January 30, 2017

Revelation 3:7, 9-12

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

Let’s look at the letter to the sixth of seven churches, the church in Philadelphia, and see what reasons to praise the Lord we can find there.  Here is an abbreviated version of Revelation 3:7 and verses 9 through 12:

      These things says He who is holy, He who is true.  “He…has the key of
      David, He…opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens….I
      will make those…of Satan…worship before your feet, and…know…I have
      loved you.  Because you have kept My command to persevere, I…will
      keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.
      …Behold, I come quickly!  Hold fast to what you have, that no one may
      take your crown.  He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the
      temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.  And I will write on him
      the name of My God and of…the New Jerusalem.  And I will write on
      him My new name.

•      Revelation 3:7 – “…He who is holy, He who is true.”  Of all the religions in the world, only Jesus Christ can say He is both holy and true! (See John 14:6; I Peter 2:22).  Many other religions will claim that they possess the truth (there are some who say they teach only one truth among many – which is logically impossible!); but none can rightly assert their founder is holy!  Praise God Jesus Christ is both holy and true!

•      Revelation 3:7 – “He…has the key of David, He…opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.”

      ✞      The key in the Bible is a sign of authority!  As David was the first king in the royal line of Judah, so Jesus will be the final and eternal King!  Zechariah 9:9 is the unmistakable prophecy of the Triumphal Entry (see Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-38; John 12:12-15).  Zechariah 9:10 gives the extent of the Messiah’s reign:  “He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.”  Psalm 72, when read in the light of Christ’s kingship, is an amazing description of His rule!  Praise God for (as it says in Luke 1:33) “…He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

      ✞      Christ, being holy and true, makes perfect decisions!  So praise Him that what He opens will stay open, and what He shuts will stay shut!  And this both concerns us now and in His future kingdom!

•      Revelation 3:9 – “I will make those…of Satan…worship before your feet, and…know…I have loved you.”  Paul wrote in Philippians 2:9 through 11:

      Therefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name
      which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
      bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the
      earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
      the glory of God the Father.

Now we have the choice, and if we choose to bow and confess Jesus Christ is Lord, we will be saved (see Romans 10:9-13).  Then, even Satan will have to bow and confess, and it will be in front of believers as well as God!  Then he and all unbelievers will be cast into hell!  Praise God for this final judgment and our vindication!

•      Revelation 3:10 – “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I…will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.”  This is a veiled reference to the Rapture (see I Corinthians 15:49-54; I Thessalonians 4:13-17).  For the hour of trial is the Tribulation.  Oh, how I praise God that true believers will be raptured out of the world before the Tribulation!

•      Revelation 3:11 – “Behold, I come quickly! ”  In the New Testament alone, there are over 300 references to the Second Coming of Christ!  And, although it has been almost two thousand years, remember what II Peter 3:8 teaches us:  “…with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”  I praise the Lord that He will still be coming quickly!

•      Revelation 3:11 – “Hold fast to what you have, that no one may take your crown.”  There are five crowns that will be given in eternity:  the imperishable crown (I Corinthians 9:25); the crown of rejoicing (I Thessalonians 2:19); the crown of righteousness (II Timothy 4:8); the crown of life (James 1:12); and the crown of glory (I Peter 5:4).  I want to hold fast to what I have, for then some day, as it says in Matthew 10:42, I “…shall by no means lose…[my] reward.”  Praise His holy name!

•      Revelation 3:12 – “He who overcomes…”

      ✞      “…I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.”  David wrote in Psalm 84:10, “…a day in Your courts is better than a thousand [elsewhere].  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”  Not just a doorkeeper for a day, put a permanent pillar!  Wow!  Praise God for our eternal future in His dwelling!

      ✞      “And I will write on him the name of My God…”  What that name is, we don’t know.  But according to Isaiah 49:16, we are already inscribed on the palms of His hands! Praise God!

      ✞      “And I will write on him the name of…the New Jerusalem.”  Ancient Jews were very proud of being born in and belonging to Jerusalem (see Psalm 87:1-7).  The New Jerusalem is where God and His redeemed will forever dwell! (See Revelation 21:2-4, 27).  Praise the Lord that I will be marked as a permanent resident of that forever city!

      ✞      “And I will write on him My new name.”  There are many names ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ (see for instance Isaiah 9:6, 7).  The last one revealed is in Revelation 19:16:  “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”!  Although we can never claim that name for ourselves, we will reign with Him (see II Timothy 2:12; Revelation 20:6), and we will apparently be so marked!  Praise Jesus Christ that I will even bear His name forever!

