they responsible for their own actions, just as we are? For me, this verse in 2 Peter that we are considering today is a warning that one day the sinful universe in which we live will be rebalanced. Sin will be no more, and all those who have made right choices in wanting to live God’s way through Jesus will find themselves living with Him forever. But all those who reject God will find out that He has rejected them. God has done everything possible to make available eternal life for all those who desire it. He of course could have created a race of robots, zombies unable to make choices for themselves, but instead He created mankind in His image (Genesis 1:27), taking a risk that they would want to live with Him forever. We know what happened, as the Genesis story unfolded. But God had a plan for the future of His creation, involving His very own Son, through whom everything was created (John 1:3). And, for that plan, we will be eternally grateful.

Father God. Once again we praise and thank You for Your grace and mercy. Through Jesus You have accepted us as righteous in Your sight. We are a truly privileged people. Amen.

Watching Angels

Posted on by korgrocker

“They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.”
1 Peter 1:12 NLT

Peter wrote that the preaching of the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit was “all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching”. How do we feel about angels? Do we think that they exist or are they just mythical entities, superstitious legacies from a bygone age? I used to know an old lady whose driving skills were atrocious, but she never seemed to experience any bumps or scrapes, arriving at her destinations totally unscathed. The suspicion was that she had an angel positioned on each corner of her car, keeping her safe. Someone else I knew always advised against speeding when driving, as the angels then couldn’t keep up. The concept of guardian angels has always been with us.

Personally, I’m convinced that angels are real and play a very important part in our lives, even though we cannot see them. In my walks around the woods near my home I sometimes meet a man who shows an interest in spiritual matters, and I have shared the Good News with him on several occasions. But Peter said that angels are “eagerly watching” me as I speak with him and you can just imagine what they might have been saying. Perhaps they were trying hard to put words into my mouth. Or praying that the other man would open his mind to the Gospel truths. One thing is certain though, and that is that the angels were excited about the “Good News” being shared, because, as Peter wrote, “it is all so wonderful”. 

Angels are created spirit beings, who live in Heaven. So we cannot see them as tangible beings although we presume they can see us. To enable us to see them, they have to somehow acquire an earthly body. Daniel saw such an embodied angel, as we read in Daniel 10:5-6, “I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a precious gem. His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people”. Those men around him knew something was going on but they didn’t see what Daniel saw. In Revelation 22:8, John wrote, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me”. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 13:2, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realising it!” 

We may be unconvinced of the presence of angels. Our scientific and technological age discounts anything spiritual because it can’t be measured or observed. But the Bible is full of references to angels and to ignore them impoverishes our experience of Scripture. In Hebrews 1:14 we read, “Therefore, angels are only servants—spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation“. Psalm 91:11, “For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go“. But as we preach the Good News to those around us we do so with the knowledge that angels are “eagerly watching” what is happening. And we read in Luke 15:10, “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents“. Can you imagine it – when we pilgrims became believers the angels had a party in Heaven! As we share the Good News with our friends and families, let’s remember there’s a party coming!

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your servants the angels. Amen.


Being a Servant

Posted on by korgrocker

“I, John, am the one who heard and saw all these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me. But he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers the prophets, as well as all who obey what is written in this book. Worship only God!””
‭Revelation‬ ‭22‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT

John was so overcome with his conversation with the angel, that he felt the urge to fall on his knees before him and worship him. What was there about the angel that induced that feeling in John? But John had been there before. We read in Revelation 19:10 about another time when he felt he had to worship an angel. We read, “Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God.…..””.

What is there about angels that can perhaps invite their worship? It may have been a problem in early church days, because the Apostle Paul warned the Colossians church about it. We read in Colossians 2:18, “Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud,”. Angels are created beings, but they are eternal and they have the powers to travel through space and time. They serve God continually, and they have a form that is supernatural and beyond our understanding. Many books have been written about angels, and the Bible is full of references about them. We may even be able to sense the presence of angels, keeping us from danger. But mankind has a tendency to be wowed by something amazing, and that perhaps initiated John’s feelings of a need to worship. 

