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Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
AUGUST 27 - 3 JOHN
OPENING AND CLOSING A LETTER
Any time you write a letter, or make a phone call, for that matter, your opening and closing statements are important. Your opening statement establishes a certain tone, and your closing is a chance to summarize and seal whatever you just said. Even though 3 John is a short letter, his opening and closing statements are powerful studies in starting and ending well.
Here’s what John writes:
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
Dear friend. First, John says what’s translated here as “dear friend.” As they say, you only get one chance at making a first impression. It is good to open any conversation with a moment that details your relationship and your feelings about the one to whom you are communicating.
I pray. I love this just as a greeting. But especially this is helpful for any prayerful person. The apostle Paul also opened letters by telling how he was constantly thanking God for someone in his prayers, and I wish that I could honestly make such a claim. But at the very least, I am able to say that I am praying right now for you as I write this letter, that is a good idea.
Good health. John prays that you may enjoy good health. This is not specific about healing some malady, but it is still a good thing to pray that someone will be healthy, and that they will enjoy it!
All may go well. Then John adds “and that all may go well with you.” This is a more general blessing that could include your business, your family, your church and ministry and neighbors and all aspects of your life.
Even as your soul. This is my favorite part of it. Just as I pray for your health and other aspects of your life, so I name your spiritual health equally. Assuming that you, my friend, are walking with the Lord an enjoying your soul’s getting along well.
I think this is such a good opening, that fairly often I will open a letter to a biblically literate friend with the simple greeting 3 John 2.
It gave me great joy when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
Great joy is mentioned twice here. I heard a positive report about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it, and it brought me great joy. In fact, nothing brings me more joy than to know that my investment in someone’s spiritual life has continued to bear fruit. So many disciples fall away or become distracted that it is refreshing to hear of faithfulness.
Then we come to the end of the letter, and John does the same sort of thing as he did elsewhere. He leaves the closing open, if you will, by projecting to a time when they will meet in person. Here’s how he says it:
I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
There’s so much I want to say, but putting it in writing is not the best way to do so. So I am closing this letter to say I’m not closing because you don’t mean much to me, but because you mean so much to me that I will come to you and see you in person.
Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.
Peace to you. I am convinced that there is no more powerful thing to say to someone as an opening or closing blessing than to say “peace of Christ to you.” Jesus is the prince of peace, and he came to bring us peace with God. So I say it as if I could give it to you by my words.
Send their greetings. It’s always nice when someone comes and says so and so sends their greetings or their love. You represent not just yourself, but in a sense you bear that other person along with you to the common friend.
Greet the friends. Likewise, you do the same as you love having done. If you see anyone there who knows me, tell them I send my greetings.
By name. It is a mark of honor and of love to use someone’s name. It is good for me to use the names of others as I speak to them, even if I am just greeting them for someone else. They are never just a face in a crowd. Remember Moses? God calls to him from the burning bush, specifically using his name, even though Moses is the only person there to hear it.
It turns out, God knows your name, too. Amen.
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
AUGUST 28 = JUDE
HOW FALSE TEACHERS WORK
“Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.”
These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.
When we take communion, we are one loaf, one cup, one body, and we share that unity with the symbols of our love feast. These false teachers come in as if they are one with us all. But they are out to bring followers for themselves, and they divide the church, rather than to be one.
They are shepherds, so they say. But the job of a shepherd is to protect and feed the flock under their care. Instead, these false shepherds feed themselves, not caring where the sheep are going.
They claim to water and feed those under their care But they bring no rain, and they produce no fruit.
These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
They complain about how things are in the church, or they find fault in the lives of those who should be their brothers and sisters. They have no self control and therefore no holiness as examples to follow. They talk themselves up and tell about good things they have done. And to whatever degree they are encouraging you, it could very easily be flattery in order to get you on their side.
I’m saying these people have no place taking leadership positions in a church. And yet they often work their way into such roles, and they have been doing it for 2000 years now.
So let’s see if we can be the first generation to recognize a false teacher BEFORE they gain a position in our congregation. And let us pray that God will protect his church.
Now let’s take a step back and see the three examples Jude uses to describe the heart of a false teacher:
I don’t want to try to list all of the possibly wrong doctrines. But to use the biblical examples Jude does to see what the wrong priorities of false teachers look like:
Woe to them!
Know this: It will not be good for false teachers in the judgment. If they know the truth but they decide to pursue something else for selfish reasons, the judgment will be sad indeed.
