Month: April 2026

Do you have ears to hear the Lord?

Have you ever been around someone who is deaf or partially deaf? To say it is a challenge is an under statement, for both parties. But there is also something which I will call spiritual deafness. Sadly, this form of deafness might actually be worse than the physical kind because it cuts us off from hearing God. However, the good news is that this spiritual deafness can be overcome. And the one who has the power to overcome it, is you and I.

Jesus talks about having ears to hear, no less than 14 times in Scripture! Seven times in the Gospels He repeats the phrase “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt:11:15, 13:9, 13:43, Mark 4:9, 4:23, 7:16, Luke 8:8)

 Seven times in the book of Revelation, when He addresses the 7 churches, He finishes with the phrase “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”(Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22)

Now I’ve always been taught that when something is repeated in Scripture, it’s important. So with that in mind, I would suggest that repeating something 14 times must be very important! But what does it mean, you might ask? Well, clearly Jesus is not talking about only physical ears, although that would definitely be part of his admonition. He is also talking about spiritual ears. I do not believe that He would say this, if He did not want us to hear what He is saying. In John 10, Jesus very clearly says “My sheep hear My voice”. This implies that not only is He talking to us, but that we need to be listening. 

It is my opinion, and the Bible makes it very clear, that not only do we have control, we are very much responsible, for what we do and do not hear. 

To give you an example of what I mean, in Acts 7:51, when the Pharisees were stoning Stephen, he spoke these words to them: “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit!” He is clearly referring to spiritual ears here when he says this. And what did he suggest was their problem? They were stiff necked and had hardened hearts. Consequently, they could not hear what God was saying to them through Stephen.

Sadly, their response was very much in the physical. “Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him.” (Acts 7:57) Not only did they not want to hear what he said, they killed him for saying it. 

Obviously, we are no longer allowed to kill people for saying things that convict us, at least not according to the law, but that does not mean, people are listening to what God is trying to say to them. However, we are not left without warning, when we don’t listen to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus makes this very clear while speaking to His disciples in Mark 4:21-25. After talking about the parable of a lamp, He says the following to them: “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 

He continues with this warning: “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

I’ll be honest with you. When I read this warning, it scares me. Not because I’m afraid, but because I know that the responsibility of hearing what He says to me, is mine and mine alone. Yes, He is a very gracious and forgiving God. He is kind. He is merciful. But He is also the Judge of all the earth. And when He speaks to me, I need to listen. I don’t want to be stiff necked. I don’t want to harden my heart and close my ears. I love Him and I want to obey Him. Why is that important? 

Because we are told in Scripture, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, to obey Him. John 14:15 tells us, “If you love Me, keep My commandments”. In Exodus 23:20-22 the Lord tells the people of Israel, while they are in the wilderness, waiting to enter the promised land the following: “Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.” The really interesting part of this Scripture is the word “obey”, which the Lord uses twice here. It is a Hebrew word that means, to hear intelligently, to understand, to obey. 

In order to obey Him, when He speaks to me, I have to hear Him intelligently, and I have to choose to understand, and then, to obey Him. The Lord will not force you to obey. He is not interested in prisoners of war or slaves. He calls us His friends. But He is also our Father, our Redeemer, our Judge, and our Bridegroom. If we do not listen to what He is saying to us, to the church, then we don’t love Him! It really is that simple. 

Perhaps I am offending you with all this. I would rather offend you and save your soul, then speak nice words that tickle your ears, and send you to hell. We are living in a very short window of time on this earth. It is called the age of grace, or the age of the Gentiles. Jesus Himself told us in Luke 21:24, “And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” If you see what the Lord is doing in Israel, what He is doing to bring them back from all the nations of the earth, what He is doing around the world, to fulfill prophecy, you will realize that this age is drawing to a close. The rapture is at the door, and the tribulation is coming. Those horses in the first 4 seals of the scroll, (Revelation 6:1-8) are at the starting gate and if you have ears, you can hear them snorting with anticipation. They are ready and the only thing they are waiting for is the word, “come”!

So I will leave you with this. If you are hearing Him speak to you and you are not listening, if you are hardening your heart, and turning away from His voice, don’t do it! He loves you and He has no desire to pour out His wrath upon you. Repent. Obey what He is telling you. If you don’t know Him, repent and believe that He is alive and sitting at the right hand of the Father. He died on a cross for your sins and He is coming back soon as King of kings and Lord of lords. He tells us in John 3:3 that we must be born again. You cannot work off your sins. Only His blood can wash you clean. Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart, but turn and be healed. 

Is the great Tribulation God’s wrath?

We have often been taught that there will be no more tears when we get to heaven. And that is true. There are two scriptures that are used to verify this, both of them in Revelation. In Revelation 7:17 and 21:4, we are told “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” What a glorious time that will be, when there will be no more sorrow or suffering for all eternity. However, did you know that there is a time recorded in Scripture when someone actually did weep in heaven?

