WHAT DO YOU DO ON THE HOLY DAY CALLED SUNDAY?

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

By the seventh day, God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.

Genesis 2:1-3

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

This past week, I celebrated my 65th birthday and am so grateful for the Lord’s goodness and grace that has brought me this far. And since I have lived a good long while, I will share with you that there was a time when Sunday was treated as sacred.

There were no stores open on Sunday and in many places, it was illegal to sell alcohol on that day. It was also taboo for things to be scheduled that would interfere with the church and attending, like youth sports events for example that seem to be all the rage here in the 21st century.

So what did people used to do on Sundays?

Well, given that the day was honored as a holy day, you were the exception and not the norm if you failed to go to church. On Sunday morning, entire families got up together, dressed nicely as to honor the Lord, and went to church together. Then they would go home afterwards and enjoy time together because this was what people did. In fact, every Sunday evening, there was specific family-oriented programming on all the major networks from 7 to 9PM, programming that parents and kids would enjoy together because in homes back in that day, there was only one television. I particularly remember us watching Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and The Wonderful World of Disney in our household.

So back in the days of my childhood, Sunday was a day when church was a priority, a day reserved for worship and then relaxation. It was a day to wind down from the week’s labors, invest in quality family time, and recharge oneself for the week ahead.

Obviously, things have changed a great deal for in these times, Sunday is largely treated just any other day. Stores are open for shopping, restaurants are open for dining, and movie theaters are open so you can catch the latest flicks. In fact, there’s not much that isn’t available to be done on Sunday. To this, add in the fact that the aforementioned youth sports seem to have found a home on Sundays and you now have kids being shuttled around by their parents so they can participate with games being held at all times, including the hours that people attend church. It’s to the point where the church has to compete with everything else that Sunday offers and the church is having a very tough time winning the battle.

Consider that in the 1970’s, more than 70% of people in America said they belonged to a church. By the year 2020, that number had plummeted to 45% and presently in 2025, polls indicate that only 20 percent of Americans attend church weekly.

Now, ask yourself why we see our country in such a state of moral decline. As has been true through the ages, a godless nation will behave in ungodly ways.

You know, I can’t help but wonder what God thinks as He looks down on what we have done to His Sabbath day, the day that He declared hallowed, the day that even He found time to rest from His previous six days of creation labor. I’m sure His anger is stoked as He bristles at the blatant disrespect and dishonor reflected in how people treat Sundays.

Indeed, the seventh day that He made holy is treated far from it by most for Satan has done a masterful job to distract people from the true purpose of the Sabbath. And unfortunately, 80 percent of the people today have fallen for it…hook, line, and sinker. So while we read in our scripture passage that God rested on the seventh day, we can’t seem to be on the go enough. By God’s own words, He sanctified the seventh day because He rested. Sadly, too many people choose to desecrate it because they refuse to rest.

So the question is, “What do you do on the holy day called Sunday?”

If the answer is anything but dedicating the day to worshiping the Lord and resting as He did, then it’s time to self examine yourself and choose to make immediate corrections. I challenge and encourage you to get back to basics, back to the time when church was the only thing acceptable on Sunday, back to the seventh day of creation when God rested after His creation work was complete.

This is His will for us and it’s time to be obedient to that will.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

CREATOR, BLESSER, PROVIDER

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Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food."

And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 1:28-31

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

It was day 6 of God’s establishing all creation when He made man and woman out of His own image but as we see in today’s passage, He did so much more than just bring them into existence. Our scripture verses reveal the following:

1. He blessed them.

God blessed them.

From the very beginning, we learn that God placed His blessing on males and females and the good news is that He has never stopped blessing His children since then. We need to consider this each day as we awake and draw breath, rejoicing in the reality that the Lord has blessed us with another day of life, proving yet again that His mercies (and blessings) are truly new every morning.

2. He allowed reproduction.

God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

After God created man and woman, He commanded them to "be fruitful and increase in number" so that they might "fill the earth". To accomplish this, He designed Adam and Eve in such a way that allowed them to reproduce and bring other males and females into the world to populate it. Thus, conception and the subsequent childbirth came to exist just as it does today as men and women come together to continue being “fruitful” while increasing the earth’s population.

3. He cared for what He created.

Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food."

In this final truth, we see that God didn’t just create male and female and then let them fend for themselves. He knew they would need food for nourishment and survival, and so He gave them "every seed bearing plant on the face of the earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it."

