Friday Thought -- November 29, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.’ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.” (Daniel 1:9-15)

Perhaps this story is clear evidence of the superiority of a vegetarian diet, but I don’t think that's the point! I hope not, because I sure like hamburgers and pizza with Canadian bacon. Rather, the point is to illustrate God’s ability to protect those who walk according to His will.

Daniel, and his friends, could have justified eating the food put before them. After all, surely God didn’t want them to starve to death. God had put them in these important positions in the royal house, surely He didn’t want them to lose those positions over food.

But no justification was offered. Instead, they stood their ground and ate only what the Law permitted them to eat -- in this case only vegetables and water were left when they removed the food outlawed by the Old Testament regulations. And God honored their commitment and caused them to remain strong and healthy even with such a restricted diet.

These four men obeyed God and trusted Him with the outcome. We’ll see that same philosophy put into practice in several other places in the book of Daniel. That philosophy forms the theme the book of Daniel teaches about how to live in midst of pain and opposition. Obey God and trust Him!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- November 27, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility -- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names:  to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.” (Daniel 1:3-8)

Not all pain and hardship is physically trying. It would seem like such an honor to be chosen to be among the best and the brightest. These young men were taken into the palace. They were given privileges that most of the Hebrew slaves would never enjoy. They ate the food of the king and drank of his wine, the best in the land. The education they received would have been the finest available in Babylon.

But though it was physically pleasant, it was spiritually hard. The food and wine of the Babylonian king would have been objectionable to a Hebrew who was intent on following the Law of the Lord. To eat and drink from the king’s table would have been spiritually defiling for them.

These young men were faced with a serious challenge: they could give in to the luxuries of the king and enjoy life, or they could be faithful to the God they served and face unknown consequences and certainly miss a good deal of pleasure. They were at a crossroad, a decision point. One part of the fork before them was labeled self-fulfillment and pleasure. The other part of the fork was labeled faithful to God.

We face forks like that in our own lives, almost every day. Daniel chose God over his own pleasure. Which road are you walking down?

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- November 26, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.” (Daniel 1:1-2)

There is a great deal of pain in the first couple of verses of the book of Daniel.

There is the pain felt by Jerusalem. It was a horrible thing for a city to be besieged. The opposing army surrounds the city walls and camps there. No one was allowed to enter the city and no one was allowed to leave the city. A siege could last years. The enemy only had to wait patiently until the food and water supplies of the city were gone and then surrender came quickly. The people of Jerusalem had to be frightened by the powerful enemy as they camped outside its walls -- fear that increased with each passing month and no help coming from God.

There is the pain for King Jehoiakim of Judah. It could not have been easy for a king to watch his people suffer. And even if he was a king who did not care about his people, there had to be horrible fear as he considered what lay ahead for him. Kings were never treated very well when the enemy finally conquered. Jehoiakim knew the fate that awaited him as soon as surrender was made unavoidable. In fact, it’s probably the fear of the king that kept him from allowing an earlier surrender.

There is the pain of God, too. The book of Daniel says that is was the Lord who delivered Jehoiakim into the hands of the king of Babylon. God had come to the point where He gave up on His people. He had warned about it for years through other prophets. Now the time had come for hard discipline to be visited upon His own people, whom He loved deeply. It could not have been easy for God to watch as His people suffered. Of course, it was for their ultimate good -- they would come back one day from their captivity – a repentant people, at least for a while.

The story told in the book of Daniel is a story about how to live in the midst of pain. Since we all live in pain, there must be some things for us to learn from the story!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- November 25, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

The focal word of Revelation 22 is “come.” Three times Jesus reminds us that He is coming again -- soon.

“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” (Revelation 22:7)

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” (Revelation 22:12)

“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’” (Revelation 22:20)

It’s been almost 2,000 years since Jesus gave that promise through John. “Soon” in Jesus’ mind has a different meaning than soon in our minds. We grow impatient waiting for the fulfillment of the promise. We wonder if He has forgotten, or decided not to come after all. But when we see the things that John saw in Revelation start to unfold in reality then we can know that the Second Coming is right around the corner. Jesus will come again and all that holds Him back now is His patience in wanting as many as possible to come to Him for salvation.