It is of all people, the apostle John. There is a very dramatic scene in the book of Revelation that puzzles me just a wee bit.  (not that the whole book is not full of drama). In Revelation 5:1-7 we are shown a scene that takes place in heaven, as witnessed by John:

“And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.

So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.”

Let me stop right here for a moment and ask a question. Why? Why are we shown this scene? It becomes clear, as we continue to read that the only one in this story who didn’t know that there was in fact, someone worthy to open this scroll, is John. With that in mind, I have come to a conclusion that I would like to share with you. John is the only person in this scene who was there for only a short time. He had not died and gone to heaven. He was still very much alive on this earth and was simply witnessing this scene after he was told “to come up here”.  Since he was then sent back to earth to write the book of Revelation, we can only come to the conclusion that this whole scene, was in fact, for our benefit. For you and me. With that in mind, let’s continue reading what happens next:

“But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”

Now, let’s go back to that first part. No one in heaven, or on the earth or under the earth was worthy to open the scroll. No one. Remember that. 

I’m going to pivot here for a moment and talk about some end time theology that has many people confused. There are many in the church who claim, that the first half of the tribulation, is not in fact God’s judgment or His wrath. They teach that it is man’s wrath or satan’s wrath. That the 7 seals are just men being men, and killing each other. That satan is doing all this mayhem and destruction on the earth. But if we read what this scripture tells us, what this scene actually describes, it becomes clear that this teaching cannot be true. There is no one in heaven, or on earth or under the earth, who is worthy to open that scroll. Or, interestingly enough, to even look at it. Remember? Therefore the 7 seal judgments cannot be anything but God’s judgment on the earth.

In case you are not familiar with these 7 seals, let me refresh your memory. Seal one is the rider on the white horse, which cannot be anyone but the anti-Christ. Seal two is a red horse bringing war, conflict and people killing each other. Seal 3 is worldwide inflation. Seal 4 is death. Seal 5 is the cry of the martyrs that have been slain for being Christians. Seal 6 is cosmic disturbances both on earth and in heaven. This last seal is so powerful, that we are told the following:

“Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:14-17)

Now I want you to notice something important here. For anyone who tells you that these seven seals are not God’s wrath, show them this passage. The people of the earth, both rich and poor, free and slave, are begging the mountains and rocks to fall on them and hide them from the face of Him who sits on the throne. That’s the Father, my friends. God Almighty! And, lest we forget, from the wrath of the Lamb! They acknowledge that the great day of His wrath has come. During this terrible time, the worst time that the earth has ever experienced, according to Jesus Himself, the people still alive at this point, know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is God’s wrath, the Lamb’s wrath, the wrath of Jesus Christ!

But wait. There’s more! I haven’t even mentioned the 7th seal. Because this seal is actually the prelude to what comes next: “And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.” This final seal brings even more judgment onto the earth, the 7 trumpets, which are then followed by the 7 bowl judgments. 

So why is all this so important? Because there are many deceivers out there, who call themselves teachers, prophets and pastors, yes, even apostles, who are in fact teaching lies to the church. They are teaching things that are contrary to what scripture teaches. The Bible is very clear that judgment will come on this earth. God hates sin. He hates it so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins on a cross. Jesus then rose again on the third day and conquered death, so we can live forever with Him. But just because God made a way of salvation for us, does not mean everyone will accept His free gift. There are many who will not humble themselves and repent for their sins. And there are many who do not believe that He died and rose again and is alive today, sitting at the right hand of the Father. 

The Bible teaches us over and over that a day of judgment is coming on those who will not repent and choose to be wicked. The Old Testament calls it the Day of the Lord or the time of Jacob’s trouble.  Jesus told us in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 He would one day return to this earth and set up His kingdom in Jerusalem. He warned us that before He returns, He would judge the nations for their wickedness. That time is called the great Tribulation. Yes, we will have tribulation on this earth. But our sorrows and suffering, our private tribulation, is not the Great Tribulation. 

But I cannot stop there because the Bible is also very clear that God’s people, those that are His, those that have repented for their sins and believed that Jesus died for those sins and is alive in heaven, are not destined for His wrath. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 tells us, “For God did not appoint us to wrath”! 

Therefore my friends, do not be discouraged over what you see happening on this earth, or become afraid from the false teachings of many false teachers who try to persuade you that you must suffer through God’s wrath. Instead, be encouraged and comforted because Jesus has promised us that He will return and take us home to be with Him forever before He pours out His wrath on this earth! Paul makes this very clear in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18:

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

I don’t think it gets any clearer than what Paul says above. Being alive and subject to God’s wrath, as some have suggested, is not a comfort to me and I can’t imagine it is to you either. 

Will God judge the righteous along with the wicked?

