Category Archives: Revelation

Bible, Manifested, Messiah, Prophecy, Revelation, Righteousness, Salvation, Scripture

MANIFESTED RIGHTEOUSNESS

ROMANS 3:21

“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,”

Have you ever witnessed an incredible sunrise? I love sunrises. I am usually out walking in the mornings as the sun rises, so I get to see a lot of them. Now, I know the sun is going to rise. I expect it to rise in the eastern sky, but I can’t make it appear. No amount of begging and cajoling will make it appear one second sooner than it’s supposed to appear. But when it does appear and blows up the sky with the colors of the day, it has manifested what I knew to be true all along – that it would appear.

Oh, listen! That is what Paul is saying in today’s verse as he prepares us for the next couple of verses. He says God’s righteousness “has been revealed.” The Greek word there is phaneroó, meaning to “make manifest, show.” It’s in the Perfect tense which means it happened at a time in the past but has lasting results. Don’t miss that. God did this back then so that we could see it today. Wow! We are so blessed to see that even now in the 21st century.

APPLICATION

All through the Law and prophets, the righteousness of God through the promise of a Messiah is talked about. I have a book on my bookshelf entitled, All the Messianic Prophecies of the Bible, by Herbert Lockyer. It shows how Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies which the Law and the prophets foretold. God chose to manifest His righteousness through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus was always the Father’s plan for us. As mentioned in an earlier blog, the law wasn’t plan A that failed thus rendering Jesus’ death as a backup plan. No, God laid out in Scripture our need for a Savior, One Who was and is worthy of our praise. Jesus’ righteousness became our available righteousness when He died and rose again. All we have to do is claim that and follow Him.

That’s where the problem is. We want the salvation and the righteousness without the obedience. Christ’s righteousness may be free, but it’s not cheap. It will cost you everything. You have to abandon your old way of thinking and living and strive to live holy before Him. You can never “earn” this righteousness. It is truly freely given. But you do have to surrender to His will. I read the other day a quote by Spurgeon which said, “When you make His will your will, you will always get your will.” Try it.

Father God, I praise You for the manifestation of Your righteousness through Jesus Christ, Your Son.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Excuses, Gospel, Manifested, Revelation, Salvation, Scripture

WITHOUT EXCUSE

ROMANS 1:20

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

There have been a few times in my life when I have been without excuse. One was the time I told my wife to “shut up.” There is never an excuse for that, and I apologized profusely. Another time was forgetting to send a group of children to a children’s camp. No excuse, just forgot the date. I could go on, but I am sure you have your own “without excuse” moments. But there is one moment in your life you do not want to be without excuse. Let’s look at today’s verse.

Paul says in verse 20 that no one, not even the person who has never heard the Gospel, has an excuse to not believe in God. He says God’s “eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived.” As I have mentioned in a recent blog, God isn’t trying to hide Himself. He wants to be seen by us. He wants us to hear His voice. Even in the deepest, darkest jungles God is revealing Himself.

APPLICATION

HELPS Word studies defines the Greek word translated as “without excuse” this way. “(anapológētos) comes from ‘alpha privative’ (a/‘not’) and apologeomai (‘to defend, excuse’). It ‘occurs in documents from the second century before Christ. Frequently it describes the hopelessness of trying to defend a case in court, while lacking an adequate defense.” The word is only used here and later in Romans 2:1 (which we will see later).

In Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, he writes, “Our Creator’s invisible power and Godhead are so clearly shown in the works he has made, that even idolaters and wicked Gentiles are left without excuse. They foolishly followed idolatry; and rational creatures changed the worship of the glorious Creator, for that of brutes, reptiles, and senseless images. They wandered from God, till all traces of true religion must have been lost, had not the revelation of the gospel prevented it.”

Therefore, we have no excuse for not sharing the Gospel with these lost and eternally dying individuals. That’s why we send missionaries to the remotest parts of the world. I heard recently that approximately 4.5 billion people are lost. Of that 2.25 billion have never heard the Gospel. To put that in perspective, if you lined up that group five people across and three feet apart, they would circle the globe five times. All of them are marching to hell. We are “without excuse.” We must share to as many as quickly as we can.

Lord, give me opportunities today to share the Gospel with someone who needs to hear about salvation through Your Son, Jesus.  

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Evidence, Holy Spirit, Manifested, Revelation, Scripture

UNDENIABLE EVIDENCE

ROMANS 1:19

“because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.”

