Revelation 5  John sees a scroll in the Hand of God as He sits on the heavenly throne. This book has John's full attention.  He sees that there are seals on the book. He hears the angel ask "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"   John becomes aware that no one is worthy. and it brings him to tears.. . until the Lamb "standing as if slain"... comes and takes the book out of the Hand of the Father. 

He is worthy! All of heaven erupts into worship and praise as the Lamb initiates the beginning of the end. They may not have known what was going to happen next, but they knew that Christ the Son of God.. the One who was slain "and did purchase for God with [His] blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation...." was the only One worthy of this action.  

John hears "the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands.." 

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom

and might and honor and glory and blessing."

"To Him who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb, 

Be blessing and honor and glory

and dominion forever and ever."

"Amen!"

Jesus is the "Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David... the Lamb that was slain.. " and the One worthy of worship.  He received power.. riches..wisdom.. might.. honor.. glory.. and blessing, because of His sacrifice and obedience.. He "has overcome".. and is worthy to open this book. The Lamb came to die on a cross as the worthy sacrifice to save us from our sins.  He is coming as the Lion to bring judgement.. to rule the world.. to bring peace.. to reign forever! 

And amazingly He "hast made them (us... all those purchased by His blood) to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and [we] will reign upon the earth." 

Father in heaven, we fall before You and before the Lamb to worship You.. all praise and blessing and honor belong to You! We exalt You, our God, for You have given us salvation through the blood of the Lamb, slain to purchase us for You.  Jesus, we are looking forward to that day, when we will see You as John did.. and fall at Your feet along with the myriads upon myriads.. of angels and saints and living creatures.  We pray for our families and neighbors.. and all who are not ready for that day when You open the scroll, Lord Jesus.. may they find the Truth and willingly bow before You now, before it is too late..   We ask this as You have instructed us to.. in Your Name.. Amen. 

 Psalm 10  "Why dost Thou stand afar off, O Lord? Why dost Thou hide Thyself in times of trouble?"

Sometimes.. more often than we would like.. it seems as if God is far away.  We know, and we believe.. that He is always with us and will never forsake us.. but we feel abandoned sometimes. The psalmist here is feeling that God is ignoring the sins of the wicked and the plight of the righteous.  But, the truth is that He has done neither.  Praise the Lord who is "King forever and ever" !

Wicked people are simply people who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. We were all in that category at one time, until we heard the good news about Jesus and called upon His Name so that we could be saved from sin and death and the coming judgement.  

The psalmist gives a description of wickedness.. in case we weren't sure:

They are prideful.

They pursue and afflict others.

They devise plots against others.

They boast of their desires.

They are greedy.

They curse and spurn the Lord.

They are haughty.

They do not believe there is a God.

They do all they can to prosper.

They do not fear judgement.

They believe they can defeat any enemy.

They curse, lie, and speak wickedly.

They lurk about looking for trouble.

They kill. 

They spy.

They stalk their victims. 

They crouch down to await their prey. 

They do not believe that God sees what they are.. 

But, He does. The Lord is on the side of the humble.. the orphan.. the oppressed.  He hears our cries.  He will vindicate His children. He strengthens our hearts.  Hallelujah! Our God reigns.

Father in heaven, let the evil of the wicked cease!  Please establish righteousness . Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Let Your Name be hallowed, exalted, and proclaimed in all the earth! Father, we call to You in times of need, putting our trust in You, no matter the circumstances.  In a world of darkness, we come to the Light.. to the Lamb of God, our Savior and King. We cling to You, Jesus, abiding in Your Word and giving our whole hearts to You.  You are our refuge and strength, our help in times of troubles.  In these truths we stand, by the power of Your Spirit within us. Amen and amen. 

 Revelation 4 After giving the messages to the church on earth, Jesus calls John to enter an open door to heaven.. to the very throne room of God. 

 Few living people have been privileged to view this place.. Isaiah ( chapter 6), Ezekiel (chapter 1),  Daniel(chapter 7),  maybe Paul.. and last of all John.  Every one of them gave an account of their vision...  Paul simply saying that the things he heard were "inexpressible" .. a "surpassing greatness.."  a revelation so great that he was kept from exalting himself by a "thorn in his flesh".  ( II Corinthians 12:3-7)

What the other accounts have in common give us just a tiny glimpse into that surpassing greatness.  The center of everything in all of these visions is the One who sits on the throne.  John describes Him as having the appearance of "a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance.."  Brilliant colors, like a rainbow surround the throne.  Isaiah's description is "I saw the Lord sitting on the throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple."  Ezekiel's description says, "Now above the expanse that was over their heads( of the living creatures) there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like a glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him." Daniel says, "I kept looking up until thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, its wheels were a burning fire. " 

In each account we encounter the living creatures and others worshiping around the throne.  Our God is lofty, high and lifted up! He rules from His throne, surrounded by radiance and glory and beauty. Lightning and thunder accompany Him.  The Spirit is there. The Son, the Lamb of God, is there.  Daniel tells us that "thousands upon thousands were attending Him, and myriads upon myriads were standing before Him."  There is singing of praises in His presence.. "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come."  And.. "Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed and were created." 

