Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
Perception is not reality; reality is reality. In Revelation 16:12-14, the sixth vial or bowl judgment dries up the mighty Euphrates River, facilitating the flow of troops to attack Israel. “The spirits of devils [demons]” are engaged in influencing “the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” (verse 14). All of these individuals, whether demons or humans, are responsible for their actions and are accountable before God for these evil activities. However, although they appear to be in ascendancy – consolidating power and wreaking horrible havoc – these evildoers are under the ultimate sovereignty of “God Almighty.” It is His “great day,” not the day of Satan’s minions. These precise prophecies concerning the Tribulation will be fully fulfilled under the authority of God. I remember reading a sermon by the esteemed preacher A. W. Tozer in which he stated that Christians are realists because we see life as it really is. Paul confirmed, “We have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16b). Let us use our minds to see the plan of God unfold, just as Scripture says it will.