January 27, 2017

Revelation 3:1-5

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

In examining Revelation Praise (how we can learn from the book of Revelation to better praise the Lord) we move on to the letter to the fifth of seven churches, the church in Sardis.  I will concentrate on parts of five verses – Revelation 3:1 through 5:

      I know you works, that you have a name that you are alive, but are dead. 
      Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to
      die….Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast
      and repent….If you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and
      you will not know what hour I will come….You have a few names in
      Sardis who have not defiled their garments….He who overcomes shall be
      clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the book
      of life; but I will confess his name before My Father and…His angels.

•      Revelation 3:1 – “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but are dead.”  Jesus warns us in Matthew 7:21:  “Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”  We can say the right things, but if our works don’t back up our words, our faith is not real! (See James 2:14-26).  Praise God that Jesus can see underneath the surface of our confession and will warn us if we are headed in the wrong direction!

•      Revelation 3:2 – “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die.”  There is a gospel song that says, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.”  And even if there is just a spark of true faith left in a person’s life, praise the Lord that He will fan it into full flame if that one cooperates!

•      Revelation 3:3 – “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent….”  I would expect this to say, Remember what you have received and heard, not how!  But how we received the good news is very important! (See Romans 10:13-15).  We received it because someone shared the gospel with us.  But a dead or dying congregation has little incentive to share Jesus with others!  Praise Him that He encourages us to remember how we received the gospel!  And the Lord will then use our remembering to “…work…in [us]…both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13).  He will use it in and through us to share the gospel with others! (see the March 13, 2013 blog – A Little Help Here, Please!).

•      Revelation 3:3 – “…if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come….”  We are warned in I Thessalonians 5:2 that, “…the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”  We need to be spiritually awake and ready – “…for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42).  Unbelievers and worldly Christians do not take this warning seriously.  But praise Jesus that He gives us such an admonition.  It keeps us on our spiritual toes!

•      Revelation 3:4 – “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments….”  Oh, praise God there is always a faithful remnant!  “And, Lord, keep me faithful and part of that remant!”

•      Revelation 3:5 – “He who overcomes…”

      ✞      “…shall be clothed in white garments….”   The bride of Christ is the Church – true Christians! (See II Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 19:7).  Revelation 19:8 tells us of this bride:  “…to her was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.”  But it is not our own inherent righteousness!  It is the very righteousness of Jesus Christ Himself! (See II Corinthians 5:21).  He covers us with His own righteousness as if it was the finest robe! (See Isaiah 61:10; Zechariah 3:1-5).  We stand before Him as perfect – “…accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6).  Praise His holy name!

      ✞      “…I will not blot his name from the Book of Life….”  Our name is written in this Book of Life the moment we truly open our heart and life to Jesus Christ.  And it will never be blotted out!  We are safe in Him! (See John 5:24; 6:37, 47).  Praise God for such security!

By the way, the Book of Life will be present at the great white throne judgment (see
Revelation 20:11-15).  “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life will be cast
into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15).

      ✞      “…I will confess his name before My Father and…His angels.” (See also Matthew 10:32, 33; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26).  First of all, He knows my name!  He knows me intimately! (See Psalm 139:1-4; Luke 12:7; Hebrews 4:13).  Knowing me intimately, God knows all my needs! (See Matthew 6:32).  And He promises to “…supply all…our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).  He certainly deserves praise for this!

Second, one day all heaven will resound with my name – when Jesus confesses my name before His Father…and His angels!  Praise God that I am that important to
My Lord Jesus Christ!

January 25, 2017

Revelation 2:18-21, 23-28

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

Let us continue Revelation Praise with the letter to the church in Thyatira.  There are several things I would like to highlight, but space will not allow.  So I will try to be brief.  Here is an abbreviated version of Revelation 2:18 through 21, and 23 through 28:

      These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and
      His feet like fine brass:  I know your works, love, service, faith, and your
      patience, and as for your works, the last are more than the first.  Never-
      theless…you allow that woman Jezebel…to teach…My servants to commit
      sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.  And I gave her
      time to repent…and she did not….I am He who searches the minds and
      hearts.  And I will give to each one of you according to your works.  But
      …as many…who have not known the depths of Satan…I will put on you
      no other burden.  But hold fast what you have till I come….he who over-
      comes…to him I will give power over the nations — he shall rule them
      with a rod of iron….as I also received of My Father.  And I will give him
      the morning star.

