Burunche’s Blog

Revelation 2:8 – 11” To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who died and returned to life. I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews, but are in fact a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will suffer tribulation for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.”

If Ephesus was a center of worship to the goddess Artemis and the Oracle of Delphi, Smyrna was a center of emperor worship. Although Smyrna started out with temples to several Greek gods, the citizens of Smyrna erected the first temple to Dea Roma, the spiritual goddess of Rome, in B.C. 196. Dea Roma was the spiritual symbol of the Roman Empire. For most of the citizens of Smyrna, it was probably a no – brainer. Smyrna was already a busy trading center due to its location at the lower end of a rich valley that produced high quality wine. In addition, Smyrna also had an excellent harbor. Why not add one more goddess to those already honored if it meant currying favor with Rome? In AD 23 Smyrna won a competition to build the first temple to worship Tiberius Caesar. Later the emperor Domitian demanded worship of himself as a god. (Domitian was also the one who sent John to Patmos.) This worship was thoroughly organized; all one had to do was to go to the temple once a year, offer a pinch of incense, recite the phrase “Caesar is Lord,” and get a certificate. Presto! You were good for another year, and you had established yourself as a loyal subject of Rome. You could rest assured that everyone would do business with you and that there would be no harassment from Roman officials.

But Christians refused to acknowledge anyone else as Lord apart from Jesus, and Domitian was obsessed with making sure EVERYBODY worshiped him! For Christians in Smyrna, this collision of wills must have meant tremendous financial hardships. So even though there were many rich people in Smyrna, the Christians existed in grinding poverty due to their faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today throughout the world, there are those who are paying the same price for their faith. The question facing those of us who are NOT suffering financially for our faith is this: have we already offered incense on Caesar’s altar? Have we already compromised, “going along to get along.”

A second question is this: what constitutes true riches? The Christians in Smyrna were extremely poor and yet Jesus commended them, saying that they were actually rich! Those believers were rich in faith and rich in their trust in God. Money is actually a worthless commodity; you can’t eat it, wear it, or do much of anything with it. If you have paper money, it can burn up. If you have on – line bank accounts, they can be hacked. Here in Ghana there is a new scam in which people call you up, claiming that someone has accidentally deposited money into your mobile money account. They are actually attempting to establish a link with your account. The second you access your account, these scammers collect your pin number and drain your account. Jesus told his followers in Matthew 6:19 – 21 “ – Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” As we think about the Christians in Smyrna, we should ask ourselves where is OUR treasure?

Not only were the Christians facing persecution from the Roman government, but there was evidently a large Jewish synagogue whose members were also aggressively persecuting the Christians. It is possible that some of these Jewish leaders were acting as did Saul prior to his conversion; they truly thought they were trying to eliminate heretics. On the other hand, many of the members of this synagogue might have been persecuting the Christians because they were coming under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and were reacting against that conviction. There may have been those members who were trying go gain favor with Roman officials in hopes of better business deals with Imperial Rome. Most houses of worship contain a mixture of members, some of whom truly are seeking God and many who have joined due to cultural or business reasons.

What’s so important about this message from Jesus to the Church of Smyrna? JESUS IS AWARE OF THEIR SUFFERINGS! JESUS KNOWS ALL THE DETAILS OF THEIR SITUATION! JESUS EVEN KNOWS WHAT IS ABOUT TO BEFALL THEM! Many times when we suffer, we wonder if anybody knows or cares what is happening to us. Take heart! Jesus knows! Jesus is aware! Jesus cares!

What about the warnings about imprisonment and additional persecution? Generally, Rome didn’t bother putting someone in jail unless they were facing death sentences. Jesus is warning these believers that they may have to pay for their faith with their lives. (Polycarp, a bishop in Smyrna at this time, was stabbed and burned while being martyred for his faith. The story of his death is incredible; however, similar stories are coming out of countries closed to the Gospel.)

“Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be harmed by the second death.” What is important here? Jesus is telling believers to hold on, to keep the faith, and to never fall away. Those who remain faithful will ultimately be victorious.

Years ago, there was a famous American ski racing champion who shared one of the secrets of his success: he said that he never worried about the finish line; instead, he visualized a finish line beyond the finish line and tried to increase his momentum accordingly. Here Jesus is telling the Christians in Smyrna that they will receive crowns and that hell will never touch them. What a promise!

