October 12 – What We Imagine We Know

 “And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.” – Revelation 21:23-24 (NASB)

The past few days we have been sort of looking toward Heaven. We considered in part the question, “What is Heaven?” It’s God’s abode, where He is with believers and Old Testament saint. Yesterday, the question “Where is Heaven” was answered by saying “It is Up” because that is how the Bible speaks of it and of those who come and go to heaven.  Did you ever hear the saying “He’s so heavenly minded he’s no earthly good?” Is that still true or might we today say it in reverse? Today we ask “What is Heaven like?” Not easy to answer but we have glimpses. Revelation 3:12 says there’s a temple in heaven that the saints never leave, Revelation 7:15 for it is immense, infinite, eternal and God Himself is its Light,.  John sees a vision of the New Jerusalem descend out of  Heaven He sees the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. What kind of temple is it that God in eternal heaven spreads over all His people?  It is His Presence which is why the saints – that will be faith believers – will never leave. For that, Let’s Imagine and rejoice with thanksgiving!  

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June 11 – Be Ready, Not Ashamed

“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.” – Revelation 16:15 (NASB)

As faith believer and Christians let’s not think that these are times in which we can dispense with watchfulness or with holy zeal; we need these things more than ever, and may God the eternal Holy Spirit display His omnipotence in us, that we may be able to say, in all these things, “We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37) These days and the ones coming are not easy for the faithful believer. In Revelation 1:3 it is written “Blessed is…” as in this verse for today it is written “Blessed is…” This is the only biblical book that comes with a blessing for the one who listens to it being read and explained and then responds in obedience. There are 7 beatitudes in the book.* Our Lord stresses the need for constant readiness for His return; “Behold I come like a thief!” The imagery pictures a soldier ready for battle, or a homeowner watchful for the arrival of a thief. Christians are not to be surprised by the return of Jesus; we are here warned by Him to be prepared and alert for Christ’s second coming.  

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April 26 – Thank Goodness & Heavens

“ And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. ” – Revelation 21:6 (ESV)

Thank goodness! This is a very frequently used expression which most of us do not stop and think about what it actually means. We are thanking a personality characteristic, the way one was treated in an exchange. Sometimes we are being grateful for a near missed unpleasant experience. We may have deserved but we were spared the consequences of our actions. Thank Goodness! True Goodness comes to us from God and Jesus was the demonstration of God’s goodness when he lived a sinless life and sacrificed himself to die in the place of all who deserve death as the wages of sin. That was our place, our debt, but Jesus took it upon himself to rescue us from that consequence. He did it out of Goodness. The Alpha and the Omega (first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.) did it for us. We were adopted as children of God and secured an inheritance in Heaven. So now Thank Heavens! For heaven belongs to those who, knowing their souls are parched by sin, have earnestly sought the satisfaction of salvation and eternal life, this lasting spiritual water of which Jesus promised in John 4:14, 7:37-38 and Isaiah 55:1-2.

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March 9 –He's Waiting and Ready

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20 (NASB)

We look again at a familiar verse and promise. Context is important and that is true here. This is a part of the message which our Lord Jesus sent to the assembly of believers in Laodicea in the first century. It was a specific invitation to the individuals in that church. The common interpretation of Christ’s knocking on a person’s heart, is not in the context which demands that Christ was seeking to enter this church that bore His name but lacked a single true believer. This poignant letter was His knocking. Jesus said that if any one person realizes that Jesus is waiting to be invited into his or her life, Jesus is ready and willing to respond. This is, of course, true of any local professing church. Christ must be invited to come in and become the center of worship, adoration, and love, but it is also true of the heart of man. Jesus wants us to be aware of His nearness and He has so much to share with us every day – at any hour of the day. Today, let's each open the door to our lives and invite Jesus to be with us.  