•      Revelation 2:18 – “…the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass….”

      ✞      At the judgment seat of Christ, He will examine how Christians have lived their lives.  We read in I Corinthians 3:13 and 14, “Each one’s work will become manifest… because…the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.”  The Lord just has to look on us with His eyes like a flame of fire, and He – knowing all – will know exactly and fairly how to judge!

      ✞      Brass in the Bible, speaks of judgment!  And His feet are like fine brass!  We are told in Isaiah 63:6 concerning the godless nations, “…I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, made them drunk in My fury, and brought down their strength to the earth.”

Praise Jesus for His righteous judgment – by eyes of fire and feet of brass!

•      Revelation 2:19 – “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience, and as for your works, the last are more than the first.”  The one thing I want to point out here is that Jesus keeps close watch on His followers, and if we are slipping in our dedication – our works – He will let us know!  Praise Him for this!

•      Revelation 2:20 and 21 – “…you allow that woman Jezebel…to teach…My servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.  And I gave her time to repent… and she did not….”  Jezebel is mentioned 22 times in the Old Testament, and only here in the New.  She was the wicked wife of Ahab, king of Israel in the time of Elijah the prophet.  She promoted Baal worship and vehemently opposed Israel’s true God Jehovah – even to killing all the prophets of the Lord she could find! (See I Kings 18:4).

Apparently, an influential woman in the church in Thyatira was promoting wickedness and idolarty – and the church leaders and members were not doing anything about it!  Even so, God was giving her time to repent !  Peter tells us in II Peter 3:9, “The Lord is…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”  Praise God that He “…desires all…to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:4).  Praise Him that He has made the way in Jesus!

•      Revelation 2:23 – “…I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.” (See the first point covered above – Revelation 2:18). John writes of Jesus, “…He knew all men…He knew what was in man.” (John 2:24, 25 – see also Psalm 139:1-4; Hebrews 4:13). Praise Him that He knows me totally, yet He loves me unconditionally! (See John3:16; Romans 5:8-10; 8:38, 39).

•      Revelation 2:24 – “…as many…who have not known the depths of Satan…I will put on you no other burden.”  It is hard enough to let Jesus truly live the Christian life in and through us when our enemy Satan opposes us all the way!  But I praise God that “…He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14).  And I praise Him because – as it says in I Corinthians 10:13 (English Standard Version) – “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

•      Revelation 2:25 – “…hold fast what you have till I come….”  He is coming again!  Praise His holy name! (See John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7).

•      Revelation 2:26 and 27 – “…he who overcomes…to him I will give power over the nations — he shall rule them with a rod of iron….as I also received of My Father.”  Praise the Lord that when He returns as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16), He will rule righteously, not allowing any enduring sin! (See Psalm 2:8-12; 101:8 [International Standard Version]; Isaiah 9:6, 7; Revelation 12:5; 19:15).

•      Revelation 2:26 and 28 – “…he who overcomes…to him I will give…the morning star.”  I find it interesting that both Jesus and Satan are called the morning star! (See Isaiah 14:12 [Lexham English Bible]; Revelation 22:16).  But the devil only copies what God has already done!  He who overcomes will be given Jesus Christ Himself eternally!  We have Him now and we will have Him forever!  Praise be to God!

January 23, 2017

Revelation 2:12–14, 16, 17

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

In the letter to the church in Pergamos, we find some interesting and praiseworthy things. Here are parts of Revelation 2:12 through 14, and verses 16 and 17:

      These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: “I know your
      works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast
      to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas
      was My faithful martyr….But I have a few things against you….Repent, or
      else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword
      of My mouth….To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden man-
      na to eat. And I w ill give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name
      written which no one knows except him who receives it.”

•      Revelation 2:12 – “…He who has the sharp two-edged sword….” We learn in Revelation 1:16 that this sword, “…went…out of His mouth….” What is this sharp two-edged sword? It is His word!

      ✞      So powerful is the word of Jesus Christ that when He spoke it at the beginning, all things were created! You see, in Colossians 1:16 it is written, “…by Him all things were created that are in heaven and…in earth….All things were created through Him, and for Him.” So when we read in Genesis 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light…,” it was the pre-incarnate Son of God who spoke! After all, “…His name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:13 – see John 1:1-3, 14; Hebrews 1:2, 3). Praise the Lord for His powerfully creative word!

