An astonishing week of ministry (Rev 17)

I'm studying revelation 17 last week and provided a talk on Dying to Self to Live for God,  The Doctrine of the Cross for a Believer. I also taught homiletics the week before on the topics of God's Perfect Justice and Perfect Mercy via Romans 5:6-11; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-10. My passage discovery time for Revelation 17:9 had me ponder "This calls for a mind with understanding." or NIV says, "This calls for a mind with wisdom."

I found myself drawn to wisdom in James 1 and Proverbs 1 culminating to Ephesians 5:15-17, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” David answered the call to be an Online Trainer.

Yesterday morning my friend Jim walked us down the Romans Road to explain the Christian Faith through scripture. He prayed for my family's reconciliation. 

• Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" 
• Romans 5:8: "God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" 
• Romans 6:23: "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" 
• Romans 10:13: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" 

The process of salvation

The Romans Road to Salvation highlights that people have rebelled against God, and that sin results in spiritual death and separation from God. Salvation is available to anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  

• Ask forgiveness for sins
• Be willing to turn from sins
• Believe that Jesus Christ died for sins and rose again

All of these thoughts were fresh in mind as I walked with my brother and talked about these spiritual things. I told him the Lord was making appeal to him through me, that the Lord is not far but very close. Forgiveness is offered and only accomplished by Jesus work on the Cross - it's been paid for. We must be willing to turn form sin/error and turn to God/righteousness. This is possible because we call upon the name of the Lord. 

God is sovereign but we participate in feeding our minds. We can listen to prophets who proclaim an anti-christ message, mocking and scorning God and hating themselves and others (Psalm 1), or we can pick up our cross and follow Jesus who in his last days decided to serve and invest in his disciples. His impact is felt by everyone in the Year of Our Lord 2025. 

Early in the week a friend asked where do thoughts originate from? and then provided these scriptures:

•  16 And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, 17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. (Revelation 17:16-17 ESV)
• 19 And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20 and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ 22 And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ 23 Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.” (1 Kings 22:19-23 ESV)
• 21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:21-23 ESV)
• 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV)
• 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63 ESV)

23 Keep (guard) your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. 24 Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. (Proverbs 4:23-24 ESV)

If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. (James 3:2 NIV84)

Only by “taking every thought captive” can we “Keep (guard) your heart with all vigilance …” and continue to mature to be like Jesus who was “able to keep his whole body in check.”

Romans 8:5-6 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (ESV)

Dying to Self to Live for God,  The Doctrine of the Cross for a Believer.

• In Mark 8:34 Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
• For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 
• And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:38 
• I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20 
• Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 
• He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 

I had an astonishing week. One ministry partner overdosed and near death, yet another was near death and was healed of cancer.