Who is Jesus Christ and what has He called you to be or do? Don't forsake your post of holding fast to the TRUTH which your calling. The Lord is coming and His reward is with Him (Revelation 22:12). The hour when He will test all those who dwell upon the earth (Revelation 3:10) is very, very close. In this critical, imperative hour don't desert your post of the truth. There are so many living in defeat instead of victory, living for themselves instead of living for Him Who called us, Who released us from our sins by His blood. DON'T DESERT YOUR POST.

THE GOAL OF THIS COURSE IS TO KNOW THE TRUTH THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO STAND,

''steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.'' (1 Cor 15:58)

Revelation 1:4-6  John to the seven churches that are in Asia: (but the message is also to individuals, to

"he who has an ear to hear" click the 7 occurrences of this phrase in Revelation) Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne; 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, 6 and He has made us [to be] a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him [be] the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

SO MANY CHRISTIANS ARE LIVING IN DEFEAT, IN DOUBT.  God reminded Jeremiah

Jer 12:5 "If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, How will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?

ILLUSTRATION FROM BIOGRAPHY OF THE GOFORTHS
 CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES TO CHINA

Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth sailed for China in 1888 where they eventually saw 5 of their 11 children die. During the Boxer Rebellion they fled 1000 miles to escape. Goforth would never shrink back from a straightforward presentation of Jesus Christ, as so many seem to be doing today. If we are to stand fast we must remember that

there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12).

We are not to water down the Gospel. We present it and allow God to do the convicting.

The Goforths opened their home to the Chinese, with Jonathan preaching for 8 hours each day to those who came in and his wife Rosalind preaching simultaneously in the kitchen (over 5 months 25,000 people were preached to). Other missionaries told him he was insane, but God opened the doors. In 1908 his wife returned home and began to question Goforth's personal commitment to her and their children. Shortly before she departed back to Canada, Rosalind asked her husband:

''Jonathan, I'm going to ask you a straight question. suppose I were stricken with an incurable disease in the homeland and had but a few months to live. If we cabled you to come, would you come?'' He hesitated some moments before answering: ''Suppose our country were at war with another nation and I, a British officer in command of an important unit. Much depended upon me as commander as to whether it was to be victory or defeat. Would I, in that event, be permitted to FORSAKE MY POST in response to a call from my family in the homeland, even if it were what you suggest?'' She replied ''I must confess...a soldier's first duty is to king and country.''

She and he both realized that Jonathan could not forsake his post and so he did not. (cf notes 2 Timothy 2:3; 2:4) What was the result of their decision? Revival broke among the Chinese! Maybe God would send revival to America...if we too don't forsake our post.

Why are so many defeated, living for themselves, falling down? Because we are quick to forget who we are and what God has called us to. Others are prone to forsake their post when the trials and tribulations come.

We forget...  Grace & peace are ours and where they come from (see note Revelation 1:4).

WHAT IS GRACE?

1Cor 15:10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me."

The context of this verse is that Paul has just explained the Gospel as the death, burial, resurrection of Jesus Christ and the fact that He was seen by many. And that Christ was seen last of all by Paul, who was a murderer of the Way, standing by as Stephen stood faithfully at his post and gave his testimony only to be stoned to death by the Jews (cf Acts 6:8-8:1). Paul was ''arrested'' by God on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) and told that he would suffer much (Acts 9:15, 16). This helps us understand that grace (charis) which is defined as unearned favor which is freely bestowed and includes everything that Jesus Christ is or has made available to us.

GOD'S GRACE IS NOT VAIN or EMPTY BUT MUST BE APPROPRIATED TO BE EFFECTIVE:

1Cor 15:8 and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am (in 1 Tim 1:15 ''the foremost of sinners'' ), and His grace toward me did not prove vain (empty, destitute of spiritual wealth) but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me."

Paul says that it was God's grace which was bestowed on him, making him what he was, taking him out of the pit of sin and setting him free from sin as a child of God. And that grace was NOT BESTOWED in vain. Paul is saying that he appropriated all the grace that God gave him, standing in that grace of God (see note Romans 5:2) -- whatever Paul needed he found God's grace sufficient.

