Blessed!

My plans were to post on Friday. I have given up on blogging everyday for now and am content with blogging a couple of times a week. I was planning to post on Friday but due to the fact that I am now a Dad that is least of priorities. I am going tp e taking a short(2 days to 2 weeks) break on post. This is due to a need to of being a new dad.My daughter was born on Feb. 14, 08 at 8:51 pm . Get this. She weighted 10lbs 12 oz and was 20 inches long! One big baby! So don't think that I have gone awol. Just taking a few days off to realize my blessing@

Natural Law

Natural Law- God's or nature's law that defines right from wrong and is higher than human law.

I have this new class for this term. American Government. Now I am not a too smart when it comes to the government and our policies. I even thought that we were a democracy or republic (I know nothing about our government, sad but true)! I never would have thought that we are considered a democratic-republic! The best of both worlds! That was sort of rabbit chasing, let me get back to the point.

The thing that caught me off guard when I started Blue Collar Blogger was the fact that atheist dominate the blog-a-sphere! I came from a really successful blog that was established by those who write much better than I can but I enjoy Blue Collar Blogger. I was stunned at the fact that for the first few months those who came to visit were close to 90% atheist. I had one debated that America has never been a government that place God has their head until that last 50 or 60 years. I knew this was a lie but I had no way of proving it. Until I was enrolled in my American Government class.

The very first thing that caught my mind was

NaTuRaL LaW

Don't worry I am learning more than just natural law! I read the definition(see top) then put it in my own words!

Natural Law- God's law is supreme! God's created nature and controls it! That means that God's law always dominates! No other law is more important. Even man's law! Because God made man!

The framers knew that God should be their driving force. The one who judges right from wrong. Even if we don't agree with it! It is the way it is. God's in charge. He is right and He has laid down the law has to what is right and what is wrong! Let try to remember Natural Law! God is right!

The writer's of the constitution knew that God was the one who could sort right from wrong. They made it clear in the constitution and several things they wrote. The nation at one time was a God fearing nation. People lived by God's law. The law-less are now a huge influence on pop-culture. Sex sales! Money is life! Drinking is for those with class! Foul language is a vital element to self expression! Do what you like! It is pure anarchy. People have turned from God! We live for ourselves. Natural law is now an option in America and everywhere else! Bring God back to America!

Will you be there?

This is it folks! It has all come down to this. The final game of the year! 4th and goal from the twelve yard line. The Commanders are down 21 to 17. Two seconds left on the clock. This one was all but wrapped up. Now the Commanders are knocking on the door. If they get this they win. They will enjoy the spoils of victory. The glory will become theirs!
Here comes the snap. The QB rolls out to the left, he has had such a great day. He looks. No one is open. Here comes the pressure. He makes one miss! He spins past another! He rolls back to the right HE SEES AN OPENING! IT IS CLOSING FAST! JESUS IS OUT IN FRONT! HE HAS A BLOCKER TO LEAD THE WAY.HE POINTS AT JESUS To BLOCK THE DEFENSIVE END! HERE COMES THE LINEBACKER! BOOM!!!! WHAT A HIT! Did he get in? Did he make it? The line judge says no! The Commanders lose! If only he had let Jesus lead the way and take out the linebacker. He didn't trust his blocker to lead him to victory. What a shame. He fell short with inches to go. The senior in his last game made a bad call.
Every body has to make a choice. This may be the worse comparison I have ever done but it is still true. Let Jesus lead. Follow Him! Nothing good will ever come out of us following our own ways or trying to tell Jesus where to go. It will never work. It will get us into serious trouble. The road is straight and narrow. Just follow Him. It is not has hard has some people make it out to sound. Follow HIM!

Revelation 20:4-6 NLT

Here we go again. It is taking me longer than I would like to be able to blog but we do what we can, right? So without any more wait, lend me your eyes and thoughts so that I may put them into a state of non-conscious. I am going to go after the next three verses the same way I approached the first three. With has much detail that the Lord gives me and will try to use many cross references to back up everything.