The Spirit of God and the bride (the church) long for Jesus to come again. “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (Revelation 22:17) The Spirit and the bride call to those who are still living with the emptiness of not knowing Jesus to come to Him for the gift of life.

And, finally, John adds his own plea, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)

Come, Lord Jesus. Remake this dark world with Your bright light.

Come, Lord Jesus. Show Your glory, majesty, and power.

Come, Lord Jesus. Usher in our glorious eternity.

Come, Lord Jesus. Bring us into Your eternal presence.

Come, Lord Jesus!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- November 22, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Revelation 21:1-5)

Revelation 20 was a picture of justice. Those whose names were not written in the book of life were sent into the lake of fire. Eternal punishment is what is reserved for those who do not follow God’s commands and it represents what is deserved by them, too. Of course, that can be said for all of us. Eternal punishment is what we all deserve. That would be justice.

Revelation 21 is an amazing picture of grace! Instead of getting what we deserve, those whose names are in the book of life, those who follow Jesus, get what we do not deserve. We receive entrance into an eternity so glorious that it is beyond description.

There will be no sea, which means that there will be nothing to separate us from God, or from other people. We’ll be in the very presence of God, Him dwelling with us, us dwelling with Him.

God Himself will wipe the tears from our eyes. There will never again be anything that will cause tears of sorrow or of pain. It will be an eternity of only joy and peace. The comforting will not be assigned to any other heavenly being, not even the most powerful angel. God Himself will wipe the tears from our eyes.

All those things that have brought sorrow to us on earth: death, mourning, crying and pain, are gone. Those are the old order of things and they will be replaced by a new order that contains nothing of sorrow.

That’s heaven. That is what awaits us. We do not deserve it -- and there’s no way to earn it. It is God’s marvelous gift to those who receive His Son. I don’t want to miss it!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- November 21, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

Revelation 20 is about justice. The beast and the false prophet have already received justice. They have been thrown into the lake of fire. Now, Satan receives his justice and joins them in eternal torment. He was given every opportunity to repent. For a thousand years he was bound while Christ reigned on the earth and at the end of the thousand years he was released from his bondage. There was no change in him, no repentance. He went right back to his deceptive ways, turning nations against the Lord and justice came upon him.

And justice came to all the dead -- that is all except those whose names are written in the book of life.

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

The dead were judged according to what they had done. Their sins were revealed and they received justice for the sins they had committed. Justice for sin is the lake of fire, the place of eternal torment.

Thank God that not everyone receives justice. I don’t want justice. Justice would put me in the lake of fire, too, because of my sins. My sins are no less than the sins of the rest of mankind. The one way to escape justice is to have your name written in the book of life. And the one and only way to have your name written in the book of life is through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Because of Jesus Christ we won’t receive justice in the judgment of God. In Christ we’ll receive mercy and grace! And we get a glimpse of the extent of that grace in the final two chapters of Revelation.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- November 20, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:11-16)

There will be a sharp contrast between what Jesus was like when He came the first time and what He will be like when He comes the second time!

The first time He came, not a lot of people noticed – just His parents, a few shepherds, the wise men, and a few others. The world went about its normal business as though nothing had changed. The second time, “every eye will see Him.” His coming will be announced so that all who have ever lived will take note of it.

The first time He came He was a small baby, weak and powerless. The second time He will come riding a powerful horse demonstrating the fullness of His power and glory.

The first time He came, no one could tell He was a king. He was born in a stable and laid in a manger. The animals and common people were the only ones around. The second time, He will come as the King He really is – King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His eyes will blaze like fire and on His head will be many crowns. Angels will accompany Him and announce His glory.

The first time He came to invite all who would listen to join Him. He pleaded with people to follow Him. He allowed people to reject Him. The second time He will not come with an invitation, but with judgment. All decisions will be final at the moment of His coming. There will be no changing of hearts after that, only the prospect of a fearsome judgment.

