6th Trumpet 4 - Take The Little Book And Eat It Up

(Rev 10 KJV) And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: {2} And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, {3} And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. {4} And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. {5} And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, {6} And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: {7} But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. {8} And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. {9} And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. {10} And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. {11} And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
 
From this reading we take our subject “TakeThe Little Book and Eat It Up”. John was told to take the _little_ _book___ out of the angel’s hand and to eat it up. He did and found it to be sweet___ as honey to the taste and yet it brought a bitterness_ to his stomach. This is the process of taking God’s Word, living by it and becoming a witness for the Lord. In so doing you will find that living according to the Word of God is the sweetest life. And yet you will find that because you do live according to the Word of God, persecution will come. And so what will you do with the choice? Jesus is offering you the little book today and telling you to live by every word of it. Will you take it and eat it up? And if you do, what will you do when the bitterness comes?
 
In verse 1 John said that another mighty angel came down from heaven. This was not one of the seven Trumpet angels, it was a different angel. And from the description of him, we understand that this mighty angel is Jesus. His face was as it were the sun_ and His feet were pillars of fire. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth. He rules over the entire world and everything that is in the world. He has power over all living things and over all people of the universe. It would serve you well to pay attention to his message. He had in his hand a little book that was open. John noticed the little book when the angel descended.
 
In verse 6 the angel proclaimed there would be time no longer. For all that pass into eternity, there is time no longer. God is not measured by time. Time is only relevant to earth and the things of the earth as they perish in time. God is everlasting to everlasting. I believe that what Jesus means by this statement, there shall be time no longer, is that every living being needs to prepare for eternity. Too many people put off taking care of their soul and the warning is that if you don’t take the little book and eat it up, you will have no hope when you pass through death’s door into eternity. It is certain that one day, time for you will be no longer; then what? Have you prepared for that day? Today is the day of salvation, listen to the angel, and pay heed to your need of the Word of God.
 
When Jesus spoke John heard the voices of seven thunders. John was about to write the messages of the seven thunders but the angel forbid him. We can only wonder what the seven thunders had to say. But we know this; The voice of God is at times as the sound of thunder. We know that thunder is a result of lightning.   The crash of thunder is an awesome sound. Every time I hear thunder I am reminded of the awesome-ness of God; Of His great and mighty power and of His omnipotence. He set this universe in motion and He is God. There is coming a time when every knee shall bow in His presence and every tongue shall confess to Him. What better time will that be than today while He is offering mercy? 
 
(Mat 4:4 KJV) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
 
This is the message of your Lord. He is telling you that in order to have spiritual life, you must live according to every____ word___ that comes from the mouth of God. The devil has done a great job down through the ages of time of deceiving people into thinking that they can get by without making the Words of God an important part of their life. People seem to believe that if they go to church and live fairly good moral lives that they will be accepted by God. And even if they don’t go to church and even if they don’t live moral lives they still believe that the Lord will forgive them without them repenting. No one that has a basic knowledge of God’s Word can believe such stuff. God’s Word makes it clear that the Lord forgives you your sin when you repent of it. Meaning that you confess it to the Lord, forsake it and turn away from all sin to live according to the commandments of God. The message of Jesus is take the little book and eat it up.
 
Now that expression “eat it up” simply means to believe it to the extent that you will do it. This is an expression we often use to describe someone believing what they are being told. Maybe you are being convinced by this message today. In which case, we would say that you are eating it up. God calls His ministers to feed his people the true sayings of God. What good is it to feed you the true sayings of God, if you refuse to swallow them? The Word of God is the most powerful book on earth and it has the power to change your life and make it anew. But, it will do you no good until you take it from the Lord and eat it up.
 
(Jer 15:16 KJV) Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
 
Jeremiah tells us of his experience. When he ate the words of God, they became the joy__ and rejoicing___ of his heart. That has been and continues to be the experience of every Christian down through the ages of time. There is nothing that compares to the joy and peace that comes into your life when you obey the Lord. Ezekiel tells us of his experience in
 
(Ezek 2:8-10 KJV) But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. {9} And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; {10} And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.
 
(Ezek 3:1-4 KJV) Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. {2} So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. {3} And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. {4} And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them.
 