Hebrews 12 comes to my mind.. "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all.."  In Christ we come into the Presence of the Lord God Almighty.. "Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." ( v22,23,28)

Our Father, who is in heaven.. hallowed be Your Name! We come before You with thanksgiving.. that You have revealed Yourself to us.. mere men and women..  You abide forever. You judge with righteousness. You are our stronghold and we put our trust in You. Open our eyes, Lord! We want .. we need to see Your glory and worship You with grateful hearts, with reverence and awe!  It is in the name of Jesus that we pray, for He has made a way for us to come before You.. Hallelujah and Amen. 

 Psalm 9 is a song of Thanksgiving.. in particular, David is thankful that God is just.  His justice will not ever be thwarted.. it will never be perverted.. it will always be perfect in every way.  Like David we can say, "I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart." 

On this Thanksgiving Day holiday, many people will sit around a table and tell what they are thankful for.. family, jobs, a great meal... maybe some will go further and say are thankful for their "blessings" and some will be thankful even for their struggles.  But, what will be missing from many of these statements of gratitude will be the  Person that these thanks should be addressed towards.. We give thanks to the Lord!  For all things come from Him.. every breath, every heartbeat, and yes, every blessing. 

David tells exactly what he is thankful to God for... "I will tell of all Thy wonders.. I will be glad in Thee.. I will sing praise to Thy Name, O Most High."   What he is most thankful for is God, Himself.  God, who is worthy of praise and exultation, for He:

Turns back the enemies.. 

He maintains the righteous cause..

He rebukes nations.. 

He destroys the wicked.. 

He blots out the names of those who do evil. 

The Lord "abides forever".

He has established His rule of justice.

He will judge "the world in righteousness;"

His judgement will be done with equity. 

The Lord makes Himself a shelter for the oppressed.

He is a stronghold when there is trouble. 

He is trustworthy. 

He will never forsake His own. 

For all these reasons we give thanks. We will never be alone, never forgotten, and never too far away from Him that He will not hear our cries.  Our God is gracious and loving and just. 

Father, we give thanks to You with all our hearts!  Yes, we are thankful for the things right before us.. our homes and families and blessings, but, even more, we are thankful for You, the Most High God, who never fails, Who is perfectly just, and Who has provided such a great salvation for those who call upon the name of Jesus, the Lamb who was slain, who rose again, and who sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high forevermore! Glory and praise and thanksgiving to You, our Savior and King.. the righteous Judge ..  amen. 

 Revelation 3:14-22  The final letter sent to the churches is addressed to Laodicea. Jesus introduces Himself to  them as "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God..." 

The Amen - the trustworthy and true;  the faithful - trustworthy; the true Witness - the One who speaks the Truth.  Jesus, as the foremost of God's creation, brought "grace and truth". ( John 1:17)  Truth that "unmasks" the wretchedness of our sin.. and grace that provides a way to repentance, forgiveness, and life. 

Jesus tells the church at Laodicea the truth about their position -  they considered themselves "rich", but the truth was that they were "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked..."  They thought they needed nothing.. but the truth was that they needed "to buy from [Jesus] gold refined by fire.. white garments.. and eye salve.." True riches - spiritual riches of salvation and a right relationship with God; white garments - the imputed righteousness of Jesus; eye salve - healing of blindness to see the Truth. 

Jesus called them "lukewarm".  They were not pleasing to Him and He was ready to get rid of them.. to spit them out.  Their apostasy and hypocrisy were disgusting to the One who desired humility, repentance, and truth. 

 Jesus will "reprove and discipline" His children.  He exposes sinfulness.  He convicts of error. He knew their deeds.. as He knows ours.  One writer put it this way.. "The church is overrun with people who have never repented - but are convinced they are right with God. " They are unmoved by the Word and unaware of their own heart condition.. 

That was the problem in Laodecia and the problem in many mainline churches today.  Yet, the promised of Jesus remains the same.. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me." 

We must open the door and allow the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life come in and change us by His grace. 

Father in heaven,  we are so thankful for the Word Who became flesh, Who dwelt here on earth to bring us Life, and Who died for the penalty of our sins.  Open our eyes, convict and uncover our sins..  and redeem us by the blood of the Lamb. Make us all that You have purposed for us to be ..Your holy people, called by Your Name.. who stand before the throne, blameless and complete because of Jesus Christ the Lord. We need nothing else.. come Lord Jesus. Amen. 

Psalm 8   "Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious is your name throughout the earth!" ( CJB)  

This chapter is a song of praise to the greatness of the Sovereign God, the Creator and Master of all the heavens and all the earth. David gives us the words to express the majesty - the excellence, greatness, wonder, worthiness.. the glory of our heavenly Father. 

Our God has displayed His majesty above us.. higher than the heavens!  We look up into the night sky and get a glimpse of the vastness of His creation!  How great and mighty is our God!

God has displayed His majesty in the beauty and wonder of a newborn child.. this establishes strength.. David writes.  Jesus quoted this verse this way.. "Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast prepared praise for Thyself.." ( Matthew 21:16)  Praise... overcomes the enemy and silences the adversaries of God! Even.. and especially.. the praise of children!  How majestic is our Lord!