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you that you are faithful and that you reward those who seek you and who follow hard after you. Lord, help us to be faithful even if we must die for our faith. Help us to love you so much that no sacrifice will be too much for us to make. And thank you for your promises of eternal life and heavenly rewards. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 2:1 – 7 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles. Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name. But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.”

Jesus is beginning to give specific messages to the various churches. Ephesus was a very important trading town located on a fine harbor with a huge library and a theater seating 25,000 people. Close to Ephesus was the Temple of Artemis (Diana.)Diana was the goddess of the hunt but also was considered a fertility goddess as well. According to legend, Ephesus was originally built on the site of the Oracle of Delphi, a pagan oracle whose utterances were likely demonic. During the time of Paul one of the major industries in Ephesus involved making of silver images of Artemis/Diana for sale to tourists. At one point, the silversmiths staged a riot against Paul because he was teaching about Jesus. (Acts 19) Between the worshipers of Artemis and those seeking answers from the Oracle of Delphi, there was a lot of demonic activity going on in Ephesus.

WHOO! Surrounded by pagan worshipers and libertines! It wasn’t easy being a Christian in Ephesus, and Jesus recognizes this. “I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles. Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name.” What a ringing endorsement! When the Christians at Ephesus heard those statements, they were probably looking around the room and smiling at one another. YES! God has recognized all our good works! Aren’t we wonderful!”

But wait! Jesus isn’t through! “But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” OUCH! Wait a minute, Jesus! You just commended us for being faithful! Couldn’t you have just left it there?

What does Jesus mean when he tells the Ephesian church that they have abandoned their first love? When we first come to know Jesus, no sacrifice is too great for us to make. We are so thrilled to be free from our sins that we would do anything for Jesus, go anywhere, speak with anybody. We have holy boldness and we want to tell all our family and friends about the fantastic changes in our lives. But as time goes on, that fire dies down. We start to become “sensible” and to mitigate our enthusiasm. After all, we don’t want to appear odd. Sometimes we substitute rules for faith and begin checking off duties as a substitute for prayer and praise and sacrifice. And those around us who are not Christians are trying to dampen the fires of our enthusiasm as much as possible.

As Christians we must continually subject ourselves to the inspection of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can thoroughly search our hearts and minds and root out hidden sins. And it is not enough to merely ask the Holy Spirit to show us our hidden faults, we must confess these faults, seek forgiveness, and ask God to change us into His Likeness. Jesus is not criticizing the Ephesians for a failure to maintain a heightened level of emotion; Jesus wants the Ephesians to remember their original level of devotion to Him and to return to that level.

“But you have this to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ” Who were the Nicolaitans? The original Nicolas was one of the first seven deacons ordained in A.D. 33. It is unclear whether or not he later fell away from the faith or if there was another man named Nicolas who inspired the group known as the Nicolaitans. The Nicolaitans were a small sect limited to Ephesus and Pergamum. Irenaeus, one of the early church fathers, believed that Nicolas gradually fell away from the faith and founded this sect: “The Nicolaitanes are the followers of that Nicolas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles. They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is very plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John, [when they are represented] as teaching that it is a matter of indifference to practice adultery, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.”

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.”

Jesus is calling the Christians at Ephesus to return to their original level of dedication to Him, but He is also giving them an incredible Promise. Remember that when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, they were cast out of Eden. But now Jesus is promising that all those Christians who are victorious will have eternal life and be with Him in Paradise.

What does this letter to the Christians at Ephesus have to do with us? These letters were not merely written to specific churches but also to the Church Universal for all time. The admonitions and promises in these letters are for all believers in all generations.

Today, we must ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and minds. Where are we relaxing? Where are we giving up? Where are we compromising? Have we abandoned our first love, if we have ever loved God at all? And then we must ask the Holy Spirit to give us the power to change and be transformed into the Image of God’s Son, Jesus.

PRAYER; Father God, help us to listen when you are speaking to us. Show us our faults and help us to repudiate them. Please transform us into the likeness of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 1:12 – 20 “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was One like the Son of Man,f dressed in a long robe, with a golden sash around His chest. The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades.

Therefore write down the things you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that will happen after this. This is the mystery of the seven stars you saw in My right hand and of the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”

Throughout John’s time with Jesus, he was the disciple closest to Jesus. John was described as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” and was also the one to whom Jesus assigned the care of his mother Mary when Jesus was dying on the cross. When Jesus arose from the dead, John was there for every major event. If anybody would recognize Jesus, it would be John.