God called Ezekiel to preach His word at a time when the children of God were very rebellious. God told Ezekiel to not be like the rebellious ones but to take His Word and eat___ it_. Ezekiel listened to the Lord and God made him a preacher. God sent him to preach to the rebellious ones even though they did not want to hear him. He said the rebellious ones were impudent and hardhearted. They were cruel, obstinate and stubborn like many people of our day. They did not care what the Lord said, they were so stubborn that they continued to live as they pleased. God, in His mercy sent Ezekiel to preach to them hoping that they would soften their hearts and turn to Him. And so it is in our time, God has sent me to preach to you the true sayings of God. God loves you and does not want your time to end without your being ready to meet Him. Take the little book out of the angel’s hand and eat it up.
 
The Word of God is an unerring guide that is able to make you wise unto salvation. It is profitable both for doctrine and practice. The Scriptures are pure, true, perfect, sure, precious, quick and powerful. The Word is given for the use of all nations to instruct, to produce faith, to illuminate, to quicken, to convert, to regenerate, to produce obedience, to sanctify, to cleanse the heart, to cleanse the way, to keep from destructive paths, to support spiritual life, to promote growth in grace, to build up in faith, to admonish, to comfort and to rejoice the heart. The Holy Scriptures are to be the standard of teaching, they are to be searched, believed, observed, read, received as the Word of God, received with meekness, laid up in the heart, taught to children and lived by. Every man, woman, boy and girl on the face of the earth desperately needs to immerse themselves in the little book.
 
(2 Tim 4:1-5 KJV) I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; {2} Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. {3} For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; {4} And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. {5} But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
 
Here Paul is instructing Timothy, a young preacher, that he should preach the word of God. He is not told to preach opinions, theories, philosophies and current events. He is told to preach the Word. Paul reminds him that the time will come when people will turn away from sound teaching and turn to teachers that tell them what they want to hear. We can say today that the time has come when multitudes turn away from sound teaching to most anything that is fun or feels good. Let me remind you that when you step into eternity, it is God’s Word that you will face. Now is the time to take it, study it, read it and live by it.
 
In Psalm 119 the writer describes some of what he has discovered about the Word of God.
 
(Psa 119:11 KJV) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
 
He has discovered the cure for sin. By taking the Word of God into his heart and hiding it there he is able to prevent his body from sinning against God. It is such a sweet taste to the soul to discover that you do not have to commit sin, that you can hide the Word of God in your heart, that you can trust the Lord to guide you into paths of righteousness.
(Psa 119:30-32 KJV) I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. {31} I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame. {32} I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.
 
The Psalmist made the choice and so have I. God did not put him to shame, God did not put me to shame and He will not put you to shame either if you will chose the way of truth and stick to the Word of God. Thank God it is a choice that you can make today. The angel, Jesus Christ, is offering you the little book. Take it and eat it up and your life will be made over anew. You will become a new creature, born again to live in righteousness and holiness in the presence of the Lord.
 
All things of this earth are measured by time and will eventually pass away but the Word of God will not pass away. You will meet it in eternity.
 
(Psa 119:89 KJV) LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
(Isa 40:8 KJV) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
(Mat 24:35 KJV) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
(1 Pet 1:25 KJV) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
 
Yes, heaven and earth will pass away, time will come to an end, but the Word of God will still be the master. The little book is eternal, it is here, it will be there and you cannot get away from it. From its’ pages you will be judged.
 
(John 12:48 KJV) He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
 
(Rev 20:12-15 KJV) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. {13} And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. {14} And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. {15} And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
 
Today, Jesus is offering you the little book. He is offering you eternal life. Your life does not have to end when this time world ends. You have the opportunity to go on through the ages of eternity enjoying eternal life with the Lord. Take the little book and eat it up. It is sweet to the taste and it will teach you how to live a happy, joyful, peaceful life.
 
(Mat 13:1-9 KJV) The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. {2} And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. {3} And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; {4} And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: {5} Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: {6} And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. {7} And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: {8} But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. {9} Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
(Mat 13:18-23 KJV) Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. {19} When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. {20} But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; {21} Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. {22} He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. {23} But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
 
Which type of hearer are you? As the Word of God is going forth, it is falling on your ears. It is up to you to be a wise man and take it into your heart, into good ground, believe it let it take root in you and bring you into the Kingdom of God.



Created by: Brian S. Rexroth, Sr.
Maintained by: Dexter Horst
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