I don’t normally suggest books to you (other than the Bible), but today’s verse sparked my recollection of two books that you may find worthy of reading. “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” by Josh McDowell and “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel are both great books that take a look at the reason why we should believe in Jesus and follow Him. If you haven’t read these Christian classics, I suggest you grab a copy of each and read them along with the Word.

Strong’s describes this knowledge of God being made evident this way. “Phaneroó portrays the active unveiling of what would otherwise remain unseen. Whether the subject is divine glory, hidden motives, or future destiny, the verb marks the moment when something steps from concealment into the light.” Don’t you just love that? Paul is saying in today’s verse that God is not trying to hide Himself. He openly manifests Himself to those who are searching.

APPLICATION

Are you searching? Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” What an invitation! This word phaneroó is used in John 21:1 when it talks about Jesus revealing Himself to His disciples after His resurrection. I bet Jesus was just giddy to see them again. He had spent so much time with them over the previous three years. He knew them well. He wanted to manifest Himself again to them before He ascended to heaven.

Jesus wants to manifest Himself to us. He does this through the gift of His Holy Spirit. We have the privilege of being able to walk with Him every day in the light of His presence. He has removed the concealment. Jesus is an open book for us. Don’t you believe that? How has He shown Himself to you lately? I see it just about every morning when I walk and see the sunrise.

Check out these verses from Paul in 2 Corinthians 4. “10 always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being handed over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh.” That’s what Paul is taking about in today’s verse! God reveals Himself to us and through us. Be His windowpane today.

Lord, let others see You in me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Christ, Christ's Return, Glory, Revelation, Scripture

REVEALED IN GLORY

COLOSSIANS 3:4

“When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”

I was taking a drive with some friends recently in Jamaica which took us through a mountain pass. As we reached the other side of the mountain, we came around a curve to reveal the ocean and beaches on the north shore. It was breathtaking. This view had been hidden until we made that last little turn. Then the scene exploded with various shades of blue in the water and the white sand of the beach. It was truly glorious.

Paul tells us today that Christ will be revealed one day in His fullness. The Greek word for “revealed” is phaneróō. It means to reveal or uncover something that had been previously hidden. Paul uses this word twice in this verse. Christ will be revealed at some point when He returns to take us home. But we also will be revealed with Him in glory at that same time. This verb is in the Passive voice which means it will be done to us. Christ will “reveal” us in His glory. What a promise!

APPLICATION

In Mark 16 we see Jesus appear after His resurrection. Verse 12 says, “Now after that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. Then in verse 14a we read, “Later He appeared to the eleven disciples themselves as they were reclining at the table;” Wouldn’t that have been marvelous to be a part of?

How does God reveal Himself today? Well, I believe what I beheld the other day on that road was a glimpse of His glory in creation. I see Him in the innocence of my seven month old grandson. I saw Him in the faces of men worshipping the other night. God is revealing Himself all around you. But you have to be looking.

I like how the Apostle John put it in 1 John 4:9. “By this the love of God was revealed in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him.” One day we will be revealed with Him in glory. We will be part of His heavenly cohort when He makes that final appearing on earth as Judge and King. Get ready!

Lord, You are promising so many incredible things. I cannot wait to experience glory with Jesus. 

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Bible, Manifested, Revelation, Scripture, Testimony

REVEALED TO US

COLOSSIANS 1:26

“that is, the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His saints,” 

Seeing something for the first time that you previously could not see is a pretty awesome thing. Take for example the upcoming alignment of the planets in a couple of weeks. We will be able to see several of the planets lined up with the moon. This occurs every so often as these planets circle the sun along with us on the earth. What was not visible becomes visible. Pretty cool.

God has revealed something to us that is far more amazing. He has revealed the mystery of salvation to us through His Son, Jesus. The Greek word for “revealed” is the verb phaneroó which is used in the New Testament to describe the act of making something visible or known that was previously hidden or not apparent. Before Christ we had no clue. Christ essentially takes off our blinders to reveal the glory of the gospel.

APPLICATION

I love how John the Baptist uses the word in John 1:29-31. “29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He in behalf of whom I said, “After me is coming a Man who has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.” 31 And I did not recognize Him, but so that He would be revealed to Israel, I came baptizing in water.’” 

Not only does God reveal the gospel to us, He also reveals Himself to us through His Son. We know God because Jesus is God. When we accept the Son, we accept the Father and the Spirit. They are One. We can’t have one of the One without having all of the One. Did I lose you? Just know that God reveals Himself to us fully through Jesus.

Now, you are expected to reveal Him to others. How? By revealing what He has done in and through you. If you are a believer, you have a story to tell. You don’t need some drastic conversion story. Just tell your story. Reveal Jesus to others through your testimony and through your life. Let Jesus do all the talking.