Further, the scriptures tell us that He didn’t just do this for human beings but also for “everything that has the breath of life in it", proving that He (God the Creator) is truly the Great Provider of all created things.

So there you are. Here in Genesis, chapter 1, God makes it clear that He is the Creator, the Blesser, and the Great Provider.

Think about all He has done for you in these areas and I guarantee you will always end up in a place of gratitude and thanksgiving.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

GOD'S IMAGE AND YOU

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”

And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds.

And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:20-27

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If you’re like me, you are fascinated with nature and especially the large variation of creatures that exist on earth, in the sky, and within the sea. None of them would have been possible without the amazing, artistic power of God the Almighty as we see what happened on days 5 and 6 in the creation story. Here’s what we read in Genesis, chapter 1, verses 20 through 25:

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”

And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds.

And God saw that it was good.

Here we find that it was God who made the creatures of the sea, the birds of the air, the livestock, wild animals, and all other creatures that move along the ground. Each was developed with their own unique qualities and functions, many of which would provide food for the humans that were to be created next. We read where the Lord “saw that it was good” before He moved onto what is perhaps His greatest work yet, the creating of man and woman. We see this starting in verse 26:

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

From our scripture, we can see that God gave man the authority to rule over all other created creatures. Whether a sea dweller, air flyer, or ground walker, all members of the bird, fish, and animal population would be subordinate to mankind.

This takes us to what is the more significant part of these two verses as God creates man. We read that He created males and females in His own image, and that’s it. There were only two genders, not the foolishness we find being widely presented and supported by the world today, a world completely at the will of and blinded by Satan.

Now, let’s take a moment and think about what happens as new babies are born every day. Once they enter the world, aren’t the newborns scrutinized for likeness to their parents. People may look to try and see the following:

Does the baby have the father’s or mother’s eyes?

How about the hair?

In addition to this, science often works to dig down deep within the body to reveal DNA and how it plays a role in establishing and sometimes explaining who we become. Unfortunately, all the mysteries of God will never be fully understood as there will always be things within procreation that defy explanation as God continuously supplies His created earth with inhabitants. In the end translation, science will never completely understand creation because it is of God and no scientist will ever be at the same level of wisdom and knowledge as the One who was there before wisdom and knowledge was even a thing.

Before we close this message, I don’t want to do so without discussing the fact that we are created in God’s image.

I mean, is that awesome or what?

It’s totally astounding to me that when God decided how He was going to make a man or woman, He used Himself as the blueprint to do so. Every single person, male or female, was molded and minted by a perfect God. And despite how much our physical qualities might be different…how our personalities might be different… or how our attitudes might be different, we all have an innate potential to reflect the very qualities of God Himself, all without actually ever being Him of course.

So God made us in His own image and that every man and woman gets to show others a glimpse of the Father in everything they do in the course of every day they are given.

Do others see God in you through the qualities you put on display?

If not, maybe you need to commit to Him and His ways more, asking Him to send His Holy Spirit into your heart, mind and soul. For when we do, we can satisfy one of the Lord’s deepest desires, that we might embody and reflect all that He is to the world we live in.

Won’t you let Him do that with you today?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

GOD'S LIGHT NEVER GOES OUT

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.

He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.

Genesis 1:14-19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the scriptures clearly reveal in our passage for today, the fourth day of God’s creation was all about light.

Lights were placed “in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night”, serving as “signs to mark the seasons and days and years” as well as to light the earth. We’re further told that God made two lights, the greater and the lesser, which would govern the day and night.

Now as if this wasn’t incredible enough, we read where God also made the stars, celestial bodies that provide light in the night sky. It’s believed that there are trillions of stars in the universe overall but only a fraction of them are actually visible from earth.

With all this in sum, the important take away from the fourth day of creation is that light was sent to ensure we would never live totally in darkness. Indeed, “God is light and, in Him, there is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5) He has shared the light that is Him with creation.

As we consider this concept of light, I think we should remember another awesome truth for light is always present in the world.

It’s true, right?

For no matter the time of day, the light is shining brightly somewhere. While one part of the world is in the dark of night, another portion of the world is in broad daylight. There is never a time when the entire world is enveloped in darkness and I think we tend to forget this truth as we get wrapped up in our lives, our world, and our circumstances.

It’s a fact that God’s light doesn’t go out. Ever.

Further, even when we find ourselves in the dark, we have light. For the moon and aforementioned stars provide us light even in the midst of the darkest night. And although clouds may obscure the light of night from time to time, it is still there nonetheless but not as bright as the day (the greater light) because God created it as the "lesser light".

