In Revelation 7, we are introduced to two different groups. The first group is clearly Jewish, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel (7.4). The second group is distinguished from the first, as it is a great multitude of people from “every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” (7.9). In contrast to the 144,000 in the first group, the second group is primarily Gentile, a great multitude which no one could count.

The first group of 144,000 is commonly understood to represent the church – what some would call “true, spiritual Israel” today. But this viewpoint cannot be correct because Revelation 7.4 tells us the first group comes from “every tribe of the sons of Israel.” The word Israel is never used for the church in the NT. No, the church isn’t even on earth in Revelation 7, as it has been raptured before the Tribulation period even begins. This group is not spiritual Israel, but actual Israel. Understanding the group to represent the church is an example of not interpreting Scripture normally (or literally), and the result is always nonsense.

Since the 144,000 are clearly Jewish believers sealed for a special purpose in the Tribulation period, it is interesting to note the list of the 12 tribes (7.5-8). The following observations can be made ...
1. The order in which the tribes are listed in Revelation 7.5-8 is not the same as the birth order given in Genesis 29.31-30.24. However, this is not unusual, for when one considers the lists of the tribes found throughout the OT, seldom are the tribes the same and seldom do they appear in the same order (Gen 35:23-25; 49; Exodus 1:2-4; Numbers 1:5-15; 26; 1 Chronicles 2-8).

The Original Tribes (birth order)		Tribes Listed in Rev 7
Reuben	by Leah	Judah
Simeon		Reuben
Levi		Gad
Judah		Asher
Dan	by Bilhah	Naphtali
Naphtali		Manasseh (Dan omitted)
Gad	By Zilpah	Simeon
Asher		Levi
Issachar	by Leah	Issachar
Zebulun		Zebulun
Joseph	by Rachel	Joseph (for Ephraim)
Benjamin		Benjamin

2. Although Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob, Judah is listed first in Revelation 7. This makes sense in this context for the Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah (Rev 5.5).

3. Dan is omitted. Although Revelation 7 gives no reason for the omission of the tribe of Dan among the 144,000, several early church fathers speculated that this was because the Antichrist would not only be Jewish but would be from the tribe of Dan. A more common explanation is that the tribe of Dan was the first to go into idolatry.

4. The sons of Joseph are represented twice. This double representation of Joseph can be explained in light of Gen 48.5 where Jacob claimed the two sons of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) as his own. For this reason, Manasseh appears in the list, and Ephraim is simply written as “Joseph.” (Note Numbers 1.32 where Ephraim was also called Joseph.)

5. Revelation 7 gives no explanation as to why Levi is included in this list. Levi is left off some lists in the OT, mainly because his sons became priests and did not receive an allotment of land like the other 11 tribes. But this list is not for land allotments, so Levi makes an appearance.

6. While John is the human author of the book of Revelation, we do not need to speculate why he did or didn’t include certain tribes. John was only recording what he heard.

7. We should understand this list to be a list of the actual, literal tribes of the sons of Israel. While we may not understand the reasons why some tribes are listed and others are not, it is not a random or accidental list. God’s purposes will be accomplished through the 12,000 sealed Jews from each of these 12 tribes.

8. The important thing to learn from this paragraph is that God is not finished with the Jewish people. Many of them will come to the Lord in the end times, and they will have an important role to play during the Great Tribulation.

In his book, Money, Possessions and Eternity, author Randy Alcorn shares 40 questions to ask God about our giving. These are questions we ask God and allow His Spirit and His Word to guide our thinking in answering them. They require our time and careful thought.

1. “Have You raised me up, with the financial assets and opportunities you’ve entrusted to me, for just such a time as this? (Esther 4:14) Have You called me to join a great team of your children in freeing up money and possessions to reach out to the needy and fulfill the great commission?”

2. “Is the fact that you’ve entrusted me with so many resources an indication You have given me the gift of giving and You want me to learn to exercise it more frequently and skillfully?”

3. “What am I holding onto that’s robbing me of present joy and future reward? What am I keeping that’s preventing me from having to depend on You? What am I clinging to that makes me feel like I don’t have to depend on You to provide, like I used to before I had so much?
 What do You want me to release that could restore me to a walk of faith?”

4. “In light of 2 Corinthians 8:14 and 9:11, do You want me to assume that each financial blessing You entrust to me is not intended to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving?”

5. “Am I being held in orbit around the mass of treasures I’ve stored up? Have I over accumulated? Like the five loaves and two fish, have You multiplied ‘my’ assets not so I’d stockpile them, but so I’d distribute them to the needy?”

6. “Where in the world (and in my community) do You want me to go, to see and participate in Christ-centered ministries meeting physical and spiritual needs?”

7. “Am I treating You as owner and CEO/CFO of ‘my’ assets, or am I treating You merely as my financial consultant, whom I pay a fee (10% or greater)?”

8. “If I make a list of all assets you’ve entrusted to me, and ask what You want me to give away, is there anything I’m leaving off the list? Is there anything I’m treating as if it were untouchable, as if it were mine, not yours? Retirement funds? Don’t they belong to You too? What doesn’t?”

9. “Do You want me to set a basic level of income and assets to live on, then immediately give away whatever You provide beyond that? (Regardless of whether that’s 50%, 90%, 99% or more?)”

10. “How can I be sure that the assets you’ve entrusted to me will serve You after my death? How do I know that those I leave them to, or those they leave them to, will use it for your glory? If I want money to go to your kingdom later, and it’s more than I need, why not give it to you now?”

11. “If the world and everything in it will burn at your second coming (2 Peter 3:10-13), will my assets, accounts and holdings (Confederate currency) I’ve stored up on earth be wasted if You return in my lifetime? Once my present opportunity to give is lost, will I get a second chance? Do You want me to adopt a ‘use it or lose it’ approach to my current opportunities for eternal investment?”

12. “Once they’ve finished college or are working on their own, would inheriting wealth (beyond items of special sentimental and heritage value) help my children’s eternal perspective and walk with God? Or would it have a corrupting influence on their character, lifestyle, work ethic or marriage?”

13. “If my children would resent me giving your money to your kingdom instead of leaving it for them, doesn’t that indicate they’re not qualified to receive it? If so, why would I give them your money? If my investment manager died, what would I think if he left my money to his children? Doesn’t the fact that You entrusted your money to me, not others, indicate You want me, during my lifetime, to invest it in eternity? (Through their diligence and service, won’t You provide for them the money You expect them to manage?)”

