Kings and Priests

Verse 6:"And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father;to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.Amen." Through the writer,John,the Spirit is here glorifying the Lamb who left the Father's bosom,came into the world and shed His blood on the cross that we might have remission of sins.Praise the living God without the blood there's no chance for eternal life thank God He shed his Blood for me!!!! Those of us who are born again are kings and priests:"But ye are a chosen generation,a royal priesthood,an holy nation,a peculiar people;that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light"(1 Peter 2:9). This verse definitely refers to Gentile believers.....those of us who in times past were without God and without hope,but who through the death of Jesus are made sons of God.Those of us who are members of the New Testament Church,born again believers ,have been washed white in the precious blood of Jesus.The moment we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we became sons of God and have access to God through the blood.We are kings,we are priests.....and we approach God through our Mediator, the Lord Jesus(1 Tim.2:5).Therefore,in this day and age there is no such thing as priesthood separate from laity....we are All priests when we are born of God's Holy Spirit and washed in the blood of the Lamb.We approach the throne of God only through a new and living way,purchased by Jesus on the cross(Heb.10:19,20).

Faithful Witness

Verse 5:"And from Jesus Christ,who is the faithful witness,and the first begotten of the dead,and the prince of the kings of the earth.Unto Him that loved us,and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Certainly it was Jesus Christ who came into the world,and He was "the Faithful Witness"... He was the Word in the flesh (John 1:1,John1:14.He was also the first begotten of the dead (1Cor.15:1-30,),and He will be the Prince of all kings in the sweet by and-by (Isaiah9:6,Luke 1:28-35).It is the blood of Jesus Christ that"cleanseth us from all sin"(1John1:7)."Without the shedding of blood is no remission "(Heb.9:22).We are redeemed by the precious blood(1 Peter1:18-23).Certainly in this day of liberalism and modernism,we should cry out as never before that it IS the blood of the Lamb that washes away our sins.

Grace and Peace

"John to the seven churches which are in Asia:Grace be unto you,and peace,from Him which is,and which was,and which is to come;and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne"(verse 4).The common need among all the redeemed is Grace And Peace.Without the grace of God we would all burn in hell.Without the peace of God in our hearts,We would all be miserable.Grace is the source of all blessing.Peace is the rightful and happy possession of every born again,blood-washed child of God(John 14:27).Grace and peace come by and through"Him which is,and which was,and which is to come."This clearly sets forth the eternal existence of Jehovah God.God is an eternal Spirit.God has always been,God always will be.Perhaps someone is saying,Rick,explain that.I thank God that I cannot explain it.If I could I would be as great as God is,and I am so happy that my God is greater in wisdom and in power than I am.I would not serve a God whom I could explain.I want a God who is greater than human explanation .I want a God who is too great to be defined in the language of man.God Is,God has always been,God always will be.God lives in the eternal present.The grace of God brought salvation down to man(Heb.2:9)and it is only through the grace of God that we have peace with God(Rom.5:1). In this verse,John mentions"the seven Spirits which are before His throne". Please read Isaiah 11:1-5 in connection with this,and we will discuss it more completely a little later in the study.God bless!!!

The journey

In the first six chapters in our study, you will note an overcoming company of true believers,truly born again saints.However,in the seventh (the Laodicean church)there is no saved group;all are spued out of the mouth of the Lord Jesus.In the message to the churches,true believers are repeatedly assured of safety and blessing from God.Before the terrible hurricanes and tornadoes of God's great judgement begin to sweep across this earth,the church will be raptured out of the earth and caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds in the air.Praise the Living God!!!!! The church will have a grandstand seat in the sky when the last great judgments fall fall upon the wicked on this earth.God did not judge Sodom until Lot was safe outside the city walls(Gen.19).Nor did God utterly destroy Jericho until Rahab was saved (Joshua 6). This will be just as true in the future; God will not judge this earth,nor the wicked in the final judgement,until the Church is taken out of the earth.That promise is clear: "Because thou hast kept thy word of my patience,I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation,which shall come upon all the world,to try them that dwell upon the earth"(Rev.3:10).This verse definitely refers to the great Tribulation period.The Rapture takes place at the beginning of chapter four.A door is open in Heaven and a Voice cries out,"Come up hither!" And the Church is raptured out of the earth to meet the Lord in the air. Read 1Thessalonians 4:13-18. Dear saints this is going to happen there is no stoping it our Lord will come for the church and it will be soon.Come quickly Lord Jesus!!!!!!