The first time He came He allowed Himself to be arrested, mocked, abused, tried, and killed. The second time no one will lay a hand on Him. He will come with great armies of angels and those who oppose Him will feel the force of His power.

The first time He came was a marvelous gift from God to man. The second time He comes will be the marvelous fulfillment of that gift for those who of us who love Him and are waiting for His return.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- November 19, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

Revelation 17 tells of a great city that rules over the kings of the earth. There are 7 kings and another 10 kings mentioned who are in league with the great city. They oppose the Lord and seek to wipe out His influence.

They do not succeed. Those who oppose God ultimately never succeed. They are given freedom to oppose Him for a time, but their time always runs out and God brings their defeat. Revelation promises the defeat of the great city and the kings who follow her.

“They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings -- and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” (Revelation 17:14)

You can see two very encouraging themes in that verse:

The Lamb will overcome them. No one can overthrow Jesus. Those who opposed Him tried to do that when He walked the earth, but they failed. They spoke against Him, they tried to run Him out of their area, and when those things didn’t work, they beat Him and killed Him. They were convinced they could get rid of Him. The resurrection proved them wrong! The Lamb cannot be overcome. In the end, He is the one who wins every battle!

The Lamb’s called, chosen, and faithful followers are with Him. That’s us, and all others who follow Jesus. And the point is that we overcome with Jesus. The great city and the kings who follow her don’t just fight against Jesus. They also fight against His people. Those who oppose Jesus have turned against His church all through the ages. Sometimes they do great damage to the church. Some are doing great damage to the church right now in some parts of the world. Christians are being killed and the church has been driven underground. But here’s the promise of Revelation: the followers of Jesus will never be overcome. They will be the overcomers, along with Jesus!

Jesus can’t be overcome and neither can His people. We’re on the winning side!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- November 18, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

God’s patience finally runs out and He pours out His wrath on those who do not follow Him. It’s interesting to see their response to what is happening to them. “They cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.” (Revelation 16:9)

That same response is noted a second time in Revelation 16. “Men cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.” (Revelation 16:11)

Revelation does not picture a scene of mass repentance among those who face the wrath of God. Despite the punishment they are feeling, most do not repent. There is only hatred and a refusal to turn to God for help.

In a final act of arrogance, the dragon fights back at God. “And they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.” (Revelation 16:14) He gathers all of powers of the earth to do

battle.

Hatred, a refusal to turn to God, arrogance and defiance, these are responses that are seen to God’s wrath. In those responses God’s wrath is shown just. If He had been willing to wait longer for people to turn to Him it would have been to no affect.

There will come a day when the hearts of men will be so hard that nothing God could do would turn them back to Him. That’s the day that will reveal God’s wrath and usher in the end of the world.

As long as there is hope that men will turn to God, He patiently waits. When hope is gone, His wrath will come!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- November 15, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues -- last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: ‘Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.’” (Revelation 15:1-4)

Revelation includes descriptions of God’s wrath being poured out on the world. His wrath brings great pain and suffering to the people of the world who choose not to follow Him.

While God’s wrath is being poured out, those who followed God lift their voices in a song of praise to Him in heaven. It includes this phrase, “Just and true are your ways.”

God’s wrath, although horrible to see, is just. Justice has always been and always will be an unchangeable characteristic of God. Sin must be punished, God’s justice requires it.

For those who follow God, our sin, too, must be punished. God’s justice requires it. And the full weight of the punishment our sins deserve was poured out on Jesus as He hung on the cross. Jesus’ suffering and death satisfied God’s justice for our sins so that we don’t have to face the punishment our sins deserve.

For those who choose not to follow Jesus there still must be justice. Their sins must be punished. Revelation demonstrates just how horrible sin is from God’s perspective. In the pouring out of the wrath of God we see how much we deserve for our sin, how much we have escaped because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

It’s horrible to see for those who do not follow Jesus -- and motivation for us to share the gospel with all that we can. It’s also powerful motivation to give thanks to Jesus for what He has saved us from.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- November 14, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.’” (Revelation 14:13)

For most people, death is their greatest fear. It is fearful because it is unknown. No one can see past death to what is beyond. We can’t visit the other side for a while to satisfy our doubts. We have to accept what is said about life after death by faith. It is fearful because this life and this world are all we know and it’s hard to release what we know to enter into what we don’t know.

