Joshua Code: Chapter 48 – God Calling

“Then the angel showed me the river of the Water of Life, and the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come! And let him who thirsts, whoever desires, let him take the Water of Life freely”. -Revelations 22:1,17

Summary from our brother, Joe Watson

Brothers in Christ!

Praying all is well with you and with your loved ones!  Another great day of fellowship and discussions over a cup of coffee Saturday morning at Kindred Coffee…please consider joining us!

Attendees 9/20 Daryl, Karl, Mike Allen, JC and Joe.

The study material and discussions are focused on the O.S.Hawkins series “The Joshua Code” Chapter 48,  “GOD CALLING” 

The book of Revelation Is not a puzzle or an enigma… And it’s more than Just words.

It is the Word from God and testimony of Jesus, given to John to show us what things which must come to pass…shortly!

1)  Christ the Lamb and King!  The Lamb has conquered sin and death, and returns to put the world in order…

2) Satan and his demons are given a season to test the world and to wage war against the authority of God and His Son, then their time is up!

3) The inhabitants of the world must choose: Deliverance or Destruction. 

4) Heaven and Earth pass away and new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven.

God offers Eternal Life for those who choose Him!!

Christ triumphs and Righteousness prevails!

(Satan loses!)

Sorrow, Sickness, and Death are gone! 

Book of Revelation Introduction:

“And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirst. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

“THEN THE ANGEL SHOWED ME THE RIVER OF THE WATER OF LIFE,

as clear as crystal, flowing from

the throne of God and of the Lamb …

No longer will there be any curse,

Then the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city

and then His servants will serve Him.

They will see His face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

There will be no more night.

They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun,

for the Lord God will give them light.

And they will reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 1:3-5

1. “Revelation” is the translation of the Greek word “apokalupsis.” It means “to reveal, to disclose, to uncover.”

2. This is not a puzzle or an enigma, but a book that seeks to manifest Jesus Christ!

3. The phrase “must soon take place” describes an event that will occur suddenly, not necessarily one that may occur soon.

4. The book is written not just in words, but also in pictures (“everything he saw”).

5. The message is communicated in symbols and images.

6. Not everything written in the Bible is meant to be crystal clear.

7. Many of the wise sayings in Proverbs, as well as the parables of Jesus, demand a search for their meaning.

8. Apocalyptic visions are the same way.

9. Reading the Book of Revelation requires having “ears to hear” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6,13,22) – new insights await in the details of every sign and symbol.

10.Nevertheless, there are a number of unmistakable themes that arise from its pages.

a. “Christ the Lamb and King”: Whenever the lord is in a vision in the Book of Revelation, He is always central. He is the glorified Lamb, the worshiped Lamb, the magnifying Lamb, the vindicated Lamb. And more than 30 times in this letter, John sees Christ as the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world. (John 1:29) This same Lamb returns to slay those who rebel against God and reign victorious as “the ruler of the kings of earth,” the, “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 1:5; 5:5-10; 12:1-11; 19:16).

b. “Spiritual Warfare”: The central plotline of Revelation is spiritual warfare – Satan and his demons and his earthly representatives wage war against the authority of God and His Son. Satan attempts to deceive the entire world and lead them astray. The conclusion of the book – the return of the victorious King – is the ultimate message that God wins the spiritual war!

c. “Correction”: The letters to the seven churches (chapters 2-3) become letters through the ages – with warnings about complacency, heresy, syncretism, and apathy (Revelation 2:1-3:22; 13:1-18; 17:1-18:24).

d. “Deliverance”: The promise of Revelation 3:10 (see also 1 Thess.5:9), and the absence of the church through the central chapters of Revelation, confirm that Christ is the ark that delivers believers from the storms of earth’s final age. The Christian’s destiny is to reign with Him, not to be punished by Him (Revelation 19:1-10; 20:1-6).

e. “Destruction of Satan and Evil”: John the apostle presents the stark detail what Daniel the prophet saw centuries before – the passing away of the kingdoms of this world and the advent of the kingdom of Christ (Daniel 2:44; 4:3; 6:26; 7:13-14). God’s chief opponent (Satan)

throughout the biblical story of redemption will finally be punished forever for his rebellion (Revelation 20:7-10).

f. “Eternal Salvation”: The new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven to earth fulfills Christ promise of going away to prepare a dwelling place for His followers (Revelation 21:1-22:6; John 14:1-4).

g. “Worship”: The Book of Revelation is about worship. It contains scene after scene of all of heaven worshiping God and the Lamb because they alone are worthy (Revelation 4-5). The people of God are a worshipping people!

