Revelation 12:16-17

…and He died and rose again conquering death once and for all. We now fight against the spiritual forces of darkness not human. Listen closely to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit in your life. He alone can protect you from the evil we now face here on earth. Satan only seeks to kill, steal and destroy believers making them so involved in worldly success that they forget the God that they serve. All things must be filtered through Scripture…if it is not in the NT it is not relevant for today. Jesus came to bring truth to the earth He is our template for Godly success. 

There is victory in Jesus.

Devil (Gk. diabolos) (2:10; 12:9, 12; 20:2, 10; Matt. 4:1; Acts 10:38) Strong’s #1228; Satan (Gk. Satanas) (20:2, 7; Matt. 4:10; Rom. 16:20) Strong’s #4567: The word diabolos signifies a slanderer, one who accuses another. Hence that other name given him: “the accuser of our brethren” (12:10). The name Satan signifies an adversary, one who lies in wait for or sets himself in opposition to another. These and other names of the same fallen spirit point to different features of his evil character and deceitful operations.

Enraged by his inability to destroy the woman, Satan, the dragon, resorts to war against a related group. The rest of her offspring are believers in Christ, since they keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is not clear whether they are Jewish believers (physical offspring of the woman) or Gentile believers (spiritual offspring). 

In desperation, Satan opposes every trace of a biblically oriented faith in Christ.

Revelation 12:16–17 (NKJV)

¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. ¹⁷ And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Daniel 7:13-14

Pray for His return.

Free will in todays culture in my estimation is highly overrated. Give me Jesus! 

Son of Man is Semitic for “human being.” Daniel saw One like the “Son of Man,” indicating that He is not a man in the strict sense, but rather the perfect representation of humanity. Jewish and Christian expositors have identified this individual as the Messiah. Jesus Himself used this name to emphasize His humanity as the incarnate Son of God. 

He will reign over all things as the regent of Almighty God. 

Daniel 7:13-14

¹³     “I was watching in the night visions,

And behold, One like the Son of Man,

Coming with the clouds of heaven!

He came to the Ancient of Days,

And they brought Him near before Him.

¹⁴  Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,

That ALL peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

Which shall not pass away,

And His kingdom the one

Which shall not be destroyed.

³⁰ Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 

Matthew 24:30

²⁶ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 

Mark 13:26

²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 

Luke 21:27

⁷ Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen. 

Revelation 1:7

³⁶ He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” 

John 3:36

²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 

Ephesians 1:22

⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Philippians 2:9–11

¹⁵ Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 

Revelation 11:15

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. 

Hebrews 12:28

Micah 2:1

Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy. In the power of the Holy Spirit we overcome his hatred with the love of Christ. If Jesus is held up others are drawn to Him and the loving forgiveness that is His right alone to give!

Man and his half baked ideas will always fail. The wisdom of the Holy Spirit…infallible!

The ethical teaching of the prophets regularly included oracles of judgment against greed, theft, and oppression, actions of the powerful in attacking the weak.

Micah 2:1–1 (NKJV)

2  Woe to those who devise iniquity,

And work out evil on their beds!

At morning light they practice it

Because it is in the power of their hand.

⁶ They prepare their heart like an oven, While they lie in wait; Their baker sleeps all night; In the morning it burns like a flaming fire. 

Hosea 7:6

⁷ They are all hot, like an oven, And have devoured their judges; All their kings have fallen. None among them calls upon Me. 

Hosea 7:7

Psalm 71:17-18

Open my mouth to speak of Your wondrous works. 

To tell of all that You do for Your creation especially for those who trust only in You.

I was nine or ten years old when I first remember placing all of my hope, all of my trust, all of the protection of me into the loving hands of my God. Although I have failed Him many times He has never failed me…never. He was, He is and will always be my loving Daddy… in the good and in the bad and in the downright ugly times of my life. 

Forever I will love Him, forever will I trust only Him, forever I will rest in His arms.

Psalm 71 is a psalm of lament with a major focus on the psalmist’s trust in God.The poet has trusted in God all his life.

