The Revelation of Jesus has captured my thoughts so much lately. After a prayer experience on top of the mount where He often prayed, where He gave the Great Commission to His disciples—on the same mount, I experienced extreme favor, just to be there and pray. It was, and still is, mind boggling. Surreal. Yet, I know it happened. I was truly sitting on solid ground. My eyes were looking at a very real, historical landscape. What a holy, yet natural, thing to do. That is what is so amazing about knowing God—the natural, ordinary things can be shot through with glorious, extraordinary, spiritual reality. My eyes scanned the same mountains in the Galilee, the Sea below the sloping hill where Jesus preached and healed multitudes. I could easily see the remains of the ancient town of Capernaum from the view on this mount, a view Jesus also saw—only then the town was alive with people. I saw a highway, whereas He saw Via Maris caravan road. I saw just ruins, a church, and tourist buses in a parking lot. From where I sat at prayer, I realized this was hallowed ground, the very mount where Jesus went often to pray; where, in fact, He prayed all night once and the next morning chose twelve men out of over one hundred to be His intimate disciples—men He decided would carry His mission forward for Him.
Here I was, over 2000 years later, talking to the very same Son of God, on top of His regular place to pray. One sentence in our conversation stands out above all the others. He said, “You live in the days I dreamed of—the days of revelation.”
I believed in His words to me. I let them sink into my heart while sitting there. I wrote in my journal, “The BRIDE (the true Church) is at last coming to really know Him, to be passionately in love with Him – longing for His return. These are the days of the Revelation of Jesus. We know Him, like the Church has never known Him before this time. We have the God’s written Word at our fingertips, in media, the Internet, and the world is so small that we can have Christian fellowship with each other at any time of day or night–instantly. More than this, we are experiencing the Holy Spirit like never before. Need I mention Israel and today’s politics and nations uniting for world peace and control? The world is striving for a one world money and government.
Yes, truly, the climax to history is at hand—the last of the last days. Can you sense this in your spirit? Does this resonate with you? Speedily, dark is growing darker, light is growing lighter (through the Revelation of Jesus in and with us). Many will fall away from uncompromised faith in Jesus, but the true church will rise and become glorious. The glory usually comes through suffering, however. And, it is happening. More and more, we will suffer for our faith. Jesus is being revealed, and He is in us and with us by His Spirit.
Last Sunday our pastor preached on the Second Coming. Last summer, I attended a ladies bible study on the Book of Revelation. I received an email just before I began to write this blog—attached to it was an e-newsletter from ICEJ (International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem). I am including a link to one of the most powerful teachings I’ve ever heard on the Book of Revelation by Malcolm Hedding, president of ICEJ. Take time to listen. It was given to Swedish people, so you have to put up with a translator after hearing his words in English, but you will know that you are hearing what the Spirit is saying to the Churches, before, through history, and now.
Now is the time to be about the work of the Kingdom. Now is the time to come close to Jesus. Now, like never before, is the time to renew our first love with the Lover of our souls. We are living in a culture where we are in the world and becoming of the world—we need to overcome—which is to repent and trust in Jesus and be fervent about being “the salt” the “light” – obedient to His Word, without compromise, willing to suffer for being His. The days are surely coming when we will need to be faithful through harder suffering, perhaps even unto death. When the Lord comes, it will be, to us, a glorious appearing, and to the world, a Judge full of wrath. I lean towards the belief in only one Second Coming—one “Day of the Lord.” There are many others who disagree, I know.
I long for that Day. Of course I don’t want to suffer, but if and when the time comes, the Lord will be with me in it. He said we’d suffer, He allows it. He has His reasons for saying so. But, He also said, those who overcome, will gain eternal glory—something so wonderful we cannot begin to comprehend it.
Am I an overcomer? It doesn’t appear so. I have experienced divorce. He knows. I have children not believing in Him. He knows. I have failed to live as Jesus wants. He knows. But, I am honest with Him, I tell Him I’ve failed, He forgives me. I trust in Him, I love Him for all He does to forgive me and favor me. I don’t deserve this kind of treatment. I fail at many things. But, I trust in Him. He picks me up. We go on. Therefore, I do overcome, and it is day by day.
In fact, He invited me to come to Israel for a special prayer time, and to witness things I’ll never forget. He invited me to write for Him. This is all grace. I do not deserve to do anything special for God; and, yet, He deserves all I can give Him—which is to live my best and trust in Him alone for the rest of my life, in every part of my life. If it happens that I must suffer more, because we live in a sinful place; He knows. I press in to be able to see Him, to experience His love. These are the days of His Revelation. He mostly wants us to trust Him and obey Him, to be “on fire” for Him in our relationship with Him.
Jesus is this Person (maybe we should visualize this Person when we pray):
He wears a priestly garment; wears a golden band at His waist; His head and hair are white like snow; His eyes are flames of fire; His feet burnished bronze; His voice sounds like many waters. In His right hand He holds seven stars; and out of His mouth is a two-edged sword; His face is like the sun shining in all its strength; He holds the keys of death and of Hades. (Rev. 1:12-20). Jesus said the “seven stars” are His seven messages to us, about what He expects and thinks about His churches. This is a glimpse of the glorified Lord Jesus. Remember when He prayed to His Father just before His death? He said He wanted us to see Him in His glory. He wants us to see Him. More and more He is revealing Himself in these days. We belong to Him and He belongs to us. Knowing these things, what must we be about these days?
We must love Him in reality and include Him in everything we think, say, and do. Look for Him everywhere and in everything. These are Revelation Days.
Blessings,
Margaret
P.S. Here is the link to the messages on the Book of Revelation by Malcolm Hedding. They are in eight half hour segments. I highly recommend this timely word to the Church. http://www.icejusa.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10993
I have the beginnings of my new book posted on there and will be updating it as I work my way through the story of “His Kingdom Come” about Jesus and the first church in Jerusalem.