Helen Williams

There will be a judgement, a just one. The church might suffer in the flesh but we are protected in the spirit. The church is in God's hand and He is a protector of His people. It is so sweet because we are heirs with Christ. We have eternal life. It is bitter in that all will not have eternal life but eternal death. We reject what is hard for us to understand because the unknown scares us. We need to trust God at His word, He knows all things, and faith is believing what we can't see or touch. Keep the faith and endure until the end.

This crowd is to numerous to count. They are from all nations, and provinces, and language, standing in front of the throne and before the lamb. They came our of great Tribulation, they washed their robes and whitened them by the blood of the lamb. Their spirit within them caused them to praise God. The believers came through their times of suffering by remaining loyal to God.

We learn that God is a protector of His people. God has power over all the earth. God holds back the four winds of judgement until His people are marked as His. The 144,00 is the 12 tribes of Isreal. It also symbolize completeness. All God's followers will be brought safetly to Him, no one will be overlooked or forgotten. God seals these believers, they are protected from spiritual harm.

I learn that God protects His own spiritually. In the flesh we may suffer maybe even until death but in the spirit we are secure. The altar represent the altar of sacrifice in the temple where animals were sacrifice. John saw souls of martyrs underneath the altar who had died for preaching the Word of God. They are committed into the hand of Christ. They were eager to bring justice to the earth but they were told to wait. There are others to come who has remain faithful. It is a christian prayer for true justice, but God works on his own timetable and He promise justice. No suffering for the sake of God's kingdom is wasted effort. White robes: Pure from all spots and shining with glory. Wait A Little Longer: Wait until the number is complete As the body of Chrsit we are to remain faithful and true to God. We may suffer in the flesh because of the gospel, maybe even death but we are secure in the spirit. May harm the body but not the soul

God is directing human history, even using His enemies to unknowly accomplish His purpose. Christ the Lamb set in motion events which will bring about the end of human history. On the day of God's wrath those that had no fear of God and flaunted their unblief will have to face his wrath. Those that preached the Word Of God will sufffer even lose their lives. It is just because the concern is for God to vindicate His name and his suffering people. Amen!

Jesus is now gathering us into His kingdom and making us priest and in the future will reign with Him. Christ's death made all believers priests of God-the channels of blessing between God and mankind. Jesus was slain, bought us with His blood, gathered us into a Kingdom, made us into priests and apppointed us to reign upon the earth.

Jesus is worthy because of the sacrifice. He gave His life as a ransom for mankind, a descendent of David, and the Messiah. This is noteworthy and praise worthy because the Lamb was slain. He is worthy ro receive the power, the riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and the blessing. JESUS IS IN CONTROL.

Christian worship is a time for worship and praise. I've learned the one must be humble before the Lord. We must believe that the Lord is God who has all authority. Prayer is essential. There is singing and praising a God who is worthy of all praise and worship. LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH PRAISE THE lORD.

Hymns: Holy, Holy, Holy O, that Will Be Glory Look, Ye Saint! the Sight is Glorious Hold the Fort

John writes about the conditions within the churches. The vision came from Jesus Christ. This was for the bebefit of the seven churches and christians throughout history. There were promises of blessings to those who listen to the word and did what it said. They were criticized for not being fully devoted to God. They were praise for their successes and how to correct their failures. The twenty-first century church should realize that just as Jesus loved these churches, he cares for ours. He wants it to reach its greatest potential. The group of leaders with whom you worship, praise, and pray is God's vehicle for a changing world. Take it serious! God Does!

Why are so many churches a "hotbed of apathy"? So many churches are a hotbed of apathy because of a lost of zeal for God. They have become complacent, no feeling, no emotion and have lost the fire for Jesus. Their devotion seem to be divided. God is not satified with the churches that find themselves in this position. We can combat spiritual apathy by turning to God. We can draw near to him through confession, prayer, worship, study his word, and praise. Just as the spark of love can be rekindled in marriage, so the Holy Spirit can reignite our zeal for God when we allow him to work in our hearts.

We should never compromise because it is always destructive. We are breaking the relationship that we have with God. When we compromise, at some point we are giving up something or blending qualities of two different things. When evil is mixed with good, the good iS no longer pure. Don't allow compromise to faint your faith. Twenty-first century christians struggle with immorality(***********, sexual sins, lying, cheating, gossiping). We compromise, tolerate behavior that God hates. We must remain loyal to God, against any attempt to rationalize sin. Standing firm against Satan attractive temptations is never easy, but the alternative is deadly. We shouldn't tolerate sin under pressure just to be open minded. Never compromise our faith but continue to grow in faith, grow in good work and contiinue to do more. THE REWARD IS GREAT!

WHO ARE WE? WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD. We are not to compromise, but stand firm on our faith and belief. If we are to win soul to Christ, we can not heed to the standards of this world. To stay faithful and be a true witness, we must walk according to the word of God and not man. We are a light to a dark world. If we are not careful, we will find ourselves taking on the ways of our culture and quiet about our christian moral convictions. We have to be different, and there are time we will offend others. Children of God have to hates what God hate and love what He loves. Standing on the word of God determine our eternal destination.

A congregation can grow cold and lose their zeal for God. A church can be busy doing much to benefit the church and the community but for the wrong reason. It should be based on the love for God and others. Signs of genuine love for Jesus in worship and ministry will show up in our committement and our LOVE(love in action,not words) for others especially those in the household of faith. The lack of love shows up when there is no enthusiasm and we lose sight of the seriousness of sin. We can regain this love by returning to our Frist Love (God). We have to have a repentant heart. Thy shall love the Lord thy God with all thy mind, soul and body! GOD HAS TO BE FIRST IN OUR LIVES!