The last time John had seen Jesus, Jesus was ascending into heaven and was still dressed as he had been throughout his ministry on earth. But now John was encountering the risen and glorified Jesus as the Son of God as well as Son of Man. It’s interesting that the description John gives of Jesus as the Son of Man is identical with that given by the prophet Daniel when he was describing his visions. The overall impression is one of inutterable brightness and purity. No wonder that when John saw Jesus in this fashion, he fell at Jesus’s feet like a dead man!

If you ask many people for their idea of what Jesus looks like, you might get some kind of a stained glass window image – a skinny, pale, undernourished man with long hair and a beard and a sorrowful look on his face as if his dinner had not agreed with him. Not a particularly appealing image! But nothing could be further from the truth about Jesus as the risen and conquering Son of God and Son of Man. If your idea of Jesus is that of a simpering stained glass window figure, forget it! That figure only existed in the mind of some artist.

“But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last, the Living One. I was dead, and behold, now I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of Death and of Hades…” Through subjecting Himself to death as a perfect sinless sacrifice, Jesus overcame death and hell. What no mortal man could do, Jesus has accomplished for all time. And Jesus was assuring John that He was alive forevermore. Never again would John have to follow Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem to the High Priests’ House or to the Roman Praetorium or even to Calvary. All that has been done away with and Jesus is now triumphant.

Jesus was holding seven stars in His right hand. These stars were the seven angels guarding the seven churches to which the revelation was to be circulated. The seven lampstands were the seven churches. These churches were selected to serve as lights in the darkness surrounding them in the Roman province of Asia.

All Christians are supposed to be lights in a dark world. Jesus said in Matthew 5:14 – 16”You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” If we truly follow Jesus, people will see His glory, His grace, and His love shining through us and will be attracted to that light… or repelled. Those who are hungry for the light of God will be attracted. Those who have already turned away from God will be repelled.

It is incredibly comforting to know that Jesus was holding the angels guarding those churches in His right hand. Traditionally, the right hand has always been the hand of blessing and honor. Those churches and the people in them were so precious to Jesus that he was guarding the guardians. Many times we wonder if anyone cares for us at all. Take heart! Jesus loved you so much that he suffered, bled, and died for your sins. You are every bit as precious to Jesus as were those seven churches with their angels.

“Therefore write down the things you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that will happen after this.” God doesn’t choose just anybody to write down His Word. Throughout the ages, God has chosen those who loved Him and who would carefully listen to His voice to transmit his Will and his Teachings. Now Jesus was commissioning John, his closest human friend, to record this vision. What an honor! What a privilege! How scary could it get? By this point, John’s knees were probably knocking together in anxiety and fright….. and yet…. and yet, this was Jesus, John’s closest Friend. Jesus, who knew John better than he knew himself. Jesus, who had loved John even before the foundations of the world and who was now calling John to do one final great work for him. It must have been with fear and trembling that John agreed and waited on the vision.

I once saw a book entitled, “Here Am I, God. Send Aaron.” The thought was that Moses probably wished God had chosen his brother Aaron to lead Israel rather than forcing him into leadership. Many times we might feel totally inadequate to fulfill the calling God puts on our lives. But we should rest assured that if God calls us, He will empower us.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to listen for your voice and to look for you to break into our lives. Help us to follow hard after you and to trust that if you call us to do a difficult thing, you will give us the power to carry out that calling. Thank you for loving us! Thank you that Jesus is not a poor dying figure on a cross or a dead body in a grave, but that He is the risen and conquering King. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 1:9 – 11 “I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus. On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

Stuck on a bare rocky island in the middle of the sea! Not exactly the retirement plan most of us would consider! Sitting outside that cave half – way up the mountain on Patmos, all John could see was the sea, the rocks, and the blinding sunlight. The Emperor Domitian exiled John to this remote prison island because John was preaching Jesus Christ while Domitian wanted everyone to worship him. As the Roman Empire continued to crumble from the inside, the emperors became increasingly insistent on total submission to their every whim. Given those circumstances, it’s quite likely that John had plenty of Christian company on Patmos. But isolation also has advantages. For one thing, if John wanted to preach to his fellow prisoners and even to the guards, it’s likely that people were happy to listen just to break up the monotony. John truly had a captive audience. We will never know this side of heaven how many guards and prisoners on Patmos became believers through John’s witness.

