INTRODUCTION:

Revelation 6 concerns the beginning of the 21 proclamations of God against the barbaric rulers of the earth and their followers. The ‘opening of the Seven Seals’ by Christ is the beginning of the rise and fall of Satan’s final push to deceive the whole world. Please read all of Revelation, Chapter Six.

WHY THE COMING DEVASTATION MADE KNOWN IN REVELATION?

This is a good question and one that is answered by this statement: “God is a just God and a just God requires justice for rebellion by His own creation.” Since the creation of mankind, they have rebelled against God, and He has continually reached out to them to save them. While some receive His salvation many others refuse and continue upon their path to destruction.

Three notable events that show His desire to save and not destroy includes Noah building the Ark and warning of the coming flood so people could be saved, God delivering the Children of Israel from Egyptian bondage and sending Jesus to save the world, through His own sacrifice for sin.

Jesus talked about this saying: “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you and you did not lament.’ For John (the Baptist) came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton (over-eater) and a winebibber, (a drunk), a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.'” Matthew 11:16-19. NKJV

In other words, Jesus is saying: “God has sent you messenger after messenger to beg you to return to God and stop your rebellion against Him. Happy messengers telling you how great God is and how He desires to bless you, and sorrowful messengers warning you that rebellion brings destruction…and you didn’t listen to either, but killed both.” (Read all of Matthew 23& Matthew 21:33-44)

God has spent thousands of years and treasure trying to save mankind.

So…the earth at the time of the opening of the Seven Seals will be widely in rebellion against God and His people and He must step in to save us and destroy the rebellion, this time, once and for all.

Let me ask you this question: If someone came in and stole everything you owned and brutally killed your innocent children, would you desire justice? Most of us would say yes. Please understand justice is different than revenge. Revenge comes from a resentful or vindictive spirit…Justice comes as a matter of controlling rebellion to protect the innocent.

God is love…not hate. His justice upon the Earth is meant to do what it has from the beginning…protect and save the innocent. He is like a shepherd killing a wolf who would eat His lambs at will. It is also meant to reclaim and restore the Earth to God’s people for whom it was created. This is the theme of Revelation.

THE SELFISH DECEIVED

We learn in several passages of scripture that in the time of Revelation, many will be deceived by the false promises of Satan that are built upon the selfishness of mankind. Remember, Satan has nothing to lose. He already knows he is destined to eternal destruction. He merely wants to take as many with him as possible to hurt God. We see this selfish deception in the Lord’s parable of ‘The Wicked Vine Dressers’ who were left to attend a vineyard, only to take it for themselves and kill the owners servants and Son. The owner then comes and deals harshly with those who stole his vineyard and killed his son and servants. This parable in Matthew 21:33-41, is directly referring to those who have stolen the Earth from God and killed His servants and Son. God justifiably will return and reclaim it and punish those who have done so wickedly in the name of self.

Remember that those who are deceived make themselves rich at the expense of poor people and do so by force. Thus, the Lord’s parable of separating the “Sheep from the Goats.” (Matthew 25:31-46). Remember also, that as we speak, the world is in the hands of rich rulers who receive taxes from those not wealthy and live in great wealth, trading such things as oil, food, medicine, weapons, etc. They have taken what belongs to God for

themselves at the expense of others. (There is a difference in earning an honest wage and earning a dishonest wealth).

I’ve said all of that to explain God’s reasoning behind the coming judgment of Revelation.

AND SO IT BEGINS…

“Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.”

NKJV 8-6:1 Revelation

THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE as they are often referred to in Revelation, regards the opening of the First Five Seals by Jesus Christ, the Only One found worthy to do so. They are represented by Four Colors, each one with a certain task.

THE WHITE HORSE: The Conquerer. It is my personal belief that the rider on the White Horse is in fact Christ, as the theme of Revelation is Christ coming from Heaven to defeat the rebellion of Satan and his followers upon the Earth and reclaim it for Himself and His people and to restore the Kingdom of God

upon the Earth. While there are differing views on this from various scholars, this one seems most plausible to me, for a couple reasons. The first is, as I just mentioned, the theme of Revelation and that Christ is the one to open the seals. The second is that Christ is referenced again as a rider on a white horse in the end of Revelation. “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.” (Rev. 19:11). Also, the color white represents purity. IT IS CHRIST AT GOD’S DIRECTION WHO BEGINS JUDGMENT UPON THE EARTH.