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January 29 – Was, Is, Will Be Always

“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, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.” Revelation 1:4-5 (ESV)

The Apostle John was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ which he wrote under the inspiration of God’s Spirit. In the book God includes letters addressed to seven churches in what is called Asia Minor. Our verses today are the greeting from the common beginning of these letters. The seven letters were sent together and given to each church as the messenger brought them. In that part of the world, the custom was and is to greet people with the word “peace.” We read this greeting now because of the way it expresses the deep meaning of the source of our peace with God. It come from God and the reason He can give peace is because of who He is. To know that God has always been, that He is now, and that he will always be⸺produces a restful peace in our hearts. So when something disturbing happens let's remember that the promises of our eternal God are sure and absolute. The seven Spirits are likely a reference to the lampstand with 7 lamps—also a description of the Holy Spirit. And 7 is the number of completeness, so John is identifying the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

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January 20 – Wisdom and Revelation

“(I) do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him..” Ephesians 1:16-17 (NASB)

We can imagine that one of the greatest blessings we might experience in the first century would be the Apostle Paul praying for us. Paul was devoted to prayer just as his Lord Jesus set the example for his apostles. These words by the are from a prayer he wrote and sent to the Christians in Ephesus. Paul says that he did “not cease giving thanks” and it became a habit to pray for the young churches and to keep praying for the believers in all cities. He requested that God would give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in order that they would grow to know God better.  They were believers who knew God but like us all, they needed to continue to know God in a deeper way. This prayer is given to us in the Bible applies to our lives as well if we have believed and come to know God. We too want to know God better. We can each ask God to give us wisdom and revelation and to teach us by His Holy Spirit more and more of God's great truths for our Christian lives each day.

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January 7 – Fully Trustworthy

“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. And word from the Lord was rare in those days, visions were infrequent.” – 1 Samuel 3:1 (NASB)

“Where there is no vision (revelation), the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.” – Proverbs 29:18 (NASB)

In the time recorded in the Old Testament, the people did not yet have God’s complete revelation as we do in our Scriptures, the Bible. God would communicate and reveal himself through prophetic messages and through visions.  The visions were God’s revelations mediated through an auditory or visual encounter. The time of the judges was a period of extremely limited prophetic activity. The few visions that God did give were not widely shared or known and observance of the Law of God was a low priority. There are obvious and veiled dangers in the practice of disregarding the teachings we have in God’s Word. No longer delivered in visions or prophetic messages, our Bible provides for us the complete revelation that God intended us to have. Because it is “God breathed” through people who were given the inspired word by the Holy Spirit and wrote it down for us, we trust it fully to be without error in its original writings. From it we learn about God and His expectations, His commandments, and how God wants us to live trusting His Word. Our promise is happiness for those who abide by the revelation we have in our Holy Scripture. 

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April 1 – I Am One and Only

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” – Revelation 1:8

The “I Am” in our verse today appears two more times in the Book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ. When we find in Scripture the combination of “I am” or “I am He” with the claim that He is the First and the Last, it is most certainly identifying the Son of God, Jesus Christ as the one and only God ever. Spoken by Jesus this is the claim that there is only one God and it is He.  In Isaiah 43:11 God says through Isaiah “I am the LORD and besides me there is no savior.” Reflect back to the words of Jesus in John 14:6 when He told His disciples just prior to His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”  This is a consistent promise throughout the Bible that God is One. He is the One and only God. There is no other (Isaiah 45:22).  No matter what we hear from the world religions, God has spoken “I am He and there is no other." We trust that promise from the mouth of God.

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March 22 – I AM the Root

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I AM the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” – Revelation 22:16 (ESV)

Yesterday we looked at the original name for Himself that God gave to Moses, I AM than I AM. That name and the words I AM are used by Jesus in many places in the New Testament.  The last time is in the last book, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ.”  The Revelation was given to Apostle John while he was exiled to the Island of Patmos. Revelation is given to us who believe and are members of the Churches that are the body of Christ that we might know what is coming. In these last verses John records the words given to him by Jesus and He sends His angel to testify that all that John wrote had come from Jesus and was true. Jesus promises again that He has the right to rule from David’s throne.  Looking back to chapter 5:5 John was told of Jesus that He is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,” We have the promise from the words of Jesus that He will one day, as the qualified originator (root) and descendant of the throne of David, He will be the final and ultimate King of all.

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January 4 – The City to Come

“Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Hebrews 13:13-14 (ESV)

Surely it is not wrong for us to think and talk about heaven. I’d like to locate it, and find out all I can about it. I expect to live there through all eternity. If I were going to dwell in any place in this country, if I were going to make it my home, I would inquire about its climate, about the neighbors I would have, about everything, in fact, that I could learn concerning it. If I was soon going to emigrate, that is the way I would feel. Well, we are all going to emigrate in a very little while. We are going to spend eternity in another world, a grand and glorious world where God reigns. Is it not natural that we should look and listen and care about who is already there, and what is the way there? In the Revelation the Apostle John describes what was shown to him. “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2 NASB) This city that is to come is promised and marvelously described for us in Revelation 21:22-27 (NASB)

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Thanks in part to: A Living Daily Message From The Words of D. L. Moody selected by Emma Moody Fitt, Copyright, 1900, by Fleming H. Revell Company, now in public domain.

