Revelation

Look in the Book . . . The Book of Life

/ Bob

In the 3rd Chapter of Revelation Jesus comforts some of the people of Sardis with this statement, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” (Revelation 3:5) As we have looked at the judgments that each of us will face we find a focus on the records department of Heaven – specifically The Book of Life. When we were kids we would excitedly look in the newest edition of the phone book to find our name. Seeing our name in the Book of Life will be infinitely more thrilling and the inclusion of our name will have eternal consequences.

We see the Book of Life referenced throughout the Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments. It is always seen as a place where we will find the names of those who have chosen to follow God. References to those found in the Book also include the good things they have done. What they have done is not the reason for their salvation, but rather the proof of their relationship with the Father.

Those whose name is not found in the Book of Life face an eternity in Hell. 2 Peter 3:9 shows us the heart of God concerning this fact. He does not want to see any of the people He created perish in the Pit. His desire is for everyone to be saved. That’s His heart cry and it should be our heart cry as well. As those whose names are in the Book, we must look at all of the people within our sphere of influence with a desire to lead them to the truth. We must ask, “Are their names written in the Book of Life?” It truly is a life or death situation – an eternal life or eternal death situation.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 20, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Heaven & Angels: Our Eternal Home and Its Heavenly Hosts. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/heaven-angels-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

YouTube – youtube.com/@fromthebackporch

X – FromtheBackPorch@nationalfast

TikTok – tiktok.com/@fromthebackporchintexas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

Class Notes – 07.20.2025 – Lesson 7 – The Book of LifeDownload

Are You Ready to Meet Jesus? – Part 1

/ Bob

Meeting important people like the President of the United States or your favorite NFL quarterback is an event that brings on much anticipation, anxiety, and excitement. It also brings on an urgency to properly prepare for the event – to make sure you have the right clothes and the right words to say when you finally come face to face. One day each and every one of us is going to meet the most famous and influential person ever to exist. He is known as Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. Are you ready to meet Him?

Consider what that meeting will be like. How we will react to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords when we come into His presence? So many images come to mind, but one image tends to be absent from these ponderings – the image of Judgment. In Hebrews 9:27 we read that we all are going to die and that after that will come judgment. We sometimes joke that the only 2 sure things in life are death and taxes. However, once you die you’ll no longer have to worry about taxes, but judgment? Yep, it’s still coming.

Sunday morning’s lesson was a time to consider our readiness to meet Jesus. We also began a discussion of judgement.  We will continue the study on judgment and then hopefully we will discuss how to make sure we make it to Heaven.  That is the gist of Lesson 7 entitled “Making Your Reservation in Heaven.”   God is patient with us and doesn’t want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9) but He is also a God of Justice and Judgment. We need to make sure where we stand on His scales of Justice before we stand before Him in Judgment.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 6, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Heaven & Angels: Our Eternal Home and Its Heavenly Hosts. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/heaven-angels-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

YouTube – youtube.com/@fromthebackporch

X – FromtheBackPorch@nationalfast

TikTok – tiktok.com/@fromthebackporchintexas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

Class Notes – 07.06.2025 – Lesson 6 – Meeting the KingDownload

Heavenly Questions – Answers to Questions About Heaven: Awareness of Earthly Events in Heaven

/ Bob

Today’s question is “In Heaven, will we be aware of events happening on earth?” My answer is, “I don’t know.” It’s one of those Biblical questions that doesn’t have a definitive answer. Therefore, we look to the scriptures for guidance as we ponder the question. We begin by acknowledging that we cannot know all there is to know or there would be no need of faith. We look to the Bible and only the Bible. We avoid proof-texting, that is basing our beliefs on a single verse taken out of context. Finally, we let the Spirit guide us.