Many desert their post because they say ''This is too hard, too difficult...I'm not adequate for these things.'' But that attitude is actually a good place to be: when you realize that you are not adequate (cf 2Cor 3:5, 12:9). How do you handle what seems like an overwhelming problem or challenge? God says grace and peace to you, from the Father (Who is, Who was and Who is to come), from the Seven Spirits, from Jesus Christ (the Faithful Witness, the One who loves you, released you from your sins and called you to be a kingdom of priests. His grace is adequate. Nothing can happen to you that you cannot handle if you remain by your post and appropriate his "all sufficient" supply of grace. 

Kay's tells a story about a man named Derrick, who was being called to go to seminary, even in the face of his wife dying and leaving him with 3 young children. And yet he committed not to forsake his post, and was enabled to make it by God's grace. He could say that God's grace did not prove vain in his life. He appropriated the grace God supplied. The problem comes when we run from our post instead of appropriating the grace of God. Jesus is about to tell us all the cataclysmic events that are soon to come upon this earth. And those who dwell upon the earth in the midst of God's judgment raise their fists in rebellion towards God instead of repenting and bowing down to God. So Jesus opens this incredible prophecy with grace...adequate, all-sufficient, everything you need, everything that Jesus Christ is... made available to us.

WE CAN HAVE PEACE

Jesus told His disciples that He is going away (Jn 14). Upon hearing this news, they become disturbed. Jesus then goes on to add that

"These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (Jn 14:25)

The peace Jesus gives is not like the world gives for the world's "peace", whether one is feeling "happy" or not, is determined by one's circumstances. Jesus gives us a peace that will hold us in the midst of the storm, a peace that does not guarantee that we will not be afflicted, a peace which does not guarantee we will not face death, loneliness, separation, rejection, etc. Like Jonathan Goforth in conflict with his fellow missionaries because he failed to conform to their standards, choosing instead God's way and choosing to remain at his post. Goforth held on in the midst of persecution/criticism from fellow missionaries and in the midst of the beginnings of ''modernism'' in which critics began to question the inerrancy of God's Word. Goforth remained at his post, preaching even the day he died at age 75, staying in the eye of the storm in the presence of God, experiencing not the "peace" that the world gives, but that which Jesus alone gives.

Remember that grace and peace come from Him Who is, Who Was and is to come which in essence refers to the Trinity.

John records 

Revelation 1:8 "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Revelation 4:8, "Holy, holy, holy, [is] the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come."

Revelation 11:17 ''...O Lord God, the Almighty, who art and who wast, because Thou hast taken Thy great power and hast begun to reign''.

Revelation 16:5 "Righteous art Thou, who art and who wast, O Holy One..."

Why does He repeat this description over and over in Revelation when it's not repeated like this anywhere else in the Word of God? Because of what is to come---we need to know the grace and peace of God, and we need to remember that it comes from the One Who is right now but Who has always been, Who has been there before He created the heavens and the earth, the Self-Existent One, the One Who is eternal, everlasting, unchangeable, Who is, Who was and Who is to come, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Since He is the beginning and the end, then in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). He is the Supreme Ruler. The devil tried to usurp God saying

''I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north." (Isa 14:13)

But God said ''No you won't!'' And so God kicked him out. God has always been God and He rules or as King Nebuchadnezzar discovered in (Da 4:35)

''He does according to His will in the host of heaven''.

Isaiah records that (KJV) '

The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand''. (Isa 14:24)

We can have peace because the storm that is coming is filtered through His fingers of love.  He is fully aware of and in control of the coming storm, so you and I can have peace in the midst of the storm.

WHO IS ''THE SEVEN SPIRITS'' BEFORE HIS THRONE?

Revelation 1:4 (note) "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne"

Kay feels ''the seven Spirits'' is the Holy Spirit. Some commentators have said this phrase refers to "seven angels". But do grace and peace come from angels or from God? The angels are created beings and in fact in one sense don't even understand the grace of God because grace was not extended to them (cf 1 Peter 1:12 [note]). When Satan said ''I will ascend on high'' (Isa 14:13-14) and was kicked out of heaven, he took one third of the angelic hosts with him which sealed their eternal fate with no hope of redemption.

