Devotionary

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Ep 492 – Revelation 5:1-5 Apr 22, 2018

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We saw in chapter 4 that God is holy. The entire scene in heaven is a symphony of sights and sounds, declaring the holiness of God. And now, John is going to be introduced to another key player in the end time scenario: Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Root of David. And while chapter 4 spoke of God's holiness, Revelation 5:1-5 is going to focus on Jesus' worthiness. He is the only one worthy to take the scroll from the hand of God, open its seals and reveal its content. At this moment, that scroll remains sealed and unopened. Jesus sits at the right hand of His Father in heaven, but the time has not yet come for Him to take the scroll and begin the process of unleashing the judgments contained within. But He is fully worthy to do so. Because He is the sinless Lamb of God. He has earned the right to do what no one else in heaven or on earth can do. Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming Messiah and the future King of the universe. That scroll belongs to Him. And the privilege to reveal its contents belongs to Him and Him alone. And while we may wonder and anxiously wait for God to deal with all the injustices in the world today, we must take comfort in knowing that the one who must open the scroll and usher in the end times, is already right where He needs to be. He is simply waiting for the divinely ordained moment to step forward and begin the process of judging the world in truth and righteousness.

Ep 491 – Revelation 4:1-11 Apr 21, 2018

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John is seeing things that no man has ever seen before. He is undergoing a relentless assault on his senses, with sights, sounds and smells coming at him in rapid succession. And to his surprise and wonder, he finds himself standing in the throne room of God in heaven, surrounded by amazing imagery that defies human logic and description. But the most memorable aspect of this particular vision is the sheer volume of clues that point to the holiness of God. Yes, John is being given an opportunity to see "what must take place after this." In other words, he is being provided with a preview of coming attractions – the events associated with the last days. But in spite of the fantastic nature of all that John is about to see and hear, what stands out in this chapter is the holiness of God. His very appearance is that of precious jewels. He is surrounded by colors and a host of characters who focus all their attention on Him. There are flashes of lightning and the sounds of thunder. John sees torches of fire and what appears to be a sea of glass. But even more impressive and impossible to ignore are the voices of the four living creatures singing of God's holiness. And they are joined by the 24 elders, who sing of the worthiness of God to receive glory, honor and power. Revelation 4:1-11 is filled with imagery that speaks of God's holiness. And it provides John and all who will read his book, with a powerful reminder that all that is to come in the book will come from the throne and through the hands of our holy, righteous, all-powerful, and sovereign God.

Ep 490 – Revelation 3:14-22 Apr 20, 2018

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Self-sufficiency isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can lead to an attitude of independence and result in an unhealthy dose of pride. It is especially dangerous for believers, because we are meant to find our strength in Christ, not ourselves. It is when we become self-confident and seemingly autonomous, that we run into problems in the Christian life. And Jesus had some strong words to say to the final church on His list. This time, He is addressing a church that seems to have it all. In Revelation 3:14-22, John records the words of Jesus to the church in Laodicea. They were a relatively wealthy congregation who evidently saw themselves as relatively self-sufficient and in need of nothing. They had gotten cocky. Unlike some of the other fellowships, they weren't having to deal with persecution or financial difficulties. Jesus accuses them of thinking too highly of themselves, claiming to be rich, prosperous, and in need of nothing. But they were actually blind to their true spiritual condition. And their blind spot had resulted in their inability to see their tremendous need for what Jesus had to offer. They were sick and didn't even know it. They were measuring themselves by the wrong standard and drawing the wrong conclusions. But Jesus loved them enough to tell them the truth. And just as He had with all the other churches, Jesus lets this congregation know that He wants them to repent and recommit themselves to Him. They could still be conquerors, but only if they confessed their self-sufficiency and turned to Him in total dependency.

Ep 489 – Revelation 3:7-13 Apr 19, 2018

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Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love. But it wasn't the first city to have that designation. All the way back when John penned the Revelation, he included a section that was addressed to the church of Philadelphia in his day. It was one of the seven churches for which Jesus had a personal message. But the local congregation wasn't feeling the love in Philadelphia. In fact, the synagogue in Philadelphia was treating the believers like second-class citizens and making their lives miserable. But Jesus encouraged them to keep up their morale and their morality. They weren't to give in to the pressure or allow themselves to fall short of God's expectations for them as a fellowship. And in Revelation 3:7-13, Jesus conveys some amazing good news to this struggling church. While they were experiencing their fair share of persecution and difficulty in this life, He assured them that they would be kept from the hour of trial that was coming on the earth. This is a reference to the seven years of tribulation that will come on the planet and all who live on it. But the church, including every single believer who is alive when Jesus comes to take His bride to be with Him, will be spared from having to endure the pain, suffering, persecution and even martyrdom that is going to come in those last days. Jesus was encouraging the Philadelphian believers to keep trusting, keep believing, and keep enduring, because their reward was going to include escape from future tribulation. Jesus holds the key of David and has the authority to open and shut the gate leading into God's presence and His Kingdom. The enemy can try to keep us out, but he has no power to prevent what God has promised.