      ✞      His word being a “…sharp two-edged sword…,” it is, first of all, an instrument of death and destruction! For it says in Revelation 19:15, “…that with it He should strike the nations.” If Jesus created all things (and, according to Colossians 1:17 and Hebrews 1:3, He also sustains all things) He certainly has the power to speak and bring to ruin anything against which that word is directed – be it nations or individuals! Woe be to anyone who disobeys and opposes God! So, as He says in verse 16, “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” Praise Him that with just a word He can eliminate evil!

      ✞      But just as a surgeon’s scalpel is keenly sharp, but is used for healing – in the same way, the Lord’s “…sharp two-edged sword…” causes healing! Remember the faith-filled words of the Roman centurion in Matthew 8:8: “…only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.” Jesus spoke the word of healing, and the dying servant became well and whole! Praise God that His word heals!

•      Revelation 2:13 – “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.” Pergamos (also called Pergamum) was a city of Asia Minor where the cult of Roman emperor worship was first established! Hence the city “…was seen as the seat of the power of evil because…the God-given power of the state has been harnessed to the blasphemous worship of a man.” (Eerdmans The New Bible Dictionary, Pergamum). “…Antipas [who] was My faithful martyr…” may have been the first Christian dying for his faith in that city because he refused to worship the emperor!

But no matter how powerful the devil is (and he may be the most powerful created being ever – see Ezekiel 28:12-17), we may be greatly encouraged by I John 4:4: “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” (See Luke 10:18; Romans 16:20; I Corinthians 15:57). Praise You, Lord Jesus that You give us the victory over Satan!

•      Revelation 2:14 – “…I have a few things against you…” – and Jesus mentions two big issues:

      ✞      Verse 14 – “…you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.” The full story is found in Numbers, chapters 22 through 25 (see also the November 11, 2016 blog, From Egypt To Canaan – XXX). Balak, king of Moab, was so frightened of the invading Israelites, he hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel. For, the king told him, “…I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” But Balaam would not curse Israel! For God told him to bless that nation! However, he turned out to be a deceitful prophet, because he counseled the Moabites how they could defeat Israel!

▸      “Send the women in, and seduce the Israelite men!”

▸      “When you have seduced them sexually, they will follow you to worship
                           your gods, committing idolatry!”

Balaam’s teaching, and the resulting unfaithfulness of Israel caused God to send a punishing plague that killed 24,000 Israelites! In the Pergamos church, this seductive and idolatrous doctrine was still being taught! And it was causing believers to stumble in their faith!

      ✞      Verse 15 – “…you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” There is no scholarly consensus as to what the doctrine of the Nicolaitans actually was. But several of the early church fathers wrote that this cult practiced ritual sex in their worship. In any case, Jesus said of the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, “…which thing I hate.”  Praise God He does not let us go unchallenged in our personal sin, or the sin of those in our fellowship!

•      Revelation 2:16 – “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” While Jesus’ sword is powerful, and judgment (when needed) is swift, His preference is that we repent ! (See Ezekiel 18:32; 33:11). Praise Him that He so readily offers us the opportunity to repent, and to avoid judgment!

•      Revelation 2:17 – “To him who overcomes…”

      ✞      “…I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.” Manna was the bread with which God fed the Israelites for 40 years in their wilderness journey (see Exodus 16:12-18; 35). But Jesus told His followers in John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever….” Praise the Lord that He is the true manna, freely offered to us!

      ✞      “…I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” There is argument over just what this white stone is. However, it is precious! And it involves a new name that goes with our new nature! (See II Corinthians 5:17). Only those who are born again and who overcome for their Lord will receive one! Praise Jesus that He has wonderful rewards for us in eternity!

January 20, 2017

Revelation 2:8-11

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

Continuing with Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, let’s look at reasons to praise God gleaned from the letter to the church of Smurna – Revelation 2:8 through 11:

      These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 
      “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich):  and I
      know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are
      a synagogue of Satan.  Do not fear any of those things which you are a-
      bout to suffer.  Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison,
      that you may be tested , and you will have tribulation ten days.  Be faithful
      until death, and I will give you the crown of life….He who overcomes shall
      not be hurt by the second death.”

There is so much here about which we can praise God!  But, in some cases, the reason to praise has been covered in other blogs, I will not go over it again.