14. What’s the eternal downside to giving now? What’s the eternal downside of delaying giving until later? Am I really in danger of giving too much too soon? Or is the only real danger giving too little too late? ‘But if I give away most of my assets now, what will I give from later?’ Is the answer ‘From whatever You choose to provide?’)

15. “If I don’t give something now is it possible I may no longer have it to give later?”

16. “If I don’t give something now is it possible I may die before I get a chance to give it later?”
(If my desire is to give it away before I die, and I can’t know when I’ll die, shouldn’t I give it now?)

17. “If I don’t give it now, am I in danger of my heart getting further wrapped up in earthly treasure, rather than heavenly treasure? Will the same heart that’s prompting me to give today, later persuade me to keep because I ignored your prompting to give?” (Since where I put my treasure today, my heart follows, see Matthew 6:21.)

18. “Since I have no choice but to leave money behind when I die, is it really ‘giving’ to designate money in my will? These may be the wisest places to leave it (and all of us will have some assets at our deaths), but it involves no sacrifice or need for faith. Will I rob myself of joy and reward and rob You of my trust by holding onto, until death, significant assets I could have given while still alive?”

19. “In James 4:13-17 You say I can’t know how much money I’ll make (or lose) tomorrow, or even whether I’ll be here. Is it presumptuous of me to accumulate a large amount of Confederate money that may not be used for You in the future, when it could definitely be used for You in the present?”

20. “Would You ever say to me, when I stand before your judgment seat, ‘You blew it—you sold those shares and gave them to feed the hungry and evangelize the lost, and then two years later the market peaked’? Or would You say ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant’?”

21. “Can You produce higher eternal returns from money I give to You today than Wall Street can? Can anything match your promise of a hundredfold return (ten thousand percent)?”

22. “Is it ever wrong to give to You now rather than wait until later? If Christ commended the poor widow (Mark 12) for giving to God everything she had—considering her faithful, not irresponsible—how much would I have to give away before he would consider me irresponsible?”

23. “Do You want me to set up a foundation, or give money out as You bring it in? If I have a foundation, do You want me to give assets away now, or implement a phase-out plan so the principal doesn’t end up wasted at your return?”

24. “Since You called the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-30) to give away all that He had and follow You in faith, is it possible You might call me to do the same? (If I assume the answer’s no, am I really recognizing your lordship?)”

25. “Why do I want to hold on to my wealth? Am I trying to prove something? What, and to whom? Is it pride? Power? Prestige? Selfishness? Insecurity? Fear? Am I a control freak? Or is it just because it’s normal, and I’m going with the flow of my culture? Do You want me to go with that flow? Or to do something different, maybe radically different?”

26. “Am I living to hear others say of me ‘he’s a great success’ or to have You say to me, ‘Well done my good and faithful servant’?”

27. “Instead of asking ‘Why should I give this away?’ do You want me to ask ‘Why shouldn’t I give this away?’ Should I put the burden of proof on keeping rather than on giving? When money comes in, should giving rather than keeping be my default, the rule not the exception? Unless there’s a compelling reason to keep, should I normally give?” (Why give? The answer, biblically, couldn’t be more obvious. Why keep? When we already have so much, that’s what demands an explanation.)

28. “Am I hanging onto excess money as a backup plan in case You fail me? Is my fear of health catastrophes and old age creating an inertia in my giving, because I imagine I must provide everything for myself in case something goes wrong? Considering that the vast majority of people in history and most in the world today have nothing stored up for retirement, am I too preoccupied with putting treasures in retirement funds? Are You calling me to work without a net—or with less of a net—trusting you’ll catch me in case of a fall?”

29. “Has Money become my idol? Are material assets competing with You for lordship over my life? Is generous giving your lifeline to rescue me from bondage, your leverage to allow me to tear down the idols? If materialism is the disease, is giving the only cure?”

30. “What specifically am I hanging onto that You want me to give away? I want to submit everything to your review and ask You to guide me as to what I should do with your money and possessions.”

31. “Am I giving your money to people of weak character and materialistic values? While they may be good causes, are the Humane Society or opera as close to your heart as evangelism, church planting, and helping the poor?” (And do the ministries I’m giving to help the poor in Christ’s name, not just in the name of humanitarianism? Is the gospel offered to dying people once they’ve been fed?)

32. “How can I better communicate with and pray with my spouse so we can walk together down this exhilarating road of giving, leading each other but not leaving each other behind?”

33. “What am I doing to train my children to be generous givers—and not just donors but disciples?”

34. “What handful of people in my unique sphere of influence do You want me to pray for and talk with about generous giving?” (Have You called me to mentor others who may end up giving more than I do? In helping someone become a great giver, will I be like the man who led D. L. Moody to Christ?)

35. “What simple reminder of God’s call to stewardship and giving can I make for myself, then pass on to others? Maybe something they can put in their wallet or Bible, on their dashboard or refrigerator or exercise machine. Maybe a business card or a bookmark with central verses or quotations. (How about Deuteronomy 8:17-18 or Matthew 6:19-21?)

36. “What giving-oriented, mission-oriented and eternity-oriented books and magazines can I pass on to those in my sphere of influence? What messages or videos can we listen to and watch together?”

37. “What can I set up to provide a discussion forum concerning stewardship and giving? A dinner? A weekly breakfast? A weekend retreat? A weekly study using The Treasure Principle, or Money, Possessions and Eternity, or Crown Ministries material?”

38. “What conferences can I invite them to? What ministries can I introduce them to? What vision and ministry trips can we go on together?”

39. “How can I help my pastor(s) encourage biblical training in stewardship and giving, and assist them in creating an open church dialogue regarding lifestyle choices and kingdom investments?”

40. “Five minutes after I die, what will I wish I would have given away while I still had the chance? Help me spend the rest of my life closing the gap between what I’ll wish I’d given then and what I’m actually giving now. Empower me to help others do the same. Would you, for your eternal glory?”

According to Revelation 1.4, John wrote the book of Revelation to “the seven churches that are in Asia” (present day western Turkey). In Revelation 2-3 Jesus gives each of these churches a unique message – His evaluation particular to His church in each city.

Of special interest in Jesus’ letters are the concluding promises He made to the believer who “overcomes” (conquers or is victorious). But what does it mean to be an overcomer? Several viewpoints have been suggested by students of the Bible.

1     The loss of salvation view
This view teaches that those who fail to overcome can lose their salvation. We reject this view because the Bible clearly teaches the eternal security of the believer. Once a person believes in Jesus they are saved and can never be lost.