As a faithful believer, John continued to worship regularly by himself. It was while John was worshiping that God sent him the vision that became the Book of Revelation.

“On the Lord’s day I was in the Spirit…” When we worship the Lord, great things happen! That morning, John began praying as he usually did, possibly by praying, “Blessed art Thou, O King of the Universe…” and suddenly, the Holy Spirit empowered John and he realized that he was truly in the Presence of the King of the Universe!

 “I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” How do we know the Voice of God? Many times, the Holy Spirit speaks very softly, so softly that we must strain to hear. But God had instituted the use of trumpets in the temple as far back as the time of Moses. In Numbers 10:2 God commanded Moses to make two trumpets of hammered silver. These trumpets were used for worship, for alarms, and for giving instructions when the Israelites were traveling. Now God is making a whole series of critically important announcements, so it makes sense that He would use a voice like a trumpet.

Why was John commanded to write what he was about to see? God wanted to make sure that John knew he was to share this vision with the churches. Visions are sacred and not to be shared indiscriminately. Sharing something at the wrong time or to the wrong audience may bring all kinds of confusion and misunderstanding.

What is the significance of the churches listed? All those churches were in the Roman province of Asia and they were located roughly in a circle. In addition, each of these cities was also a Roman postal district, making widespread distribution of these writings relatively easy. Some other Bible teachers also feel that the number of seven churches has spiritual significance. In many parts of the Bible, the number seven is regarded as the number of perfection or completeness. These seven churches might have been chosen to represent churches in every place and in every age. Personally, I think all of these theories are accurate. God is the Ultimate Multitasker and He is always doing far more than we can possibly imagine or think.

Very few of us may ever have the kind of experience that John had. Many of us might not WANT that kind of experience; after all, if God asks you to write something down, what if you make a mistake??? But we can praise God that John was faithful and carried out instructions.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you are always speaking to your people. Thank you that you don’t play favorites and that you will reveal your Will to anyone who sincerely asks. Help all who read this devotional to learn how to hear your voice, even when you are speaking softly. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 1:7 – 8 “Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.”

Even before Jesus ascended into heaven, his disciples were already getting anxious as to when he would return. Acts 1:7-11 describes the scene: Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.”

By this time, John is the last man standing among the disciples. All the other disciples have already been martyred for their faith. Now there are second and third and even fourth generation believers in the church. John wants to make sure that these believers don’t get discouraged and that they realize that Jesus could come back at any moment. Believers in Christ need to live in the expectation of that return.

Weddings were a big deal in Jesus’ day! The date would be announced, and the venue, but nobody knew exactly when the bridegroom would show up. Potential wedding guests had to be ready; festivities would begin as soon as the bridegroom arrived. Jesus told a story about twenty young ladies who were waiting to take part in a wedding. The bridegroom didn’t show up when expected, and night fell. Ten of these ladies had planned ahead and had enough oil for their lamps to burn all night; however, the other ten found their lamps running out of oil. And while the second group was off buying more oil, the bridegroom showed up, the wedding guests entered the wedding hall, and the door was locked. The feckless young ladies who had not been prepared found themselves locked out of the celebration. The moral of the story was obvious: Jesus was comparing himself to the bridegroom and warning his followers to be ready at all times for his return.

“and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him.” When Jesus came as a baby, he was born to a poor family in an obscure village in a small country. He was a nobody. But when Jesus returns as the conquering King who has vanquished hell, death, and the grave, EVERYBODY is going to see Him! Jesus warned his disciples of this shortly before he was crucified. “Therefore if they say to you, “Look, He is in the desert!” do not go out; or “Look, He is in the inner rooms!” do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”  (Matthew 24:26-27).

Before Jesus was crucified, he was beaten with whips having sharp pieces of broken pottery to help tear the flesh further. Then Jesus was nailed to the cross and eventually a Roman soldier thrust a spear into his left side to make sure that he was dead. None of us were there that day at Calvary; yet, we are all just as guilty as if we were in the crowds that screamed “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Jesus did not die on Calvary for his own sins, but for ours. When Jesus returns, everyone will see him in his majesty and his glory. At the same time, all of us will fall under the conviction of the Holy Spirit that WE are the ones who caused those wounds! We are the ones who caused Jesus to be pierced! And all of the human race will grieve because of the way Jesus suffered and the fact that he suffered for us!