God sculpted the moon and stars.. "the work of [His] fingers"... He ordained their paths and set them in just the right spot. When we think of this truth.. which we need to do more often... it will make us more aware of how awesome He is!

"What is man that Thou dost take thought of him?"  Now, that is the question, isn't it?  Why did God choose to create such a thing.. a being who is "a little lower than the angels"... yet crowned with "glory and honor.. ".   Created beings who have been given "rule" over the works that God created.  Created beings who have authority over the domesticated animals, wild animals, birds, and marine life.. 

Yet, this is what God has done!  " How glorious is Your name throughout the earth!"

Father, Your ways are higher than our ways, Your thoughts are higher than anything we can think.  You are glorious and majestic and all powerful.. everything that has been made was made by You.  And You chose to make me.  Why would You take thought of me?  Truly, this is such an amazing thing that all I can say is "Thank You!"  I praise You and exalt Your name, Lord!  " How majestic is Your name in all the earth!" Amen. 

 Revelation 3:7-13  This letter is addressed to the church in Philadelphia.  The message comes from "He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens.. "  

Jesus, the son of David,  legally inherited this "key".  2 Samuel 7:8-16 is the record of God's promise to David... "And your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever."  Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise.  He has all authority over His kingdom. The "key" belongs to Him alone. 

 There are several mentions of this "key" throughout Scripture.:

Isaiah 22:22 says, "Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, when He opens no one will shut, when He shuts no one will open."

 Matthew 16:19 Jesus says, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."  

In Revelation 1:18 Jesus said, " I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." 

Revelation 9:1 "And the fifth angel sounded and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him."  Out of this pit came the deadly locusts, led by the "angel of the abyss.. Abaddon".  

Revelation 20:1 "And I saw and angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. and he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years... " 

Jesus determines who enters His kingdom and who does not.  Here, He tells the church that He is unlocking the door and no one can shut it.  They will have victory because He knows their deeds.. "You have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name."  Oh the great promises that Jesus gives to the church who keeps His word and does not deny His Name.. 

He will humble their enemies. v9

He will "keep [them] from the hour of testing. v10

When He comes He will give them a crown. v11

He will make them a "pillar in the temple of My God.. I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God and My new name." v12

Father in heaven, thank You for the promises of the Kingdom that will never end.. that we who overcome by the power of Your grace that works in us.. will be a part of that Kingdom forevermore.  Keep us, Lord, abiding in Your Word, trusting You and obeying all that You have revealed to us.. that we might persevere through every trial and be victorious through Jesus Christ our Mighty King.  Lord, open doors that we might be messengers of this good news wherever we go. Thank You that all authority belongs to Jesus Christ alone! Praise to God our Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, three in One.. Amen. 

 Psalm 7  David, in this psalm, begins with a personal prayer.   He affirms his faith in God, his refuge; he asks for God to rescue him from the enemy; and then he asks the Lord to examine his life and judge any injustice or evil that he has done. ( v1-5) 

Next, David petitions the Lord to deal with the enemy. Specifically, David asks the Lord to "Arise..in His anger.. against the rage of [his] adversaries.."  He places those who are against him into the Lord's hands.. not his own. "The Lord judges the peoples;" 

David prays.. "O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous." This is a powerful prayer that we should pray also.  Can you imagine what our world might look like if all God's people would make this our prayer? 

David reminds himself.. and us that "the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.. "  Every heart and every mind.  There is no one on this earth that He does not know and that He cannot change.  Our God reigns and our God saves!  Hallelujah!

"God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day." David reminds us.  His judgement is certain and it is terrible.  He "sharpens His sword"... "He has bent His bow and made it ready".. He has "prepared deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts."  The wicked will fall before God's judgement.  His wickedness will turn around and fall on himself. It is God's promise. We need to remember that it is always true that we will reap what we sow.  Even when it doesn't seem like it.. God will do what He has said He will do. 

" I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." 

As David ends his prayer, we can make it our own.. God is our refuge.. He is our Everything. Jesus has granted us grace and truth. He is the Righteous judge.  Let Your Kingdom come and Your will be done, Father, on earth as it is in heaven. 

Father this is our prayer! Thank You for giving us salvation through Jesus Christ, that we might live. Examine us, cleanse us, renew us.. that we might walk by the power of Your grace to the glory of Your Holy Name. Amen

 Revelation 3:1-6  The letter to the church of Sardis.   Jesus.. "who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.. " is complete.. perfect in authority and in power.  

Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah.. the "shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord."   John's letters to the churches began with the presentation of "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 first-born of the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth."  - These messages are from the Father, the Spirit, and the Son. There is full authority and power given to Christ Jesus.. He has the Spirit.  He also has the seven stars.. the angels or pastors of these churches.  He has authority to say what He says to them.  He has authority to judge sins, to erase names, and to call His people to repentance.

Jesus tells the church of Sardis.. " I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead."   They might have looked good on the outside, but they were decaying corpses on the inside.  Dead. 

The problem was that they were not complete.  They were lacking in complete obedience and complete surrender.  They had "soiled" their garments.  They were asleep.  If they did not wake up quickly.. it would be too late, for Christ was about to come and remove them. 

"Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent."  Jesus warns them. 

This reminds me of  Paul's letter to the Galatians, where he tells them that they needed to remember that they had received the Spirit.. not by works.. but "by hearing with faith". In Galatians 3: 5 he wrote "What about God, who supplies you with the Spirit and works miracles among you - does he do it because of your legalistic observance of the Torah commands or because you trust in what you heard and are faithful to it?" ( CJB).  Paul tells of the example that Abraham was, " He trusted in God and was faithful to Him, and that was credited to his account as righteousness."  Verse 11 says, "The person who is righteous will attain life by trusting and being faithful." 

Those in the church at Sardis, who failed to trust what they heard.. who failed to be faithful to God..needed Life. They were dead or dying. "Remember .. what you have received and heard; and keep it!" 

Trust and obey.. for there is no other way!

Those who overcome will be clothed in white garments.. their names written in the book of LIFE.. their names confessed by Jesus Himself before the Father and His angels.  

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." 

Father in heaven, I surrender all... my heart yearns to be completely Yours. May the Life of Jesus be fully mine..Let me say, along with Paul,  with complete confidence.. that I have been "crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." ( Gal. 2:20)  Father, I pray for our church.. that we might not just have a reputation for being alive.. but that we might be completely alive, walking in a manner worthy of You... fully surrendered, complete in Jesus Christ.  Spirit, come and fill us now we pray, in the Name of Jesus the Lord of all. amen. 

 Psalm 6 This prayer-song is a plea for God's mercy.  David is deeply troubled.. his heart is broken, and he pleads for the Lord to come to him. 

Have you ever felt like this?  "I am weary with my sighing.. " David did.  He was unashamed to speak of his tears and grief.  This is hard for many people.. we try to put on a happy face.. even when we are deeply hurt. We don't want to admit that our lives are out of our control.  David willingly admits his need for help.  "Return, O Lord, rescue my soul; Save me because of Thy lovingkindness." 

The Lord answered David's prayer - "For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication. The Lord receives my prayer." 

Two observations here - first, it takes humility to admit that we are in great need of help for our hearts; second, it takes faith to proclaim God's answer before it actually comes...  David says that his "enemies shall be ashamed and greatly dismayed; they shall turn back.. "  It hadn't happened yet.. but David believed it would.. and it did. 

What might that prayer be for you?  Are you tired of your own sighing.. your own weariness, worry, fear, dissatisfaction .. weakness.. whatever it that is troubling you, whatever it is that has you crying?  Turn to Jesus, humbly confessing the need to Him.  Then, believe that He has heard your weeping. He hears your supplication, and He receives your prayer.

Father in heaven, we need You. We live in a dry and thirsty land, and we need Jesus, who is the rock in this weary place. We need You every day and every hour. Come and rescue our souls, Lord! Fill us with the Living Water once again.. fill us to overflowing. Thank You for hearing our prayers, for giving us hope and blessing us with Your grace.  Hallelujah!  Jesus reigns!  We ask for the joy of Your presence, and wait for Your answer..  In Jesus'  name we pray. Amen. 

 Revelation 2:18-29  This letter is to the church in Thyatira. Jesus introduces Himself as the "Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze..."  He is the One " who searches the minds and hearts; and ... will give to each one of you according to your deeds" ( v23) 

Jesus commends the church for  their "deeds.. love.. faith.. and service.. and perseverance."  But, the problem in Thyatira was the teaching of one woman.. "Jezebel" who called herself a prophetess and led the people into idolatry. Whoever this woman was, she refused to repent or give up her immoral practices. Judgement was coming to her and to all her followers who refused to repent. 

Jesus calls us to "keep [His] deeds".. (v26)  so that we can "overcome until the end."  Hold fast! Stay pure!  Keep His ways.   The deeds of the wicked will be judged severely.. and Jesus sees them all!  Jezebel and her followers participated in immorality and idolatry. They had no regard for the Word or the Spirit who was giving them the warning to repent. But, those who stayed pure.. their deeds were pleasing to the Lord. Their actions revealed their love and faithfulness.  Jesus urged them to "hold fast until I come." 

Father in heaven, I pray for the church today, that we might stay pure, doing the deeds that please You, in the name of Jesus and by His authority.  Open our eyes to what You are calling us to do.  Open our ears to heed Your voice and to turn away any that would lead us from Your Truth.  Lord, thank You for pure hearts and lives who obey Your Word and walk in Your deeds.  Help us to please You in all we do that we might be overcomers and rule with You in that great day. Amen. 

 Psalm 5  This psalm is a prayer of David that we can make our own personal prayer to the Lord. 

Father, hear my words lifted up to You today. 

Listen to my groaning and cry for help. 

Consider my thoughts.. everything on my mind. 

Father, I'm coming to You this morning to lay my needs before You. 

I am waiting, watching.. for You to answer. 

Lord, wickedness does not please You, 

evil cannot come into Your Presence.

Those who boast about their sinfulness

will be judged.. all liars will face Your wrath. 

Murderers and deceivers are detested and will face destruction. 