Psalm 71:17–18 (NKJV)

¹⁷ O God, You have taught me from my youth;

And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

¹⁸ Now also when I am old and grayheaded,

O God, do not forsake me,

Until I declare Your strength to this generation,

Your power to everyone who is to come.

⁴ Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you. 

Isaiah 46:4

⁵ “Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess. 

Deuteronomy 4:5

⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 

Deuteronomy 6:7

Daniel 5:13-16

In order to fully receive the blessings of the Father you must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who place their trust solely in Him. Daniel lived in the fullness of the Spirit trusting God for everything in his life. When we hand over the control of our life to God the answer to every question is within our reach if we listen closely to the Holy Spirit who resides within us.

This event took place in 539 b.c.. Daniel was an old man at this time, possibly 80 years old or older.

interpretation (Aram. peshar) (2:4; 4:6, 5:12, 16) Strong’s #6591: This word literally means “to untie” or “to loose.” In other words, Daniel could unravel the mysteries of dreams and visions: he could explain or solve them. Yet he was always quick to give God the credit for his ability. By the time of Jesus, rabbinic Judaism had interpreted much of the OT allegorically. These “pesher” explanations of the Scriptures might have been what Jesus was addressing when He said, “you have heard that it was said”.

Daniel 5:13–16 (NKJV)

¹³ Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? ¹⁴ I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. ¹⁵ Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. ¹⁶ And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

¹¹ There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 

Daniel 5:11

¹² Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.” 

Daniel 5:12

John 8:23

Just B.E.L.I.E.V.E. that Jesus Christ is God and the Holy Spirit will reveal the rest!

I am was God’s designation of Himself. Jesus was claiming to be God. This assertion was not understood by the religious leaders at this time. Later, Jesus’ claim to be the “I AM” prompted the Jewish leaders to seek His life.

John 8:23 (NKJV)

²⁴ Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

¹⁶ He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 

Mark 16:16

Matthew 28:18-20

Everything, every thing, no matter how great or how small, has been placed in the hands of our Savior. We are the ones that must demonstrate to others His commands to love  God above all and others as we do ourselves. In the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, in the name of the Spirit here we come.

Shout it to the world salvation is given in Jesus Christ the Lord.

I am with you always… Jesus “God with us”.

Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV)

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

¹⁴Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. 

Daniel 7:14

²⁷ All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 

Matthew 11:27

³⁵ The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 

John 3:35

⁹ For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 

Romans 14:9

¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 

Ephesians 1:10

² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 

Hebrews 1:2

⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 

Luke 24:47

³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Acts 2:38

²³ if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. 

Colossians 1:23

Romans 13:8-10

Love is a debt that we can never repay in full. It is a recognition that we do love ourselves, and commands us to love others just as genuinely and sincerely as we love ourselves.

Paul contends that the Spirit of Jesus can motivate us to live responsible, Christlike lives.

Romans is a mighty leveler, for it declares that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (3:23). Since all are sinners, it comes as a delightful shock that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (5:8). This is the Good News.

This letter was written to a vibrant church in the city of Rome. When Paul wrote this letter he had not personally visited Rome, although he had desired to do so for some time.Paul admired their faith and prayed regularly for them. It is evident that the church included both Jews and Gentiles. Little did Paul know that his eventual arrival in Rome would be in captivity (Acts 28:17–31).

Paul hammers home his central theme: The righteous God justifies and ultimately glorifies both Jew and Gentile by grace through faith.

Romans 13:8–10 (NKJV)

⁸ Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 

John 13:34

¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

Galatians 5:14

⁸ If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; 

James 2:8

³¹ And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

Mark 12:31

Zechariah

Zechariah means “Yahweh Remembers.”

 Encouragement and hope are the underlying themes of the prophecies of Zechariah. The prophet Zechariah was one of the three prophets, along with Haggai and Malachi, who ministered to the exiles returning to Jerusalem. He predicted a coming King—the Messiah who would bring eternal salvation and the promised eternal kingdom.

 Zechariah teaches a great deal concerning the First and Second Comings of Jesus the Messiah. He refers to the Messiah as the “BRANCH”, God’s “Servant”, and God’s “Shepherd”. There is also an allusion to the Messiah’s ministry as a Priest-King. 