Jesus said woe to you while confronting the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. It’s about what will happen at the judgment that is the great tragedy for them. And that’s because in their own corruption they led others astray to face judgment as well. Talk about selfish! “I don’t want to obey God, so I’m going to make it easier for others to join me in disobeying him.”
They have taken the way of Cain;
CAIN’S BETTER IDEA
Cain brought an offering that was not accepted. His brother brought one that was. For the moment, ignore just what he brought, and let’s look at the response.
Cain is all pouty around the house. “His face was downcast.”
“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.””
It’s true, isn’t it? When we do wrong, jealousy and envy, in this case, are crouching at the door, looking to jump you when you are not paying attention. Temptation to sin desires to HAVE you—it is NOT in your best interest to be jealous and envious—but you must rule over it.
Did Cain listen to this good advice about choosing self-control and love instead of envy and revenge? No.
“Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.”
There was a premeditated plot. What kind of worshiper gets so competitive with his worship that he is willing to deceive a true worshiper in his family and kill him? “Let’s go play some ball! I’ll bring a shovel! Let’s go hunting, just you and me.” And I will kill you because God likes you more than me.
“There! Now, see what good it did you to do what God said now, brother! You lose!” And Cain buries his brother’s body so no one would find the evidence. And he walks back home to play the role of the innocent. It’s a big field, after all, and they’ll never find where I buried him. But he forgets that God can see all.
The Lord comes to Cain:
“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.””
Homeless. Prodigal son. No income. No welcome anywhere. Will you realize that you can come back home if you repent? But no, you’d rather die than to repent. You’d rather suffer in your pride than to humble yourself and live. So you wander like a restless wanderer on the earth for the rest of your long, 900 year life.
DISCUSSION: *WHAT CAN WE LEARN TO WATCH FOR IN A FALSE TEACHER LIKE CAIN?
they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;
BALAAM’S BETRAYAL
Balaam is another example of a person who had conversations with God himself, but who chose to disobey. More accurately, to “selectively obey.” Just obey the parts that I agree with or that work for me.
If you are reading about Balaam in other passages of the Bible, you will see him delivering a powerful prophecy about the coming Messiah that is spot on. So God used Balaam to strengthen the faith of people many generations later.
But it is all the rest of Balaam’s behavior that leads Jude to categorize him as a false prophet. We will briefly cover those.
Balaam is a prophet, not an Israelite, but he is known for saying true things. That’s a bit uncomfortable for being able to trust him in the first place. He’s got a thriving business: PROPHECIES FOR A BUCK. You know, sort of like telling someone their horoscope, or rent a prophet for a child’s birthday. He says you’ll live to be a hundred and ten and you are going to marry someone in this room. If you do it right, parents are happy and no one can prove that you were wrong until you are long gone.
IN any case, he’s just hanging around the office when he is approached by a king of an enemy of Israel. The king wants Balaam to prophesy something bad about Israel as a nation. Says he’ll pay double if Balaam can deliver a true curse on those millions of Israelites camping in the valley.
Balaam looks up from the papers on his desk. These guys are well dressed, carrying a big bag of cash with them. They certainly seem to be legit. Balaam tells them this is a big job and that if they want him to speak against the God of Israel, he’s going to need to inquire before he goes. Stay overnight, and I’ll give you an answer in the morning.
That night, sure enough, the Lord shows up and talks to Balaam in a dream. God says, “don’t go with them.” Balaam hears it loud and clear. In the morning, he tells the messengers thanks for the offer, but no can do. The messengers disappointedly return to their king, and Balaam goes back to his work as a meteorologist. (There’s a lot of false prophecy in the weather predicting business, you know.)
The next day, the messengers are back again, with an even more generous offer. And now Balaam commits his first sin: He inquires again of the Lord, asking again a question that God already gave him a clear answer to.
The same is true for us today, by the way. Never go back to the Lord to ask the same question that he already answered. It’s like when you ask your parent about whether you can do a thing, and your parent says no. So you come back to them again the next day with the same question. Parents, what do you say when you are asked something like this? “Didn’t I already give you an answer yesterday? What do you THINK the answer is today? It is still a big ol’ NO!”
At which point, you likely bring up why today the circumstances are different. “Jimmy’s parents let him do it.” “I got a good grade on my report card and thought it might be my reward.” “But it’s a dumb rule, and you need to trust me.” And so we establish that we came back to ask the same thing because there’s a different factor that seems to make it okay. In Balaam’s case, he says, “But they are paying me twice as much! Think how much I can give to charity!” And God does what he does when we come back and ask a question that he already answered. He says, “Okay, you may go. But you may only say things that I will tell you.”