The angel claimed that he was a “servant of God”, just, as he said, like John and his “brothers the prophets“. But in what way did the angel serve God? In the case before us, God had obviously assigned him the task of showing and explaining all that he did to John. And he did it with patience, gentleness and kindness, threads we see throughout the Book of Revelation. But what about the brothers, the prophets? How do they serve God? Paul gave us insight, in Colossians 2:23-24, “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” There is a connection here between living our earthly lives and service to God. Many church people have claimed to do “the Lord’s work”, preaching, teaching, being missionaries and so on, but the reality is that serving God can be a job as mundane as cleaning the toilets or drying the dishes. We read in Philippians 2:14-15, “Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticise you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.” That’s serving God in the way He expects.

In our societies today, we don’t tend to think of worship as something we do outside a church building. But we pilgrims know what it means to worship God. And we do so continually. We must worship only God, and not one of the false gods that can sometimes wheedle their ways into our lives. We see people worshipping on a golf course, at football matches, polishing a piece of metal in their driveways. The list of false gods is endless. We make something a god when we elevate it higher than the true God. We need to pay attention to who and how we serve, and who or what we worship. Get the priorities right and we won’t go far wrong.

Father God. We need some help here. You know our tendency to get caught up with false gods and how we grumble and complain. Please help us! Amen.

Witnessing Prophecy

Posted on by korgrocker

“And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.””
Revelation‬ ‭19:9-10‬ ‭NLT

It is almost as though the angel tossed in a throw-away comment. A nugget of gold emerging unexpectedly in John’s vision of the wedding feast. The angel made the statement to John, “For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus”. What was the angel saying here? 

What is prophesy? Many people think that they can foretell the future and call their message a prophecy. Christians can get excited when a brother or sister brings a “prophetic word” in a meeting. “Prophecies” can take the form of pictures or visions, poems or songs. There is a prophetic gift of the Holy Spirit, as we read in Romans 12:6, “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.” But three things must be noted. Firstly, any prophetic message must align with Biblical truth. So a “prophesy” that declares something that conflicts with Scripture, or tries to add something to it, must be viewed with suspicion, and, if necessary, discarded. Secondly, prophecies are for edification. We read in 1 Corinthians  14:3,  “But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.” Thirdly, as our verse records today, the angel reminded John that prophecies must provide “a clear witness for Jesus”. 

Ultimately, the purpose of a prophetic word must be to point the hearers back to God. It could involve the speaking out of Scripture, God’s Word. It could involve our testimonies of God’s grace and love. It may even connect a Biblical message with someone’s life and future. But in the end, it is all about God.

We must always be on the lookout for prophecies that don’t stack up, and we must beware of false prophets. The Apostle Peter warned about them, as we read in 2 Peter 2:1, “But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.” Jesus warned His disciples about false prophets, in Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves”. 

We pilgrims can be assured that the angel’s words describing to John what was about to happen – the greatest and most devastating war that this planet has ever seen – were true and came directly from God. Prophetic they may have been in John’s vision, but they gave a “clear witness for Jesus”. The marriage feast and Armageddon will both happen one day. Probably sooner than we think.

Dear Lord and Father God, we thank You for Your prophetic words recorded by John. Please never let us despise prophesy. We pray that You will give us the discernment to separate the good from the false. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Worshipping Angels

Posted on by korgrocker

“And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “These are true words that come from God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.””
Revelation‬ ‭19:9-10‬ ‭NLT

In his part of the vision recorded in Revelation 19, John seems to be accompanied by an angel, who is going out of his way to keep John right over what is happening. He told John what to write about the wedding feast and the honour that is there for all those who receive an invitation. And then, for some reason, he emphasised its importance, by saying to John, “These are true words that come from God.” John took careful note of what was said, and so should we. We don’t know what the wedding feast experience will be like, but some things we do know – it will definitely happen one day, because Jesus said so, as recorded in Matthew 22, and because God said so through His servant, the angel in our verses today. And one other thing, it will be the most amazing experience that we have ever encountered. In fact, there are no words that can adequately describe what the event will be like.

John was so overwhelmed by what the angel was saying, that he fell down at the angel’s feet “to worship him”. The journey that John had been on in his vision, the journey through all the seals and plagues, the beasts, the natural disasters, and so on, were all eclipsed by the wonder of what the angel said, and it was all too much for John. He had no response other than feeling a need to worship. And the angel, in his role as God’s servant, became his focus. The angel soon put John right, with his response, “No, don’t worship me. I am a servant of God”. 