Furthermore, he prophesied the Messiah’s entrance into Jerusalem on a colt, His betrayal for 30 pieces of silver, the piercing of His hands and feet, and the cleansing from sin provided by His death. In fact, chapters 9–14 of Zechariah are the most quoted section of the Prophets in the narratives of the Gospels.

Concerning the Messiah’s Second Coming, Zechariah prophesied such future events as the conversion of Israel, the destruction of Israel’s enemies, and the reign of Christ in a new Jerusalem.

Along with his emphasis on the Messiah, Zechariah appropriately gives an important message about God’s plan for salvation. The importance of repentance and returning to the Lord of Hosts. Zechariah provides a striking illustration of the removal of sin and the imputation of righteousness. The removal of the high priest’s filthy garments and the provision of clean festal robes illustrates the work of Christ. 

Through His atoning death, Christ strips us of our filthy sins and clothes us with His own righteousness. In this way we can approach our holy God.

Zechariah 3:8 

⁸ ‘Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, You and your companions who sit before you, For they are a wondrous sign; For behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH. 

Zechariah 6:13 

¹³ Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne, And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.” ’ 

Zechariah 9:9 

⁹ “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A 

colt, the foal of a donkey. 

John 12:14–16 

¹⁴ Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: ¹⁵“Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey’s colt.” ¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him. 

Zechariah 12:10 

¹⁰ “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 

John 19:37

 ³⁷ And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” 

Zechariah 14:9

 ⁹And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be “The Lord is one,” And His name one. 

Zechariah 7:10 

¹⁰Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, The alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart Against his brother.’ 

Zechariah 7:9 

⁹ “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Execute true justice, Show mercy and compassion Everyone to his brother. 

Zechariah 8:16 

¹⁶These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; 

Mark 1:14-15

Jesus, the Word made flesh, all God, all man, came to this earth to give up His life for us. He died in our place. He fulfilled the requirements of the Law and made peace once and for all between God and man. 

Now it is our decision to accept or reject this gift of mercy and forgiveness in the salvation that the triune  God offers us in Christ.

Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God. It was the subject of much OT prophecy, and the theme was familiar to Jesus’ listeners. Repent, and believe are both acts of faith.

Mark 1:14-15

¹⁴ Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵ and saying,  “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

²³ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 

Matthew 4:23

⁴ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 

Galatians 4:4

¹⁰ that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. 

Ephesians 1:10

⁶ who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, 

1 Timothy 2:6

²¹ testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Acts 20:21

Mark 6:5-6

It is all about believing… not hearing, reading, or studying the Word made flesh but deeply knowing that He is and He saves. You have to BELIEVE in order to receive all that God offers to man through Him. 

His peace He gives to those who enter into His rest.

Mark 6:5–6

⁵ Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶ And He marveled because of their unbelief.

⁵⁸ Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. 

Matthew 13:58

²³ Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 

Mark 9:23

¹⁶ He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him. 

Isaiah 59:16

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 

Matthew 17:20

¹⁸ And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 

Hebrews 3:18

¹⁹ So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. 

Hebrews 3:19

² For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 

Hebrews 4:2

Daniel 12:1-3

Every day draws us closer to the end of this age as we know it and to eternal life with the Triune Godhead.

Those who shall be delivered are those whose names are written in the book of life, God’s record of those who have been justified by faith. Faith alone pleases the Father. We are refined in the furnace of afflictions. God takes our failings, those things that should have destroyed us and uses them to change us inwardly, precept by precept, into the character of Jesus.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:6

⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Daniel 12:1-3

12 “At that time Michael shall stand up,

The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;

And there shall be a time of trouble,

Such as never was since there was a nation,

Even to that time.

And at that time your people shall be delivered,

Every one who is found written in the book.

² And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,

Some to everlasting life,

Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

³ Those who are wise shall shine

Like the brightness of the firmament,

And those who turn many to righteousness

Like the stars forever and ever.

⁷ Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it. 

Jeremiah 30:7

²¹ For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 

Matthew 24:21

⁸ You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? 

Psalm 56:8

²⁹ and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 

John 5:29

³⁵ And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time. 

Daniel 11:35

²⁰ let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. 

James 5:20