November 13 – Holy Be Holy

“ Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13 (ESV)

In the first chapter of 1 Peter we learn that as believers we are call to be Holy. We know the word Holy. Some of us sing songs about God being Holy. The various churches label places and artifacts as Holy. God in the Old Testament has the People of Israel build a Tabernacle for worshiping Him. In it was the Holy Place and deeper in was the Holy of Holies. Holiness is important in God’s way and revelation in the Bible tells us He expects us to live holy lives.  In our verse today Peter gives us three of five ways to approach being holy. We are to prepare our minds for action. Get our thoughts in the proper order so we are to be sober-minded.  This means to be in control of what goes in and what comes out. This means not to mess around with things that intoxicate our thinking and crowd out or blur the things God wants us to think about. The third is to set our hope on the promise of the grace we have and will receive when Jesus Christ is revealed. That’s an end time event we’re to be prepared for.

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August 28 – Able to Overcome

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’”  Revelation 2:7  (NASB)

This promise was given by our Lord Jesus through the Apostle John to be recorded and passed on to the Church in Ephesus.  Also, to Christians throughout the world.  We believe it because it is a promise for us. Jesus knows that life here on this earth is not an easy life. He knows that we face difficulties, discouragements, problems, and even hostilities as we live the Christian life here. Sometime those challenges come in order to test and strengthen our faith.  We know that while God allows them to come into our lives, He wants us to overcome these difficulties and offers to help us. He gives us the grace we need to trust His word.  Jesus knows that with His help we are able to overcome. That is why He promises a reward for us when we get to heaven. Yes, we have the prospect of eating from the tree of life and we'll keep on doing that forever because that how long we'll be there. If we have ears, let's hear and let's believe the promise and lets rejoice in the power God gives us.

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August 22 – His Story That Doesn’t End

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.   Revelation 21:3 (ESV)

With the chaos in the world today, conflict, pestilence, threats and the challenges to the truth in God’s Word, who can understand what God is doing? There is fighting, pollution,  burning, looting, and discrimination, except the killing which is indiscriminate.  We are suffering from the reemergence of small localized clans and would-be dynasties. It makes us wonder, doesn’t it?  Many, especially those who believe in Jesus Christ search for a way to return to a semblance of peace and safety.  When will it come?  We can rest assured tha God tells us it is coming – A Great Day will happen sometime.  On that great Day, all of history will be consummated in Jesus. He will be revealed and His position will be “far above all rule and authority power and dominion…not only in this age but also in the one to come."  (Ephesians 1:21 NASB).  He, the Author of all life, will close the book on this age and open the book on eternity and He will read to us from His unending story.  Yes friends, there is a Great Day promised so it will be because He promised us. 

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July 19 – Tearless Days

“For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”  - Revelation 7:17 (ESV)

Let us think today especially of the last part of this verse – about the tears being wiped away. Then with courage let us renew our hope in the many promises we have from God that He is with us and will never leave us.  We all are facing some difficult times. Our world and our days are quit different and may never return to the way they were.  We have to do things differently, according to the authorities, and like one person said, it brings on some depression and times of sorrow.  They often feel like doing nothing but crying out.  We recognize the tears in this world, even for believers. When we accept Jesus as Savior, He does give us a new joy. The Holy Spirit comes to live in us and one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. Even so we do have experiences that bring fears and tears. We do have our moments of grief. But on the other side God promises it will be different. It is because He who makes it different is God, our Father, and it's He who will wipe away the tears.

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July 8 – Heed, Hear, Pay Attention

“But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”  - Revelation 3:4 (NASB)

Jesus is sending messages through the apostle John to seven prominent churches existing during John’s time. These words reveal how closely Jesus is watching His followers. Watching the believers from heaven, He knew who were the faithful and who were false or faking their devotion. The church in the city of Sardis enjoyed a reputation for Christian vitality, but God reveals to John the truth of its spirituality apathy.  God is watching us today, too.  Perhaps He is seeing the same happening in renown churches of our day.  In Sardis there was a remnant who are exhorted to demonstrate their faith with action. We note that Jesus told of the future prospects of those who were remaining faithful as well. He said they would walk with Him in heaven, dressed in the white of righteousness and victory. Doesn’t that prove that it is worthwhile to follow Him faithfully? He gives to us eternal life and what He said to Sardis will apply to us, too. If we have ears and if we can hear, today is when we hear and heed what the Spirit says to this church.