THE FIERY RED HORSE: The Warrior. As of this writing, most of the world is already at war. America & her Allies, Russia, much of the Middle East, (Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel & Hamas*). There are also current threats of war from China, North Korea and Iran. Some of these countries, notably Iran, participates in war using third party groups like Hamas, a declared terrorist group. Many of these nations have nuclear weapons that could totally destroy the Earth. So it is fair to say that we are ripe for these events.

THE BLACK HORSE: Famine. As the leaders of the world need more and more ‘supplies’ to keep their armies supplied, the general population will experience scarcity. This can be mirrored to WWII where most supplies had to be rationed among the population to supply the troops in battle.

THE PALE HORSE: Death and Hell. Due to prolonged war, many will die…up to 1/4th of the Earth’s population, (which at almost 8 Billion people currently, would be 2 Billion people. Some by war, some by hunger through rationing and some through wild animals. (This likely includes all who die at The Battle of Armageddon where all the armies of the Earth will be destroyed by Christ and His Armies.

As we can see, these events will be devastating to the Earth’s population. This is why Christians must rely on the protection of God and their faith. We know that these judgments are not aimed at us and that He will deliver us. I also believe that the events listed above cover the whole of The Great Tribulation and not merely the beginning, due to the script of Revelation 6:12-17.

One of the most misunderstood precepts of the Bible and the Ways of God, is the power He has put into the spoken and written word. Not only His own words, but those of mankind and Angels. To show the value He places upon words…remember that the Bible declares that everyone will be judged upon their “idle words.” He warned us in the Ten Commandments, not to use (speak or write) His name in vain…meaning, not to use it without real cause. Words are so powerful that everything was “Spoken” into existence…including us.

Deception also comes at the power of words. Words spoken in contradiction to God’s words are deceptive and damaging to our faith. Lies are forbidden by God, who warned that “all liars will have a place in Hell,” because the wickedness contained within lies. In order to lie, one must purposely decide to deceive, deflect or lead someone into an untruth…no matter how great or small. These lies can be used to protect one’s self from punishment, or in order to manipulate someone else for a desired outcome. No matter the intent…it is from the “Father of Lies,” Satan.

Throughout the Word of God, we see where words brought both life and death to the hearer. When God spoke…things were created or destroyed. Proverbs 18:21 declares: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit…” We know that God created the Heavens and the Earth and all the Host of them with His spoken word. We also know that His declaration that the Earth would be destroyed with a flood, and that Sodom and Gomorrah would also suffer destruction were spoken forth as well. We know that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead by speaking words to him, and that He also healed using just words. We know that Pilate sentenced Jesus to death upon the cross with words. Truly…life and death are in our words.

We live in a society that claims a right to “free speech,” meaning that we are fundamentally able to say anything we desire, good or bad, true or false, brilliant or silly. However…according to The Word of God, our words should be taken with great value and never simply used as time or space fillers.

I want you to look closely at each of the following words and think about their power:

Life, Death, Cancer, Diabetes, Insanity, Alzheimer’s, Love, Peace, Fear, Brokenness, Depression, Defeat, Joy, Anger, Bitterness, Eternity, Hell, Heaven, Murder, Rape, Poverty, Wealth, Mean, Kind, Short, Tall, Fat, Ugly, Handsome, Pretty, Liar, Righteous, Smart, Stupid, Funny, Idiot, Deaf, Blind, Failure, Success.

Again, look hard at those words and think about the feelings they conjure up inside you as you read each one. These words are powerful and can affect our emotions, simply by reading them on the page.

Why? After all, aren’t they ‘just words?’

No, they are powerful because each one represents a state of being or an action that is either very pleasant or very painful. Think about how many relationships have begun, prospered and brought fulfillment with words of life spoken between the two people. Likewise, think about how many relationships have been ruined by mere words. With our words, we can speak life, peace, kindness, sweetness and love. Likewise, with our words, we can speak bitterness, hatefulness, sorrowfulness, meanness, etc.