So Balaam answers his new friends, “God says I can go. But I’m only allowed to say what he tells me.” You know how this is going to turn out, don’t you? Because you know how it works for every child who has ever lived when they wear down a parent to get their reluctant permission. He’s going to undermine the Lord’s word somehow.
This is where Balaam’s most famous scene comes up, where his donkey talks to him. An angel is standing in the road, but Balaam doesn’t see it, because he, of course, is not on God’s wave length here. But his donkey sees the angel and is afraid. Balaam is really, really impatient with his donkey, as we get when we are outside of the will of God. And God speaks to Balaam through his donkey to repeat the conditions of what the prophet is allowed and not allowed to say. “Only speak what God tells you to speak, no more and no less.” And like the child he is, Balaam rolls his eyes and says “sigh! You already told me that. I already told you I’ll only say what you tell me to say, no more and no less.”
And so he arrives and the king offers him a great reward if he will curse Israel, and Balaam says he’d be glad to but he’s only allowed to say what God tells him. And Balaam proceeds to deliver that strong Messianic prophecy.
Now the king is really upset. “I thought i was paying for you to curse those Israelites! Instead, you bless them!” Balaam reminds him of the contract. And then Balaam gives advice that the Bible doesn’t record, except for right here.
Balaam takes the king aside and says, “God is going to bless them. I can’t stop that. But I can tell you how to defeat the Israelites. Get your women to go down there among them and intermarry, and when the Israelites have committed adultery and other sexual sins, and your idol worship has infiltrated their people, then Israel will no longer be protected by God. And that’s how you can defeat them. Can I get my money now?”
And it all happened, just aS Balaam had said.
He was a prophet who delivered a true prophecy. But he never belonged to the LORD, and he functioned as a false teacher, like these guys who had infiltrated the church.
A clock that has stopped is right twice a day. And a false teacher who is out for self, sooner or later, will stumble upon truth. But you cannot TRUST them.
DISCUSSION: *WHAT CAN WE LEARN TO WATCH OUT FOR IN FALSE TEACHERS LIKE BALAAM?
KORAH’S REBELLION
they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
This time we find a guy named Korah, who opposed Moses. He was tired of having Moses give all the laws and all the directions. And he was tired of going around in circles and having Moses be the only one who was hearing from God, with all the tough times they were facing. So, with about 250 others, they came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the rest of us?”
Moses said, “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy. So let’s all take censers with burning coals and incense before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites are the ones who have gone too far!”
“You Levites were separated by God himself to be set apart for him. Isn’t that enough? You are demanding too much now! Come tomorrow with incense before teh Lord, and we shall see who he accepts and who he rejects.”
As soon as Moses said that, the ground opened up beneath Korah and his household and all his followers, and they were swallowed up.
There is such a thing as an anointing from God. It is not based on talent, but on calling. Not on personality, but on spiritual gifting. And as David learned, do not touch the Lord’s anointed, even when the anointed one is imperfect.
DISCUSSION: *WHAT CAN WE LEARN ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS FROM KORAH?
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,
keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
THE SOLUTION FOR YOU:
BUILD YOURSELVES UP IN FAITH
PRAY IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
KEEP YOURSELF IN GOD’S LOVE
WAIT FOR THE MERCY TO BRING YOU ETERNAL LIFE
Be merciful to those who doubt;
save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
THE SOLUTION FOR OTHERS:
BE MERCIFUL TO DOUBTERS
SNATCH OTHERS FROM THE FIRE
SHOW MERCY, MIXED WITH FEAR TO OTHERS
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
(Okay, as I was preparing to preach this week on the book of Jude, it was a temptation to somehow turn the points into a parody of the old song by the Beatles. I gave in to the temptation. At least I didn't sing it at church!)
HEY JUDE
Says Jude
Don’t be like Cain
He was jealous and killed his brother
The minute you let hatred into your heart
Then you can start to be a false teacher
Says Jude
Don’t be like this
Balaam’s greed to go and get more
The minute you sell out kindred or kin
Then you have sinned and you’re a false teacher
So any time you’re feeling cruel
Hey dude be cool
Don’t be like Korah in rebellion
For don’t you know that Moses can
Be God’s chosen man
God carries the world upon his shoulder
Says Jude
Help those who doubt
Snatching others out of the fire
To others show mercy mixed with fear
Then you can steer clear of those false teachers
Monday Aug 29, 2022
Monday Aug 29, 2022
AUGUST 29 = REVELATION 1
READ TO THE END OF THE BOOK
I am married to someone who likes to jump to the end of a novel after the first few chapters. The suspense of wondering what will happen to the main characters is too much, and somehow knowing who is left standing at the end helps her to enjoy the story because she is less stressed while reading it.