We pilgrims will understand John’s response, because there is inbuilt within us a need to worship God. But we often find that difficult because God is beyond our natural focus. Sometimes, we need a finely-tuned and sensitive spirit to detect, and respond to, His presence. The story of Elijah is such an example. In 1 Kings 19:12-13, we read, “And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?””. After a ferocious wind, an earthquake and fire, Elijah’s spirit responded to “the sound of a gentle whisper”. John’s spirit, like Elijah’s, sensed the presence of God. And he was overwhelmed by all that was happening before him. He just had to respond in worship, and the angel, as God’s messenger, became his focus.

The angel encouraged John to “worship only God”, and that is something that Jesus Himself also taught. We read in Matthew 22:37-38, “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” We can easily become distracted by an object of beauty, such as a sunset or a piece of art, and something within us responds in worship. But we must constantly hold before us the thought – who created the sunset, or put within someone the ability to paint beautiful pictures? It is all about God, and Him alone. Only He is worthy of our worship. Stained glass windows and statues of saints won’t work. Natural beauty around us in God’s creation can’t be worshipped either. In God’s presence, as we strain to hear the “gentle whisper” of God’s voice, as we take a step back from our busy lives, it is only then that our worship can focus on God, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.

Dear Father God. How can we ever be distracted by a counterfeit when You are the only One we can worship? At Your feet today we do just that, worship You. Amen.

Seven Spotless Angels

Posted on by korgrocker

“The seven angels who were holding the seven plagues came out of the Temple. They were clothed in spotless white linen with gold sashes across their chests. Then one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. The Temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and power. No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.”
Revelation‬ ‭15:6-8‬ ‭NLT

As John’s eyes remained fixed on the Temple vision, he noticed seven angels appear. They were holding the seven plagues. He didn’t elaborate on how this would be possible. How do you hold a plague? But the origins of plagues aren’t visible to human eyes without optical or similar assistance. Viruses and bacteria are incredibly small living organisms, so John, perhaps through his spirit, knew the angels had something terrible to unleash on the earth. As we know, a small glass phial would have been sufficient.

The seven angels “were clothed in spotless white linen with gold sashes across their chests”. In other translations, there is a hint that these angels were clothed in a precious stone, but we get the picture that the clothes represent purity and righteousness. Back in Revelation 1:13, John recorded, “And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.” Perhaps the gold sashes were a badge of honour for those belonging to Christ.

In John’s vision, one of the “living beings” enters his field of view. This time he appears to be a messenger, carrying seven bowls, one for each of the angels. These bowls contained God’s anger, ready to be poured out on the earth and all those remaining in it. And the scene finishes with the picture of the seven beautifully dressed angels, carrying golden bowls and glass phials containing the plagues, and the Temple full of smoke from God’s glory and power.

Back in Isaiah 6, the earthly Temple was filled with the smoke of God’s presence. Isaiah wrote, referring to the seraphim flying around in God’s presence, “They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.” (‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭6:3-4‬ ‭NLT). This wasn’t your ordinary smoke, pouring out of a chimney or from a burning trash can. This was the glory and power of God, so tangible that it appeared to natural eyes as smoke. But surely the original “Holy Smoke”?

The seven bowls contained “the wrath of God“. An angry amalgam of God’s anger, that had been building up for ages, anger with the stubbornness of mankind, who were still unrepentant until, literally, the last minute of time. And before them was the stubbornness of previous generations, who had died in their sins. There was no more opportunity to repent now. The Gospel had been declared. God’s grace and patience had finally ended. The seven plagues were the final judgement, completing the End Times and allowing new beginnings to be established.

To us pilgrims, it is inexplicable that so many people in our families and communities have stubbornly resisted all contact with God. But we keep trying anyhow, with our appeals, our sharing, our love and grace. We never give up sharing the Good News about God, making opportunity of every moment. But just to let these people face the consequences of their reluctance to embrace the One who created them is not in God’s plan. Not yet anyway. As long as we have breath we will share our faith in the One who deserves all the glory, all the honour, all the praise, all the worship.

Dear Father God. We don’t know when the clock will finally click over into the ultimate End of Time. But we do know the Clockmaker. And we praise and worship You today. Amen.