2     The all-believers view
This view understands every believer is an overcomer because of his or her faith in Christ as Savior. Since 1 John 5.4-5 teaches that the believer has overcome the world, so the “overcomer” in Revelation 2-3 refers to all believers regardless of how they live the Christian life.

3     The eternal rewards view
This view holds that the “overcomer” in Revelation 2-3 isn’t referring to all believers but of those believers who live faithful lives and persevere with Christ in the face of persecution. Believers who are not faithful in persecution will not lose their salvation (for they are eternally secure in Christ because of their faith in Him), but neither will they be rewarded because they have failed to overcome.

While the identity of the overcomer in Revelation 2-3 is a difficult interpretational problem, this last view has the most to commend it ...

• It ties closely with the main purpose of the book of Revelation – to encourage believers to live faithful lives in the midst of persecution.
• While it is true that some of the promises to overcomers are true of all believers (i.e., will not be hurt by the second death, 2.11), Revelation 2.26 makes it clear that being an overcomer requires more than just faith in Jesus for salvation (he who keeps My deeds until the end).
• We should not assume that John is using “overcomer” in Revelation 2-3 in the same way he uses it in 1 John. The overcomer in 1 John is the one who believes in Jesus as Savior and therefore has overcome the world and Satan. But the overcomer in Revelation 2-3 is the one who experiences victory in the midst of trials due to faithfulness, repentance and perseverance in good works.
• There is no call to faith or to believe in these letters because the letters are addressed to believers, to those who have already believed in Jesus. Rather, the focus is on faithfulness. The focus is on rewards for those believers who persevere and thus are rewarded for their good deeds. The emphasis is on the believer’s good works which will be rewarded and not on faith in Jesus for eternal life.
• The promises or rewards stated in the letters are made to individual believers – to him (singular) who overcomes. The implication is that not all believers will be overcomers but only those who are faithful. The promises are made to individuals who overcome, not to the entire church.
• If all believers are in view, Jesus’ promises are empty and meaningless. After all, every believer will be on the receiving end of these promises, regardless of how they live. What exactly is the point of these promises if all believers receive them? How is that encouragement to endure and live a faithful life? If one doesn’t persevere, they will receive the promises anyway.

So, it is best to understand the “overcomer” in Revelation 2-3 in a restrictive sense – true only of those believers who endure through trials. While all believers will rule as overcomers in Christ because of their faith in Jesus for salvation, some will receive special privileges because they overcame specific trials and were faithful to Christ.

Revelation 1.20 is one of the many times in Revelation where we are told how to understand the symbolism used in the book. In Revelation 1.16 John sees Jesus holding seven stars in His right hand, and in Revelation 1.20 John tells his readers ... “the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches.” So, there is no doubt what the seven stars represent, but we must now interpret what “angel” (Gk angelos) means.

The word “angelos” translated “angels” in Revelation 1.20 and at the beginning of each of the seven letters (2.1, 8, 12, etc.), is found 175 times in the NT and 67 times in Revelation. The word means “messenger.” And the context in which it is found determines whether it is a heavenly messenger or a human messenger. Merrill Tenney writes, “No clear statement is given as to whether they are guardian angels, supernatural beings who were assigned to watch over the individual assemblies, or whether the word angelos is to be taken in the non-technical sense of ‘messenger’ as it is frequently used outside of the New Testament.” (Interpreting Revelation, p 55)

There are two main views regarding the identity of these seven angels. They are either heavenly messengers (i.e., unfallen, elect and good angels) or human messengers (possibly the pastor or church leaders or maybe even those who are delivering the letters to the churches).

In favor of understanding these angels to be supernatural, heavenly beings ...

The normal use of the word. Why would John use angelos if he intended his readers to understand Jesus to be addressing pastors or church leaders or the couriers of these letters? (Although, in a few limited passages in the NT it can mean a human messenger, i.e., Lk 7.24.)

The use of the word in the book of Revelation. Everywhere angelos appears in the book of Revelation outside of chapters 2 and 3, it always clearly refers to a heavenly being. So, if John is referring to human messengers as he records the words of Jesus to the churches, these seven times would be the only times in all 22 chapters that angelos refers to human messengers rather than heavenly beings.

In other places in the NT, angels have a relationship with the church (1 Cor 11.10; Eph 3.10; 1 Pet 1.12). So, angelic involvement in the church should not be a surprise.

Nowhere in the NT is a church leader called an angel. If John wanted to refer to the pastor or church leaders, he would have used the common word for elder in the NT.

Leadership in NT churches was always plural. It is interesting to note that each letter is sent to the “angel” (singular) of the church in Ephesus, in Smyrna, in Pergamum, etc. But the structure of the church in the NT is never to have a church governed by one human leader. Leadership in the NT was always plural – pastors and elders.

Seeing angelos as angelic beings provides a heavenly counterpart to the seven lampstands. Revelation 1.20 tells us the lampstands represent the seven churches of Asia Minor, and so they are the earthly counterpart of the “stars” if they are understood to mean heavenly beings.

Those who understand these angels to be heavenly beings, i.e., the angels-as-angels viewpoint, do not always agree on the function the angels have in relation to the churches. Ray Stedman believes the angels serve as guardian angels over the churches – “heavenly beings responsible for guiding the human leaders of each church.” Others see the angels as legal witnesses or observers to Christ’s evaluation of each church because angels in Revelation serve as instruments of God’s judgment.

Paul Benware concludes: It should not seem as strange that an angel might be assigned to a local church. If indeed God has assigned guardian angels to saved people, and if he has assigned angels to different nations, why is it not likely that the local church would be a place of angelic activity? Recall that John already informed us that an angel did bring him the content of this book. So, the context does point to angelic beings. (Understanding the Book of Revelation, pp 23-24)

In favor of understanding these angels to be human messengers ...

It seems unlikely that God would have sent the letter to a heavenly being. These letters were intended for real churches with real believers struggling with real issues. Why send it to an angelic being?

Holding the angels-as-human messengers view is consistent with the transmission process in Revelation 1.1. There we read that this revelation comes from God the Father, to Jesus, to an angel, to John, and then to the churches. To see the angels as heavenly beings would mean that Christ is sending a message to heavenly beings through John so that it may reach earthly churches through angelic representatives. That’s confusing and seems to conflict with Revelation 1.1. Seeing the angels as human messengers doesn’t change the transmission process.

