Author: DwightClough

 

And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. Revelation 12:7-8

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:11

 

Some people think that God and Satan are locked in some kind of cosmic duel, each vying for supremacy in the universe.

Wrong!

If God fought with Satan even for an instant, Satan would be utterly destroyed in every possible sense of the word.

While Satan has always been fully responsible for each one of his evil choices, God has always used Satan to accomplish His own good purposes.

God sends his servants—angels and humans—out to overcome the devil. In Revelation 12, the devil loses his place in heaven and he loses his grip on the children of God. Angels toss him out, and our brothers and sisters in Christ finish the job.

Who are these overcomers? Let me suggest that they are ordinary people, just like you and me, living life in the grip an extraordinary God.

Dwight

PS. How do you overcome disabling beliefs? That’s our Inner Wealth topic on Saturday, 8/24/2019.

 

But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.—Revelation 11:11

 

The #1 evil man on earth kills God’s two witnesses and refuses them burial. The whole world celebrates, but nobody counted on the power of God. God makes it abundantly clear that life and death belong to God, not to the beast.

God could have let them lie and resurrected them along with everyone else later on. But He doesn’t. He sends a clear message: Even though the world has gone mad, God is still in control.

Sometimes nothing in our world makes sense, and it seems that evil has really triumphed. But God still knows how to bring life where it is needed, hope where it is lacking, and power to those who have no strength.

Dwight

PS. How do you overcome disabling beliefs? That’s our Inner Wealth topic on Saturday, 8/24/2019.

 

Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5

 

What happens when you open the scroll? Judgment comes. History ends. Eternity begins.

Why can’t anybody open the scroll? Because too much is at stake. Every precious person that God loves has no defense against judgment until he or she is hidden in Christ.

What is the message? Before the lifeboat pushes away from the sinking ship, God is looking around one more time to see if there’s anyone else who wants to climb aboard.

God is protecting His children from judgment. We may have troubles, but the judgment of God does not fall on us. There is a very important difference. In judgment, God is letting the wicked person know what He thinks of sin. In our troubles, God removes impurities so He can reveal what is beautiful inside us and inside God.

Do you have troubles? If you are a believer, your troubles are not a report card on your performance. Your troubles are an opportunity for God.

Dwight

PS. How do you overcome disabling beliefs? That’s our Inner Wealth topic on Saturday, 8/24/2019.

Hi

I’ve been thinking about why we get stuck—why we don’t move forward. I think one reason we don’t move forward is blame. There’s a problem, and sometimes we look for someone to blame instead of looking for a way to solve it.

In this video I look at the problem of blame, specifically as it relates to our war on poverty. https://youtu.be/B-_GBFEsaTM

Here’s how to find Rethinking Our War on Poverty on Amazon, and here’s a link to more information.

Dwight

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”—Revelation 4:8

This is the center of the book of Revelation. An unchanging God, fully in charge of the church, the pagans, the spirits, the devils, the angels, the dead and the living—takes His place as King of the universe, under the constant inspection of these super intelligent and powerful creatures.

And they are in awe.

“Why all the eyes?” I ask our Father. “Is it so they can see You, or so You can look them in the eye, and see inside their spirits?”

And then I realize they see it all. They see six thousand years of rebellion—or more. Billions of evil men and women, legions of demons, inflicting horror on those God loves. They see the church with all its beauty and all its flaws. And they see God.

Though they’ve seen the depths of evil, they are overwhelmed, not with what’s wrong with us or with unbelievers or with demons, but rather with what’s right with God. Triumphant, holy, unchanging, sovereign God.

It’s a ray of light in our dark world. If we could see enough, we too would be overwhelmed.

Dwight

PS. Fear, anxiety, worry–how do you overcome? That’s our Inner Wealth topic for Saturday, 8/17/2019.

How have you experienced God?

Would you be willing to to share part of your story with me?

I’m gathering information for a sermon I plan to share on Sunday, August 25, 2019 at the 10 am service at the Wesleyan Bible Church, 113 2nd St, Pardeeville, WI 53954.

The topic will be “What does it mean to experience God?” and, of course, you are invited.

Thanks!

Dwight

PS. Fear, anxiety, panic, worry—how do you overcome these bullies? That will be our Inner Wealth topic on Saturday, August 17, 2019.

Hi there

Another break to share a video: A math problem involving $100 million and a firing squad.

https://youtu.be/vcwJKRBJHxk

Rethinking Our War on Poverty on Amazon

More information…

Thanks!

Dwight

 

Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. Revelation 4:4

 

We don’t know a whole lot about these twenty-four elders. Where did they come from? Are they some form of angels? How did they get here? What is their job? What are they thinking? What do they see? If we could spend a day with one of them, what would we learn?

There’s a lot going on that we don’t know anything about.

I’m 61 years old. Most of the human race on earth is younger than I am. But in real terms, we are only children.

I have four children. When they were young, as we crossed the street, I took their hand.

That’s how it is with us. Someone older and wiser is here; He sees things we don’t; He knows things we don’t. And when we need it, He takes our hand.

Dwight

PS. How do we break the sin-confess-sin cycle? That will be our Inner Wealth topic on Saturday, August 10, 2019.

 

…there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it… Revelation 4:2

 

Why does the apostle John not fill in the blanks? Why does he not name the Person on heaven’s throne?

In 1 John 3:2, we discover that we shall become like Jesus when we see Him as He is. Encountering the Living God is so life changing, that we don’t even have words to describe it.

It needs to be that way. We have, all of us, been deeply touched by the pain and corruption of the fall. But now God is pulling us out of this world and doing a deeper work in us than the work of sin and destruction.

Right now we encounter God selectively, a little bit at a time. Here in our world, God gives us the right to say “yes” to Him in increments. We invite Him into the secret places of our hearts one door at a time.

But on that great day, all the doors fly open. All the secrets are laid bare. This is more than any of us can contain as we are. The result is transformation for eternity.

Dwight

PS. How do we break the sin-confess-sin cycle? That will be our Inner Wealth topic on Saturday, August 10, 2019.

I want to take a brief break from our series on Revelation to invite you to watch a video I posted on YouTube: A message to the middle class.

Many years ago I started on a journey that I never expected to take. I’ve kept the details of that journey mostly to myself for reasons that may or may not be clear to you. But I have sensed that God has wanted me to make public this journey I have been on, even though it’s honestly difficult for me to do.

The video is a start. You can access it here.

Thanks.

Dwight