In the same way, if you want to discuss the meaning of a book or a story, and you haven’t finished reading to the end, you are hard pressed to join in on the discussion, because you are pretty clueless as to what details are important elements, foreshadowing how it all resolves in the end.
Whether you jump ahead, or you plod your way through from beginning to the bitter end, it is important for you to read to the end of the book before you talk about it.
John has served the church well by writing this book, and those who placed it as the final book of the New Testament, understand well the significance of all that is in here. This is the book of Revelation. It contains what it means to “read to the end of the book.” It is, after all, dealing with the end of all things.
Here’s how John opens his book:
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.”
Notice that the book is to be read aloud. And those who hear it are to take its message to heart, because the time is at hand. It was at hand 1900 years ago. Don’t you think the time would be even closer today? So let us give special attention to these words, and let us cooperate with God in ushering in “The End Game.”
The book of Revelation is written with a style of writing that is called apocalyptic literature. It is not meant to be interpreted literally, but is filled with symbols and metaphors, meant to unveil mysteries. The entire book is a long piece of balanced poetic art, explaining the news in images.
The very first scene provides an example of this style of writing. Some of the symbols are explained even as they appear, while others are left as the mysteries they are.
“I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit,
John was in the Spirit. I’m not sure what that means exactly. John was already worshiping, praying, meditating, and being filled with the Holy Spirit.
and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.”
Right from the start, even before John is taken up into heaven, the voice of Jesus is like a trumpet—loud and beautiful, impossible to ignore and easy to remember.
I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
(Soon he explains that the seven lampstands are the seven churches that were just mentioned. A lampstand could be a reference to the menora in the Jewish temple, or just part of common life in the first century. In any case, a church is there to bring light to the community in which it is found
and among the lampstands was someone
Jesus dwells and moves among the churches.
like a son of man,
This was the title Jesus gave himself more than any other. Not just a man, but a son of man. The title comes from how God referred to the prophet Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet
Not a common worker’s robe, but a royal robe of authority and wealth.
and with a golden sash around his chest.
Also royal and wealthy, but could be a pure heart of refined motives.
The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow,
Indicating the wisdom of eternity, that he would be so old and so wise.
and his eyes were like blazing fire.
They see all, and they bring conviction.
His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,
How lovely are the feet of those who bring good news. His feet are not dirty, not common, but purified, clean and supernaturally powerful.
and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.
Not just a trumpet, but an overwhelming pink noise that causes everything else to fade into oblivion.
In his right hand he held seven stars,
We will see soon that these stars are the angels (better translated messengers) of the seven churches. That could refer to heavenly angels assigned to each congregation, or it might be more the evangelist or preacher from each.
and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.
This will be described later, as well. His words convict and judge, as well as to heal and separate thoughts and motives. Every word is powerful and effective to both wound and destroy (double-edged).
His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
He was holy and pure, enlightened and brilliant. He is the source of all light, and is one with the Creator, his Father.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
Perhaps he refers to being “slain in the Spirit” (as some call it). After all, John was already “in the Spirit” on the Lord’s day (the first day of the week, sometimes referred to as the “eighth day” of creation.) In any case, seeing an angel or God causes fear and humble worship, possibly even death to self and immediate repentance.
Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid.
As always, Jesus tells his frightened disciples not to be afraid. We are afraid because we become immediately aware that we are in the presence of the One who will judge us. But his response is always the same. Do not fear!
So this is the type of writing that John will employ throughout the book. It is not hard to grasp. But it is filled with imagery and symbolism. So hold on and get ready for a great ride through this marvelous book.
Let’s make sure we read it all the way to the end of the book. But just in case you want to take a peek, know that Jesus wins and we get to be his bride. It’s a good ending. Amen.
Tuesday Aug 30, 2022
Tuesday Aug 30, 2022
AUGUST 30 = REVELATION 2
LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES IN PLAIN ENGLISH
In chapter 1, John was told to write to the seven churches of Asia Minor (all in the modern nation of Turkey). In this chapter, he begins to dictate letters to each church. Because the writing style is in this symbolic poetry, it is sometimes difficult to know what is literal and what is figurative. So I’m going to attempt to summarize what the letter says in direct language.