Friends, as we go about the days of life, let us not take God’s gift of light for granted. He is always providing it and when we fully appreciate this, we can agree with the words of the psalmist when he wrote these words:

“You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light." Psalm 18:28

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

WHEN GOD SPEAKS, THINGS HAPPEN

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

Genesis 1:6-13

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

There were days 2 and 3 of creation, days we find at the center of today’s verses from the first chapter of the Bible’s first book, Genesis. Through these words, we not only see God’s work that was captured on that day but this important point about the Almighty, Infinitely Powerful, Creator God we serve:

For when God says something will be done, it will be done.

With this, let’s now look at verses six through thirteen:

And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

Here we find God doing just as He said He would do. Specifically, He said let there be sky and it was so. He said let there be dry ground (or land) amongst the gathered waters and again, it was so. He said let there be vegetation, seed bearing plants and trees on the land to produce fruit and seed, and this happened.

Truly, nothing can get in the way of things happening just the way the Lord wills for it to happen.

This is an important matter to keep in mind as we journey together on this Christian walk we’re on. For we need to remember that there’s nothing that is impossible when God has decided to act in our lives through His will and this is the critical point we need to keep in mind. Before anything happens, it has to be within God’s will and not our own.

To validate this point, look at these two verses from 1st John:

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 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 what we asked of Him." 1 John 5:14-15

These verses are profound in their insight for us, particularly in how we should approach God in prayer regarding our circumstances. We see that it’s a two step process.

First, we need to pray and ask God for His will to be done in our lives.  

Then we need to pivot and pray for God to give us everything we need so to ensure that will, His will, can be accomplished.

The scriptures tell us that when we follow these steps and ask for anything according to God’s will, He will hear us and provide what we ask for (i.e. we will have what we asked of Him).

Or in other words, His will is going to be done.

Let us embrace these truths found in the Word of God, trusting and believing that God will carry out His will and make it so. He did it at the start of creation and He will do it in the here and now with you and me today.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

IN THE BEGINNING

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light and there was light. God saw that the light was good and He separated the light from the darkness."

God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Genesis 1:1-5

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The start of creation as we know it is documented in Genesis, Chapter 1, where we are reminded that “in the beginning”, there was only God. Nothing came before Him as He set forth to create "the heavens and the earth". It’s an amazing feat requiring more power than we can conceive and just stepping back to think about it should leave anyone awestruck.

Now, it’s important to note that the earth wasn’t fully formed at the end of God’s first day of creation. Scripture tells us that it "was formless and empty" and dark. More would come in the ensuing days but God did add light before He finished His work on Day 1, separating it from the darkness. We read where He titled the time of light as “day” while naming the time of darkness, “night”.

As I read about these early stages of creation and meditate on them, I can’t help but draw some parallels to the way God worked to make me a new creation spiritually from the inside, just as He has done and will continue to do in others who come to know and trust Him. For once within me was a dark, formless, empty soul that needed to be crafted and shaped into something useful, something the Lord could use to His glory. And so He entered into the darkness of my inner being and brought light, a divine and holy light that would be the lamp unto my feet and a light to my path as I walked where He wanted me to go. This light always leads me to the place where I find my Father abiding, a place filled with righteousness, mercy, and love. Indeed, thanks be to God for the gift of His wonderful light.

My prayer today, as we once again begin our journey through the Bible, is that you will welcome God inside your soul so that His light might shine from within, reflecting onto all who you encounter. This light is the only one that can overcome inner darkness and lead you to be the kind of created being He wants, a created being that shows others that they are created in His image.

In the beginning, there is God, whether at the dawn of physical creation or at the onset of spiritual birth. Rejoice and be glad in Him today and forever more.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

COME, LORD JESUS, COME

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In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

Revelation 22:20-21

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Jesus is coming back to earth again. We know so because He said so Himself as He spoke with His disciples in the opening three verses of John, chapter 14:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” John 14:1-3

Jesus told His faithful followers, “Do not let your hearts be troubled”, and He still speaks those words into the hearts of Christian believers today. For just as He vowed, He has gone to “prepare a place” for all those who have placed their belief in Him as Savior and one day He “will come back to take” all His disciples to be with Him.