( Help me to remember this and not fear.. but  pray)

But, thank You Lord.. You have shown me Your

great grace and love.. 

You have brought me into Your holy Presence. 

Before Your feet I fall in reverent worship. 

I ask that You would lead me in Your righteousness today.

I pray that You would make my path straight and smooth. 

I pray that You will be my shield and refuge from the enemy. 

I pray that You would help me to never listen to the lies of the enemy, 

to deceivers and flatterers.. or to any that turn from the Truth.

I pray that You would stop those who are rebellious and guilty

that they might face You..

 ( that they might repent or be judged). 

Father, thank You for the refuge that You give to those who love You.

This brings joy and gladness to my heart.

I love You and exalt  Your Name, O Lord!

You bless the righteous and I praise You!

Surround me with Your favor, Lord, like a shield. 

This I pray.. in the Name of my Redeemer and Lord, Jesus Christ. 

Amen. 

 Revelation 2: 12-17  This letter is to the church at Pergamum.   Jesus greets this church with this description of Himself.. "The One who has the sharp two-edged sword... "   In John's vision recorded in 1:16,  Jesus has this sword coming out of His mouth.  Scripture tells us that this depicts the Word of God.  Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  Ephesians 6:17 also tells us that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.  Isaiah prophesied that the coming Messiah would have this sword...  ".. And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword." (49:2) 

The Word of God - Truth incarnate - speaks to this church about the need to stay faithful to the Truth and not compromise.  But the sword not only reminds us of the truth of God's Word, but of the judgement that will come upon those who turn from it. Ezekiel wrote, "Thus says the Lord, ' Behold I am against you; and I shall draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.'"  The Lord tells Ezekiel to "groan with breaking heart and bitter grief.. "  The judgement of God is coming and it will cause " every heart" to melt.  "All hands will be feeble , every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water." (Ezekiel 21) God's judgement is severe and we must take His warnings seriously.. with groaning and grief.

The problem in Pergamum was that they failed to deal with those who "hold the teaching of Balaam" and to those who held "the teaching of the Nicolaitans".   The city was filled with idolatry. It was the place that had a temple dedicated to the Roman Emperor, Augustus, and it was the place where an immense altar to Zeus dominated the hillside.  The church was commended for holding fast in this place where "Satan's throne is". But, they failed when it came to this false teaching. Both  the teaching of Balaam and the Nicolatians led the believers to gross immorality.  Jesus called them to repent!  

Jesus will fight for Truth.  He will destroy the deceivers.  He will not abide with compromise when it comes to the Word of God. The purity of His Bride is at stake...  The world's standards today threaten to lead the modern  church to compromise.  We see it all the time.. especially in the area of relationships outside of marriage, that is the biblical definition of marriage- between one man and one woman.  The lies are being fed to our children and grandchildren.. at school, online, and unfortunately even in some churches. Jesus calls the Church to be separate from the world's standards which are lies..  

I have a  couple of quotes that I want to share here, but I don't remember the source, forgive me.. .. "But worldliness does not make the gospel look attractive; it makes it look impotent.. "A church that is just like the world has nothing to offer to the world - it's merely one more disposable entertainment.." and "how could they think such worldliness could be offer to God as worship.. " God desires Truth in our churches.. Pergamum allowed heretics and deceivers to remain in the church unaddressed and unabated.  We must stay alert and aware to not allow the same!

Jesus promises that those who "overcome" will be given three things.. " some of the hidden manna.. a white stone.. and a new name.."  There is not a clear meaning given to these three things, but it is believed by scholars to indicate that the overcomers will be accepted by Christ Himself..  a glorious promise for eternity.. His Bride, pure and perfect.. unstained by the compromise of worldliness... partaking of His gifts forever. 

Father in heaven, Your Word is True. We want to keep walking in this Truth without compromise.  Help us to recognize and deal with all deceptions and lies. Bring Your church to repentance and prepare us for the war to come. We know that worldliness and sinfulness is increasing. Strengthen us by Your power to keep standing firm. We ask this in the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the One who has the two-edged sword. Amen. 

 Psalm 4  My Bible titles this psalm as "Evening prayer of Trust in God".  David's words testify of his faith in God to hear and answer his prayers.  Yet, he starts out with this request, "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness."  The CJB says it this way, "O God, my vindicator! Answer me when I call." 

Our God is the One, the only One who can make us right.  David gives Him the credit for setting him free, "Thou hast relieved me in my distress;"  It is to the One who saves that we come to in prayer.  It's stopping and acknowledging that we come to Him because He has made a way for us to come.. into His throne room. We call on Him to hear us, knowing that "the Lord hears when I call on Him."  We ask.. He answers.  Praise God!

David prays for others.. " O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?"  Whether David was thinking of his own sons.. or his many enemies.. we don't know, but it is a prayer that is very vital today.  So many in our world today are ready to reproach believers in Jesus Christ.. so many are enthralled with what is worthless.. so many people are set on deceiving.. scamming.. stealing.. using.. and abusing others.  The world needs Christians to pray.. more than ever!

"But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself.."  David proclaims.  When we belong to Him.. He hears us and when can trust Him fully!  Even when we are angry or fearful.. the Lord will help us so that we do not sin.