Lord, thank You for revealing Yourself to me through Jesus. Help me continue that revelation to others.

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Access, Appearance, Bible, God's Will, Messages, Mind, Mystery, Presence, Promises, Revelation, Scripture

REVELATION BY THE SPIRIT

EPHESIANS 3:5

“which in other generations was not made known to mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;”

Revelations are pretty cool. What do I mean by that? I am not trying to be mystical or anything. Think about your everyday life. Sometimes things just “come” to you, as if the thought just popped out of nowhere. These revelations can be explained in a lot of ways – a subconscious thought, a memory, etc. But there were and still are some revelations that can only be explained by the Spirit.

Paul tells the Ephesians that this revelation he has received concerning the mystery of grace came from God through the Holy Spirit. This revelation, this apokaluptó, shows how this happened. The word means to take the cover off to reveal what has been hidden. The Holy Spirit has uncovered the secrets of grace to Paul and the other apostles and prophets. They have been given the privilege of understanding in order to teach it. It wasn’t their secret to keep. It was meant to be shared.

APPLICATION

What has God revealed to you? Jesus told us in Matthew 10:26, “‘So do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.’” He wants to reveal Himself to you fully. He wants you to know as much as you can handle about this wonderful thing called grace. He wants to use you to spread this revelation to others.

This “revealing” by the Spirit is not a one-time thing. God continues to reveal things to you at the right time. Look what Philippians 3:15 says. “Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well;” He checks your attitude. Now, who doesn’t need that?

I have said it multiple times in my blogs. God does not want to play hide-and-seek with you. He wants you to find Him. He is not hiding. He is standing right out in the open. Just look. Open your eyes and ask Him to show you what you need. He promises to come alongside us and walk with us. You can’t get much more revealing than that.

O Lord, You are a revealing God. Thank You for showing us Yourself in Your Son, Jesus

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Bible, God's Will, Hidden, Messages, Mystery, Revelation, Scripture, Surprise

THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL

EPHESIANS 1:9

“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He set forth in Him,”

My wife and I love to watch murder-mysteries on television. Go ahead and judge us, lol. We can binge watch a series trying to figure out “who did it” in each episode. Of course, normally those mysteries are not revealed until the final few minutes of the program, or worse yet, continued to the next episode. We are kept guessing until the end.

That is not what Paul is referring to in today’s verse by using the word “mystery.” God isn’t trying to keep things hidden from us only to surprise us in the end. The Greek word is mustérion, which means “a mystery, secret, of which initiation is necessary; in the NT: the counsels of God, once hidden but now revealed in the Gospel or some fact thereof; the Christian revelation generally; particular truths or details of the Christian revelation.” (Strong’s Concordance).

APPLICATION

Look at some ways this word is used in the New Testament: Matthew 13:11 – the mysteries of the kingdom; 1 Corinthians 2:1 – the mystery of God; Ephesians 3:4 – the mystery of Christ; Ephesians 6:19 – the mystery of the gospel. I could go on and list more. It is used 26 times in the New Testament. God did keep hidden some mysteries which have been revealed through Christ. His plan for the Gentiles was hidden until Christ came, for instance.

Let me ask you something. What is something you know now about God that you did not know ten years ago? Why is that? Was God hiding it from you? Probably not. We discover the mysteries of God the more we spend time with Him. I have been married over 38 years and am still discovering mysteries about my wife. I pray that never stops.

In the same way, as you grow in your faith, God continues to reveal His mysteries to you. Remember the scene in “A Few Good Men” when Jack Nicholson’s character, after being challenged for the truth by Tom Cruise’s defense attorney character? Nicholson shouts, “You can’t handle the truth.” Well, the truth is we couldn’t all the truth God has for us if He dumped it all on us when we first come to Christ. He reveals, He uncovers His mysteries to us as we are ready. Are you ready for more?

Show me more, Lord. I want to know You better each day.

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Appearance, Bible, Holy Spirit, Relationships, Revelation, Scripture, Seeking

REVELATIONS

GALATIANS 1:12

“For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

I love grand revealings like when a game show reveals what is behind “curtain #1” or when a gift box is finally opened to reveal what is inside. The anticipation and excitement builds until the revelation happens. God perfectly revealed His love for us by sending Jesus to be our Savior. What a grand revelation!