EPHESUS: FIRST LOVE
Send this message to the church in Ephesus: I am Jesus, the one who knows all churches well. I know that you are working hard and doing good. I know that you have tested false teachers and rejected them. You hate power-hungry leaders. I know that you have endured persecution, and you have not grown weary.
But I also know this: Even though you DO the right things, you don’t LOVE as you once did. Remember how you first loved me? Come back home! If you don’t change, you will lose your witness as a church, and within a few generations, your church will be gone.
Let everyone take this to heart: If you are faithful to the end, you will be blessed with eternal life.
SMYRNA: THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN
Send this message to the church in Smyrna: I am Jesus, the Eternal One, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions. I know your poverty. I know the slander that false Jews spread about you. They are a synagogue of Satan.
You are about to suffer, but don’t be afraid. Some of you will suffer in prison soon. The devil is testing you. Be faithful all the way to death, and you will be rewarded with victory.
Let everyone take this to heart: If you are faithful to the end, you will not be hurt at all by death.
PERGAMUM: CITY OF SATAN
Send this message to the church in Pergamum: I am Jesus, whose words cut like a sword. I know that you live in an evil city that is run by Satan. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even when a faithful witness of mine was put to death in your city, where Satan lives.
But I need to correct you in a few things: Some of your members copy the culture around you with idols and immorality. And some are power-hungry controllers. So repent! If you don’t, then my words will soon cut you like a sword.
Let everyone take this to heart: If you are faithful to the end, you will receive special secret gifts just for you, not known by anyone else.
THYATIRA: JEZEBEL
Send this message to the church in Thyatira: I am Jesus, who sees all and is pure power. I know your deeds. I know your love and faith. I know your service and perseverance. I know that you are doing more now than you did at first.
But I need to tell you what is wrong: You tolerate someone who is teaching false things. My servants are being led to immorality and idolatry. I have put up with it long enough. So I will punish the false teacher, and also all of their followers. Some will even die. Then all the churches will learn that I see all, and I repay each person according to what they have done.
For the rest of you, those who have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, I will not give you more burdens. Just hold on to what you have until I come.
If you are faithful to the end, you will receive true freedom and power, just as I received from my Father. You will be filled with hope. Let everyone take to heart this message from the Spirit to the churches!
That is the first four letters. In the next chapter, John will give three more. May we hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, and may we know how to respond in our generation. Amen.
Wednesday Aug 31, 2022
Wednesday Aug 31, 2022
AUGUST 31 = REVELATION 3
LETTERS TO THE OTHER THREE CHURCHES
SARDIS: THE DEAD CHURCH
This is a message to the church in Sardis:
I am Jesus, and I understand everything about any church. I know what you do. I know you seem to appear alive. But I also know that you are actually dead.
Wake up! Revive what remains and is near death! I have found your hard work to be incomplete in God’s sight. So remember what you once knew. Grab hold of that. And change your direction. If you do not revive, I will come when you aren’t ready and judge you.
Even so, a few believers in your city are walking with me in holiness. If you are faithful to the end, you will also be holy forever. You will be known in heaven with my Father and his angels. Let everyone take to heart this message from the Spirit to the churches!
PHILADELPHIA: THE SMALL CHURCH
This is a message to the church in Philadelphia:
I am Jesus, and I do what is right and say what is true. I can control history by what I allow or what I prevent. I know what you do. I am allowing you an opportunity that no one can stop. I know that you are not a big church, yet you hold on to my words and you did not deny my name before those who have opposed you. I will prevent those false Jews who are of the synagogue of Satan from succeeding. I will make them have to admit that I have loved you. Because you have kept my command to patiently endure, I will also keep you from the crisis that will come on the entire world to test every person on earth.
I will show myself soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will steal your reward. If you are faithful to the end, you will always be in God’s presence, never again to leave. You will have every privilege of belonging to God’s family. Let everyone take to heart this message from the Spirit to the churches!
LAODICEA: THE MEGACHURCH
This is a message to the church in Laodicea:
I am Jesus, and I always agree with God and say what he says. I know what you do. I know that you are uncommitted to either Satan or me. I wish that you were committed to one or the other! But, because you are trying to take a middle ground, neither mine nor his, I am about to reject you.