One of the purposes of Revelation is to provide confidence as we face death. Revelation paints picture after picture of difficult times that either Christians were facing then or that were coming in the years ahead. There is a dragon, beasts, and all kinds of sufferings. The prospect of these future things brings great fear and uncertainty about how they can be handled. Christians will be tortured and killed by those who fight against God and His people.

But, Revelation goes beyond just painting a picture of the difficulties that lie ahead. Revelation also paints beautiful pictures of the confidence with which we can face those sufferings: not even the worst that can be done to us, not even death, brings real defeat.

Instead of defeat, for the Christian, death brings blessing, it brings victory. For those who follow the Lord, death is a blessing. Beyond death is rest and reward.

We don’t have to be afraid of our greatest fear. God has promised blessing for us beyond death. We can live -- and die -- in that confidence!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- November 13, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

One of the questions of Revelation is this: do you love Jesus more than you love your life?

I know that you’ve never been faced with a situation in which you had to make that kind of choice, so answering the question is just theoretical. But that question has not been theoretical in all of the ages of this world. That question is not theoretical today in some parts of the world. That question may not always be theoretical for us. There may come a day when you and I will be faced with that question for real.

Revelation 13 tells the story of two beasts that will roam the earth one day. They are horrible beasts that wage war against God’s church. Of the first beast, Revelation says, “The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast -- all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13:5-8)

The first beast will rule the whole world. He’ll blaspheme and stand against God. He’ll make life on earth miserable for those who follow the Lord: make war against us and conquer us. All will worship him, except those who follow Jesus.

And the second beast will serve the first beast, using his powers to cause people to worship the first beast and bringing destruction when they refuse.

Do you love Jesus more than you love your life? It’s not just a theoretical question. It’s a question you may be faced with one day. You need to ready to answer it!

By the way, Jesus has already shown that He loves you more than He loves His life!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- November 12, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them!  But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.’” (Revelation 12:10-12)

There has been a war in heaven, and Satan has lost. His doom is sealed. He rose up against God and recruited other angels to join the rebellion, but he could not defeat God. It was futile for him to try to overthrow God, but in his arrogance he thought that it was possible. It led to his defeat and sealed his destruction. And now he lives to accuse those who follow God, to point out our sins to God and bring trouble to us on the earth. He tried to bring trouble in heaven and failed and so has turned to the earth to unleash his fury.

How can we ever overcome the power of Satan? He knows our sin and many of his accusations are correct. He doesn’t have to make up lies about us, the truth is bad enough! He knows our weaknesses and sets before us temptation after temptation, plotted to be especially alluring to us.

There is only one way to overcome his power in our lives and make his accusations futile. It’s only through the work of Jesus in our lives! It is through the blood of the Lamb that Satan’s power over us becomes impotent. It is through the word of our testimony of what Christ has done for us that he flees in failure from our lives. It is through our whole-hearted commitment to the Lord -- loving Jesus more than life itself -- that Satan cannot touch us.

He’ll keep trying with all his power, raging at us and bringing turmoil to the world. He knows his time is short, so should we! Satan has been defeated. God has been victorious. In Christ, we are victorious, too.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- November 11, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great -- and for destroying those who destroy the earth.’” (Revelation 11:15-18)

Who is in charge of the world?

According to John’s Gospel, the devil is the prince of the world. (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11) He has been given great power to influence the world and lead men astray. A look at the character of the world clearly reveals the influence Satan has had. Wars and greed and unrighteousness are the characteristics of the world and those reflect the character of the devil, not the character of God.

Of course, ultimately God is in charge. He is only allowing Satan the freedom to use evil influences for a little while. A day will come when God will put an end to Satan’s reign. According to John’s Revelation, there will come a day when “the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our Lord.” Satan will be removed from his powerful position and God’s wrath will come upon those who have not followed Him.