Christ among the lampstands is different because Jesus appeared in splendor, reasurring John that he and believers had God's strength to face these trials. This should be reasurring to all readers that are facing or will face difficult times. The power that were available to the early churches is still available to us today. This understanding of Jesus is important to a balence faith because this is the same Jesus, with the same power that we can put our trust and faith in. He is the same yesterday, today and for evermore.

The exalted Jesus walking among the lampstands let me know He is in charge, in control, he is the head, he is the leader and we belong to God through him. This teach us that the church is accountable to God. Jesus walks with reassuring love and fearsome power. The church should remember Jesus concern for purity and his intolerance of sin. He is a holy God and we should be holy

Christ among the lampstands is different because Christ appeared in splendor, reassuring John and us we have God's strength to face trials. He rules at the right hand of the Father with all power. We should be in awe and humble and submissive to his will. He is worthy of all the praise. Jesus is all powerful, all knowing and all present. Jesus is important to a balance faith because he is the one we should put our faith and trust with all our mind, soul and body. Whatever we are facing today we can rest assured that we have the same available power that the early church had through Jesus Christ.

Asia, Africa, Middle East and China are experiencing tribulation or persecution for their faith. Some in America are experiencing tribulation for their faith, maybe not on such a grand scale as the others. We are to pray for mankind especially those of the household of faith. The Book of Revelation can be a comfort and encouragement to them. This book will let them know that God is eternal, He never change and that He is still a God of Love. Jesus was victorious over death and he even suffer when he was on earth. God know what we all have to suffer through and he will see us through. Let us all keep the faith. WE ALL HAVE TO ENDURE UNTIL THE END. THE REWARD IS GREAT; ETERNAL LIFE!

Rev. 1:8 (Father). I an alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, which is, and which was, which is to come. Jesus said,"when you see me you have seen the Father." To me Jesus showes the true character of who God really is: THE FATHER, THE SON, THE HOLY GHOST. All is one and eternal.

Testimony and witness is so important to a church facing persecution to encourage, strengthen and build up. We all need to hear testimony and witness because there are time when going thru trials and tribulations, we need that spiritual support. Jesus is the perfect "faithful winess" in that he bare winess to what is true and holy. Jesus is the first begotten of the dead, prince of kings, and He freed us from the bondage of sin. We are afraid to to be clear witness in a culture where we aren't persecuted because we DON'T like to suffer. Even though we aren't persecuted, we are in a sense when it comes to the word of God. We might get our feelings hurt, doors shut in our faces, lost of love ones, even isolation. We can not let this stopped us because we are commission to share the gospel. PLANT THE SEED AND GOD WILL SEE TO THE GROWTH. HIS WORD WILL NEVER COME BACK VOID.

Thank God for this study because I believe we have taken a good look at our personal self in regard to the church. We are a family that have been put here to be a blessing to others. We are to be that light that sit upon a hill that can not be hid. I will begin to really and truly look at the church the way God looks at it. I will live the life that God expects of me and if we all do this; this will build up the church. God has cleanse and purified us and wants us to live holy lives because He is holy. This study has open my eyes to a lot of truth about the church. Let each member in each congregation love the church like Jesus Chrsit. We will begin to see the fruits of our labor. Again thanks for the study. Can't wait for the next one.

We should love the church as we love ourselves. We care for our bodies, we nourish them and give them the necessities of life. We do all we can to bring no harm to our bodies. In the same matter we should care for the church. We should anticipate it needS, doing our part to make it all it can be. We should see and love the church as Jesus does. WE ARE ONE!

The church IS glorious and grand because God through Jesus has cleanse and purified it. We are a church without stain, without wrinkle, holy and blameless. We need to look at the church the way Jesus looks at it. This picture now and the furture. We are call to be holy because God is holy. God would not ask something of us and not equip us for it. We have power to be victorious and the power within us is the Holy Spirit. We need to think in the spirit and not so much in the flesh. We can do all things through Christ that strengthen us. Satan wants to blind us to the truth that we can't be a church without stain, without wrinkle, holy and blameles. But you what SAINTS he is a LIE!

IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND THE WORD WAS GOd The WORD work in the cleansing, purifying process by coming into the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Having a personal relationship with God thru Jesus Christ will sanctify. cleanse and wash us. It is by hearing the word, accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and obedient to the word that saves us because we are saved by grace. We are new creatures in Christ. Individually we are part of the church; therefore we are part of the process(cleansing/purifying). This should be a way of life for the saints. A church should be teaching and living the word of God. We do not have to be sacred into repentance because the bible tells us "God is love." God's desire for all of us to be save that none should perish. It also tell us if we love God we will obey Him. Obedience is better than a scarifice. SAINTS STAY HUMBLE AND OBEDIENT!

Jesus Christ purifies the church through the work of the Holy Spirit, who draws us to Christ. The water of baptism use here by Paul means the washing away of sin. We are making a commitment to be a part of the purification process. Then the Spirit work through His people in order to build up the church. Christ draws His church to Him and build her up. We can be holy without being legalistic and judgemental toward one another by showing LOVE. We need to be accountable to each other in love. If we show love and build up each other spiritual the church will grow. Let us all be responsible and exhibit the Fruits of the Spirit.