1911 A SEA OF FIRE
I had a talk with John the other
day.
I was at the mission- by the way-
there are now about 4 Johns that I’m friends with- so this John is the guy who
used to work at the Navy base right around here.
I have known John for many years-
he seems to be a real nice guy.
Different form some of the other
guys- you can tell that John was not a ‘bum’.
That is there are lots of guys
who simply spent their whole lives around the missions- they have mastered the
art of getting free stuff- many- many of them are able bodied people [actually
healthier than me!].
Yet- by the thousands- they are
all on SSI.
Just the other day one of them
was telling me how his lawyer was getting him on disability- because he takes
medication for his depression.
So- that’s the scoop.
But John worked for the base for
17 years- at 20 bucks an hour.
He was buying his own home- had a
nice Harley- was living the dream in a way.
He got laid off- he lost his
home- and he also did a lot of drugs.
He now lives in a broken down RV-
a dump.
If he can’t come up with the 200
a month rent- he mows the grass for the owner- she owns about 8 rental houses.
As I talked with John- somehow I
told him I was reading the book of Revelation- and I knew that some of it
applied to him.
I told John that Revelation
speaks about those who have overcome the mark of the beast- his image- and his
number.
The apostle John [who wrote the
book] said he saw these people ‘standing on a sea of glass mingled with fire’.
These were those who overcame the
image that the beast wanted to brand them with.
I explained to John that in life-
we all have good and bad times.
Often times- much of the battle
is how others perceive us- that is we allow the ‘image’ that the accuser [the
beast- satan] puts on us to affect us in a negative way.
I told John that when Jesus was
baptized [the sea of glass imagery- get it?] that as he came up out of the
water there was the voice of God saying ‘this is my beloved Son in whom I am
well pleased’.
I told John that we- as children
of God- are also seen the same way.
That God too is pleased with us-
not on the basis of how we perform- but because God accepts us because his Son died
for us.
I told John that this is much of
the battle in life- overcoming the image of the beast- and accepting the image
of God- our father.
In the New Testament it speaks
about a baptism of water- and fire.
One time when the disciples were
arguing over who would be ‘the greatest’ [image- see?]
Jesus asked them ‘can you be baptized
with the baptism that I am baptized with’?
They said yes.
He told them they would.
What baptism was Jesus referring
to?
Probably the suffering he was
going to go thru- the Cross.
Suffering is in a way a baptism
‘of fire’.
The baptism of the Spirit can
also be called a baptism of fire.
Now- when John the apostle said
he saw these people standing on a ‘sea of glass mingled with fire’.
It’s possible that he was speaking
about the church- the community of people who would ‘arise’ from the baptism of
water and fire.
Peter said ‘it is not only
appointed unto us believe on him- but also to suffer for his name’
Yeah- as I spoke with John- as I
told him about the battle to overcome the image of the beast- to accept the
‘mark of God on our fore heads’.
He understood this.
He kinda of invited me to preach
at the street church for brother Rey.
I told John that Rey has asked me
in the past- but I don’t do that anymore [I have many radio shows that people
can still hear on line- I have preached for many years- I think I should leave that
to others now].
I think John understood what I
was saying.
Someone who had in a way lived part
of the American dream- and then lost it all.
I encouraged him to receive the
image that God has for him- the one that says ‘you are my Son in whom I am well
pleased’.
Yes- there is a company of people
who ‘stand on the sea’.
Don’t forget- this sea also has
fire.
Note- Do me a favor, those who
read/like the posts- re-post them on other sites as well as the site you read
them on. Thanks- John. Don’t forget to scroll down on the timeline [Facebook] -
I have posted lots.
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