You think that you are a flourishing megachurch. You think you are wealthy and have all you want. But you do not see the truth: You are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. My advice is to buy your gold from me, so that you can truly be wealthy. And to buy your clothes from me, so that you can cover your embarrassing nakedness. And to use my eye salve, so that you can see.
I rebuke and criticize those whom I love. So make a true decision and change your heart! Here I am! I am the visitor who wants to join your church! Let me in and we will feast together, you and me.
If you are faithful to the end, you will flourish for eternity, as I went before you. Let everyone take to heart this message from the Spirit to the churches!
Friday Sep 02, 2022
Friday Sep 02, 2022
SEPTEMBER 1 = REVELATION 4
HISTORY FROM A HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE
So now Jesus is done with the 7 letters, and he invites John to “come up here” so that he can know what is in the future for the churches. And there, in chapters 4 and 5, John sees history from a heavenly perspective. It is like a dream, but it is real. It is overwhelming and awesome. It is worship and it is history. And it is just the first view of the end of all things. Shall we enter in? Let’s try to view it once again from a literal perspective, explaining the meaning behind the symbolic terms.
“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.””
John is invited to come up to see what heaven sees. The book was likely written in A.D. 96 and it is given by Jesus to John for the purpose of showing what must happen soon.
In heaven, the future is already seen. And, as God often did with the prophets, he chooses to reveal certain things ahead of time, so that believers can be prepared for it.
“At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.”
John sees that God is the ruler over all the universe. He is the only one. He is more valuable than anything.
“Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.
The twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles represent both old and new covenants, Jews and Christians. God has been acknowledged as worthy by every mature Jew and Christian throughout time.
From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.”
God holds all power in the universe. His Spirit is everywhere, and he sees all with perfect balance and clarity.
“In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.”
All who see him recognize him as the Great Conqueror, the Strong Almighty One, the Compassionate Brother, and the All-Seeing One.
“Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings.
Those who are in heaven see everything, inside and out. And the closer they are to God, the more they can see.
Day and night they never stop saying: “ ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.””
They all proclaim that there is no other like him in perfection, who always was and is and will always be.
“Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.””
All mature believers throughout history know him to be Lord and God, and they would all give him glory and honor and power, because he is the sovereign creator and ruler of all.
The chapter ends here, but the scene goes on in the next chapter with an amazing moment.
Saturday Sep 03, 2022
Saturday Sep 03, 2022
SEPTEMBER 2 = REVELATION 5
WHO IS WORTHY?
The scene is still the throne room in heaven, where John has seen God in indescribable glory, surrounded by worship and full of wisdom and power. But remember, John was invited up to see “what must happen after this.” In this chapter, he is going to be introduced to how it all will unfold.
The central item is now introduced:
“Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.”
Notice that this scroll is in the right hand—the hand of power and authority—of God himself. Perhaps God has written this scroll. In any case, it is not explained as to what this scroll is. But here is my understanding of it.
Clearly, this scroll is going to be seen as the single most important thing, if you want to know “what must happen after this.” You might say that it is the scroll of the future history of the world, God’s will for how the end will unfold. It has writing on both sides, so it is packed with information. But then the scroll turns out to be unreadable, because it is rolled up and sealed with seven seals.
“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it.”
The deal is, for God’s will to be carried out, this scroll must be read. Until the seals are broken and the scroll read, human history is stuck in an unsolved mystery, frozen in time with evil winning and churches suffering and believers in persecution, lost souls caught in the trap of Satan with no one to tell them of a way out, and all history caught in a grand pause of silence from heaven over the unresolved hold of Satan on the earth.
And so the call goes out to find someone who is able to restart the final chapter of history. The one who will do so must take the scroll from the right hand of the One on the Throne, and must become the turning point for all of human history on earth. That requires someone to be worthy of doing so.
Who could possibly be worthy of being the building block of history, the fixer of the relationship of heaven and earth? So the cry goes out. They look in heaven. Angels. Archangels, including Michael the Warrior and Gabriel the Announcer. The four beings, the 24 elders on thrones. No. No one is worthy in heaven.
They look on earth. Church leaders. Caesar and kings of the earth. Prophets. Apostles. Wise elders and world leaders, prolific writers and deep thinkers, brave leaders and mighty warriors, holy men and women. No one on earth is worthy.
They even look under the earth. Let’s say they are looking at the saints who have gone before. And still no one under the earth is worthy. Not Moses or Aaron or the prophets. Not Deborah or Gideon or the mighty men of valor and strength. Not King David or Solomon. No animal sacrifice, no priest, no offering. Not Mother Teresa or Billy Graham. No one in heaven or on earth or under the earth.