On that day, God’s people will fall on their faces before Him in worship. We’ll give thanks to God for putting an end to injustice, unrighteousness, and the power of evil. Reward will come to those who have rejected the way of the world and followed God. Destruction will come to those who bought into the way the world and participated in its wickedness.

What seems so powerful today is just an illusion. Follow the One whose kingdom will be eternal.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- November 7, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, ‘There will be no more delay. But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.’” (Revelation 10:5-7)

The plan of God for the consummation of the world is a mystery. That is, it is something hidden that we do not fully comprehend. God has spoken about it through His prophets, but usually they speak in veiled terms that do not lend themselves easily to our understanding of what is being said. None of us should expect to fully understand the things that surround time of the end. None of us should expect to fully understand all that is written in the book of Revelation. It was intended to be veiled and then made clear as the events it describes begin to unveil themselves.

What we do know is that we live in a day of delay. Something is holding back the finishing of God’s plan. It has been 2000 years since Jesus came. We’ve had the prophecies spoken in Revelation through John for almost that long. The prophecies spoken through other biblical prophets, like Daniel and Ezekiel, we’ve had even longer than that. It is a lengthy delay of which we are in the midst.

We also know that the delay will end. There will come a day when the angel of God will make the announcement … “There will be no more delay.” All that God is waiting to be done will be accomplished and His plan will move forward to its conclusion. In that day we will see the fulfillment of the mystery of God. What He has promised will become clear to us.

In the meantime, it is ours to wait. It is ours to be patient. It is ours to trust God. It is ours to keep working to share His message with others so that they too will be ready when the delay is finished.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Thursday Thought -- November 7, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

Revelation 9 is a picture of horrible suffering in the world. Some of the suffering, and perhaps all of it, is the result of the utter wickedness of Satan that God will allow to be released on the world at the end of the age. God has been holding back Satan’s rage. But there will come a day when God will release Satan to express his full fury against the world. Out of the abyss and controlled by Satan will come torment. The agony will be so bad that men will cry out for death. “During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.” (Revelation 9:6)

Then death will be released on the world. The angels that God had been holding back will be released and a third of the people on earth will be killed by terrible plagues. “A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.” (Revelation 9:18)

Mankind is not feeling the full anger of Satan. Right now, God is holding back his fury, not allowing him to fully express his hatred of mankind. God is protecting the world, for the benefit of His people and to give people every opportunity to come to Him.

Even when God allows Satan’s hatred to be released fully it is with the hope that men will repent, turning back to the Lord. But not even the torment that is described in Revelation 9 and the widespread death that follows will cause men to return to the Lord, their hearts become so hardened that they will not repent. “The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood -- idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (Revelation 9:20-21)

Thank God for His restraining power. We have no idea of the depth of Satan’s anger and hatred toward mankind because God, in His mercy and love, will not allow Satan to show himself fully.

Pray for those who have not yet opened their hearts to the Lord. Pray that they will see the Lord at work around them and respond in this season of restraint so they will not feel the full effect of Satan’s hatred in the days ahead.

His, by Grace,

Steve

Wednesday Thought -- November 6, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” (Revelation 8:2-5)

Revelation is a picture of the consummation of history. At the end of this age, God’s righteousness will prevail and His justice will be done. Those who have fought against God, the devil and all he has worked through, face God’s wrath. And those who have appealed to God for His grace and mercy are rescued from wickedness and enter an eternity of joy and peace.

One of the factors that contributes to the consummation of all things is prayer. Sometimes it seems as though our prayers go unanswered. It is as though God does not hear. We pray for righteousness to prevail and wickedness seems to continue to win. We pray that justice will come, but injustice is what we see. We pray for God to be glorified and instead we see a world that rejects Him more and more openly and pushes Him to the margins of society.

Are our prayers going unanswered? Not according to Revelation. Instead, our prayers are being gathered together with the prayers of Christians from other ages. And there will come a day when those prayers will be brought to God and He will answer!