David encourages us to.. .  "Meditate in you heart upon your bed, and be still."  To do what is right.. and to "Trust in the Lord."  

His prayer is that the "light of [His] countenance" be upon [us] .  This points back to Numbers 6:24 and the blessing that the priests were commanded to speak over the people of Israel. 

"The Lord bless you , and keep you;

                                                           The Lord make His face shine on you;

And be gracious to you; 

The Lord lift up His countenance on you,

And give you peace." 

The have the light of the Lord's countenance  is to see Him with spiritual sight.. . to know His presence. This is what makes David's heart glad.. and ours as well.. "You have filled my heart with more joy than all their grain and new wine!"   His love is better than life, David is singing.. and we recognize this truth. 

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for Thou alone , O Lord, dost make me to dwell in safety ." 

When we know God's presence, know His love, and know that He hears us, sees us, and has us in His hands.. we also can lie down and sleep.. in  His peace. 

Father in heaven, thank You for being the God who sees us, who loves us, and who keeps us in perfect peace when our faith and confidence is in You. Teach us to trust You more.  Hear our prayers, O Lord, and lift up Your countenance upon us today. We ask this in the Name above all names.. Jesus, our Righteousness. Amen. 

 Revelation 2:8-11  This is the second church, the church in Smyrna,  to be addressed by the Lord Jesus.  

Here Jesus describes Himself as the "first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life.. "  Jesus is first - foremost, before, best, chief.. first in time, first in place, first in order or importance..  Jesus is the last - the lowest or the uttermost.  From the foremost to the uttermost!  The Greek here suggests contiguity - always in contact, always near, always touching.. from the beginning to the end.. Jesus touches everything!  Not only that, but, Jesus reminds His church that He was dead.. but is now alive.. 

In other words.. death is not the end.. Jesus is!

These truths are comforting.. especially in light of the message given to Smyrna - they were suffering greatly - with "tribulation and poverty". They were persecuted.. and Jesus tells them that more persecution was coming..but, He says..  "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. "  They would be tested. They would be thrown in prison. Some would be put to death. 

They did not have to fear.. for the promise  to those who remain faithful is a "crown of life".  To overcome would preserve them from "the second death".  And, they did not have to fear, for Jesus would never leave them.. He was there.. as He is here.. touching everything.. in every time.. in every place.. from the beginning until eternity.  He leads us by His example. He tasted death.. for us.  He suffered too.. so He understands our fears and our sorrows.  We can trust Him.. no matter what we are facing. 

Father in heaven, we thank You for the grace that You have shown to us, giving us such a Savior, who overcame death and grants to us eternal life.  Praise to the One who sits on the throne and to the Lamb! Draw us nearer. .Grant to us faith and courage to stand firm, no matter what. Abide in us and we in You, to the praise and glory of Your Name.  Amen. 

 Psalm 3  Surrounded by adversaries, scoffed at by friends and strangers, David fled from his own son.  But, when they suggested that God had forsaken him, David knew better..."But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory and the One who lifts my head." 

David called to the Lord and knew that He answered.  David was able to lay down and sleep in peace, for the Lord sustained him.  He was not afraid.  His testimony was sure.. "Salvation belongs to the Lord.." 

David took up the armor of the Lord.. holding that shield of faith without wavering in doubt.  We must do likewise.  We may not have physical adversaries.. we may not be scoffed at by others.. but our battle is just as real. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." 

Sometimes those forces try to tell us that God has forsaken us. Sometimes they make us doubt.. sometimes we are afraid.  It is then that we must take up our shields of faith..  and  put on truth.. like David did... and firmly proclaim. " You, O Lord, are a shield around me!  You are my glory! You lift my head!  Salvation belongs to You!"  Stand firm.. Paul writes.. and resist the enemies taunts. Take up the armor and trust the One who covers us with His righteous right Hand...who will never forsake us.. who "makes [us] lie down in green pastures".. who restores our souls.. and walks us through the valleys of shadows and even death.  "Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."  Proclaim it! Believe it!

Father, we hold on to Your promises and trust in You. All our days are in Your hands. You know us and will never forsake us. Thank You for this great reminder.  Some are facing daunting challenges today, Lord. They need Your peace. Cover them with Your hand and remind them that You are their shield today.  We pray this in the Name of our dear Savior, Jesus Christ, who abides in us and fills us with Your love. Amen. 

 Revelation 2:1-7  This is the first of the seven letters to the churches that John was instructed to write.  Each letter is introduced with a particular description of Jesus. That is followed with a message of encouragement or warning. Then each is closed with " He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  Each is given a promise for "him who overcomes". 

This letter is addressed to Ephesus. 

First is the description of  Jesus.. "The One who holds the seven stars in His right Hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lamp stands.. "   Jesus told John that the seven stars represented the seven angels of the seven churches and that the lampstands were the seven churches.  The angels are messengers, perhaps representing the pastors.  So, we have Jesus, holding the pastor of Ephesus in His right hand.. the hand of power. He is walking in the midst of His people, the church.  It is a reminder that Jesus is with us.. close.. intimate.. fully involved in every church.. knowing their victories and their failures. 