Isaiah 11:2

Isaiah prophecies of the Messiah that "the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD." (Isa 11:2)

Some commentators say these attributes describe the Holy Spirit

(Ed note: For example Dr Henry Morris in "The Defender's Study Bible" has the following note on Isa 11:2  writing that "The "spirit of the LORD...of wisdom and understanding...of counsel and might...of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD" seems essentially to be a sevenfold description of the Holy Spirit, answering also to the "seven Spirits before His throne" in Revelation 1:4")

Zechariah 4: Makes a similar reference to the Holy Spirit

An angel speaking to Zerubbabel arouses him from sleep and said

"What do you see?" And I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps which are on the top of it; (like the 7 branched lamp stand that is on the left hand side of the Holy Place in the Tabernacle of God)  3 also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on its left side. " 4 Then I answered and said to the angel who was speaking with me saying, "What are these, my lord?" (So we have a seven branched lampstand with an angelic-like being standing on either side and that's what Zerubbabel is asking about when he says ''What are these?'') 5 So the angel who was speaking with me answered and said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."  6 Then he answered and said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.

In Zech 4:6 God speaks to Zerubbabel--keep in mind that Zerubbabel had an awesome task in rebuilding the temple after the Jews returned from their Babylonian captivity. The temple work had been started, then stopped and Zerubbabel was having a hard time motivating the Jews to the task because they were involved in building their own houses of ''paneled wood'' letting the House of the Lord lie desolate. (Haggai 1:4) So the word of the Lord comes to Zerubbabel and says:

Zech 4:6 Then he answered and said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. 7 'What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"' "8 Also the word of the Lord came to me saying, 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish [it.] Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.

What is this "lampstand"? What is God trying to show Zerubbabel? Yes, the task is impossible and it won't be accomplished by might nor by power but by God's Spirit.

Zech 4:10 "For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven (7 BRANCHES, 7 LIGHTS) will be glad when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel-- These are the eyes of the LORD which range to and fro throughout the earth." 11 Then I answered and said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?" 12 And I answered the second time and said to him, "What are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden [oil] from themselves?" 13 So he answered me saying, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord." 14 Then he said, "These are the two anointed ones, who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth."

When Kay read this passage, she said

''Lord, as those two anointed ones stood by the Lord of all the earth, that's what I want to do. I want to be Your anointed one. And how am I going to be Your anointed one? How am I going to stand firm in this difficult day? I'm going to stand firm the same way these two anointed ones stood firm."

By remembering that it is not by might. It is not by power. But it is by My Spirit saith the LORD of hosts.

SEVEN SPIRITS then must refer to the Holy Spirit. Kay feels ''eyes'' in the above passage represent the Holy Spirit. Seven (click for the 55 uses of 7 in Revelation) is the number of completeness (7 seals, trumpets, bowls, churches). This reference to the ''eyes of the LORD'' makes one think of :

2Chr 16:9 "For the EYES OF THE LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may STRONGLY SUPPORT those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars."

So GRACE and PEACE come from the Seven Spirits which are before His throne.

Revelation 4:5 (note) And from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And [there were] seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;. The LAMP is before the throne and the LAMP represented the Spirit of God.

Revelation 5:6 (note0 ''Seven horns and seven eyes which are the 7 spirits of God sent out into all the earth''.

This verse parallels Zechariah 4. So what we see is the Triune God, the Godhead, and the grace and peace that come from all three members of the Trinity. This is why we can have grace and peace: because you can have ALL that the Father is, ALL that the Spirit is and ALL that the Son is!

WHO IS THE SON IN REVELATION ?

Revelation 1:5 (note) and from Jesus Christ, (1)the faithful witness,(2) the first-born of the dead, and (3) the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him Who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood,

(1). JESUS CHRIST IS THE FAITHFUL WITNESS.

So many are defeated and discouraged today because they don't believe TRUTH, they don't embrace TRUTH and they don't stand by their post, standing on the word of God. Instead they go by their feelings, emotions, what other men tell them, by looks, by circumstances --- instead of going by the TRUTH. They have believed THE LIE instead of THE TRUTH.

Story of a woman who had studied the Word, yet persisted in the feeling that God would abandon her because her father had abandoned her. Kay reminded her that Christ was IN her and that the Father would never forsake the Son. And the word also says that He will never leave us nor forsake us (see note Hebrews 13:5 for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,") WE NEED TO EMBRACE TRUTH because Jesus is a FAITHFUL WITNESS.

JESUS WAS FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH

In Phil 2:5-10 Paul writes that Jesus humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant, being made like a man, becoming obedient to death on the cross. So Jesus stood by His post. Yes, He cried out for His Father if it were possible to take the cup from Him. (Mt 26:39) Nevertheless He endured because of the joy set before Him so that He despised the shame of the Cross (see note Hebrews 12:2). He stayed by His post because He looked to God and He looked at you and I.