So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, ” says the Lord God, who is and was and is to come—the Almighty.” When we say something is going to happen, there is always a chance that circumstances will change. But when God says “So shall it be,”  that ends the matter! In the Greek alphabet, Alpha is the first letter and Omega is the last letter. God is assuring us that He is the beginning and end of everything, that He is Almighty, and that He has always existed, still exists and always will exist.

Today, where is your confidence? Are you trusting in financial security or a job or family connections? Perhaps you are a physical fitness buff and run marathons. As long as you are trusting in anything or anyone less than the One True Living God, you are making a terrible mistake. If COVID has taught us little else, we should have learned that businesses, jobs, social position and health can all vanish in an instant. In Psalm 95:7-8 the Psalmist tells us, “Today, if you hear His voice, 8do not harden your hearts…”

Remember the story of the wedding party. Jesus is going to return, but nobody knows the day or the hour. If we are not ready, if we have not chosen to follow Jesus, we will be like the young ladies who found themselves locked out of the wedding feast.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you allowed yourself to be pierced for our sins and nailed to the cross! Thank you that you have made a way for us to be with you in heaven forever if we will only believe on you and what you have done for us. Help everyone who reads this devotional to come to a saving knowledge of your love for them. In your mighty and precious Name, Jesus. Amen.

Revelations 1:5b – 6 ”To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

“To Him who loved us…” It’s difficult to believe, but Jesus loved every one of us even before we were born. In America, when parents and grandparents love a child, they will display any drawing the child makes on their kitchen refrigerator where they can look at it frequently. Max Lucado is fond of saying that God is so crazy about us that he has our drawings posted on His kitchen refrigerator!

God tells us in Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus died on the cross for each of us. One pastor we knew used to say that if each of us had been the only person in the whole world, Jesus would still have died for us.

“And washed us from our sins in His own blood…” The only payment for a sin debt is blood, but none of us is good enough by ourselves to pay for our own sins. Only the blood of Jesus, a perfect man, is sufficient to take away our sins. Earlier John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

If we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, His blood literally washes away our sins. When I was a kid, one of our favorite places to play was down by a small creek that ran through our farm. The only problem was that there was a lot more mud than there was water! This meant that once we finished playing, we looked like mud monsters that only a mother could love! I can’t count the number of times my mom had to pour buckets of water over us before we could even think about coming in the house, just to get the worst of the mud off. Sin clings even more closely than mud and is harder to get rid of! Only a Holy Spirit pressure washer can blast away our sin. nd has made us kings and priests to His God and Father…” Remember the story of the prodigal son? Born into a comfortably wealthy family, this younger son couldn’t wait to run out and live it up! He demanded his inheritance and took off for the big city where he proceeded to run through the money in the shortest time possible. Reduced to homelessness, the young man limped back to the country and became a swine herd, one of the dirtiest jobs possible. Finally, the boy decided to return home in hopes that his father would at least give him a job around the farm. But the father was thrilled that the boy had returned and celebrated his home coming. God our heavenly Father is like that. By ourselves, we don’t deserve God’s love at all. We have done nothing to make ourselves loveable. But God is rich in mercy and forgives all those who will turn away from their sins and come to him. When the prodigal son returned, the father dressed him in fine clothes and put a ring on his finger. If we will turn to God, He will make us royalty.

What is the significance of our being elevated to the status of priests? Only certain men of a certain age range and family background were elegible to serve as priests. These men had to be in good health without any sores, discharges, or other blemishes. But here God is promising to accept us as His kings or queens and priests or priestesses and allow us to enter the most holy places, even though by ourselves we do not deserve it.

 “to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” God is worthy of every bit of praise we can offer! There are no words sufficient to describe the greatness of God or His glory. But we should always thank and praise him for what He has done for us. And we should always seek to obey him. If we truly want God to have dominion forevre, He must occupy first place in our lives and in our hearts. Only then can we truly echo this prayer.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us, for cleaning us up, and for elevating us to a status that only you can give. Help everyone who reads this devotional to realize how precious they are to you and how deep is your love for them. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelations 1:4 – 5 “John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.”

Wow! What’s going on with John? Addressing the letter to a specific set of churches in normal, as is the salutation of “Grace and Peace.” The churches mentioned were located in the Roman province of Asia, now modern – day Turkey. But John is purporting to speak for the eternal God, for Jesus, and for the “seven Spirits who are before His (God’s) throne,” that is, for the Holy Spirit. Is John delusional? Has dementia set in? “No,” to both those questions.