So, concerning our awareness in Heaven of earthly events we read that everyone in Heaven rejoices over a sinner who repents. (Luke 15:7 & 10) We saw that Samuel had knowledge in Sheol of Saul’s past, present, and future events. (1 Samuel 28:15-19) We saw in the account of the Transfiguration that Moses and Elijah were aware of the impending death of Jesus. (Luke 9:30-31) Then we have accounts of citizens of Heaven questioning earthly events and rejoicing over earthly events. (Revelation 6:9-11; & 18:20) These passages are descriptive and do not necessarily prescribe any set pattern, but they do give us something to think about.

We then looked at passages that describe how we will think and perceive things with complete understanding for we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him and we will not see things as in a dim mirror, but fully and completely. (! Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2) The conclusion to draw from this is that whether we are aware of any earthly events or not, we will see them all through the loving and understanding eyes of Jesus. It will be beyond our wildest comprehension for “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, May 18, 2025. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons is Heaven & Angels: Our Eternal Home and Its Heavenly Hosts. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/heaven-angels-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

YouTube – youtube.com/@fromthebackporch

X – FromtheBackPorch@nationalfast

TikTok – tiktok.com/@fromthebackporchintexas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

Class Notes – 05.18.2025 -Heavenly QuestionsDownload

Living in Laodicea – Living in the USA

/ Bob

Laodicea was large city in Asia (now western Turkey) and one of the seven churches which received at letter from Jesus via John’s book entitled Revelation. These letters were written to encourage the churches in the face of persecution and exhort them in the areas where they needed to be strengthened. The letter to Laodicea (Revelation 3:14-22) was the last of the seven letters. Unfortunately, Jesus had nothing good to say about the Laodiceans and, as we examine the things he said about them, we see that He could say the same things to the churches right here in the USA.

He called the church at Laodicea neither hot nor cold – lukewarm. He went on to say that they made him sick – vomit sick. They thought that they were rich, but they were really poor; they thought they knew it all, but they knew nothing. To them everything in their world seemed fine and dandy but Jesus called them wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. They were so placidly lukewarm that they didn’t even know how bad off they were.

And so it is with the church in America today. We live such a life of luxury that we have lulled ourselves into thinking that enjoying the good things this world has to offer is the way to contentment; that R&R (rest and relaxation) is the chief end of man. The ultimate outcome of such thinking is complacency and the strong desire that nobody rock the boat. Many days the thing that occupies our deepest thought is not what we will eat, but where we will go to eat. It’s not how the starving will find food and it most certainly is not on where our neighbor stands in their relationship the Bread of Life – Jesus.

It’s time for us as Christians – members of Christ’s church – to decide: Are we going to keep on living as a mealy-mouth, wishy-washy, namby-pamby, lily-livered, yellow-bellied, watered-down Christians or are we going to live boldly for the victorious Christ – sharing His love, His hope, His salvation?

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, December 11, 2022. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions from The Gospel Project – a Bible study curriculum developed by Lifeway Christian Resources. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

class-notes-12.11.2022-living-in-laodicea-living-in-the-usa-revelation-3Download

The Redeemer Reveals His Glory

/ Bob

Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and then end in all of creation, in our church, and in our personal lives. The entire book of Revelation points to this truth – that Jesus is, was, and always shall be supreme – our all in all.

When John had his vision he was on the Island of Patmos. Patmos was an island penitentiary just off the coast of Asia or what we now call western Turkey. He was put there by the Roman Emperor Domitian because of his belief in the risen Christ. In the midst of his vision he is instructed by Christ Himself to write down all of the things he had seen and would see. This writing was to be sent to seven churches – also in Asia – for their edification.

The churches in Asia faced serious persecution especially at the hands of the Roman government. While Revelation is eschatological and apocalyptic, it first offered instruction, encouragement, and hope for those churches in Asia, but also for all Christians and all churches facing persecution. Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, truly is the first word in all of creation and, in the end, He will have the last word as well.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, December 4, 2022. It is part of a series of Bible study sessions from The Gospel Project – a Bible study curriculum developed by Lifeway Christian Resources. Handouts with slide content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com .

Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .

Website – FromTheBackPorch.org

Twitter – From the Back Porch @ nationalfast

Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

class-notes-12.04.2022-the-redeemer-reveals-his-glory-revelation-1Download