Jesus says to the church.. "I know your deeds.. "  He knows the good works.. He knows the perseverance.. He sees everything.  The one thing that Jesus sees in Ephesus, that doesn't please Him is this.. "But, I have this against you, that you have left your first love." 

What are these "first deeds" that Ephesus did?  Acts 19 tells us about Paul's first visit to Ephesus.  When he came there were a few believers who had come to faith through the ministry of John the Baptist. They had been baptized by John who had told them to "believe in Him who was coming after him, that is in Jesus."  Paul told them about the Holy Spirit, who they had not even heard of at that point.. and they were baptized again and filled with the Holy Spirit.  The church starts with 12 men and grew from there as Paul stayed about 2 years teaching them.  Many miracles were done in Ephesus during that time.  There was a great spiritual battle happening also.  As evil spirits were being cast out and many people came "confessing and disclosing their practices."  It came to the point where it was revealed that there were many who practiced magic.  A great many brought their magic books together and burned them up.. so many books that the price was estimated to be worth 50,000 pieces of silver. 

What were their deeds?  Repentance. Sacrifice. Surrender.  They had overcome a great spiritual darkness and the "word of the Lord.. was growing mightily and prevailing." ( Acts 19:20)

The Ephesians were persevering. They were discerning. They were not growing weary. But, they were not loving Jesus as they did at first. They needed to return to the place of surrender. They needed repentance.  They needed to overcome once again... whatever was keeping them from fully loving God and one another. 

"To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God."  Jesus promises them.. and us. 

John wrote so much about loving God..about obedience to His commandments .. about loving one another.. . Jesus told us that "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."  His commandment is for us to "love one another ". He is continually calling us.. His bride, the church , to lay down our lives, take up our crosses, and follow Him. As He walks among us.. in our church.. He wants us to know that He sees our deeds and He desires us to love.. to surrender..  to sacrifice.. and  to repent when we have failed to truly love. 

Father in heaven, we bow before You, humbled and willing to give You our whole hearts. Lord, direct our hearts into Your love and into the steadfastness of Christ.. according to Your holy Word, that we might also overcome.  We ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen. 

 Psalm 2  The Psalmist writes about our world.. from the Lord's perspective.  "Why are the nations in an uproar..?"  The nations are intent on a "vain thing".. They are taking a stand against the Lord of Heaven and His Anointed.. Jesus. 

We see it, don't we? "... the rulers take counsel together".  This week, they were intent on changing the climate.  In the last year or so, they have plotted on how to tackle a virus. Another time, they aim to stop terrorists, or dictators, or anyone that doesn't agree with their world view.  Often their target is on those who follow Jesus.  The Lord says they are "devising a vain thing.." In reality, they cannot do anything...their plans are vain.. futile.. useless. 

"He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs at them."  Our God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Sovereign and all-powerful One.. the One who holds each breath we take in His Hands.. will accomplish His plan and no nation.. no one.. will stop Him.  He sees them as they truly are.. their hearts are not hidden from Him. Hallelujah, we serve an Almighty God!

"But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain."  Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.  He is the only Begotten of the Father. The nations are His inheritance!  The ends of the earth are His possession!  All creation was made through Him and for Him.. as Hebrews 1 reminds us, "Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever..." 

We have a choice.. if we reject Jesus, the "rod of iron" will break us and we will be shattered.  But, if we worship Him, take refuge in Him, rejoice in Him, and pay homage to Him.. we will be blessed.. beyond measure. 

Jesus,  Name above every other name, we worship You.. we proclaim Your Name.. and we put our trust in You alone. We come to You for salvation, for healing, for rest.. for peace and grace. Fill our hearts, Spirit of God, that we might grow deeper still into the love of Christ and of our Gracious Father.  Thank You for reminding us again, that no matter what people plan.. You are in control. Your plans and purposes will be done.. on earth as it is in heaven. Thank You for this encouragement today! Give to us Your strength to stand firm in these evil days..  We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Revelation 1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His bond-servants... " This book is a gift to us.. from our heavenly Father ..  uncovering.. revealing Jesus to us, that we might know Him more.. to see His glory.. to hear His testimony.. 

John addresses the churches in this first chapter.. this book is for them.. for us, the ones that He has chosen for His kingdom.. the ones He has made "priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever."   

John sets the theme of this revelation.. "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 over Him. Even so . Amen".  This revelation is coming from the Lord God.. "I am the Alpha and the Omega.. who is and who was and who is to come." 

The revelation starts with John's vision of Jesus.  As he was worshiping, John heard a "loud voice".  It was no ordinary voice.... like a trumpet.. and it makes clear that this message was meant for the churches.  But before anything else is written, John describes this amazing vision of Jesus Christ.  The last time John had seen Him, Jesus was ascending up into the heavens.... years had passed.. John was exiled onto the island of Patmos. Life was not easy there...  What a marvelous blessing to turn around and see His dear Savior.. but what a shock to behold Him in such glory!

Jesus stood among golden lampstands.. He held seven stars in His right hand. His feet were glowing like burnished bronze, His hair was white, His eyes like fire, and His face shone like the sun.. and "out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword;"   John's reaction was to fall flat on his face "as a dead man"...we can imagine how we would do the same!