The messengers of Revelation 2 and 3 seem to be included in the rebuke the churches receive. An equally difficult issue to resolve if one holds to the angels-as-angels view is the fact that the angel seems to be included in the message to the church. Most of the letters include words of condemnation or rebuke, so how would this apply to angelic beings? Are they also responsible for wrongdoing? Should they also repent?

Conclusion

There is no completely satisfactory answer to our question.

But regardless of how we understand angelos in Christ’s letters to the churches, it doesn’t change His message, even if we have questions about the messenger. The message of each of the letters is a message for us to understand and apply to the church today.

What does “every eye will see Him” mean in Revelation 1.7?

Many consider Revelation 1.7 to be the theme verse of the entire book of Revelation ... Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

This verse is filled with remarkable statements concerning the time when Jesus will come again. It is interesting to note that very few of the resources I have deal with the phrase “every eye will see Him” in any real depth. Maybe because it’s hard to be dogmatic and it involves some speculation on our part.

But there are several things we can know with certainty from this verse ...

• The verse clearly references the second coming of Jesus Christ by merging truths from two OT texts: Daniel 7.13 and Zechariah 12.10 (see also Matthew 24.30). Revelation 1.7 doesn’t refer to the rapture because the Bible speaks of the rapture as a private or secret event, not a public event in which “every eye will see Him.”
• Jesus is coming again – of this there can be no doubt – so it is to be.
• When He comes again, He will do so in the same manner as when He ascended into heaven in Acts 1 - with the clouds.
• When He returns, the earth will mourn (either in repentance and sorrow for putting Jesus to death or more likely the mourning is due to the judgment Christ brings on the world).
• At His return, every eye will see Him.
  
  

This is the phrase we are seeking to understand. There are several possibilities ...
1.  It could be hyperbole – a figure of speech exaggerating claims in order to make a point but not to be taken literally. In the opening verses of Mark’s Gospel, we read that “all the country of Judea was going to him [John the Baptist] and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordon River.” Now, no one takes this verse to mean that EVERYONE in Judea and Jerusalem was baptized by John. This is a figure of speech to help us understand the far-reaching impact of John’s ministry. The same thing could be argued here in Revelation 1.7 with the word “every.” In other words, the world will know when Jesus returns. There will be no doubt about what is happening.
2. The statement could be understood in a strict and literal sense, i.e., EVERY eye will see Jesus when He returns. Some believe this refers literally to every person, even those who have died. They will supernaturally be able to witness His return. The late Tim LaHaye embraced this viewpoint ... “This does not mean only those who are on earth at that time. It means every eye. Jesus himself said to Caiaphas, the high priest, ‘I say to all of you: in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven’ (Matthew 26:64). Caiaphas is now dead and, unless he repented with those on the day of Pentecost, is in Hades. Thus we see that even those in Hades will see Him.” This viewpoint accounts for the phrase, “even those who pierced Him,” as referring to the particular people historically responsible for the death of Jesus – Pilate, Annas, Caiaphas and the Jewish leaders of the Sanhedrin who pronounced Him guilty. Others would see these individuals as representatives of all of mankind.
3. It’s maybe best and most natural to understand the phrase to refer to those who are alive at the time of Jesus’ return. Of course, believers of the church age will not only see His return but will participate in it (Revelation 19.14).

But how would everyone see Jesus as He returns? Mark Hitchcock writes, “It could be that Jesus will reflect His glory or even the image of His coming around the earth. His radiance could circumscribe the earth so that all will see Him.” In other words, God would accomplish this in a supernatural way.

However, it seems the Bible indicates that the second coming will take place gradually over many hours, 24 hours or even longer. Read Revelation 19.11-19. The nature of Jesus’ coming must be such that the armies of the earth gathered at Armageddon will recognize what is happening and turn together to make war against the One coming on the white horse (11.19).

John Walvoord writes, “Taken as a whole, the second coming of Christ is a majestic event, not instantaneous like the rapture, but extending over many hours. This perhaps explains why everyone can see it, because in the course of a day, the earth will rotate and the entire world will be able to see the approach of Christ accompanied by the hosts of heaven, which will descend to the earth in the area of the Mount of Olives.”

Regardless of how we understand what it means that “every eye will see Him,” we can be certain that Jesus will indeed come again and when He does, the world will know what is happening.

A special word of caution is needed when one begins to delve into the resources available to us today concerning what the Bible teaches about the end times. As believers, we always need to use discernment as we read or listen to others about what the Bible teaches. We must be like the Bereans (Acts 17) who “received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

Today, with the ability anyone has to post articles and teaching online, we must be especially alert to false teaching. Gone are the days of needing a publisher to get your material out for others to read. And there are so many books, articles, podcasts, YouTube videos and sermons available to us with the click of a mouse, that particular attention needs to be given to what we are listening to. Many of these resources are sound and consistent with the Scriptures, but there are many which will lead us away from the truth as well.

As we begin our study of the last book of the Bible, I will be using several reliable resources which use the literal or normal method of interpreting Revelation. Instead of spiritualizing its message, these teachers/resources approach the book seeking to understand its message in its historical context. They see the book as prophetic, looking at things that have yet to come to pass. And they recognize the distinction between Israel and the church.

I have found the following authors helpful.

•  Charles Ryrie (author of the notes of the Ryrie Study Bible and commentary on Revelation)
•  Paul Benware (former Moody Bible Institute professor and author of several books on the end times)
•  John Walvoord (past president of Dallas Theological Seminary with a commentary on both Daniel and Revelation)
•  Mark Hitchcock (pastor in Oklahoma and professor at DTS with many excellent books on the end times including 101 Answers to Questions about the Book of Revelation)
•  Tommy Ice (founder of the Pre-Trib Study Group and author of many books on prophecy including Charting the End Times)
  
  In addition, these authors/resources will also be helpful.
•  J. Dwight Pentecost (author of Things to Come)
•  Thomas Constable (author of free online notes on the Bible at SonicLight.com)

The late Norman Geisler (professor of systematic theology at Dallas Theological Seminary) in his book entitled, To Understand the Bible Look for Jesus, wrote:
Christ [is] presented as the underlying theme of every book of the Bible. Of course, it would be going too far to suggest that Christ is the explicit or dominant theme of each individual book of the Bible, for this is apparently not so. However, in the light of Jesus’ clear claims, one would not be going far enough unless Christ is seen as the implicit or underlying theme of all of Scripture. Sometimes this Christocentric theme is one with the main theme of a book and sometimes not. But it is always there. That is, each individual book in the Scriptures contributes some threads of truth to the overall fabric. Since the Bible as a whole speaks of Christ, then all the parts must somehow contribute to that whole.