11.The Book of Revelation promises a special blessing for those who take the time to peer into the future with the apostle John (Revelation 1:3).

12.If they do, they will see that God wins!

13.Christ triumphs!

14.Righteousness prevails!

15. Satan loses!

16. No more sorrow, sickness, and death!

17. A new heaven and a new earth emerge from the ashes of the old!

18. And God Himself wipes away every tear from every eye!

19. Regardless of what happens in this life – no matter how depressing the world news or how difficult or dark the season we might be enduring – life in Christ has a happy ending … and nothing in earth, heaven or hell can ever take that away.

20. When the heartache of this present world weighs heavy on us, we have only to look up and look ahead at the radiant end of one story and the joyous beginning of a new story that will never end.

21. An eternal story with one central theme: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain” (Revelation 5:12).

Scripture Context Provided by Dr. David Jeremiah and Dr. Tony Evans:

1. The new creation will be a return to the Garden of Eden (Gen. 1-2)
2. Paradise regained! The original order will be restored, with the redeemed ruling over all creation with Christ.
3. Since there is no sea on the new earth, water will be supplied by “the river of the water of life … flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb” – a single throne shared by God the Father and God the Son (Revelation 22:1).
4. The new earth will also contain “the tree of life” (Revelation 22:2), which first appeared in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9) and from which humans were barred from eating after Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3:22-24).
5. “The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations.”
6.  In the new heaven and the new earth, “there will no longer be any curse.”
7. Everything will be just as God intended it, and “His servants will worship Him” (Revelation 22:3).
8. Use of the word “servants” implies that believers will be happily serving and working in the new creation, overseeing the planet to varying degrees corresponding to their rewards.
9. In this environment, God’s people “will see His face” (Revelation 22:4), and there will no longer be a need for either “the light of a lamp or the light of the sun” because God’s radiant presence will provide all necessary illumination.
10. The speaker in Revelation 22:6 is the same angel who began guiding John in Revelation 21:9.
11. He offers a reminder that every word spoken in Revelation is true!
12. We don’t know when these events will occur, but we are assured they “will soon take place” (Revelation 22:6), a truth echoed by Jesus Himself in (Revelation 22:7).
13. In response to the imminence of Christ’s return, readers are commanded to take this book seriously and act on it.
14. Often, Revelation is portrayed as a book of prophecy, and this is certainly true.
15. But, more fundamentally, it is a book about worship, a theme that recurs from chapters 1-22.
16. Here, as he has done before, John falls “down to worship at the feet of the angel” (Revelation 22:8).
17. The angel, however, corrects him: “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you … and those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” (Revelation 22:9)
18. Worship of God is the appropriate response to the words of Revelation.
19. The words of the book were not to be sealed up “because the time is near” (Revelation 22:10).
20. Rather, they are to be read – which will lead people to one of two responses.
21. Some will not heed the abominations and will continue on a path of rebellion against God.
22. As John put it, “the filthy will still be filthy.”
23. Others, however, will heed the warnings and move in the direction God wants them to go, namely “righteousness” (Revelation 22:11).
24. Jesus – “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13) – is coming soon to “reward” each believer “according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
25. The reward will include access to the “tree of life and the city” (Rev 22:14).
26. The greater a person’s faithfulness in earthly life, the greater his or her access will be to special blessings in the eternal state.
27. The wicked, those who never received Jesus as their Savior, will remain under the curse and be separated from the blessings described in this chapter.
28. Among them will be those whose base is, sensual living made them like “dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15).
29. Revelation was written specifically for believers!
30. That’s why Jesus declares, “I … have sent My angel to attest to these things to you and for the churches.”
31. It’s about the future, but it’s also for the present-day church.
32. “The bright morning star” is another way of referring to the sun.
33. In the daytime, it is the one star sufficiently luminous and powerful to light the entire earth.
34. Spiritually speaking, Jesus is “the bright morning star” because He is the most powerful source of spiritual illumination and is the sole source of eternal life! (Revelation 22:16)
35. John ends the book with an evangelistic invitation!
36. The Holy Spirit, the church and anyone who hears the message, all beckon sinners to come to Christ.
37. Anyone who is spiritually “thirsty” may have his or her thirst quenched by Jesus!
38. And best of all the spiritual satisfaction is free! The water of life is a gift!
39. All that is required to possess eternal life in the paradise that has been described is to receive the free-gift of salvation by placing your faith in Jesus Christ alone and His substitutionary death!
40. Embrace the agenda of His eternal kingdom. No earthly agenda compares!
41. Don’t mess with the Word!
42. That’s John’s admonition in these verses, and it applies to the book of Revelation.
43. First, do not add to “the prophecy of this book.”
44. The penalty for doing so will be “the plagues that are written in it.” (Revelation 22:18)
45. Secondly, do not take “away from the words of the book.”
46. Those who do so will have their heavenly rewards taken away, namely, their “share of the tree of life and the holy city.” (Revelation 22:19).
47. Much of Revelation is difficult to understand because of its symbolism, but the book concludes by underscoring with notable simplicity two central themes.
    1. First, Jesus is “coming soon!” You can understand this even if details of the rapture, the tribulation, the second coming of Jesus, the millennium, and the eternal state remain unclear.
    1. Second, the glorious future in store for followers of Jesus should inspire worship. John’s response to all that was revealed to him was an exclamation of worshipful affirmation.
    1. “Amen! Come Lord Jesus!”
48.   There is enough truth stated plainly in Revelation for us to thank God for our salvation, for our eternal future, and for God’s grace.
49. If reading Revelation makes you a better worshiper, it has achieved its goal.
50. The wrath to come on all who do not acknowledge Jesus as Savior contrast with “the grace of the Lord Jesus” available to everyone during the church era.
51. It is with a prayer for that saving grace to be broadly bestowed that John closes the book.