Ep 488 – Revelation 3:1-6 Apr 18, 2018

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Spiritual deadness. What does that look like? It doesn't sound too appealing though, does it? And when Jesus Christ accuses you of being spiritually dead, it's not exactly a complement. But that's exactly what the congregation in Sardis heard Jesus say about them. They had a reputation for being alive, but were really dead in the water spiritually. They were like a lifeless cadaver, painted up to look alive and well, and good enough to impress everybody but Jesus Himself. He saw through their hypocrisy. And He called them out for it. It wasn't that the whole church was spiritually dead and without new life in Christ, but they had allowed the walking dead in their midst to have a negative influence on their congregation. And Jesus was particularly put out with the leadership in the church. They were responsible for the health and well-being of the church. But they had let their guard down and the unbelievers in. But while these lost individuals were giving the impression that they were saved, they were actually having a deadly influence on the health of the church. In Revelation 3:1-6, Jesus addresses the congregation in Sardis, providing the rest of us with some powerful warnings about spiritual complacency and the danger of moral infection from the presence of unbelievers masquerading as believers. Fake Christians can do some serious damage to a local fellowship, creating an atmosphere that wreaks of spiritual death and lulling the church into a state of spiritual stupor. Which is why Jesus says, yet again, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Ep 487 – Revelation 2:18-29 Apr 17, 2018

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The world is full of temptations of all kinds, and it is constantly casting its deceptively-enticing lures our ways, in hopes of distracting and catching us in a down moment. Even the body of Christ, the church, can find itself lured away from trusting in Christ alone through faith alone, and accepting Satan's offer of satisfaction without sanctification, and happiness without holiness. In Revelation 2:18-20, Jesus is going to address yet another congregation, both commending and condemning them. He will applaud them for their faith and endurance, but warn them against their unhealthy toleration of immorality in their midst. Jesus is going to have some fairly serious words for an individual in their local congregation who was leading the fellowship astray. He would pull no punches or spare no pains in pointing out this woman's evil influence on the flock. And He was not too happy with the church body for allowing her to have a platform from which to spout her false doctrine and spread her deadly influence on the rest of the fellowship. Their tolerance was intolerable to Christ. He demanded immediate action. And He called them to hold fast. They were not to allow this woman to pry their grips from the cross of Christ. Temptations tend to offer us something enticing that requires us to take our hands off the one that really matters: Jesus Christ and our faith in Him. Like a child with a favorite toy, we find ourselves offered something brighter, shinier and newer, but it requires that we let go of what we have. We trade in the source of joy for the promise of greater happiness. But Jesus will tell them to hold on to what they have. Because the reward to come is greater than anything the world could ever offer.

Ep 486 – Revelation 2:12-17 Apr 16, 2018

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Compromise. It has always been a potential danger for the child of God. And compromise almost always takes a subtle form. It's rarely blatant and obvious. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, our disobedience tends to be appear more like a form of clarification of the truth. Satan led Eve to compromise by questioning the word of God. He slyly asked her, "Did God actually say?" And she took the bait. She opened herself up to his deceptive reasoning. And the next thing she heard from the enemy was, "You will not surely die." Satan flat-out denied the word of God. And he caused Eve to doubt God. In Revelation 2:12-17, Jesus addresses the church in Pergamum, and His primary bone of contention with this local fellowship is their spirit of compromise. Some within the church had allowed their convictions to cave in and they ended up selling out. But Jesus calls the rest of the church to remain faithful and true. He encourages them conquer, not compromise. And He lets them know that those who endure to the end can expect a more-than-adequate reward for their efforts. Compromise is nothing more than a selling out of what you say you believe and a selling short of the promises of God. Rather than take God at His Word, we listen to the lies of the enemy and settle for his offer of blessings without obedience, contentment without conviction, and fulfillment without faithfulness.