Do you realize what that means? It means there is no hope, no forward movement of history, no resolution, no justice. It means that evil wins and all are lost in sin and judgment. And that is why John says this:
“I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.”
But there is hope. For there is one. One in the universe who is worthy.
“Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.””
To be sure, he is a Lion. A fearless conqueror. In fact, he is THE Lion. He is able, for he has triumphed.
“Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.
Something shifted suddenly. The symbols have changed. The fearsome Lion is replaced by a Lamb who has been slain.
The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”
And, sure enough, this Lamb is, in fact, the Almighty God. It seems that God conquered sin and death by bearing sin and dying. And by becoming the victim, the Lamb became the Lion.
“He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.”
And so begins the end of all things, as the Lamb takes the scroll. It is a moment in heaven that will soon take effect in the history of the earth. The moment is worthy of celebration, but in this moment, it is the Lamb himself who deserves honor, for nothing could happen here without him.
“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.
And we see these divine characters whom we met before now giving the Lamb the worship they had given to the one who was on the Throne. Because, after all, they are one and the same.
Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”
Notice that the highest ranking heavenly beings—the four living creatures and the 24 elders—each is holding a harp. I can only assume that they were all playing those harps as they sang. We’re about to see what they sang, but it seems to be accompanied, and everyone seems to know the music.
Notice also that somehow they also are holding golden bowls full of incense. Incense, just like God had Moses put into the Holy Place in the tabernacle. And as the smoke rises up, John realizes that it is the prayers of the saints. Soon we will see what kinds of prayers the saints are offering, but suffice it to say that they all rise up before God and are heard.
And here is what they sang:
“And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.””
It’s nice to know that even in heaven new songs are being written as the surroundings change. And this song must be truly good news to those churches that were receiving John’s letter. Because the churches on earth were in the midst of such severe persecution, living in a city where Satan lives, being thrown into prison for ten days, and so forth. But in this song they hear that heaven promises “they will reign on the earth!”
It’s true, isn’t it? Don’t we reign on the earth? We have the spiritual authority that Jesus had, and which he gave to his followers before he left. In Jesus’ name, they are able to cast out demons and heal diseases. They can resist the devil and he flees from them. Wherever they go, they establish kingdom outposts in that neighborhood, in that city. They are more than conquerors. So already, we are encouraged to hold on, for we will have authority over kingdoms and nations in Jesus’ name.
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!””
And now we see that the praise that started among the inner circle of beings around the throne has spread to the vast multitude of angels in heaven. And still, their focus and wonder is to honor and worship the Lamb. And notice that they sing with a LOUD voice. It doesn’t say they turn up the amps to blast out the harp music, but that they used their voices to make a loud noise in honor of the Lamb.
And, just when you think the praise has become as big a festival as you can imagine, it gets even bigger!
“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!””
Remember how Jesus said that if the little children don’t praise him, the very rocks and stones will cry out in praise? This is that kind of moment. Every creature. Not just every human. Humans can rebel and choose not to praise. But the rest of creation joins in, just by its existence. The trees clap their hands. The mountains bow down. The rocks cry out. And every creature in heaven, including the sparrows and eagles joins in. And every creature on earth, including lions and tigers and bears, oh my, joins in. And every creature under the earth, including groundhogs and earthworms, joins in. And even every creature on the sea, including dolphins and sharks, joins in. And they recognize him on the throne and the Lamb, because even for those creatures of very little brains know instinctively who their creator is.
And then the worship circles back to the central group around the throne, and the four living creatures and the 24 elders put a bow on it and complete the circle.
“The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
That is a lot of material in two chapters of Revelation. It is written for our comfort. May you and I know the comfort that comes through the Lamb today and for eternity. Amen.
Saturday Sep 03, 2022
Saturday Sep 03, 2022
SEPTEMBER 3 = REVELATION 6
THE SEALS
And now we arrive at the long-anticipated opening of the seven seals on the scroll, in order to unfold the future history of the world. As we will discover through the book of Revelation, it is never quite so simple. The seventh seal leads to another series of seven, which in turn leads to another. That’s how it is in life, though, isn’t it? When we arrive at the other side of the big event we had anticipated, we find it brings with it a new series of what we might think is unfinished business. In any case, John sees the Lamb open the first six seals, and in this chapter we find out what was about to happen.
“I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.”