Jesus reached down and "laid His right hand upon" John. "Do not be afraid.. " He said. These words would comfort John and assure him that this was the same Jesus who loved him, who had died for him, and who had risen from the dead to save him.  What comfort John must have known as His Lord spoke once again... "I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." 

Oh for the day, when we will see Him in His glory and at His feet we fall!

Father in heaven, may we hear Your voice and draw near to You with our whole hearts.. to really hear Your message for us, the church, the bride of Christ Jesus our Lord.  We hunger and thirst for You, Lord. Oh that we might behold Your glory and live fully for You. Teach us Your ways.  Lay Your gracious hands upon us.. that we will know You more. Amen. 

 Psalm 1 "Blessed..."   More than just happy.. to be blessed is to be secure and comforted.. to be grateful and at rest in the Hands of our God.  We "feel" blessed at times.. when we look.. really look at our lives and count our "many blessings" that the Lord has given us.  Like our families, or our circumstances.. or whatever.  But, Psalm 1 tells us that, even if we don't feel it..

v1-2   We are blessed if we have found the Word of the Lord to be our delight and we think about what He has revealed to us from His Word.. if it has become so dear to us that we find our thoughts returning to it again and again. When we learn to  prefer His voice over the voice of the wicked, the sinners, or the scoffers.  Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you."  What is more blessed than that?

v3-4 We are blessed.. when the Spirit of God is our source of life.. He is the  Living Water that we are planted into, so that we are fruitful.. alive... a blessing to others as we prosper by His grace.  Without Him we dry up and blow away.. "like chaff which the wind drives away". 

v5-6 We are blessed.. because the Lord is with us.. He "knows the way".. He guides our steps ... "He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name' s sake."  The wicked walk a different path.. they will not stand when they face the judgement of the Lord. They cannot join the fellowship of the Kingdom. They "will perish". Every step with Jesus is a blessed one!

Father in heaven, God of all blessing, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus, we thank You and praise You, blessing Your Name!   You have chosen us to be Your own. Thank You! You have made us Your children by the "kind intention of [Your] will".  You have redeemed us by the blood of the Lamb.. forgiven us our trespasses.. and lavished Your grace upon us.  You have made known Your will to us and given us the promise of an eternal inheritance...to the praise and glory of Christ our King. ( Eph. 1)  Father, let the Springs of Living Water flow through us today, that we might produce true fruit.. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.. to the glory of Your Name!  In Jesus, our gracious Shepherd, we come to ask these things, according to Your will. Amen. 

 Jude - This brother of James, perhaps the brother of Jesus, writes to the "called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ;".   Think on that.. called.. beloved... and kept..  Precious truths! We are His!  Past, present, and future.. called out of darkness and into the light;  loved with the infinite love of our Father in heaven, and kept - safe in the arms of our Savior, for now and forever! Amen!!!

Jude prays for his readers.. "May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you."  We need this prayer, don't we? Daily!  How often do we ask God for these?  Simple but so vital... 

Jude has a deep concern, as the other apostles did also, that false teachers were invading the church and leading people away from the truth.  Jude tells his readers.. and us.. to "contend earnestly for the faith".  We are reminded, once again, that we are in a spiritual battle.... and we need to be alert and on guard.  "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed... ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." 

Jude goes on to give some examples.. reminding us that not everyone who says they believe actually do. There are "tares" sown among the wheat... (Matthew 13) 

All the Israelites were saved out of Egypt.. but many were "destroyed" because of their unbelief.  Even some of the angels "abandoned their proper abode.." and are bound "under darkness for the judgement of the great day."  Sodom and Gomorrah, destroyed because of the "gross immorality" are an example, "in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire".  

Likewise, the false teachers in Jude's day will be judged by the Lord. 

Jude describes the lives of these "ungodly persons":

They "revile the things which they do not understand." (v10)

They are destroyed by their own instincts which makes them like "unreasoning animals". ( v10)

They have "gone the way of Cain". (v11)

They have erred "like Balaam". 

They have rebelled, like Korah. (v11)

They are "hidden reefs in your love feasts..."  reefs.. spots.. stains;  They shared the Lord's Supper unworthily.. denying Christ in their hearts as they took the bread and wine symbolizing His death for them.. the Bible Knowledge Commentary calls this "the most outrageous blasphemy possible". 

Jude writes quite a poetic description here, these people are like "clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever."  He paints quite a picture of godless people.. empty, dead, lost.. without hope. 

Jude reminds us that there is a judgement coming.. the Lord will come and He will "execute judgement upon all, and .. convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." 

The times have not changed these truths.. "In the last times there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts."  We see it everywhere.. more and more.. they get bolder and louder.. they are  "without fear".  

Jude's message to us is this, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."  

When we are walking in this way, we can then, have mercy on the doubting, snatch some from the fire.. even saving them from the pollution of the flesh. ( v22-23) 

May God grant us that multiplied mercy, peace and love!  Oh How we need You, Lord! Melt us, mold us, fill us .. use us! May Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth.. even as it is in heaven. 

Jude's benediction is ours too.. "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."