The following is one of many descriptions that attempts to summarize how the Savior is seen in each book of the Bible. Author unknown.

Genesis – Jesus is our Creator
Exodus – He is the Passover Lamb
Leviticus – High Priest
Numbers – Water in the desert
Deuteronomy – He is our Eagles wings of deliverance
Joshua – Commander of the army of the Lord
Judges – He is the Lord of Peace
Ruth – He is our Redeemer
1 Samuel –He is the Prophet, Priest and King
2 Samuel – Rock of Salvation
1 Kings – Builder of a temple that will never fall
2 Kings – He is the reigning King
1 Chronicles – Son of David that is coming to rule
2 Chronicles – the King who reigns eternally
Ezra – Priest proclaiming freedom
Nehemiah – the One who restores what is broken
Esther – Protector of his people
Job – Mediator between God and man
Psalms – He is our song in the morning and in the night
Proverbs – our Wisdom and Strong Tower!
Ecclesiastes – our meaning for life
Song of Solomon – Author of faithful love
Isaiah – He is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace
Jeremiah – the weeping Messiah
Lamentations – He assumes God’s wrath for us
Ezekiel – Son of Man
Daniel – He is the Son of God with us in the fiery furnace
Hosea – Faithful husband even when we run away
Joel – He is the baptizer of the Holy Spirit
Amos – delivers justice to the oppressed
Obadiah – He is Mighty to Save
Jonah – The great missionary
Micah – He casts our sin into the sea of forgetfulness
Nahum – He proclaims future world peace
Habakkuk – He crushes injustice
Zephaniah – He’s the Warrior who saves
Haggai – He restores our worship
Zechariah – He is Lord and King over all the earth
Malachi – Sun of righteousness who brings healing
Matthew – The Messiah who is King
Mark – The Messiah who is a Servant
Luke – The Messiah who is a Deliverer
John – The Messiah who is a God in the flesh
Acts – The Spirit who dwells in His people
Romans – The Power of God unto salvation
1 Corinthians – He is our conqueror over death; Our resurrection!
2 Corinthians – He is the down payment of what’s to come
Galatians – He is our inheritance
Ephesians – He is our peace at the right hand of the Father
Philippians – He is the God that supplies all our needs
Colossians – He holds the supreme position in all things
1 Thessalonians – He is our comfort in the last days
2 Thessalonians – He is our returning King
1 Timothy – He is our Crown of Righteousness
2 Timothy – He is Christ our Helper
Titus – He is our Hope
Philemon – He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother
Hebrews – He is our High Priest
James – He is the Great Physician
1 Peter – He is our hope in times of suffering
2 Peter – He is the restorer of all things
1 John – He is our Love and Light
2 John – He is Christ come in the flesh
3 John – He is our prosperity, health and peace
Jude – Jesus is the Lord coming with 10,000 of his believers
Revelation – Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, and He is coming again and the One who makes all things new!

Christ established the Lord's Supper on the eve of His crucifixion, commanding His followers to observe it until His return. The Lord's Supper is celebrated in churches of varying beliefs and is obviously understood in different ways. What is the meaning of the Lord's Supper?

There are four views within Christianity concerning its meaning.

Transubstantiation. The Roman Catholic view concerning the Lord's Supper is called transubstantiation, meaning, "a change of substance." The Roman Catholic Church teaches that a miracle takes place at the Eucharist (the Mass) in which the elements of the bread and wine are actually changed into the literal body and blood of Christ, although the sensory characteristics (touch, smell, taste) remain the same. As the priest consecrates the elements, their substance is changed, so that an individual actually partakes of the body of Christ. The Catholic Church claims John 6.32-58 supports this teaching.

Problems: (1) This understanding of the Lord's Supper views the work of Christ as unfinished, with the sacrifice of Christ continuing in the Mass, i.e., the body and blood of Christ are offered every time the mass is celebrated. But Christ declared His work completed (John 19.30) as did also the writer of Hebrews 9.12 and 10.10-14. (2) When Christ established the Supper, He used a common figure of speech (metaphor) in referring to the bread and cup as His body and blood. So also, in John 6 Jesus used a metaphor to vividly picture a saving faith-relationship to Himself. To interpret these expressions as literal language is to violate the laws of sound interpretation. (3) The OT forbids Jews to drink blood (Lev 17.10-16), yet this is what Jesus would be asking them to do if transubstantiation was what He intended.

Consubstantiation. This view is held by the Lutheran Church. They emphasize the presence of Christ in the elements, teaching that Jesus' body and blood are actually present in the elements, but the bread and wine do not change into the literal body and blood of Christ. Lutherans reject the teaching of the perpetual sacrifice of Christ in the Eucharist.

Problem: The problem with the Lutheran view of the Eucharist is the failure to recognize Jesus' statement, "This is My body" as a figure of speech.

Spiritual Presence. The Reformed view is also called the Calvinist view because its adherents are primarily from the Reformed churches who follow John Calvin's teachings. They reject the presence of Christ in the elements in any sense and therefore are like those who hold to the memorial view. However, they understand there to be a "present spiritual work of Christ" whereby Christ is present and enjoyed in His entire person, both body and blood. They teach that there is a mystical presence of Christ in the elements, and that grace is communicated to the participant in the elements. Moreover, it is a grace that is similar to that received through the Word and in fact, it adds to the effectiveness of the Word.

Problem:  A problem with this view is that there is no explicit statement or inference from Scripture suggesting that grace is imparted to the participant.

Memorial or Symbolic.  This view is also called the Zwinglian view because of Ulrich Zwingli. Essential to the memorial view is the notion that the bread and cup are figurative only; they are a memorial to the death of Christ. The elements are unchanged. Christ is present in the service but not in the elements in any way.

Support: 1 Cor 11.24-25 indicate the Lord's Supper is a memorial to His death ("in remembrance of me").

The summary chart below is taken from page 362 of The Moody Handbook of Theology, by Paul Enns.