Have you ever thought about having lunch with Jesus? Your mind might immediately be going back to the gospels and how often His disciples and others ate a meal with Him or how often He fed people who had been with Him for days. But did you know that there was another man, thousands of years ago, who also had lunch with Jesus? His name was Abraham and we are told about that amazing meal in Genesis 18:

“Then the LORD appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, “My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant.”
They said, “Do as you have said.””(Genesis 18:1-5)

Now you might be wondering how Abraham knew it was Jesus, because we know that He is not called that in the Old Testament and He was not called that in this story either. Jesus actually tells us in John 8:56 while He was having a discussion with the Jewish leaders who were telling Him He had a demon and was out of His mind:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

Clearly, Abraham had a very special relationship with Jesus.

So why am I talking about this lunch? Two reasons. First of all, Jesus tells us in Luke 17:28-30 that during the end times and before the start of the great tribulation, the world will be like the days of Lot. So we need to pay attention to what happened in this whole story. 

Second, although this lunch and the promises given to Abraham and Sarah in this chapter were no doubt amazing, it was what came after that I want to talk about here. After the meal is over, the Lord and His two angels begin to walk away, and Abraham, obviously not wanting their time to be over yet, follows them. It is during this little walk, that the Lord says the following to Abraham:

“And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” (Genesis 18:16-18)

What was it that the Lord was doing? He was looking at Sodom (verse 16) and then He looks at Abraham and says this:

“Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave, I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”(Genesis 18:20-21)

Did you notice the word “outcry”? It means cries of distress. God heard those cries of injustice, and suffering in heaven, so He was coming down to look around and see if it was true. That alone is astonishing! But before He looked at Sodom He spent time with His friend, Abraham. 

And then the Lord says something to Abraham that we often skip right over or fail to think about. He says to him, should I tell you what I’m about to do? Should I hide it from you? (Genesis 18:17) Why would He ask that? Because He knew that Abraham would intercede. And he did. In verse 23, Abraham draws near to the Lord and says to Him, “Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?”

But that’s not all Abraham says to the Lord, and this is important. He asks Him the following: “Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:24-25)

And that last question is really the crux of this matter. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? Abraham goes on to barter with the Lord, asking Him if there are only 40 or 30 or 20 or heaven forbid, 10 righteous people in Sodom, would He still destroy it. And the Lord says no, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.” But if we go on to read the rest of the story, it becomes clear that there are not even ten righteous people in Sodom! Only Lot, Abraham’s nephew, and his wife and two daughters are considered righteous. And therefore all the cities of the plain are destroyed with fire and brimstone from heaven. If you want to know why, go read the story. What happens next is disgusting to say the least, as the two angels, who look like men, come into the city and spend the evening with Lot. But there is something else that happens that is also really important to understand. 

When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”(Genesis 19:15-17)

Lot, who is clearly struggling with the whole situation, and truthfully, I don’t blame him, is lingering and trying to figure out what to bring with him. But then the angels say something else to him that I really want to emphasize here:

”Hurry, escape there. For I cannot do anything until you arrive there.”(Genesis 19:22) 

I want to really focus on this last sentence because it’s so important. They (the angels) cannot bring judgment until the righteous are removed! And that one phrase, when you add it to this whole story, brings me to something that has become such a bone of contention, even division in the body of Christ. I cannot believe how many people, many of them pastors, have mocked the concept, the very idea, that God would remove His bride from this earth before He brings judgment on the wicked. What is commonly called the rapture, has become a mockery in the church.

So I will ask you the same question that Abraham asked the Lord on that fateful day. “Would not the judge of all the earth, do right? Would He really punish the righteous with the wicked? Would He choose to beat the living daylights out of His bride, before He marries her? The answer, according to scripture, is no! He cannot, He will not, bring judgment until the righteous, the church, is removed from the earth!

Just as a small point of reference, in the 7 seal judgments in the book of Revelation, one quarter of the earth is killed. Could you survive that? That’s almost 2 billion people!

If you have been struggling with this whole idea, torn between right and wrong, wondering what is the truth, let me assure you that just as the Lord did not destroy Lot and his family with the wicked men of Sodom, He will not punish you and destroy you either, if you have placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have repented of your sins, been born again, and are filled with the Holy Spirit, you are the bride of Christ. He will not beat you up before He marries you. What husband would do that? Not a good one! And we know that God is good and there is only one who would persuade you otherwise, and that is satan. So don’t listen to the mockers and scoffers. Judgment is coming on the evil and wicked people of this earth. All the signs point to it. May I just remind you of all the rich and famous of the earth who visited Epstein’s Island, to mention just a little bit of wickedness.

But if you are His, you will meet Him in the clouds on that glorious day! Do not allow anyone to steal your blessed hope! (Titus 2:13) I will leave you with this word of comfort from Paul:

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”(1 Thessalonians 4:15-18)