Just in case you thought “Fake News” was something new, you were wrong! Throughout history, people have circulated all kinds of rumors of various kinds and weird beliefs. Jesus had scarcely ascended into heaven before there were people accusing the early Christians of being crazy. Christians were accused of actually drinking human blood and eating human flesh during their communion services. And every town and village had its own local gods to be propitiated, with all kinds of myths surrounding these deities.

God gave John a vision and commanded him to write exactly what he saw. John is trying to make sure we understand that what he is about to tell us did not come from him, but from God. John is speaking to converts who might have been worshiping a plethora of false gods previously, so he wants to qualify that this message is coming from the Eternal God who existed before time and space, and who is present now and in the future. For Jews, this God would be identified as the Yaweh of their Scriptures.

 “From the seven Spirits who are before His throne…” Guzik explains this phrase as follows: “John brought a greeting from God the Holy Spirit, who is described with this title. The seven Spirits who are before His throne speaks to the perfection  and  completion of the Holy Spirit. John used an Old Testament description of the Holy Spirit. The idea of the seven Spirits quotes from the Old Testament. Isaiah 11:2 describes seven aspects of the Holy Spirit: The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord. It isn’t that there are seven different spirits of God, rather the Spirit of the Lord has these characteristics, and He has them all in fullness and perfection.”

Guzik continues, “From Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth:” John brought a greeting from God the Son, who is described by who He is and by what He has done.

i. Jesus is the faithful witness: This speaks to Jesus’ utter reliability and faithfulness to His Father and to His people, even unto death. The ancient Greek word translated witness is also the word for a martyr.

ii. Firstborn from the dead: This speaks to Jesus’ standing as pre-eminent among all beings, that He is first in priority. Firstborn from the dead means much more than that Jesus was the first person resurrected. It also means that He is pre-eminent among all those who are or will be resurrected. Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

iii. The use of firstborn does not mean that Jesus had a birth date and is therefore a created being, and not God. The ancient Rabbis called Yahweh Himself “Firstborn of the World” (Rabbi Bechai cited in Lightfoot’s commentary on Colossians). Rabbis also used firstborn as a Messianic title. “God said, ‘As I made Jacob a first-born (Exodus 4:22), so also will I make king Messiah a first-born’ (Psalm 89:27).” (R. Nathan in Shemoth Rabba, cited by Lightfoot in his commentary on Colossians)

iv. Jesus is the ruler over the kings. Before the Book of Revelation is over, Jesus will take dominion over every earthly king. At the present time, Jesus rules a kingdom, but it is a kingdom that is not yet of this world.

e. In this greeting, with its systematic mention of each Person of the Trinity, we see how the New Testament presents the doctrine of the Trinity. It doesn’t present it in a carefully defined, “systematic theology” kind of way. It simply weaves the truth of the Trinity – that there is One God in Three Persons – throughout the fabric of the New Testament.”

(David Guzik, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/revelation-1)

Why is John spending so much time in setting the stage? Why doesn’t he just get on with narrating his vision? Well, the simplest answer is that this is what God has instructed John to write. Actually, it is not John who is establishing God’s credentials; rather, it is God who is establishing John’s cedentials as a faithful witness. What John is about to describe is so mind – blowing that God wants to make certain we know He is really the One saying all this and that John didn’t just sit down to make something up.

Today, many people rarely think of God. For many, technology has become a kind of god, one that can be manipulated. But the eternal, immortal, omnipotent, omniscient, and everlasting God is far greater than anything our minds can conceive. If we worship technology, we are little better than those who used to carve idols, cover them with beaten gold, and then demand that the work of their hands should save and deliver them. Technology is only a servant, and no man is great enough to take the place of the One True Living God.

As we proceed through Revelations, we must ask ourselves this question: whom or what are we worshiping? Are we willing to worship God, realizing that we can only grasp a tiny glimpse of His greatness? Or are we trying to create our own little god, something that we can control and understand?

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you are so great that our imaginations can only give us a small idea of your nature. Thank you that you choose to reveal yourself to us in your Word. Lord, open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts, so that we can learn more about your Nature. Thank you for loving us, for sending Jesus to die for our sins, and for granting us eternal life if we will believe on Jesus Christ. Amen.

Revelations 1:1 – 3 “This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.”

