Revelation 20-22

Daily Reading
Revelation 20-22

Daily Thought

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." ~Revelation 22:13 

In Genesis, Jesus is the Ram at Abraham's altar. In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb. In Leviticus, He's the High Priest. In Numbers, He is the Cloud by day and pillar of fire at night. In Deuteronomy, He is the City of our refuge. In Joshua, He's the Scarlet Thread out Rahab's window. In Judges, He is the Judge of the World. In Ruth, He is our Kinsman Redeemer. In 1st and 2nd Samuel, He's our Trusted Prophet. In Kings and Chronicles, He is our Reigning King. In Ezra, He is our Faithful Scribe. In Nehemiah, He is the Rebuilder of everything that is broken. In Esther, He is Mordecai sitting faithful at the gate. In Job, He is our Redeemer. In Psalms. He is my Shepherd and I shall not want. In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, He is Wisdom. In the Song of Songs, He is the Beautiful Bridegroom. In Isaiah, He is the Suffering Servant. In Jeremiah and Lamentations, it is Jesus who Weeps over His People. In Ezekiel, He's the Fearful and Wonderful Four-Faced Man. In Daniel, He is the Fourth Man in the fiery furnace. In Hosea, He is my Lover, forever faithful. In Joel, He baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. In Amos, He's our Burden Bearer. In Obadiah, He is our Savior. In Jonah, He is the Missionary that takes the Word of God to the world. In Micah, He is the Messenger with beautiful feet. In Nahum, He is the Avenger. In Habakkuk, He is the Watchman that is ever praying for revival. In Zephaniah, He is the Lord mighty to save. In Haggai, He is the Restorer of our lost heritage. In Zechariah, He is our Fountain. In Malachi, He is the Son of Righteousness with healing in His wings. In Matthew, He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. In Mark, He is the Miracle Worker. In Luke, He is the Son of Man. In John, He is the Door by which every one of us must enter. In Acts, He is the Shining Light that appears to Saul on the road to Damascus. In Romans, He is our Justifier. In 1st Corinthians, He is our Resurrection. In 2nd Corinthians, Jesus is our Sin Bearer. In Galatians, He redeems us from the law. In Ephesians, He is our Unsearchable Riches. In Philippians, He supplies our every need. InColossians, He is the Fullness of the Godhead Bodily. In 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, He is our Soon Coming King. In 1st and 2nd Timothy, He is the Mediator between God and man. In Titus, He is our Blessed Hope. In Philemon, He is a Friend that sticks closer than a brother. In Hebrews, He is the Blood of the everlasting covenant. In James, He is the Lord that heals the sick. In 1st and 2nd Peter, He is the Chief Shepherd. In 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, it is Jesus who has the tenderness of love. In Jude, He is our Lord coming with ten thousand saints. And in Revelation, lift up your eyes, for your redemption draweth nigh, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Daily Prayer

And now unto Him Who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever.

Amen

Revelation 17-19

Daily Reading
Revelation 17-19

Daily Thought

There is a strange and sad scene at the end when all those who had placed all hope in this world watch as the smoke rises after destruction, "Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste" (Revelation 18:16-17). The great city was Babylon, representing the commerce and culture of this world, and the Bible calls her "the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality" (Revelation 19:2). She is rightly destroyed, for none is less welcome at a wedding than a prostitute, and it is time now for the marriage supper of the Lamb.

The Lamb is Jesus Christ, and his bride is the church. She has purchased her gown, but rather than a gaudy purple and scarlet, her fine linen is bright and pure, "for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (Revelation 19:8). The world began with a wedding, "a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). God called it very good. At the end of history, there is a new beginning and another wedding, and it is even better and forever. 

Daily Prayer

My God Eternal, You have given me a glimpse of the future and it fills me with anticipation - a world pure and good, filled with Your love and holiness. I live now in preparation for an everlasting Kingdom with Your Son on the throne reigning in righteousness. 

May my life reflect now what is to come, displaying the goodness and godliness of eternity with You, and may it attract others to desire You.

Amen 

Revelation 9-12

Daily Reading
Revelation 9-12

Daily Thought

God was, and is, and is to come; his Kingdom is forever. The judgment that dominates the Revelation endures only for a time. When angels sound their trumpets, locusts are released and "allowed to torment for five months, but not to kill" (Revelation 9:5), and plagues "prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind" (Revelation 9:15). The torment, though terrible, is limited "by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it" (Revelation 10:6). 

The wrath of God has purpose, to bring the question of repentance before humanity. God is sovereign, yet he presents himself to us as a choice, and despite the majesty that should lead us to worship, or the wrath that should drive us toward grace, we may yet choose poorly. And we do, "the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk" (Revelation 9:20). The idols are as dumb as we. 

Daily Prayer

Almighty God, You had to shout loudly for me to hear, but I did hear, and I am Yours. You keep turning my heart toward You. I long to have that deep desire to listen to You, so You can speak with the still soft voice and I will pay attention. But please, shout when You need to, when I'm distracted by the noise and the clutter that I surround myself with in this world.

Your eternity has changed my life today. I can bear the trials, because I know You, and in You my heart finds peace. 

Amen

Revelation 4-8

Daily Reading
Revelation 4-8

Daily Thought

Jesus Christ had letters delivered by the apostle John to cheer and challenge seven churches of Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, each small next to Rome. Lest the churches feel overwhelmed by the might of man, John is led next through a door and discovers a throne cascading "flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God" (Revelation 4:5). Upon the throne sits God, holding a scroll "sealed with seven seals" (Revelation 5:1), unfolding a certain future, "what must take place after this" (Revelation 4:1). Only Jesus, at the same time the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God, is able to open the scroll and usher forward what is to come. 