Revelation 3:14 (note) "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God..."

This verse also describes Jesus as the FAITHFUL WITNESS. He was faithful unto death.

Revelation 2:10 (note) 'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Jesus was FAITHFUL & you and I are to remain faithful and we can be BECAUSE He has given us GRACE THAT IS SUFFICIENT & PEACE in the midst of all circumstances.

(2). JESUS CHRIST IS THE FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD

Luke records that Acts 2:32

This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33 "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand,

WHAT DOES ''FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD'' MEAN?

All mankind was condemned to death because of the wages of sin. Even those in the Old Testament who by faith looked forward to the Cross did not go to heaven when they died. Why? Because their sins had not yet been atoned (paid) for because the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin. (see note Hebrews 10:4) Therefore God prepared a body for Jesus (see note Hebrews 10:5) that He might be the Lamb of God, Who was made sin for us (2 Cor 5:21)

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

He descended into hell and arose on the third day, THE FIRSTBORN, the first to be raised never to die again.

Because He is the FIRSTBORN FROM THE DEAD we can remain at our posts even if it means we must face death bc when we die we will be absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). Those who became believers in the Old Testament went to Abraham's bosom (Sheol = the ''cold'' side of hell as Kay calls it synonymous ''Abraham's bosom'' in Luke 16:19-31) when they died and were set free at Christ's resurrection and taken to heaven. (cf. notes Ephesians 4:8; 4:9; 10) When Christ was crucified the tombs were opened and the dead came out and witnessed to those in the city. (Mt 27:51-53).

In the famous chapter on the resurrection Paul writes (1Cor 15:20)

"But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the FIRST FRUITS of those who are asleep. (This means there are more to come = thee and me). 21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ THE FIRST FRUITS, (plural because the fruit includes those who were raised with Him) after that those who are Christ's at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

You can have grace and peace to stand at your post even if it costs you your life, because you can know that the FIRSTBORN from the dead will raise your body (''in the twinkling of an eye'' 1Cor 15:51-55) and that when you die you will be absent from the body, present with the Lord. (2 Cor 5:8)

(3). JESUS CHRIST IS THE RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH:

As the SON OF DAVID (Jesus' bloodline through Mary) He is the RULER OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH. God made a covenant with David (see Psalm 89 says David's descendants will rule upon the throne) Jesus had to come from the tribe of Judah, the house of David.

PSALM 2 (click and read the entire Messianic psalm) says Jesus is the Son of God (Ps 2:2 "The kings of the earth take their stand, And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed (Messiah)"). Note the phrase ''terrify them in His fury'' (Ps 2:5) is fulfilled in the book of Revelation. Psalm 2 teaches that Jesus (The Son) is the King, the Ruler of all the kings of the earth. And because of this certainty, we can stand at our post.

Revelation 19:16: describing Jesus' triumphant return from heaven to earth records that

on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

WHAT HAS GOD CALLED YOU TO BE AND TO DO?

What ever it is...Embrace it. Walk in and appropriate the GRACE of God. Walk in the PEACE of God, knowing that this is true and not a lie. Remember where the grace and peace come from--the Father, the Spirit and the Son, the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, the Ruler of all the kings of the earth.

IF I PERISH, I PERISH
by Esther Ahn Kim

Kay tells the story of the frail little Korean girl, Esther Ahn Kim (Ed note: Check Amazon.com for her autobiography IF I PERISH, I PERISH, - it will challenge your walk with Christ), who was to go to Japan and tell them that if they did not repent God would send ''sulfur fire'' down out of heaven and destroy Japan. This is exactly what God at the end of World War II, bringing Japan to her knees. Because of Esther Ahn Kim's warnings, the Japanese threw her in a horrible prison, yet she never once deviated from her conviction and she never deserted her post. She even refused to work on God's Sabbath, saying

''I represent the Most High God, the Ruler of all the kings of the earth and I will not obey you. I will obey Him.''

The startled officer replied '

'Sit down. We'll discuss it.''

Esther stood by her post.

HE WHO IS COMING IS ABOUT TO COME AND HE SAYS
"OCCUPY UNTIL I COME"
Don't desert your post because there is GRACE that is sufficient.
There is PEACE in the midst of the tribulation.

From Him Who IS, Who WAS and Who IS TO COME.
From the Seven Spirits, the SEVEN EYES that go out through all the earth.
From Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, the Ruler of all the kings of the earth.