Revelations is the last book of the Bible and is probably the one least read! Some people avoid Revelations because they find it frightening or baffling. But skipping Revelations is a mistake because there is a great deal of teaching, guidance, and encouragement to be gotten from this book.

Yesterday I described John’s situation on the Island of Patmos. Exiled to become slave labor in the marble quarries of this bleak island, John found himself receiving marvelous messages from God. Remember that John was the disciple who was closest to Jesus and to whom Jesus revealed many things. As one of the elders in the church, John had served Jesus for many years and was noted for his deep prayer life as well as for his emphasis on love. One other thing that was essential to John: he was very humble. And it was this very humility and this closeness to Jesus that prepared John to receive the visions captured in Revelations.

“This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” David Guzik in Enduring Word Commentaries writes, “The ancient Greek word translated Revelation is apokalupsis (apocalypse). The word simply means “a revealing, an unveiling.” The Book of Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the sense that it belongs to Him, He is the one doing the revealing. It is also Jesus’  Revelation in the sense that He is the object revealed; Jesus is the person revealed by the book.”

Guzik continues, “From the outset, we are given the most important truth about the Book of Revelation. This book shows us the Antichrist, it shows us God’s judgment, it shows us calamity on the earth, and it shows us Mystery Babylon in vivid detail. Most of all, it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to us. If we catch everything else, but miss Jesus in the book, we miss the Book of Revelation.” (For a really in – depth discussion of this chapter, see Guzik’s teaching on line at: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/revelation-1/

“To show his servants…” Ever since Jesus was taken up into heaven, his followers had been wondering what would happen next and when he would return. Acts 1:9-11 describes Jesus’ ascension. “After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” But Jesus ascended into heaven more than 60 years ago and none of his followers knew when he would return. Part of the purpose of Revelations was to encourage the followers to be patient and wait for God’s perfect will to be carried out on the earth.

“He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw.” Throughout the Bible, men and women encounter angels. During New Testament times, there were many recorded instances of angels rescuing various disciples. Even today, there is intense interest in angels as evidenced by the popularity of the television program “Touched By an Angel,” and the magazine “Angels on Earth.” While some of us might have difficulty believing in angels, these encounters are very real. What’s so important about John? John undoubtedly had a reputation for honesty and integrity and was someone on whose word people could rely.

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.” In those days, there were many who were illiterate or who might not speak the language in which a letter was originally written. Those of us who work in Northern Ghana have had to become accustomed to being translated into at least one or more languages whenever we are teaching or preaching. John is invoking a blessing on those reading and translating as well as those listening and obeying. Obedience is key; it is not enough simply to listen and then to leave unchanged.

”…the time is near…” Some translations read “shortly,” indicating that when the time for the fulfillment of the prophecy arrives, things will happen suddenly. Revelations is a prophetic book, but the time line of the prophecies is not specific. In Acts 1:7 Jesus told his disciples, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.”

How can we view Revelations? The key word is “obedience.” As we study this book, there may be things that are baffling; however, we should open our hearts and minds to receive those truths that we can understand and to act on them. One Southern lady of my acquaintance was fond of saying that she would “chew up the meat and spit out the bones.” As we learn and obey what we can understand, God will give us more knowledge.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for every book in the Bible. Thank you that you have promised to give us wisdom and understanding if we will ask for it. Please open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts so that we can enjoy studying Revelations and learn what you have for us. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelations 1:1 – 3 “This is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants what must soon come to pass. He made it known by sending His angel to His servant John, who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and obey what is written in it, because the time is near.”

Although John was the only one of Jesus’ original disciples who did not die as a martyr, he still endured great suffering. The Island of Patmos was a small island (6 miles x 10 miles) between Greece and Turkey that was noted for its marble quarries. Enemies of the Roman Empire were frequently sent to Patmos, there to toil and suffer and die ignominious deaths. Today, photos of Patmos show an island having white houses shining in the Aegean sun surrounded by a brilliant blue sea. At the time of John, a visitor described it as a “sterile island,” having sun – baked rocks with very few trees and no streams. John had to find shelter in a cave halfway up a mountain so that he could write about his visions. A helper named Prochoros evidently acted as John’s secretary.