Views on the Lord's Supper
View	Christ and the Elements	Significance
Transubstantiation (Roman Catholic)	Bread and wine literally change to body and blood of Christ.	Recipient partakes of Christ, who is being sacrificed in the Mass to atone for sins.
Consubstantiation (Lutheran)	Bread and wine contain the body and blood of Christ but do not literally change. Christ is actually present "in, with, and under" the elements.	Recipient receives forgiveness of sins and confirmation of one's faith through partaking of the elements, but they must be received through faith.
Spiritual Presence (Presbyterian, Reformed)	Christ is not literally present in the elements but there is a spiritual presence of Christ.	Recipient receives grace through partaking of the elements.
Memorial (Baptist, Mennonite)	Christ is not present physically or spiritually	Recipient commemorates the death of Christ.

Type your new text here.

Dana Coverstone is a name that has garnered considerable attention in recent weeks. He serves as a bi-vocational pastor of Living Word Ministries, an Assemblies of God church in Burkesville, KY.

The church’s website introduces the pastor in this way: "Pastor Dana Coverstone has a bachelors in Bible Theology from Central Bible College and a Masters of Divinity in Expository Preaching from Trinity Seminary. He began his ministry in 1991 as Youth Pastor at the Assemblies of God church in his hometown of Jasonville, Indiana. After serving there for 10 years he took the lead pastorate at an Assemblies of God church near Terre Haute, IN. In 2010 Pastor Dana and his family moved to Burkesville, KY to take the pastorate at Living Word."

In June, Pastor Coverstone shared a video  that has now been viewed over one million times in which he claims to have had dreams about the future. He believes his three dreams were given by God and should serve as a warning for our country.

His first dream was in December 2019. It revealed that something would happen in March and again in June 2020. He saw sickness, cities on fire and protesters. He heard the words, “Brace yourself. Brace yourself. Brace yourself.” Clearly a warning of bad things to come. Of course, looking back, it is easy to understand his dream in light of the events around COVID-19 and recent racial unrest. Coverstone says in the video, “The things I saw in the dream, are the same as I saw in the news in March through June.”

His second dream was like the first in that he again saw a calendar. A “white figure” appeared, said “Part Two” and again emphasized two months of the year – this time, September and November. Coverstone saw a fist hit the month of November and it exploded. He saw fighting in the streets, businesses and schools closed, money being sucked out of banks, politicians making deals while Washington D.C. burned. People were hiding in their homes and churches were burning. He saw no sign of President Trump or of leadership in our nation’s capital. It was utter chaos. And again, he heard the words, “Brace yourself. Brace yourself. Brace yourself.”

While in his explanation of his dream, he doesn’t say anything about the significance of September, of course, November will be significant due to the national election that will take place. Clearly, distressing and troubling times for our country are ahead.

In a third dream, he went to a bank for change and was told there was no change available as the U.S. mint was no longer making coins. The teller told him, “Prepare for hyperinflation.” Then came those words once again, “Brace yourself. Brace yourself. Brace yourself.”

Coverstone said since his first dream came true, he needed to share the other dreams as well. He believes COVID-19 will come back strong this fall and that chaos will revolve around the election. “We are going to see what could only lead to civil war in this country.” Later in the video he says, “I believe we are going to see between September and November incredible, terrible, awful, nasty, bad things happen in this nation.”

He urged believers to stockpile food, to find alternative forms of currency, to have an ample supply of guns and ammunition and to establish a communication plan with family members. And then to pray like you’ve never prayed before.

So, what do we do with these “prophesies” of Dana Coverstone?
I would urge you to completely ignore them. Why?

First, Coverstone is a conflicted “prophet.”
More than once in the video he boldly claims he isn’t a prophet, that is, he isn’t speaking for God. But at the same time, he claims to know what the voice of God sounds like, and thus he claims to believe his dreams are from God and accurately reveal the future.

“I’m not claiming to be a prophet. Let’s just see what happens in November and see if I’m right about this. But I know when I hear God’s voice. I know what God’s voice sounds like to me. I know when He speaks. I know when I have a dream that I know is Him.”

“By the time we get to November and nothing’s happened, on December 1 you call me on this and say, ‘Dana Coverstone, you’re an absolute idiot and fool for saying those things.’ Go right ahead because I realize I’m responsible for what I’ve spoken. But I also know what I’ve sensed, and I know the Holy Spirit’s voice enough to know that what I’ve heard, I believe is going to happen … I’m not a prophet but dreams have a prophetic edge to them sometimes.”

But you can’t have it both ways. Either God speaks through you or He doesn’t. The prophets of the Bible spoke for God and did so with authority. Can you imagine Moses saying to the children of Israel, “Let’s wait and see if the things I claim are going to happen come true?”

Second, God doesn’t speak to us in this manner today.
Hebrews 1.1-2 says, “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, He has spoken to us through His Son.”

Coverstone clearly states that he believes “dreams and visions are an extension of the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12.” But the miraculous gifts associated with the Apostles have ceased. God still speaks to us today, but He does so through the Scriptures which are sufficient. The gift of prophesy is no longer needed, and ceased with the passing away of the Apostles.

His understanding of the sign gifts is consistent with the Pentecostal understanding of the New Testament which explains why his current preaching series is on “dreams and visions.”

He posted: “Several years ago, a colleague prophesied over me and said that one day I would prophesy to thousands. I struggled to understand how that would ever happen as I am just a pastor/teacher from a rural community pastoring in a rural community. I am just me with very little flair and no hair. I am nobody. So I am very overwhelmed at the moment as I didn’t sign up for this but want to be obedient to what God is showing me. I work part-time at the local hospital to make ends meet and while washing pots and pans yesterday had an actual vision that I will post by tomorrow morning as I want to digest it more before I share it. However, I will not be posting anything unless I know it’s from God, even though I am bring [sic] asked to share dreams weekly. I want to use common sense in what I see and what I share publicly because I am responsible for what I say. The pressure on me at the moment, as I said, is overwhelming, so I am praying for wisdom and discernment and applying all that I have taught about dreams and visions to myself at this time as I want to be theologically and spiritually accurate in all I say.  I also don’t want to be weird, and as a Pentecost [sic] pastor, I have seen it and don’t want to replicate it.”  

This is a telling paragraph from Pastor Coverstone and helps us understand how he interprets Scripture and the role of extra-biblical revelation (dreams) in his life.

Third, the New Testament has strong words of condemnation for those who claim to speak for God but do not (2 Peter 2; Jude). And of course, the Bible instructs believers to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4.1).

No matter what the future holds, keep your eyes on Jesus and your mind firmly planted in the Word of God. You will need nothing else.

In last week's message from Luke 24, Jesus rebukes the two disciples on the road to Emmaus with these words, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken..."  He went on to explain how all through the Old Testament, the prophets foretold of the coming Messiah, including His suffering at His first coming, and the glory He would receive at His second coming.

