Demon Horsemen to Slay Men - Plagues of Revelation

Revelation 9:13-21
Sixth Trumpet: The Angels from the Euphrates

     Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

   But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or
 their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Concerning Individuals 

. Peter’s Death

John 21:18
Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”

. Suffering and Spirit Baptism of Jesus and John

Matthew 20:23
So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

Mark 10:39
They said to Him, “We are able.”
  So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;

[Message No: 7068]

Need God’s Presence

Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. — Psalm 28:9
While most of us are familiar with the very personal declaration about God as shepherd in Psalm 23. This Psalm is a plea for God to actively shepherd all of his people today and into the far distant future. It is also a great reminder of how important it is for us to pray for God's presence in the lives of his children wherever, and "whenever" they are!

Plagues of Revelation 

Loosing of death and hell
Revelation 6:7-8
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.

Martyrdom of Christians
Revelation 6:9-11
When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

This experience must come

2 Kings 2:12
And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.

[Message No: 7067]

The Spiritual Saint

Philippians 3:10
 That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

The Spiritual Society

Ephesians 4:13
till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

2 Thessalonians 3:1

“Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.”

What can you do to help the spread of the Gospel and help increase the number of those who are saved each day? Well, there are many things: put in a good word for Jesus, share your faith with a friend, go on a mission trip, send financial support to a missionary, and many others.

But one of the most important things you can do is to pray! Pray for missionaries and preachers and those who minister and share the Word of God and the grace of Jesus through the Internet, radio, television, and print. Pray for the message to spread rapidly and pray for it to grow in power and influence.

Scriptures for Anger

Proverbs 16:32
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
 And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath,
  But a harsh word stirs up anger.

The Price of Vision

Isaiah 6:1
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.

[Message No: 7066]

Prayers

Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Matthew 21:22
And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Isaiah 30:19
For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem;
 You shall weep no more.
 He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
 When He hears it, He will answer you.

Jeremiah 29:12
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

1 John 5:14-15
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

John 14:13-14
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

Isaiah 65:24
“It shall come to pass
 That before they call, I will answer;
 And while they are still speaking, I will hear.

John 16:23-24
“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

[Message No: 7065]

The Absent Householder

(The Parables of Jesus Christ)

Mark 13:33-37
Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”
The Barren Fig Tree (The Parables of Jesus Christ)
Luke 13:6-9

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

    He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”

John 13:34

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

Wow, that's a tall order to fill, isn't it! Jesus has just washed the feet of his disciples. Over the next few hours, Judas will betray him with a kiss, Peter will deny him three times, and the other 10 disciples will forsake and leave him to die alone. Yet he still washed their feet knowing they would do this. He still goes to the cross for them while knowing they will abandon him.

I'm not sure that I can love like that... yet. However, with the Holy Spirit's help, I will make a renewed commitment to love others who have hurt and disappointed me. I will also seek to mend relationships where I have hurt and disappointed others.

The Undeviating Test 

Matthew 7:2
 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

[Message No: 7064]

2 Corinthians 4:7

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. —

While there are many talented and successful Christians in the world today, they are merely vessels for God's message of grace, hope, and power. Our focus should never be on the container for the message. Instead, what is most important is the integrity of the messenger no matter the situation, so that the message can be seen without distraction. God's power is what sustains us, not our own, we are simply a vessel, a tool, in the hands of the Lord.

Serving Him

Faithful to my Lord’s commands. I still would choose the bitter part; Serve with careful Martha’s hands And loving Mary’s heart.
.. Charles Wesley

 “There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord; but few of us are willing to do little things.”
. D.L. Moody

Scriptures for Anger

James 1:19-20
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Ecclesiastes 7:9
Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
 For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
Proverbs 14:17
A quick-tempered man acts foolishly,
 And a man of wicked intentions is hated.

Thoughts 

. Never believe anything bad about anybody unless you positively know it to be true; never tell even that unless you feel that it is absolutely necessary—and that God is listening while you tell it. - Henry van Dyke

.That God is more near, more real and mighty, more full of love, and more ready to help every one of us than any one of us realizes, is the undying message of the Gospels. David S. Cairns

[Message No: 7063]

Sanctification

1 Thessalonians 4:13
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

Isaiah 51:5

“My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.”

God's promises stand through the ages. He has fulfilled them in many different ways. He has punished evil nations, he has redeemed Israel according to his promises, and he has sent Jesus as Savior and redeemer. But most importantly of all, Jesus stands at the edge of history waiting to return and bring full redemption for God's people and salvation for those everywhere who long for his return.

Thoughts 

. It is in the view of the glory of Christ that we are made partakers of evangelical peace, consolation, joy and assurance. - John Owen

.Life is the childhood of immortality. Daniel A. Poling

. God is within all things but not included; outside all things, but not excluded; above all things, but not beyond their reach. - Gregory the Great

Questions in Genesis

26:9-10
Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?”
  Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’”
   And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.”

26:27
And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?”

The big compelling of God

Luke 18:31
Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.

[Message No: 7062]

Obstacles as Opportunities

Psalm 27:14
Learning to see obstacles as opportunities takes time. Recalling certain truths can help our perspective:

God is at work. As barriers remain in place and our situation seems unchanged, God is orchestrating people and events to move His plan forward. He works silently, invisibly, and effectively.

Elders

The tradition of the elders – Matthew 15:2
“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

Be rejected  by the elders – Luke 9:22
saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.”

They had appointed elders – Acts 14:23
So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Do it Yourself – 2 Corinthians 10:5

casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Patience: Our Gift of Service – Colossians 3:12-13

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Signs of the new Birth – John 3:7

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

[Message No: 7061]