John was exiled by the Emperor Domitian in 95 A.D. By then John was probably in his late 80’s or early 90’s. Anyone looking at the situation might have said that John’s position was hopeless and that his ministry had come to a frustrating end. But God is a God of infinite variety; He delights in causing iron gates to fall open and chains to fall off prisoners. John might have been shut away from the rest of the world, but God was there and no chains can bind the Holy Spirit! After years of shuttling around from one church to the next, giving messages and writing letters, now John had time and space to be quiet and to listen to God.

John’s exile on Patmos was not the first time that God had used a cave as a means of communicating with one of His servants. When the prophet Elijah had his confrontation with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him. Elijah wound up in a cave on Mount Horeb where God outlined the rest of Elijah’s ministry for him. Caves are interesting places because you can be dry and safe, but you are also isolated. And many times, we need that isolation so that our spirits will become quiet enough to hear from God.

During the COVID restrictions of the last several months, many people have suffered from isolation, particularly those who have additional need of physical contact. But isolation is not necessarily bad. In an earlier era, children who grew up on farms learned how to do many things to entertain themselves. As a pre – schooler, I learned how to use simple hand tools, how to care for animals, how to do simple household chores, and even how to fry eggs, make toast, etc. My brothers and I built tree houses and made our own little sitting stools. We also worked in the fields for hours without radios, MP3 players, or any other entertainment. No of us was ever bored!

It is in quietness that we are able to hear the still small voice of God. Funny thing, but the God who created thunderstorms and tornadoes and hurricanes generally speaks very softly when he is talking with His servants.

Today, what is your situation? Do you feel isolated and cut off from family, friends, or colleagues? Perhaps this is the time that God wishes to speak to you. Find a quiet corner away from your cell phone or television. Next ask God to speak to you. Ask God to help you hear His voice. Ask God to help you to hear only His voice. And then wait. You will find that sooner or later, there will be simple phrases coming into your mind and there will be peace.

PRAYER: Father God, thank You that you are always more willing to speak to us than we are to listen to You. Thank You that you never turn anyone away when they truly want to hear from You. Help us to be quiet and to listen. Speak to the hearts of those who are waiting to hear from You. And give them the assurance that You are truly speaking to them. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Jude 17 – 25 “But you, beloved, remember what was foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ 18 when they said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow after their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, who are worldly and devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life. 22 And indeed, have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others, show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh. 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.”

From Jude’s previous remarks, you would think that he was a horrible judgmental type whose view of things was so narrow that he could look through a keyhole with both eyes! And you would be wrong. True, Jude wants to sound a warning; but at the same time, he is also aware that there are many who are not actually rebellious but rather naive and confused.

Jude wants believers to reach out to those around them, but there is a process to follow. First, believers are to build themselves up in their faith by praying. Nothing can happen in the Kingdom of God without asking God for guidance and praying. Someone once visited Mother Teresa and found her praying. But this man was surprised to find that Mother Teresa was doing very little talking. “Mother Teresa,” her visitor asked, “Why aren’t you speaking more when you pray?” “Oh, I do speak,” Mother Teresa answered, “but how can I receive guidance from God if I refuse to listen? The times when I am silent, I am listening intently.”

When we pray, we must first ask God to prepare our hearts and minds. We must then ask God to prepare the hearts and minds of those to whom He wishes to send us and then ask Him to lead us to those people. We are to minister in love and in mercy, realizing that we too have been snatched from the fires of hell by others who prayed and helped us in our faith.

The ground is level at the foot of the cross; there are no first class/second class/ third class citizens in the Kingdom of God. There are only sinners saved by God’s grace and mercy. We are to hate those things that have hurt our brothers and sisters and have kept them from approaching God, but we are never to hate our brothers and sisters!

Many times, believers feel anxious and uncertain about the future and about how they will cope with the problems they are facing. Verses 24 and 25 contain one of the most powerful blessings in the Bible.

“24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy”… God IS able to keep us from stumbling! By ourselves, all we can do is to stumble, but God is all – powerful and He can keep us. Because of the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary, our sins have been covered, allowing us to be presented without any blemish.

 “25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.” God truly is the only God and He truly is our Savior! He truly deserves all glory, majesty, dominion, and authority! He is the only One who deserves such praise and such worship! Come, let us adore Him!

PRAYER: Father God, there are no words sufficient to describe your beauty, your majesty, your glory, your splendor, your power, and your authority! All we can say is thank you for loving us! Thank you for saving us! And thank you for your precious and secure promises of eternal life! May your Name be lifted up! May your Name be praised! And may we always glorify you, both now and forever! Amen!