Righteousness will prevail. Justice will be done. Wickedness will be punished. Christians will be rescued from the world. God will be glorified.

Pray for those things and you can be assured that although there may be a delay, those prayers will ultimately be answered!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Tuesday Thought -- November 5, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“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 in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ --- 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. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-10; 14-17)

The people of God began with just a few. Before the Day of Pentecost there were only 120 in the Upper Room and Jesus only appeared to about 500 after His resurrection. But by the time we reach heaven that small group will have grown into a great multitude that no one can count.

God’s people began among one nation and language, among the Jewish people in a small corner of the world. The place where the Kingdom started is smaller than Oregon. If Israel was located in America it would be only a small state. But from that small beginning in a remote corner of the world, God’s Kingdom will expand to include people from every nation, every tribe, every people group, and every language. No group will be excluded from those who worship God in heaven!

And what awaits the great multitude in heaven --- what awaits you and me and all others who have come to Christ --- is a place of unimaginable blessing. Heaven will be a place of worship, where we express to God our gratitude for what He has done for us. Heaven will be a place of service --- not hard labor --- but service to God that is meaningful. Heaven will be a place of protection, God’s tent will be spread over us so that nothing can harm us. Heaven will be a place of provision, all of our needs will be taken care of God. Heaven will be a place of joy and comfort, there will be no tears -- God Himself will wipe them away.

On earth, sometimes it seems that God’s people are a small, insignificant group of people who have been pushed to the margins of society. But the reality is that God’s people are a thriving multitude of people from every age and place. One day we will all be gathered together and what a glorious time and place that will be!

I’m looking forward to heaven!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Monday Thought -- November 4, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

“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 number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.” (Revelation 6:9-11)

How long will God allow people to be killed just because they are Christians? It seems foreign to us because we live in freedom, but not every place in the world enjoys the same blessing. I’ve read story after story of people who have lost their jobs because of their faith, lost their homes when those opposed to Christianity set them afire, and lost their lives to angry mobs or government persecution. Such stories aren’t from years ago, they are happening right now in some parts of the world. How long will God allow it to continue?

How long will God allow the world to keep going from bad to worse? The hope has always been that things will get better, but they haven’t! Surely, we think, people will begin to see the folly of their sin and turn to the Lord. Won’t revival sweep across our land and restore righteousness? But it hasn’t. Sin continues to increase and people become more and more accustomed to it until it becomes accepted. Righteousness is spurned, sometimes even rejected as wrong. The mind of the world becomes more and more twisted. How long will God allow it to continue?

How long before God will put an end to sin? How long before God will bring persecution to an end? How long before God will bring justice to those who have made His people suffer?

We ask those questions and so do those who are already in God’s presence. And God has answered -- be patient, keep waiting. Judgment will come according to His time, not according to ours. When the last martyr has given his life for the faith, then God will act. Right up to the end people will suffer for being Christians. That is God’s plan. He’s giving people every opportunity to turn to Him, even at the cost of the suffering of His people. But the promise of God still stands -- one day that suffering will end! One day reward will come for God’s people and judgment will come for those who oppose Him. Wait patiently!

His, by Grace,

Steve

Friday Thought -- November 1, 2013

Good Morning Friends,

Jesus is worthy!

Jesus is worthy to open the scroll that unveils the final triumph of God over evil. No one else is worthy to do that!

“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.’” (Revelation 5:5)

When Jesus accepted the scroll from God heaven broke out in praise.

The 24 elders and the 4 creatures worshipped with a new song to declare His worthiness.

“And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God 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.’” (Revelation 5:8-10)

Then the angels, a choir that is beyond being numbered, took up the theme and sang.

“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 sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’” (Revelation 5:11-12)

And the circle of praise grew larger still as every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, every creature lifted its voice in praise.

“Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’” (Revelation 5:13)

Animals, men, angels, even creatures that can’t be described will give praise to the Lamb, to Jesus, our Savior. He is the One who is worthy!

His, by Grace,

Steve