"Worthy are you to take the scroll

    and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

    from every tribe and language and people and nation,

and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

    and they shall reign on the earth" (Revelation 5:9-10).

Come they will, the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, the white horse of righteousness before the bright red of bloodshed, the black of famine, and the pale horse of death. The white horse leads, and this is Christ, who "came out conquering, and to conquer" (Revelation 6:2). The imagery is wild and wonderful, promising redemption and wrath; and redemption arrives first to 144,000, twelve thousand each from the twelve tribes of Israel. This is God's way of proclaiming that "a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages" will stand before the throne, clothed in white, and cry out, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Revelation 7:9-10). 

Nevertheless, when mama ain't happy, ain't no one happy, and although we chuckle at this, there is a proper wrath from an angry God upon a rebellious humanity. Seven angels blow seven trumpets of destruction, and before anyone might accuse God of offense, we are reminded that we have been forewarned, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets" (Revelation 8:13). The Latin is Praemonitus praemunitus, "forewarned is to be forearmed," and to be armed is to put on the grace and mercy of "him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13). 

Daily Prayer

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. ~Jude 24-25

Amen

Revelation 1-3

Daily Reading
Revelation 1-3

Daily Thought

"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 purpose of the Revelation of John is to assure us that Jesus Christ is and always will be on the throne. No matter what is happening, or will happen, God is in control. "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades" (Revelation 1:17-18). 

"I am the Alpha"; in the beginning, God. The Bible starts with God, and without knowing God, I will never know myself. If I am created by nothing, then I make up my own rules, I create my own meaning and purpose and truth. But God "formed my inward parts; and knitted me together in my mother's womb." Therefore, "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:13-14). I have a choice to make, do I delight in God and his Kingdom, or do I go with the world and its ways?

Jim was a high school senior, a nice kid who decided to ask the most popular girl in the school to Prom. He wasn't sure, however, she knew who he was. Undeterred, he picked up the phone, "Hi Shari, this is Jim Britts." It was silent for a moment. "I sit behind you in History." She remembered. "Would you like to go to Senior Prom?" Silence. "With me?" he added. More silence, then, finally, "Sure, why not." The most popular girl said she would go. 

But, really, that wasn't good enough, and Jim knew it. "I'm sorry Shari," Jim insisted, 'Sure, why not' just won't do. "It has to be either, 'Jim, I'd be delighted to have you escort me to my Senior Prom,' or 'Jim, you're the last person on earth I'd want to be seen with.'" 

Jesus said to the church at Laodicea, "Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16). "Sure, why not" just won't do.

It was silent again. A longer silence. And then, "Jim, I'd be delighted to have you escort me to my Senior Prom." They had a fabulous evening. 

Daily Prayer

Father God, I am all in. You are worth my everything and more. All that I have is from You and for You.

Forgive me for and protect me from my half-hearted efforts. I want You to be part of everything in my life. I want everything in my life to point to You and give You pleasure. You are my God.

Amen

2John; 3John; Jude

Daily Reading
2John; 3John; Jude

Daily Thought

Mr. Hooper taught Sunday School, 6th grade boys. They were not in the habit of bringing Bibles, but Mr. Hooper thought they should. "Bring your Bibles next Sunday." 

The next week, all had obeyed. "Okay, hold your Bibles up," commanded Mr. Hooper. All ten held their Bibles in front of them.  Nine were very nice, cool covers, white clean pages. They looked almost new, except Billy's, old and tattered, rabbit-eared pages with lots of writing and underlining, and a frayed cover. He was embarrassed.

Mr. Hooper said, "Every one look at Billy's Bible." Really embarrassed!

"That's what a Bible should look like. Well used and well worn. When it falls apart, buy a new one and start all over again. Well done, Billy."

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3John 4).

Daily Prayer

God, I love Your Word. It is the Word of life. In it, I see what You are like. I also see what I am like and what I should be like. Keep me in Your Word, God. The devil will keep me from Your Word, but Your Word will keep me from the devil. It is the Truth.

May I not only know Your Word, but live it, too. May my life be Your Word to others, leading them to Your Word, the Bible, leading them to Your Word, the Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen

1John 1-5

Daily Reading
1John 1-5

Daily Thought

Growing up, I was taught that once you are saved, you are always saved, and so I began college secure that I could do anything without jeopardizing my eternity. And so I did anything. Then I read 2Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" I did not know the test; I only knew I was failing. I discovered there is a difference between being secure in my faith, which is God's business, and being sure of my faith, which is mine; and I was no longer sure.

The apostle John helped by offering an exam with three parts. A doctrinal question, do I believe Jesus is God, "every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God" (1John 4:2-3). An ethical question, do I follow God's ways, "by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments" (1John 2:3). And a social question, do I love, "we know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers" (1John 3:14). I believe, I obey, I love; I'm sure.

Daily Prayer

God, Your Son came to this world and endured the shame of the cross for my sake. May I endure its shame, as well. I would gladly boast of Your sacrifice, no matter the cost, because Your shame is the power of my salvation. You took my sin and bore its penalty by dying on the cross. The cross of a criminal. The cross I deserved.

This is Your glory, the glory of love so strong that You suffered the cross for me, a sinner. I will lift up Your Name, no matter the consequences, because it is Your Name, and Your Name alone, by which I am saved.

What a wonderful cross. What a wonderful Savior.

Amen