Jesus is not hiding in the Old Testament.  In fact, Jesus is the focus of Genesis through Malachi....

There are three primary passages in Scripture that address the Rapture:  
John 14.1-3
I Corinthians 15.50-52
I Thessalonians 4.13-18

But there are many other passages that reference the Rapture:

Romans 8.19
I Corinthians 3.20-21; 4.5
Philippians 3.20-21; 4:5
Colossians 3.4
I Thessalonians 1.10; 2.19; 5.9, 23
2 Thessalonians 2.1, 3
I Timothy 6.14
2 Timothy 4.1, 8
Titus 2.13 Hebrews 9.28
James 5.7-9
I Peter 1.7, 13; 5.4
I John 2.28- 3:2
Jude 1.21
Revelation 3.10

In John 15, Jesus uses a metaphor to help His disciples understand the importance of abiding in Him. In the metaphor God the Father is the Vinedresser. Of course, unlike a grape plant, believers can either resist His work in our lives or yield to Him … one results in discipline and the other in pruning.
 Bruce Wilkinson in his book, Secrets of the Vine, helps us distinguish between the two actions of God through the use of the following chart:

That Jesus speaks of God the Father as the Vinedresser tells us that God cares and loves us. He may need to discipline us when sin is in our lives, and because He desires we bear much fruit pruning will also be necessary. It’s important to distinguish between God’s discipline and pruning so we know how we are to respond.

As we have studied the messages of Jesus to the churches in Revelation 2-3, Sunday we were challenged not to compromise truth as the church in Pergamum had done. They had tolerated the lies of Satan and had relinquished the sound words of God. This is a relentless threat for the church today as well.

By way of example, I mentioned two wildly popular “Christian” books, widely accepted within the church. But there is reason to be concerned and to read these books with great care.
The Shack by Wm. Paul Young, has sold over 22 million copies and is now also a major motion picture. It is one of the best-selling Christian books in history and has been translated into other 30 languages. Its theology is having a huge impact on believers and unbelievers alike.
The book and movie attempt to answer the age-old question of the problem of evil. When a father loses his daughter through the evil actions of another, he is left to try to reconcile God’s sovereignty and His goodness. Young’s answer to this perplexing question is hardly sound and in keeping with the God presented to us in Scripture. Randy Alcorn writes, “I believe that those who are well grounded in the Word won’t be harmed by the weaknesses and deficiencies of the book. Unfortunately, few people these days are well grounded in the Word.” There are many aspects of this book that are troubling. Let me focus on just a few.

While it’s true that the book is telling a fictional story, nonetheless the story communicates ideas that are either true to God and His Word, or they are not. (Think C.S. Lewis and The Chronicles of Narnia.) Young uses three characters, two women and a man, to portray the Father, Son and Holy Spirit ... three separate persons in three separate bodies. This is not the God of the Bible because the Bible doesn’t teach Tri-theism. We believe in one God, not three. In addition, Young conveys that the entire Godhead became incarnate, not just the Son. “When we three spoke ourselves into human existence as the Son of God, we became fully human … We now became flesh and blood.” Alcorn rightly observes that in The Shack “God seemed more amusing and friendly, but also somewhat smaller, more manageable, less threatening-someone not to be feared. If the picture of God in The Shack is radically different from the impression people get from just reading the Bible, then that raises an obvious question. Read Isaiah 6 and Ezekiel 1 and ask yourself if this is the ‘Papa’ of The Shack.”
Regarding the important doctrines of sin and salvation, Papa (the Father) tells Mack, “I am not who you think I am. I don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is its own punishment devouring you from the inside. It is not my purpose to punish it; it is my joy to cure it.” Here, as throughout the book, truth is mingled with error. Certainly, the Bible clearly teaches that God must punish sin because He is a holy and just God, and that He has already done so through the work of Jesus Christ on behalf of sinful mankind. Ron Rhodes points out that the book’s message regarding salvation teaches that “Christ is just the best way to relate to the Father, not the only way.” Here is one of the most dangerous messages of the book. It is called, “Reconciling Universalism.” It teaches that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world and that God wishes no one to perish (both of which are true), but it falsely concludes that all will be saved. If all will be saved, then belief in Jesus is unnecessary. Indeed, the central truth of Christianity – that Jesus died for our sins and rose again – is lost.

I received a free copy of the book a few months ago at a pastors’ gathering. On the front cover is the glowing recommendation of Eugene Peterson (author of The Message) … “This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress did for his. It’s that good!” Here’s a great example of why you shouldn’t put too much stock into the snippets or sound bites of others. Read the book yourself. Go to the movie if you like. But do so with your mind engaged, carefully evaluating every word in light of the uncompromising Word of God.

The second book I used as an example on Sunday was the devotional by Sarah Young entitled, Jesus Calling. The book has sold more than 10 million copies since first being published in 2004. Jesse Johnson evaluated Young’s devotional in a chapter of the book, Right Thinking in a Church Gone Astray. After expressing some strengths of the book, he writes, “There are at least two reasons Jesus Calling should be avoided: first, it purports to be revelation from God; and second, it promotes a quietist model of sanctification.”

Sarah Young modeled her book after God Calling, by A. J. Russell, published in 1930. God Calling is a mystical, doctrinally questionable devotional that claims to be a series of messages received through experiential communion with the Spirit of God. Young had had similar experiences, and she began to look at her experiences with God’s Presence through Russell’s description of receiving messages from God. She began to wonder if God had messages for her too. In the introduction, Young writes, “I began to wonder if I too could receive messages during my times of communion with God ... So I decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever I sensed He was saying.” So, the book consists of daily readings which Young believes she received from God. She does acknowledge, “The Bible is, of course, the only inerrant Word of God; my writings must be consistent with that unchanging standard.” But she never explains how her writings are different from the Bible.

I have used many devotional books in my life. I have many in my library. But I don’t believe any of the authors of those devotionals would suggest that what they have written comes from God. However, Young has recorded her thoughts as if they were from God Himself. This has the “effect of raising the Jesus who speaks in her imagination above the Jesus who is revealed in Scripture. When Young writes that her practice of projecting her thoughts of Jesus onto paper has ‘increased my intimacy with Him more than any other spiritual discipline,’ she evaluates the power of her own imagination above God’s actual revelation. Thus the entire premise of Jesus Calling is a flagrant violation of the Lord’s warning in Isaiah 55.8-9: ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways ... For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ Young fails to heed this warning by elevating her projected thoughts about God communicating with her, above the actual words of God Himself.” (Johnson, p 72)
Johnson concludes, “Simply put, the Jesus of Jesus Calling is not the Jesus of the Bible. By projecting her thoughts of what Jesus would say to her onto paper, Young has invented a form of Jesus in her own image. As a result, her version of Jesus does not sound anything like the Jesus revealed in Scripture.”