Ep 485 – Revelation 2:8-11 Apr 15, 2018

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It's easy to get discouraged. Even as believers in Jesus Christ, we can find ourselves hammered by the circumstances of life and begin to lose hope. This can happen churches as well, as is illustrated in Jesus' words to the church in Smyrna reveal. Revelation 2:9-11 gives us a bit of insight and encouragement regarding churches that find themselves going through difficult days. It's not always easy. The world doesn't always like us or welcome us with open arms. And the church in Smyrna was a struggling congregation that was surrounded by worldliness and suffering from constant persecution. On top of that, they were poor. They were a financially strapped church made up of members with limited resources, but plenty of problems. So, what does Jesus have to say to these people? Well, He doesn't assure them that everything is going to be okay. In fact, He's going to tell them that more suffering is headed their way. It's going to get worse before it gets better. He doesn't promise them immediate relief or a miraculous deliverance. No, He tells them that some of them are going to end up in prison. Some might even face death. But even with that sobering reality staring them in the face, Jesus will tell them to remain faithful. But why? What's their motivation? How in the world are they supposed to endure the continued suffering headed their way without losing heart and giving up all hope? The answer is found in what Jesus describes as the crown of life He will give them. In other words, Jesus wants them to focus on their reward to come, not their suffering to come. He wanted them to look further down the road, to the day when God restores all things, and glorifies His people. There was going to be a very happy ending to their personal nightmare. This story was going to turn out well. And Jesus encouraged them to remain faithful because their God was faithful.

Ep 484 – Revelation 2:1-7 Apr 14, 2018

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If Jesus was to write a letter to your church, what do you think He would say? Would it be filled with words of commendation and congratulations for a job well done? Would He shower your local congregation with accolades for all their generous giving and selfless serving? Or do you think He might have a few words of criticism and critique? Well, you don't have to wonder or conjecture, because Jesus has spoken to His church. And we find the content of His message in chapters two and three of the book of Revelation. In these two chapters, Jesus addressed seven different churches, expressing words of commendation and exposing acts deserving of condemnation. And lest we think these messages have nothing to do with us, Jesus makes it perfectly clear that His Words are timeless in nature and limitless in terms of their application. They are for all churches in all times. And in Revelation 2:1-7, we will find that His words for the church in Ephesus have an irrefutable and unmistakable ring to them. If we look closely and honestly, we will recognize our own church in this passage. What was happening in Ephesus was not unique to them. Their praise-worthy activities should be true of all churches. But while they had done a lot of things well, they had also dropped the ball in a few significant areas. And if we're honest, so have we. Jesus isn't out to demoralize them, but to motivate them to return to their former state of faithful obedience. And He wants the same thing for us. But to return to where we were, we have to do two things: Remember and then repent. We must recognize that we have strayed and express a willingness to be restored to our former state. Remember and repent. Even good churches can wander. We can all lose our focus and our way. But Jesus calls us to return.

Ep 483 – Revelation 1:9-20 Apr 13, 2018

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John was exiled on the island of Patmos when he received his vision. One minute he was on this small, virtually uninhabitable island, and the next thing he knew he was transported into the very presence of God. And not only would he see God the Father face to face, he would be reunited with his friend and Savior, Jesus. But this would be a remarkably different Jesus than the one he remembered. His last glimpse of Jesus had been as He ascended back up to heaven. But standing before him in the heavenly throne room was a drastically different man than he once knew. And the shock left John flat on his face, worshiping His Lord and Savior. But Jesus calmed his fears and prepared him for the job for which he had been chosen: To write down all that Jesus had to say to the seven churches. John was to act as the Savior's amanuensis or personal secretary. And one of the first things Jesus wanted to drive home to John was the reality of His resurrected state. He described Himself as the first and the last, the living one. He had died, but He was alive and He held the keys of Death and Hades. This speaks of Jesus' authority and His dominion over death and the grave because of the sacrifice of His own life and His resurrection by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, as the living Lord, has some sobering words to share with the seven churches. And we will soon see that what He has to say is for more than their ears alone. Repeatedly, Jesus will say, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." His messages are global, yet specific. These seven churches needed to hear the commendations and condemnations of Jesus, but so do we. Revelation 1:9-20 sets the stage for what is to come. Jesus, the one who is worthy to open the seals is also the resurrected, all-powerful Shepherd of the church, the head of the Body of Christ, who is about to comfort and convict His bride, preparing them to finish what they have begun and to prepare for His eventual return for them before the end comes.

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