THE SECRET CHAMBER

 

THE SECRET CHAMBER By Frank Mceleny Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. Isaiah 26:20 There is a time coming of the Lord's indignation. In our present-day language this word has lost much of its true meaning. The Hebrew word is zah-am. It speaks of fury, of raging, even figuratively of foaming at the mouth. Imagine such a time when the God of all creation rises in holy indignation against the rebellion of mankind. And what is the Lord's counsel to His people in such a day? To separate themselves. To come into the innermost part of who they are in Christ and remain there. The most intimate room of the house is the chamber, the bedroom, the place of communion and rest. We have been called to intimacy with our Lord and God. It is this very intimacy, this overwhelming love and desire for our Lord, that initiates our separation from all else. Without this love, without this desire, how can we truly be separate from the world? If we have competing loves in our lives, then we shall never make our way to the chamber and shut the door. The world and all its ways mean less and less to me. I have been captivated by His love and overcome by His grace.  For there is a chamber prepared for the saints. There is a secret place for those who know their God. There is a hiding place in Christ Himself. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock. Psalm 27:5 By Frank Mceleny on Facebook For the full article go to: https://www.facebook.com/fmceleny

 

Angel Standing in the Sun

 

Angel Standing in the Sun In last week’s lesson, Jesus Christ returned to earth. In this chapter, there is some cleanup to be done following the battle of Armageddon... REVELATION 19.17 I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the sky, “Come! Be gathered together to the great supper of God, 19.18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, and small and great.” -WEB Bible The angel makes a horrifying invitation to the birds. It is a prediction of death and destruction for all those who opposed God. The mighty army of Armageddon will be destroyed. Everyone who worshipped the image of the Antichrist or took the mark of the Beast will die, and they will not be buried either. They will meet a shameful end. All the events of the 7th Trumpet; including the bowls of Wrath, the devastating earthquake, the demise of the army of Armageddon, and the feast of the birds are part of the Third Woe. IMAGE CREDIT: AI image of the Ravens, by ChatGPT Dall-E3. LAKE OF FIRE REVELATION 19.19 I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse, and against his army. 19.20 The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his sight, with which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 19.21 The rest were killed with the sword of him who sat on the horse, the sword which came out of his mouth. All the birds were filled with their flesh. -WEB Bible The Antichrist and the False Prophet will be captured and meet their eternal punishment. All people who accepted the mark of the Beast and worshipped the image of the Antichrist will also be sent to the lake of fire. Where is the lake of fire? Obviously, it’s a horrible place but Revelation doesn’t say where it is.  Jesus also mentioned this fiery punishment in the Parable of the Net: MATTHEW 14:47-50 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet, that was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind, which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad they threw away. So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." -WEB Bible IMAGE CREDIT: Kilauea painting by Ogura Yonesuke Itoh 1908, public domain, image revised by C.A. Stevens This study of Revelation will continue next week with punishment for the dragon.

 

WHAT IS THE ABSENCE OF GOD?

 

WHAT IS THE ABSENCE OF GOD? Quote from Billy Graham There is no air in hell... because God is the breath of life. The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. Job 33:4 There is no peace in hell... because God is the Prince of peace. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 There is no comfort in hell... because God is the God of all comfort. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 There is no love in hell... because God is love. And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. I John 4:16  Hell is darkness... because God is the light. And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. I John 1:5 There is only one way to escape hell, and that is through salvation in the name of Jesus Christ. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:8-9

 

BE HOLY

 

BE HOLY You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own. Leviticus 20:26 The words "holy" and "holiness" have fallen into disfavor because of legalistic abuse. Legalism is always a destroyer. Holiness is not something that can be imposed on others; that's when it all goes wrong. There's no set of rules anywhere that will guarantee you can find holiness by adhering to them. In fact, you're more likely to find misery and bondage. Holiness is a personal choice between a Christian and God. It is a journey, with the Holy Spirit teaching us every step of the way. Only God can show us what holiness is, because God is the only one who is truly holy. Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 NLT This verse in Hebrews possibly explains our need for Salvation better than any other: we need to be holy in order to see God, but we know that we’re not holy! We can't be holy! We are sinners through and through. Jesus offers us His righteousness so that we can be part of God's family. The world doesn't understand holiness at all. It is contrary to every natural way of thinking. Holiness is granted to us by Jesus Himself and therefore has a supernatural source. The grace of walking in holiness with God is addictive: like drinking water or eating food, we realize that we need this gift of holiness, because there is light and life in it. We can get more of God's holy presence by reading the Bible and through prayer. In fact, prayer becomes a constant, continual conversation with God about everything and anything as we go through our day. And God is not annoyed by this! It's exactly the kind of fellowship He wants with us. So, God knows what He's talking about when he tells us to be holy. This relationship is what He's hoping for and desiring from us. True holiness is not legalism: it is relationship of the best kind. When the prophet Nathan confronted King David for his egregious sins, David crumpled in remorse immediately. He knew what happened when King Saul disobeyed God: David was afraid that God would permanently reject him as well! The prophet comforted David and told him he was forgiven (even though punishment would be necessary.) David wrote a psalm during this time that describes his fear of God’s rejection, and his desire to be made clean again: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:10-12

 

THE NICENE CREED

 

THE NICENE CREED The Nicene Creed is a foundational statement of Christian faith. It was originally adopted at the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and then refined in 381 AD. At the time, the purpose for devising a creed was to eliminate any confusion regarding essential beliefs of the Christian faith, and bring greater unity among the Christian churches. It was also meant to put down some heresies that had arisen. In fact, it was because of heresies that church leaders believed an essential statement of faith was necessary. Other Christian Creeds that came afterward are very similar to this first, significant statement of faith. We live in an age of lies and deception, when loud voices are trying to tell Christians what to believe and how to live. Heresies have always existed, and they always distract from the essential core of the Gospel. They always cause division, and many of them promoted sinful behaviors. Christians need to know the basics of what we believe so we won't be distracted by the loud noises coming from the world. If there are doctrines that disturb the unity of the Believers then it's best to avoid such topics when we gather together. Our fellowship and unity is in Jesus Christ. THE NICENE CREED I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic (unified) and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.  The statements in the Nicene Creed are more than words: they are precious truths which are dear to the hearts of those who truly love God. There is one little word in this creed that is easily overlooked, and that is the word HOLY. As believers, God expects us to desire holiness in our lives. (More on that topic tomorrow.)