So in the first three verses we saw four key things to remember....

1. An angel has gone down to the bottomless pit with a "chain and key"(death and a burden). Rev.20:1

2. The Angel captured the beast. He will be bound like this for 1,000 years!Rev.20:2

3. Those who take part in the first resurrection will be priest of God and reign with Him for 1,000 years! :) Hope you are there. Rev.20:3

4. Satan will be getting released. :( Rev.20:3

That is the main focus of the first three verses. Now to dig into verse 4...

"Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years." Revelation 20:4

Now we see thrones! What are they for? Who is on them? Why are they there? To find this answer we will look back into Revelation alittle bit.

"The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped him." Revelation 11:16

Now before I say what I am about to let me specify this.I try not to put my brain into translating the Word of God because my thinking is corrupt(just like yours and everyone else). However I am not able to find a cross reference on the 24. However it jumps out to me that it(this the Theology of Travis) might/could/maybe be the leaders of the "12 tribes"(Genesis 49)! The other 12 could be...the Apostles? 12 and 12 equals 24 right? Makes sense. Remember that this is my stinking thinking though. Take it, leave it, or challenge it.

These 24 have been given the authority to judge. Judge who? Later in this chapter we learn that God judges us. So who do they judge? Probably nobody. Thats right. Look at the verse again. It never says that they are judging anyone. They have the authority to but it never says that they do. Maybe they are maybe they are not. Once again I cannot find a reference has to what they are judging. By looking at later in this chapter you can see that God judges us. So we can say that they do not judge us. We simply don't know what or who they are judging.

Now we see the souls of all who were killed for being faithful to Christ. Those who turned down the mark that the beast wanted to put on them, or worship the statute were tortured, beaten, and murdered. Rev.13 However those who do not receive the mark are rewarded. They get to reign with Jesus for their faith in Him. They take part in the true life. The life that we are intended to live. An everlasting life. A life of peace, hope, and love. A life with Jesus. Here are a few scriptures that tell you about true life Matt.10:39, 16:25, 18:8-8, 19:16-17, 19:29, 25:46, and 27:52 Only those who follow Christ and trust in nothing else will find life. Narrow road folks.

Something to remember here is that it is not a life like you and I now know. It is eternal, pure, painless, and fantastic. Do not get it confused. It is different.

"This is the first resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.)" Revelation 20:5

So there is two resurrections. One of life. It is the one where the people will be able to reign with Jesus. The other is without a doubt the most depressing thing I have ever seen, read, or imagined. Those who do not get resurrected in the first resurrection will miss out on being with Jesus. They don't get this thousand years, and because they were not on the narrow road, they don't get to spend eternity with Jesus. They never get to see Jesus in His truest form other than when He is on His great throne and on the verge casting them into the darkness that they have chosen. I know of no other sadness that should grieve you like this should. The lost are going to be lost forever. No take backs. It is a choice that they have to make for keeps.

"Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years." Revelation 20:6

Now here we are at the conclusion of this post. It is a simple one. We (those who have accepted Christ) are blessed. We are going to made holy. Not the Holy that we try to live has but the true "Holy." Faultless! Standing side by side with God. Nothing can touch us. We will stand with Him for one thousand years has His representatives. His chosen people. No sin, no Satan.Nothing can possibly compare to the blessing that we are given in Jesus Christ. Be thankful. If you are reading this then be thankful. Not everyone will stand beside the Lord. Be thankful that He broke you enough to be for you to see Him. Realize that you are blessed.

Here are the key points that we covered in these verses.......

1. Those who do not worship or accept the beast are blessed with life!

2. There are two resurrections. One of life and the other (in contrast) of death.

3. We are blessed!

So click the comment tab below feedback on this one. If you think something needs to be covered more than cover it! Spread the Word!

Revelation Chapter 20:1-3

Do you love The Book of Revelations? I do. I spent quite a while researching it and learning it. However it has been a while since I have talked about it. So to keep from getting rusty I am going to give a little breakdown of one of my favorite chapters. I am only going to do verses one through three right now. The reason for that is simply that it would take a short book to do one chapter in Revelation. Lets take it slow and K.I.S.S.(keep it simple stupid-geared toward me not you)!