In today’s verse, Paul speaks of a “revelation of Jesus Christ.” He defends his teachings from those who were trying to confuse the Galatians by saying he wasn’t told what to say by anyone except Jesus. Scholars disagree on what this “revelation” was or when exactly it happened. Most agree this revelation, this unveiling of knowledge by Jesus to Paul, probably occurred while he was in the desert for three years. It is interesting that the geographical area where Paul went was probably not too far from where Moses received his revelation from God in the form of the Law.

APPLICATION

What has God revealed to you lately? Nothing? Are you listening? Are you tuned in with the Holy Spirit? I am not trying to be critical. Hear me out. When we are seeking the Lord, He reveals Himself. Matthew 7:7-8, a well-known passage, tells us so. “7 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.’”

In the ministry where I serve, Every Man A Warrior, we are currently having a conversation about hearing God’s voice, about experiencing these revelations. Just as Paul received his revelation from Jesus, we are still receiving Jesus’ revelations to us. I am not talking about a new doctrine or religion. I am talking about revealing more and more of Himself to us through His Word and through our conversations with Him.

Amos 4:13 says it so beautifully. “He Who forms the mountains, Who creates the wind, and Who reveals His thoughts to mankind, Who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord God Almighty is His name.” Woohoo! Glory to God! He is a revealing God. Look out for His revelations in your life.

Thank You for revealing Yourself to me when I least expect it. But I should expect it every day!

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Bible, Glory, Healing, Light, Praise, Rejoicing, Revelation, Scripture, Seeing, Sunrise, Sunset

SUNRISE TO SUNSET

MALACHI 1:11

“‘For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations,’ says the LORD of armies.”

One thing I love about being outdoors is the opportunity to observe the sunrises and sunsets. I haven’t hunted much lately, but when I did, I loved watching the woods come alive at the first ray of light. In the evening, as the sun set, the woods would begin to go to sleep. Both times are marked by peace. We need more of that, amen?

If you read this verse today as an unbeliever, you might think the Lord is very arrogant. “My name shall be great.” “In every place…offered to My name.” “My name shall be great.” Wow! What an ego. Wrong! The Lord is the Lord of all. He is not bragging. He is simply stating the truth. He is reminding the people of this.

APPLICATION

When I read today’s verse, I immediately thought of a song that has been popular for a while. The lyrics come right out of Psalm 113. “3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised. 4 The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens.”

When you see a sunrise or a sunset, what do you think about? Do you stop to extol the greatness of our God. Today’s verse and this Psalm tells us to do just that. I want to challenge you when you see your next sunrise to take a moment and lift a word of praise to Jesus. When you see the sun set, stop and thank the Lord for another day He has given you. He is worthy of all our praise.

I am planning a camping trip soon. Can’t wait. But now, based on this verse, I am even more excited. It will be easy to praise Him as I am enjoying the outdoors. Would you pray that I hear His voice while I am out there? I am seeking some direction right now in my ministry and need to hear His voice. I don’t want to get off track.

Your name is lifted high, O Lord, above the heavens. Both the rising and setting of the sun declares Your glory.

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Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Eternity, Faith, Following, Inspirational, Joy, Mentoring, Parenting, Revelation

NOT HIDDEN

1 JOHN 1:2

“and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—”

I’ll never forget one Sunday at John de la Howe School in McCormick, S.C. when I preached on this passage to a chapel full of kids and adults. Nineteen children came to Christ that day. That had nothing to do with me and everything to do with Jesus. But what I remember is that I only preached on one word of that verse – “manifested.”

The power of that word! It refers to something made clear, to be made visible. I compared it to my mama’s pressure cooker she used when I was growing up. You know, the old kind with the jiggling little weight on top that controlled the pressure. I would come home and see that pot on the stove. I knew something good was inside, but I couldn’t see it. When she took off that lid, ohhhh, the wonderful meal was revealed.

APPLICATION

Kids understand this concept of hidden and revealed. They’ve been playing hide and seek for years. How many times have you played that game with them over the years? Even infants get a joy out of playing peekaboo. Revealing what’s covered, finding the “hidden” brings us joy and excitement.

Make sure your kids understand that God did that in one way by manifesting Himself in Jesus. Jesus, of course, concealed His glory while on earth, except for on the mount of transfiguration when He was revealed to James, John (the author of this verse) and Peter. But God does not play hide and seek with us. He’s not trying to hide. He has revealed Himself through Jesus.

Have you found Him? He knows where you are. You can’t hide from Him. He wants to show Himself to you. Will you behold Him? Jesus came to show us His Father. He told His disciples if they had seen Him they had seen the Father. One day, we believers will see Him face to face. Hallelujah!

Your life has been manifested in me. Help me let it manifested through me. I want others to only see You in me.

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