We find this assurance reaffirmed at the time of His ascension into Heaven, the account found in the first chapter of the Book of Acts. There we read this:

After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Then they gathered around Him and asked Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven.” Acts 1:3, 6-11

After Jesus’ resurrection on the third day following His crucifixion, Jesus indeed “presented Himself” to the women who had come to His tomb to anoint His body, the disciples, and many others. He didn’t leave any doubt He was very much alive through the “many convincing proofs” that happened “over a period of forty days”.

Then, after addressing His followers one final time, the scriptures tell us that he “was taken up” to Heaven “before their very eyes”. As they gazed skyward, they received a message from “two men dressed in white” that had “suddenly” appeared. Beginning with a question, their message was short and to the point:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven.”

Jesus would come back and it was something that the early first century church longed for. We see this at the very end of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth. In the 16th chapter, we find the following words:

“And may the Lord come soon.” v.22 CEV

Expressed more than 2,000 years ago, it was obvious that the first Christian believers were as distressed over the world they lived in as we are often today. For sure, there is nothing this world can offer that will ever compare or exceed the coming glory that all Jesus followers will experience when they are ushered into eternal life after Jesus returns. The 21st and 22nd chapters of this Book of Revelation paint a picture of the new kingdom of God where Christians will dwell and simply reading about it shows us why we find the yearning for Jesus to come back echoed at the very end of this last book in the Bible.

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. Vv.21-22

Revelation is the testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1-2) and He, Jesus, “who testifies” in this book assures all who read it that He is “coming soon” to which we find the only suitable response, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”.

Come and rescue us from the evil and sin of this world.

Come so I can be made new, becoming holy as You are holy.

Come to bring me into the place You have prepared for me, into my everlasting dwelling place to abide with You and God forever.

Yes, come Lord Jesus come but until that time or until I die in You, still assuring my place with You at Your appointed time, continue to lead and guide me so to carry out Your Great Commission and make disciples of all nations. I hunger for Your coming but not at the expense of carrying on Your work through every moment that You give, knowing that You have promised to be with me until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

DO NOT ALTER

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:

If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

Revelation 22:18-19

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we saw in yesterday’s message, the Book of Revelation begins with these words:

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:1-2

And so this book, a book full of prophecy regarding “what son must take place”, was a “revelation” that was delivered via “Jesus” after “God gave” it to Him. In turn, this revelation was passed onto their “servant John” who wrote down and testified “to everything he saw”. The finished product, the Book of Revelation that we are nearly finished studying, is thus “the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus”.

Now, we know that God, the Maker and Master of all things in Heaven and earth, is perfect in every way (Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 18:30, Matthew 5:48). He has absolutely no flaws and so nothing He does or says is in need of editing. Not now, not ever.

We also know Jesus and His Father are one (John 10:30). Therefore, everything that is of God is of the Son and that includes the Father’s perfection. Jesus came to earth and walked among sinners but He Himself was perfectly righteous and sinless (1 Peter 2:22).

And so when we say that the Book of Revelation and its prophecies are the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus, then we know that everything is entirely true and accurate. Every word is important and necessary. No other words need to be added and certainly no words should ever be subtracted.

With this truth in place, we now have a good base by which to approach our verses for today as we read a firm warning from Jesus regarding this entire book. Look again at His words here:

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:

If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. Revelation 22:18-19

Here, we find serious penalties for anyone who decides to alter the perfectly arranged words of this book of prophecy. For Jesus promises the following will happen to anyone who does so:

1. For the one who chooses to add.

If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.

If you’re a believer, you should really listen to what Jesus is saying here because part of the amazing blessing of being a Christian believer is that they will be taken away from this world at the Rapture and therefore not have to experience the terrors that will come as the “plagues described” in this book are unleashed from Heaven to earth. All those who place their belief in Jesus will escape the frightening terrors of God’s judgment found in this book of prophecy unless someone opts to add something to this perfect book given by a perfect God and His Son. Those who choose to add will be left behind at the Rapture, remaining on earth to endure the punishment of God.

Only a fool would want to end up in that place.

2. For the one who chooses to subtract.

And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

If a person who adds to the words of Revelation is a fool, then anyone who takes words away from this perfect book of prophecy is even more so. For note that the offender in this case will lose their opportunity for eternal life altogether for God will “take away” their “share in the tree of life” and “the Holy City”.

Wow. If that doesn’t get a person’s attention, I don’t know what will.

The message here is clear.

Do not alter the Book of Revelation in any way, or else.

I would recommend that no one test this promise because Jesus never makes one that He doesn’t keep.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.