Our words directly impact us.

In the Bible Jesus tells an interesting parable, regarding sowing and reaping. He explains that the sower, “sows the WORD.” The words sown will ultimately bring forth fruit. Either they will produce abundant life, or they will produce thorns that choke the life out of an otherwise fruitful plant.

In Luke 6:45, Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

Think about that statement long and hard. In other words, whatever is in our heart, those are the seeds we will sow forth into our lives. If our hearts are bitter, angry, full of defeat, fearful or uncaring….all of our words will proceed from that heart. However, if our hearts are full of peace, love, hope, faith, and trust in the Lord, our words will reflect that…sowing words of life and abundance into our lives.

It is no secret that a negative heart produces negative words, which produce negative results.

A positive heart produces positive words, which produce positive results.

I challenge you to listen carefully at your words. Are they full of fear, doubt, hopelessness, anger and bitterness…or are they filled with faith, hope, love, peace, joy and expectation?

TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE

Vol. 7:–No: 22(June 5, 2016)

Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Ten little parishioners standing in a line,

One disliked the pastor, then there were nine.

Nine ambitious parishioners offered to work late,

One forgot her promise, then there were eight.

Eight creative parishioners had ideas as good as heaven,

One lost her enthusiasm, then there were seven.

Seven little parishioners got into a fix,

They quarreled over projects, then there were six.

Six parishioners remained with spirit and with drive,

One moved away, then there were five.

Five steadfast parishioners wished there were more,

One became indifferent, then there were four.

Four cheerful parishioners who never disagree,

Until one complained of meetings, then there were three.

Three eager parishioners. What did they do?

One got discouraged, then there were two.

Two lonely parishioners, our rhyme is nearly done,

One joined a sports team, then there was only one.

One faithful parishioner was feeling rather blue,

Met with a neighbor, then there were two.

Two earnest parishioners each enrolled one more,

Doubling their number, then there were four.

Four determined parishioners just wouldn’t wait,

Until each one won another, now there were eight.

Eight excited parishioners signed up sixteen more,

In another six verses, there’ll be a thousand twenty-four!

TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE

Vol. 7:–No: 21(May 29, 2016)

Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

DEPTH OF CHARACTER AND PERSONAL INTEGRITY:

Good character derives from our very being. It’s worth more than can be said. Trust is born of solid character. Relationships are built on trust. Those we’ve come to admire withstand the test of time through these traits. They strive for consistent, not perfect, behavior(i.e., keeping one’s word and telling the truth), which is a building block of success.

SELF-AWARE AND SELF-CONTROLLED:

Great leaders are first leaders in their own lives. Those who sustain success do so out of a practiced personal and professional self-discipline. The key word is “practiced”. Aristotle said: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Scripture teaches the importance of managing oneself. It’s a “fruit” of the Spirit. Paul, writing to Timothy says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7.

Being self-aware reduces the chances of self-deception, which is the greatest deception of all.

LIFELONG LEARNERS:

Achievers are curious individuals. They pursue knowledge and have an interest in ideas other than their own. Learning, growing, and changing are requisites of leadership. Adapting along the way is essential for personal and professional development.

(Not only for ourselves, but those around us who become infected with our negativity). 

we feel limited in understanding certain things about our lives, 

own perspective

Now let’s say that she goes ahead and enters the cake into the contest and the three judges love it, awarding it a blue ribbon. The difference in what she was feeling and thinking becomes totally wrong…based upon a different PERSPECTIVE…those of the judges. 

This small example teaches us how easily we can be ‘shut down’ mentally and emotionally by the ‘mind games,’ going on inside of our brains…when we are not employing the power of Perspective and Perception. It is important that we employ all ‘weapons’ or techniques, (given to us by God), to fight these devastating deceptions.

“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, TO PERCEIVE the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion…a wise man will hear and increase learning, a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Proverbs 1:1-7

to apprehend understanding through our senses and mind while stimulus is present.” The definition of perspective is: “Our mental view of a situation, (both internal and external). So Perspective is how we are viewing a circumstance…while perception works to give us an understanding of that circumstance.  The problem with both perception and perspective is they both need ‘outside’ stimulus to be accurate…otherwise they are wide-open to misinterpretation and deception. This is where knowledge and wisdom come into play and why Biblical truth and established knowledge is so important to us keeping mental boundaries. Otherwise our Inner Critic will take over…filling our minds with false information, regarding our circumstances.