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September 14 – Bread and Water

“The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.”  Revelation 22:17 (ESV)

We find many invitations in the Bible. They tell of the many blessings which God offers to those who accept His invitation. This verse is an invitation that has been good since even before the day it was written. While still on the earth before his death and resurrection Jesus had offered  “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37 (ESV))  This offer and many others were why Jesus came into our world as a human.  In just the chapter before (John 6:35 (ESV)) Jesus offered himself as the Bread of Life. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger,”  His ministry was to offer Kingdom of God to all. There has always been the opportunity to satisfy the deepest longings of our souls.  That has always been the great desire of our Lord – to satisfy the thirsty soul. And He promises satisfaction and offers it as a free gift. If your heart is longing for spiritual satisfaction today, just in faith accept it from your Lord and it is yours.

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July 6 – An Ear to Hear

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”   Revelation 3:20 (NASB)

This verse from The Revelation of Jesus Christ is often used as an image that Christ is knocking on a person's heart door, asking to come in. Christ does seek to be invited into our hearts but more accurately in the context, this verse is a lesson in the manner that Christ was seeking to enter the church at Laodicea. That church claimed the name of Christ but did not have a single true believer (Read: Revelation 3:14-22).  It is a reminder of the invitation from our Lord to those who claim to be Christians but have not accepted Jesus as their true Lord and Savior.  In this verse the promise is for the church that this letter was sent to.  If one member would recognize his spiritual bankruptcy and respond in saving faith, He would enter the church.  The promises of God are given to those who are true believers and hear what the Spirit says to them.  Just claiming to be a Christian without knowing Christ as Lord and Savior is not the way to know the promises of God.  

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October 18 – The Real Amen

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:  These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.”  Revelation 3:14 (NIV)

The Apostle John, serving as God's prophet, records the things he saw and heard into the New Testament Book known as The Revelation of Jesus Christ.  More commonly called Revelation.  In chapters 2 & 3 our Lord Jesus delivers seven messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor.  We learn in this verse today how Jesus identified Himself when He calls Himself the Amen.  This is an important name but perhaps we hear the word 'amen' used so often that it has lost its real meaning.  The root meaning of 'amen' is the adjective 'faithful'.  Amen is derived from the Hebrew āmēn, which means “certainty,” “truth,” and “verily.” So in our verse, Jesus explains that His name is Amen because He is faithful and true.  He was faithful to God's promise to provide a means of salvation.  He came to earth, lived a perfect life and went to the Cross to die for each of us.  He is faithful in praying for us everyday as he has promised and when we pray 'in Jesus' Name,' we trust the promise that He is faithful and true, Amen. 

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March 20 – Always Before and After

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”  Revelation 22:13 (NIV)

When we read in the Bible a special name for our Lord in heaven we know that there is a purpose and meaning behind that name. Our verse today gives us two names three ways. God revealed to the apostle John who wrote the Revelation of Jesus Christ that He was the Alpha and the Omega, and He follows with two more way to express the same truth. First and Last. Beginning and End.  Alpha is the first letter of the Greek language alphabet. Omega is the last. When God identified Himself this way it was to encourage us. When we realize that our Lord has always been and will always be, it helps us to believe that He is able to take care of our needs.  So now today when you sense a need for some outside help, just remember that Your God has always been and will always be. We can know that he is sufficient to meet our needs.  So now, today, when you sense a need for some outside help, go to the one who has always been before and will always be after – He will help you if you trust Him to. 

March 9 – Waiting and Ready

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

The Bible promise we read in today's verse is a familiar one to many but it is worth repeating. It is a part of the message which our Lord Jesus sent to the assembly of believers in Laodicea in the first century. It was a specific invitation to the individuals in that church.  It is a promise for individuals believers today in much the same way as when John recorded it.  Jesus said that if any one person realizes that Jesus is waiting to be invited into his or her life, Jesus is ready and willing to respond.  Jesus wants to be a part of our lives first as our Savior and also as our teachers, guide, and friend. He wants us to be aware of His nearness and He has so much to share with us every day – at any hour of the day. Today, let's each open the door to our lives and invite Jesus to be with us.