Apocalypse Now

Hey Church Family:  We will be stopping, for several months, our Sunday morning study of Luke to receive some timely encouragement from the book of Revelation.  Revelation is a book of apocalyptic prophecy.  What does that mean?  It simply means that you have to read it differently than other genres that make up the other Bible books.  The ancient meaning of the Greek word for “apocalypse” simply means to unveil, disclose, to show, to make visible.  Jesus wanted His Church to know without a shadow of doubt that He and His Church are the winners of every battle that comes their way.  Jesus’ Revelation showed John, through very vivid apocalyptic pictures, that in the midst of their bitter persecution, miserable suffering, martyrdom and false teaching, that God rules history and He conquers death, hades, Satan, and Satan's helpers.  And that Christ is not the only one who conquers but His Church conquers with Him.  The Book of Revelation is about VICTORY!  The victory of Christ and His Church over Satan, the world and anything the world brings our way.  As we start Revelation, don’t forget that promise from Jesus Christ, the Victor, the Conqueror.

Jesus was encouraging the first century church that no matter what that year, the year 95AD, or any year after would bring their way they would be more than conquerors in Christ Jesus!  That is the same message for God’s people in year 2020.  No matter what comes our way church, we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.

Because this is the message of Revelation of Jesus Christ to His people, we can be guaranteed that His intention is to make this Revelation clear, vivid, without confusion.  Jesus’ intention is not to hide, confuse, terrify or divide His people.  Jesus wants His people to see clearly the invisible forces and the secrets of His sovereign, invincible plan that is and will be experienced by His Church in this world.  This message was for the first century church and remains the message for the 21st century church.  We are more than conquerers in Christ.  

As we start this study together, let us acknowledge that the Church is filled with so-called “end-time experts” who believe that they hold the secret key to the secret puzzle that they have built in their effort to make sense of Revelation.  Run from them, Church!  Revelation is not a secret puzzle but a vivid, clear picture book.  Jesus gave His vibrant picture book, Revelation, to John to be written and read to the mostly illiterate people that made up the churches across Asia Minor.  And guess what, they understood it and were encouraged to persevere to victory over the beast and his world system.  The Church did not have any written Bible as we have, no commentaries, no Bible Software, no “experts.”  They heard the Revelation read in usually one sitting, prayed together, took the Lord’s Supper and then faced the persecuting world that was throwing them before the wild beasts.  And they did so with joyful victory in Christ!

Please, let us join together as the church at GCT, to receive the promised blessing of Revelation. “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).  Let us take in Revelation in the same way the Seven Churches did in Asia Minor, in the power of the Holy Spirit, letting the Spirit speak to us the last Revelation of Jesus Christ.  We are victorious, Jesus says so.

Please read Revelation 1, before Sunday.  Read it with the idea that it is a scene that John is seeing with his own eyes and he is attempting to describe to very simple people… just like us.  Let your mind paint the picture of Revelation 1, as described by John.

This Sunday we will be meeting in person at the church building if you would like to join us in person at 10am.  And for those who will be staying at home, we will  be live-streaming on our Grace Community Church Topsail YouTube Channel. Push the blue link.  We can also be found at https://www.gracetopsail.com/

I look forward to worshipping with you Sunday, Victorious. - Steve