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit[a] and a heavy chain in his hand." Revelation 20:1

First thing I want to point out is the words "bottomless pit". What is that? Is it the same has hell? Have you ever thought about that? Here are some common names for hell that you will find in the Bible and where you can find them at....

Luke 16:24 this flame
Matthew 13:42 furnace of fire
Matthew 18:8 everlasting fire.
Matthew 3:12 unquenchable fire.
Jude 1:7 eternal fire
Matthew 25:46 everlasting punishment
Jude 1:6 lake of fire
Mark 9:47 Hell Fire
Luke 16:28 Place of Torment
Matthew 22:13 Outer Darkness
Matthew 25:46 Everlasting Punishment

So we see that their is not just one name for hell. It has been called many descriptive things that help to define it. Now in order to find the answer to question like what exactly is the pit you do a cross reference. This is the logical why to understand the Bible. Compare the scriptures and find out what else is said about it.

" Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." Isa 14:15

So the pit is in hell! Some believe that it is in a separate region of hell. They believe that the bottomless is a separate part of hell that is reserved only for satan and his demons. My theology tells me that hell is hell. Be in a different region or not it is still hell. If the people are separated from satan and his demons , then so be it. I am looking forward to not finding out first hand. Hell is hell.

There is mention of a key here. What is the key and who holds it?

"I am the living one. I died, but look I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. " Revelation 1:18


Christ is defined has holding the keys to death and the grave. So He is the one who gives the key to the angel. He give the angel the key of death! Now with this key comes another object. A chain! A burden! We see that has symbolized with the heavy chain.Where? Lets compare other passages that deal with chains...


"The orchards and fields of my people will yield bumper crops, and everyone will live in safety. When I have broken their chains of slavery and rescued them from those who enslaved them, then they will know that I am the Lord."
Ezekiel 34:26-28


"The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate."
Acts 12:5-7

So chains represent slavery and bondage. They are restricting and they are punishment. So this chain is severely bad news for someone. It means that some one is about to get into bondage. However there is more two it. Lets check it out.

"He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years." Revelation 20:2

We see they chains used here on the dragon-that old serpent, the devil! He puts the devil into slavery! The devil is in punishment! Yes,yes the old defeated one is bound up for a thousand years. Whats going on for these thousand years? Lets cheat and look ahead a few passages...

" Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years.
The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while." Revelation 20:2-3

Oh my! Imagen this...

One Thousand years on this earth with no satan! No tempter! Just peace! Life with Jesus! Ever have one of those days where the bird singing doesn't constitute you slinging your bowl of oatmeal out of the window at the harmless singing bird perched on the branch?! You know that day. When you are just happy! Everything is great. People seem so nice and fragile that you may let some one pull out in front of you! Maybe two! One of those days! Picture that everyday. Picture Jesus being right there. For one thousand years. All of God's children will stand beside him and sing...."Holy is the Lord God Almighty!" WOW! If that doesn't excite you, you need to go check your pulse. That is exciting stuff! We are talking about Jesus and us worshiping Him, beside Him!

One Thousand Years without any sin! Just love! He is gone for now. In that pit that we discussed earlier. Now picture this culture shock. Here you are! Enjoying peace on for the first time since sin took place in Adam and Eve. Then after 999 years, 364 days,23 hours, and 59 seconds of peace and love, in the next second it will all change. If I have learned anything about the Lord it is that He that keeps His word! When He says something will happen it will. When He says when it will happen it happens then! Sure He leaves some mystery to be discovered but He has always been true to His Word. When He says one thousand years, He means a thousand years!

So here we are in this peace and love and then Boom! Here is satan again! Unleashed after one thousand years of bondage. He will no doubt be mad and certain to re-establish the chaos that He created for the last 6000 plus years. He is back! Why must he be unleashed? Why doesn't God leave Him there? That my friend is another post. Coming soon however!