The Joshua Code by O.S. Hawkins – “GOD CALLING!”

1. “And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say. “Come!” And let him who thirst come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)
2. The Spirit of God and the bride of Christ both beckon us to come to the Lord Jesus.
3. The bride is clearly a reference to the church in the New Testament, that body of born-again believers who one day will be reunited with their Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ.
4. It is the supreme task of the church to call people to come to Christ.
5. It is also the Spirit who says, “Come.”
6. While the church issues the outward call, the Spirit of the living God issues the inward call to hearts.
7. They work in tandem: “the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!”
8. In the eighth chapter of Romans, we are introduced to a chain reaction effect.
9. Those God foreknew, He predestined, He called.
10. Those He called, He justified.
11. And those He justified, He also glorified.
12. This mysterious calling of God upon our hearts is a significant part of His total redemptive plan.
13. It is not as though we are somehow neutral in all of this and God chooses some to go to heaven and certain others to go to hell.
14. That is a false assumption because Scripture clearly teaches that none of us are neutral.
15. We are not suspended in some sort of limbo.
16. In fact, we have all gone our own way (Isaiah 53:6).
17. “We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory”  (Romans 3:23).
18. Our salvation is wholly of grace through faith in Christ alone (Eps. 2:8).
19. Thus, we have two distinct yet related callings: the Spirit is saying “Come,” and the church, the bride, is echoing the same call as well.