Perhaps you have heard of the Four Horsemen. This is one of the places where they are seen in the Bible. They are men on horses, but they are symbolic of something else.
The first horse is white, which would seem to symbolize holiness. Later, we will see Jesus riding on a white horse. But this rider is bent on conquest. Could this be a political figure who seems religious, but who is actually a controller? (Such as the Nicolaitans.)
“When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.”
The second horse is fiery red, and its rider had power to take peace from the earth and make people kill each other. Civil war? World war? Peace on earth is a central theme of the Gospel, but somehow hatred is permitted by God here.
“When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!””
With the third seal comes a black horse, whose rider announces economic collapse. Whether it is terrible inflation, or a recession, depression or perhaps a famine that brings low crop production, it is a devastating time to be living on earth. We have not been given a reason for any of this, but we know from plenty of examples in the Bible that a physical problem is often based in a deeper spiritual problem.
“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.”
The fourth seal brings a pale horse, whose rider is Death. A fourth of the earth’s population is killed by war, by famine, by plague, or even by wild beasts. Think of how we reacted to COVID-19, arguing over masks, trusting in science, and in general not repenting.
And then comes what might be the center of the book.
“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.”
The martyrs themselves are crying out for vengeance, based on the spilling of their own blood for the Master. They see this conqueror on a white horse, warfare on a red horse, economic collapse on a black horse and death on a pale horse. And yet the inhabitants of the earth do not repent. This is the story of human history from a heavenly perspective, isn’t it? We long to see Jesus come and claim his place, and put the devil in his.
And so we wait. We wait for the full number of martyrs to be completed.
And then comes the sixth seal. And with it, the entire earthly planet is being shaken. Everyone is afraid. Afraid of death. But also afraid of the wrath of the Lamb!
“They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?””
The answer, I think, is that no one can withstand judgment from God! Even in this chapter, God is only toying with the inhabitants of earth. Soon. Very soon. The judgment is coming! Repent and believe the good news! It was the message of John the Baptist, the message of Jesus Christ, and the message of Peter and the other apostles.
May we all hear the voice of the shepherd as he calls to us in the midst of the noise. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches! Amen.
Monday Sep 05, 2022
Monday Sep 05, 2022
SEPTEMBER 4 = REVELATION 7
THE GREAT MULTITUDE
The action on earth is about to pick up, and things are about to get worse. But first, we need to rescue God’s chosen ones from what is about to happen.
There are many in recent generations who see in this chapter (and elsewhere) a “secret rapture” of the saved ones, which occurs before The Great Tribulation. Others say that this is a symbolic way of encouraging the saints that God can and will rescue his chosen ones from the troubles of earth. I will not be taking a position on the matter, but do want to point out when a particular passage is used to support an interpretation.
It starts with angels holding back natural disasters on earth until another angel marks 144,000 believers with the seal of God on their foreheads. This list of marked believers is specified as 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Certain numbers symbolize completion. Seven is the number for God’s Spirit, and for the full cadre of churches. We have also seen that 12 (and 24) is a number for completion. We will find soon that 1000 is a number that also means completion. So when you have 12 x 1000 you have a very complete number, and when you have 12 x 12 x 1000 it is even more so.
So, now the complete number of those belonging to God have been marked and sealed. Perhaps now it is time to execute judgment on the earth. This is what John sees:
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.”
An even MORE complete number of believers are gathered suddenly. And John records their praise, and the praise of the angels in agreement with theirs. It is a grand time of worship and thanksgiving! And notice how complete John’s list of the diversity is made: every nation (which is political groups), every tribe (which is local ethnic groups), every people (which is larger ethnic and genetic groupings) and every language (which happened way back at Babel, and helped lead to these diverse groupings in the first place). I notice they are standing. Guess there’s standing room only in heaven! John goes on:
“Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
And here is where we find the first basis for what is known as a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation rapture. The thought is that before the great 7-year tribulation occurs (more on that later), every true believer in Jesus is snatched up to heaven, where they never again suffer on earth, and where God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
Now, perhaps the great tribulation has already taken place. Maybe with the reign of Diocletian, or of Hitler or Stalin. And maybe the great tribulation is yet ahead. Perhaps we are living through it right now. It will be described in more detail later in the book.
Whether or not you believe in a literal length of tribulation, or you see the numbers and dates as symbolic, the application for us today is the same: Be ready! Wash your robe and make it white in the blood of the Lamb. Know that this world is not your home, and that there is a greater reality in another realm. I want to go there. How about you? Amen.