The Four Seasons of Life

CHILDHOOD: Childhood is the launching board from which our minds will take us to in the future. Our “Formative Years,” are a time when our minds are growing, (both physically and with knowledge), and when we are most susceptible to false narratives from our Inner Critic. (These criticisms can last a life-time). In short, our self-esteem is being formed in these years, and our self-esteem is what defines us to ourselves in relation to others.

In girls, the Formative Years are typically ages 3-11 years old, while in boys it is typically 3-13 years old. (This is why many boys seem immature to girls of their own age). It is during these important years that our minds are being sponges…soaking up all kinds of information…both good and bad. It is a time when ‘hurtful’ or ‘bullying’ words or actions can cause us to embrace extremely negative views about ourselves, effectively shutting down our true power and possibilities. It is also when we are our most active in imagination and ‘day-dreaming’ of what our life could be in the future…even if we have no concrete ideas how to get there.

YOUNG ADULTHOOD:

ADULTHOOD:

This is also a period of life, when we begin to question our own mortality and try to find God in a deeper and more meaningful way, or in some cases, try to recapture our youth by re-evaluating our current life and deciding it’s not bringing us the happiness we had hoped. This is often referred to as a “mid-life crisis.”

SENIOR ADULTHOOD:

THE PERSPECTIVE OF ETERNITY AND GOD

As we struggle through various parts of our seasons, what doesn’t change is that we are seeing life from our own perspective and that perspective is often flawed, because it is only focused upon temporary outcomes. God however…has been an intimate piece of every moment of our life on Earth. He views us from the lens of eternity and desires to give us that vision of ourselves now. Imagine how minute the problems we are going through now would seem…if we could view our whole existence through the lens of eternity!

While we often hear that in Heaven there is no more sickness, pain, death, defeat, sadness, etc…it is also important to remember that “IN GOD’S EYES” (perspective) we have already entered into eternity the moment we can to believe in Christ. 

This whole part of the teaching on the mind is for us to reflect upon our current perception of things by getting a different perspective. Imagine how our belief system might change if someone were able to give us a more accurate perspective of ourselves than the one we created for ourselves or the one that was created through our Inner Critic.

TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE

Vol. 7:–No: 20(May 22, 2016)

Adult life today is more complex than when I was a young adult. People in my parents’ generation said the same thing. As time marches on, knowledge keeps increasing and new technologies keep emerging. The need to use these tools also escalates. We hope wisdom keeps pace with responsibility.

There have been moral and ethical dilemmas throughout history. What would we have done if we had lived in Nazi Germany and we were forced to either lie to save our Jewish neighbors or tell the truth and watch them being led away to prison? We often discuss theoretical problems such as, do we save the drowning baby or the five drowning adults in a sinking boat? The likelihood that this will ever happen is very small, but we do face other ethical dilemmas. Should I lie to spare the feelings of my close friend who has been struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide? Perhaps that answer is not so well-defined.

Although most of us move past the simple ethical rules we learn in childhood, we still try to keep moral reasoning manageable by framing it in terms of principles, goals, virtues, rights, etc. Although each of these has its merits, none is perfect.

How do Christians ‘do’ ethics? By drawing from scripture, reason, tradition, experience, and last, but not least, guidance from our Heavenly Father. Do biblical studies help? They certainly do not hinder. Do we feel overwhelmed? Perhaps a little, but with God’s guidance and direction, all seems to always fall into its proper slot in the grand scheme of things.

People who want to grow spiritually can. Think about this: most of a garden’s growth occurs when the gardener is not there, yet the growth could not take place without the gardener’s hard work. Some cultivate the soil, some sow the seed, some water and tend to the plants, and others reap the harvest. It’s God who gives the increase.

TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE

Vol. 7:–No: 16(April 24, 2016)

Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

I wonder if any of you have ever had the feeling that life is bad…really bad. So bad you wish you were in another situation. Many of us have been through such thoughts. Life isn’t always easy. Life can be harsh. Work is hard. Life in general is hard. Everything seems to go wrong. Perhaps you don’t seem to be making enough money to make ‘ends meet’ all the time. But how about those who seem to be happy when money is ‘tight’? Unfortunate happenings may still befall them, and life in general seems without hope. No matter how much money you have—this will not bring happiness or joy. So how can one be happy when much is against you?

Think about this: some mothers in India perform a grisly deed—that of chopping off the hand of their young in order for the youngsters to have a more pathetic look as they beg on the streets for a daily handout. Would a mother do such a deed? The answer is a resounding ‘YES’ because it is a common occurrence. The desperate mother deliberately causes her child to be handicapped so that the child will look more pitiful and thus, hopefully, evoke more sympathy(plus money) from those who come into contact with said child.

One man, who thought his world was too harsh to survive, saw first-hand the atrocity just mentioned above and he instantly was thankful that not only did he still have both of his hands, but he could use these hands to provide for his family, no matter how hard the situation became. He began to realize just how fortunate he was—to have a complete body, a job, a family, and the chance to pick and choose what he wished to eat. A change of clothes daily. A warm bed to sleep in at night. He also realized that even though life can at times be hard, one must be grateful for what one has.

What about you? Is your life so awful? Maybe the next time you think you are in such a bad way…think about the child who gave up his hand just so he could beg more efficiently on the streets. Like a great philosopher once said…”Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want; it is the realization of how much you already have.”

TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE

Vol. 7:–No: 15(April 17, 2016)

Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

A recent Sunday morning service at Trinity Christian Center Church featured a representative from Gideons International. This messenger from said organization delivered a short, but succinct message dealing with the work of the Gideon team. After the service, a voluntary collection was taken up to help support the work of placing Bibles and New Testaments in various locations around the world via the hands of the Gideons.

A recent action taken by the largest association of atheists and agnostics in the United States has asked the hotel and motel industry to offer Bible-free rooms and accused the Gideons International of exploitation.

In a letter, the Freedom From Religion Foundation(FFRF) urged the American Hotel & Lodging Association, whose members offer a total of 4.8 million rooms, “to offer Bible-free rooms, just as establishments now offer smoke-free rooms.”

“It’s time that the lodging industry just says NO to the Gideons. They are exploiting hotels and motels to proselytize a captive audience,” it claimed.

The Gideons International has distributed over 2 billion Bibles and New Testaments over the past several years, Charisma News reported.

“It is more than just a number. We are placing Bibles because they lead people to Christ. Behind every number is a face; behind every face a story; behind every story a priceless soul that will live throughout eternity,” said The Gideon International President, Dr. William E.G. Thomas.

In its letter, the FFRF said it prefers that hotels and motels place Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species” in their rooms instead of Bibles.

TRINITY CHRISTIAN CENTER CHURCH MISSIVE

Vol. 7:–No: 13(April 3, 2016)

Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Atheists are attacking Christians serving in the U.S. military, but the American Center for Law and Justice is fighting back.

Marine Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling’s superior officer ordered her to remove from her workstation three small strips of paper bearing an encouraging Bible verse. When she declined, the officer ripped down the verses, uttered a vulgar epithet, and threw the papers in the trash. Sterling was then court martialed for silently expressing her faith, as the Marine court held that she was “not exercising her religion” when she posted the scripture verses, that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was inapplicable, and that Sterling’s Bible verse postings were motivated by “subjective beliefs” not legitimately “part of a religious belief system.”

A mid-level military appellate court rejected Sterling’s appeal. So, the A C L J filed a brief—on behalf of 42 members of Congress and 142,000+ Americans—asking the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the highest military appeals court, to hear her case and overturn this dangerous ruling.

Angry atheist Mikey Weinstein and his Military Religious Freedom Foundation asked the court to reject Sterling’s appeal and ignore the violation of her religious freedom. Weinstein and his extremist group have repeatedly called Christians in the military “monsters who terrorize”.

The court has now agreed with the A C L J in granting review of Unites States vs. Sterling. The A C L J is now preparing another brief in support of Sterling and the merits of her position.

This case could set a serious precedent, making a dramatic impact on the religious liberty of all our men and women in uniform.