THE INWARD CALL

1. The Bible says that the Spirit is calling us to come to Christ.
2. This is the inward call to our hearts.
3. I could beg you on my knees, with tears in my eyes, describing the horrors of hell and the wonders heaven, but you will not truly come to Christ unless the Spirit is drawing you.
4. It was our Lord Himself who said, “No one comes to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44).
5. Do you recall what the Lord said to Peter immediately after he made his great confession at Caesarea Philippi?
6. Jesus pronounced a blessing on him and then said, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).
7. Later Paul would add, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).
8. And to the Galatians, Paul said that it “pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through His grace” (Galatians 1:15)
9. Not to be left out, Peter weighed in, saying, “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
10. Later, in the same letter, Peter said that the God of all grace had “called us to His eternal glory” (1 Peter 5:10).
11. One of the most beautiful illustrations of the Spirit’s calling people to Christ is found in Acts 16.
12. Here we are introduced to a very successful businesswoman named Lydia.
13. Paul was preaching and issuing the outward call, and the Bible reveals that Lydia, whose “heart the Lord opened” (Acts 16:14) embraced the gospel message.
14. Yes, the Spirit speaks to our hearts with His inward call, saying, “Come!”

THE OUTWARD CALL

1. Here is a wonderful partnership of the Spirit of God working in and through the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. God has chosen to use the church to issue the outward call to the hearts of men and women across the world.
3. Not only does the Spirit call us to come to Christ, but the bride says, “Come!” as well.
4. This is what happened at the grave of Lazurus, one of our Lord’s closest earthly friends.
5. Many nights the Lord stayed in his home in Bethany.
6. Many meals He had shared at his table along with his sisters Mary and Martha.
7. Now Lazurus was dead and buried.
8. Jesus came upon the scene and found the funeral party in deep mourning.
9. There was the outward call; there was something for the people there to do
10. They were to roll away the large stone that sealed the tomb, but only Jesus could bring Lazurus back to life.
11. Thus, after the stone was rolled away, Jesus issued the inward call, Jesus spoke to Lazurus, saying, “Lazurus come forth” (John 11:43).
12. And he did!
13. The church’s responsibility in the outward call is to roll away the stones today.
14. As we call people to faith, we seek to roll away stones of indifference, stones of unbelief, stones of presumption, stones of pride, and stones of procrastination.
15. Our apologetics and our witness enable men and women to be more sensitive to hearing Christ’s inward call to their hearts.
16. O.S.’s mentor and pastoral predecessor W.A. Criswell (First Baptist Church Dallas) approached this complicated issue with a rather simple understanding.
17. O.S. often heard him say that those high and lofty theological words like “election, predestination, and sanctification” were “up there.” They belong to God.
18. We were to leave them there and not speculate upon them.
19. Words such as “grace, faith, and repentance” and the like were “down here.”
20. These are the words with which we should deal.
21. Our part is to believe and receive.
22. For the Bible says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
23. As you memorize this verse, meditate on the fact that the Spirit is calling.
24. Listen to what the prophet Elijah referred to as that “still small voice.”         (1 Kings 19:12).
25. It is not audible. However, when you hear it, it is unmistakable, God is calling!

The KEYS

KEY THOUGHT:

            God has a plan for the future and for eternity. Regardless of what happens in life – no matter how depressing or difficult the news – life in Christ has a happy ending for those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

KEY THEME:

Christ is returning. Whoever desires is invited to come and to drink of the waters of eternal life, and live.

KEY CHALLENGE:

The end-time events have been revealed, the invitation to come has been offered, and now we need to do our part to share these truths with those who have not heard of this glorious salvation. The time is short, so make each moment count for Him.

KEY VERSES:

            “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keeps those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3).

            “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (Revelation 22:3).

KEY ACTION:

            “And the Spirit and the Bride say ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say ‘Come!’ And let him who thirst come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).

KEY PRAYER:

            Heavenly Father, thank You for Your marvelous gift of salvation. All glory and praise be to the Lamb, my Savior and soon-coming King! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!  

Benediction

Regardless of what happens in this life – no matter how depressing the world news or how difficult or dark the season we might be enduring – life in Christ has a happy ending … and nothing in earth, heaven or hell can ever take that away.

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE and TAKE YOUR STAND!…and Take JESUS with you…On the Way Home!

May God greatly bless your commitment and work for His Kingdom!!