The second concern with the devotional is the promotion of quietism as a spiritual model. This “higher living” approach to the spiritual life emphasizes “letting go and letting God.” To accomplish this, the believer is encouraged to rest in the presence of God by emptying the mind. It is a spiritual life marked by passivity and the desire for a mystical experience with God that evaluates them to a spiritual plateau where they experience true sanctification.
 Johnson again observes that “Young’s whole method in Jesus Calling bears all the trademarks of quietism: She had a spiritual experience that evaluated her into the Presence of God. That experience is repeatable, mystical, and results in spiritual growth that is far superior to anything the Bible offers on its own. She stresses an inner stillness in which the person is consumed by the knowledge of the Presence of God, and a form of obedience that consists entirely of inward passivity.” (p. 73)

In conclusion, the reader will find material consistent with Scripture in both of these books. They are not devoid of truth. But they must be read with care (as is true for any book) because the authors have mingled truth and error. Considering the state of American Christianity, I suggest any book which receives the acclaim of so many, deserves our special attention. The average Christian in America lacks a sound understanding of Scripture and is therefore, undiscerning. Albert Mohler expressed it best ... “Discernment cannot survive without doctrine.”

We heard our guest speaker, Ron Cline, and our global partners, Cristy Hofer and Sam & Tawnya Smith, share lots of information with us at our World Missions Festival. Here’s a sample of what was shared over the weekend to encourage us to be involved in God’s work in today’s world …

• Two billion people do not know what Jesus did for them.
• You already know what God wants you to do, so do it. It’s the only way you will see Him work.
• Cristy Hofer has completed her first two years at the Malaga Media Center in Spain.
• The work of the media center has a potential audience of 200 million people.
• How to be used by God: follow His leading, don’t judge, stick to the topic – Jesus.
• Brazil is now the #3 sending nation in the world. South Korea is #1 and China #2. Every year China is sending out of their country 10,000 missionaries.
• Africa has three major enemies: Islam, AIDS, poverty.
• ISIS is one of the most powerful evangelistic tools of our time.
• Two-thirds of the world’s population and the top ten most persecuted countries are in the 10/40 window.
• The church in Iran is growing. There is a church in every village.
• Indonesia has the largest number of Muslims in the world. But every 15 seconds someone converts to Christianity. There are 55 radio stations sharing the gospel in Indonesia.
• Sam and Tawnya have served 11 years at Forest Springs.
• The camp and conference center hosted 13,000 guests last year.
• We don’t share our faith because we are afraid. Fear is the biggest tool of our enemy. But Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid, only believe” (5 words).
• How to get involved in His work … open your eyes and look around your world.
• Churches don’t hold mission festivals anymore. CBC’s focus on missions is unique.

Information is great but it’s only the beginning. Motivated by His grace, may the Lord enable us to take the next step of sharing Jesus with those around us. 

This past week in preparing for the message on the believer and money from 1 Timothy 6, I came across what I thought was very helpful in thinking about contentment in my life. I think you will find it meaningful as well.

First, focus on what God has already entrusted to you. (We have so much.)

Second, disregard what you don't have. (Evidently, God doesn't think you need it if He hasn't given it to you.)

Third, refuse to covet what others have. (God, in His wisdom, has sovereignly determined what each will be given.)

Fourth, be thankful for God's gifts. (Make a list of the things God has richly given you to enjoy.)

And remember, "godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment."

Here’s what Scott McConnell, who just celebrated ten years of leading LifeWay Research, has learned about discipleship from a research vantage point:

1. Discipleship is intentional.

 Those who are maturing desire to mature. They engage in discipleship opportunities and seek Christ in their daily lives.

2. Reading the Bible matters more than anything else.

 Reading the Bible is the number one predictor for spiritual growth. Quite simply, those who read the Scripture grow.

3. The discipline of Bible engagement impacts every other discipline.

 Some spiritual disciplines do not impact all the others. As an example, someone who serves may not be generous in giving. But engagement in the Word impacts every other discipline. Someone who lets the Word dwell in them simultaneously gives, serves, confesses sin, shares the gospel, etc.

4. Groups matter. A lot.

 Those who are in some type of group (Sunday School, small group, etc.) are much more likely to display markers of spiritual growth than those not in a group.

5. There is a deep connection between discipleship and evangelism.

 Disciples share the gospel. Those who are growing in Christ tell others about Him. Those who are not growing in their faith are much less likely to articulate the gospel.
As we think about disciplining ourselves for godliness in the coming year, these are points worth pondering. How will you discipline yourself in 2017? 

I read this past week that of the Americans who own a pair of running shoes, 87% don’t run. That isn’t surprising … it’s true of me! On the side of my shoes it reads, “NIKE RUNNING” but I’ve never ran in these shoes.
I also read that 58 million Americans have a gym membership. That isn’t surprising either … the parking lot of the gym close to my house is usually overflowing with cars. But of those who are members of a gym, 67% of those people never use their memberships! Now you know why memberships are so cheap … more than half the people paying for them never set foot in the door.
I suppose owning running shoes and not running, or being a member of a gym and never going, is akin to owning a bible and not reading it. Or knowing the good news of the gospel but not sharing it. Or being a member of CBC but not really being involved in the life of the church.
Owning running shoes doesn’t make me a runner and having a gym membership doesn’t mean I’m physically fit. I must put the shoes on and run before I gain the benefit of running. I must go to the gym and workout before I gain the advantage of having a membership.
In the same way I must exercise the discipline of reading my Bible in order to profit from it. Bible ownership alone only makes me look good to others, but it doesn’t aid in my spiritual growth.
And it doesn’t stop with bible reading. The same principle applies to other spiritual disciplines as well … prayer, fasting, solitude, Scripture meditation and memorization, journaling, etc.
When Paul told Timothy to discipline himself for the purpose of godliness, he was calling him to a life of setting priorities so he might develop and maintain a sound spiritual life. The Spirit calls us to the same.
In 2017 to what will you say “no” to say “yes” to being nourished by the Word of God? It will require discipline and training but the good news is the Spirit is on your side!