•      Revelation 2:8 – Jesus is “…the First and the Last….”  We examined praising Him for His eternality in our first blog on this series, published on January 11.  But there is more to consider:

      ✞      The First – This speaks of Christ in eternity past!  As He told “…those Jews who believed Him…” (John 8:31), “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58).  The way He carefully worded this, Jesus is saying He not only existed before Abraham (over two thousand years before), but He always existed as I AM, the eternal God! (See Exodus 3:14, 15).

      ✞      The Last – I counted nine times in the Bible the phrase “forever and ever” applies to Jesus Christ!  He always has been – with the Father and the Holy Spirit – and He always will be!  No wonder He proclaims in Revelation 22:13, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, [the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet] the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

      ✞      One thing Jesus does not tell us here is that He is ‘the Present’ – the “I AM ” of Exodus 13 and 14! (See John 8:24, 28).  But this is why He told the Sadducees in Matthew 22:31 and 32:

      …have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, “I am
      the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”?  God
      is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Praise Him because Jesus is “…the First and the Last…”!

•      Revelation 2:9 – “…I know your…poverty (but you are rich)….”  God’s standard for poverty or riches is a lot different from the world’s!  In this case, these Christians of Smyrna were materially poor, but spiritually rich.  Apparently, they were laying up “…treasures in heaven…” (Matthew 6:20).  As far as what constitutes treasures in heaven, study Revelation 18:11 through 13, and the blog that explains it:  Convoluted Concern – June 24, 2013.

Paul puts forth in I Timothy 6:5 through 10, and 17 through 19, the folly and danger of pursuing earthly riches!  Study it if you care to escape such folly and danger!  And Jesus warns us in Mark 8:36 and 37, “…what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Praise the Lord for teaching us what constitutes true riches!

•      Revelation 2:10 – “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.”  Can we praise God for the suffering which we experience?  Yes!  For we learn in Romans 8:28 “…that all things work together for good to those who love God…who are the called according to His purpose.”  And we are told His purpose in the next verse:  “…whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son….”  To be made into the image of Jesus Christ is the highest honor of all!  It is a great part of the redemption for which He came! (See I Corinthians 15:48, 49; II Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 3:20, 21; I John 3:2).

Fifteen times – including here in Revelation 2:10 – Jesus comes with the message, “Fear not…” or “Be not afraid….”  There is nothing too great that the Lord will not get us through it – even suffering “…unto death…” as He here told the Christians of Smyrna.  God knows what is in store for us! And He tells us in Deuteronomy 33:25, “As your days, so shall your strength be.”  He will give us whatever we need to overcome what we face! (See Matthew 6:32, 33; Philippians 4:19).  Praise Jesus that we don’t have to fear suffering!

•      Revelation 2:10 – “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”  Being redeemed is blessing enough!  Yet so many rewards for godly living are promised! (See Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:30; I Corinthians 3:11-15).  Jesus even told His disciples, “…whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”  Praise Him for His promised rewards!

•      Revelation 2:11 – “He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”  Yes, in Christ we overcome even hell! (See John 5:24).  Even in the worst of times (the tribulation) when so many believers are put to death by the antichrist, it is recorded in Revelation 12:11:  “…they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and they did not love their lives to the death.”  No wonder Paul sings out in I Corinthians 15:57:  “…thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Praise God that in Christ we are overcomers!

January 18, 2017

Revelation 2:1-5

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

I will be selective in choosing the Scriptures that teach us Revelation Praise!  You see, I am discovering so much in this last book of the Bible about which to praise God, it could be a very long series – perhaps a hundred blogs!  That’s too long!  Hence, being selective!

The next Scriptures we will consider are from Revelation, chapters 2 and 3 – one each from the letters to the seven churches.  This one is from the letter to the church of Ephesus, Revelation 2:1 through 5:

      These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who
      walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:  “I know your works,
      your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. 
      And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have
      found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have
      labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.  Nevertheless I
      have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember there-
      fore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works….”

Here we are shown God is praiseworthy in several ways:

•      Revelation 2:1 – “…He…holds the seven stars in His right hand…[and] walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands….”  We learn at the end of chapter one, in verse 20, that…

      ✞      “…the seven stars are the angels [messengers] of the seven churches….”  If angels, they are assigned to the seven churches to watch over them (see Psalm 91:11-13; Hebrews 1:14), helping to direct them and protecting them from satanic attack!  And if the messengers are human beings, they are the ones who bring the message of the good news!  Praise God that Jesus holds them in His right hand !

      ✞      “…the seven lampstands…are the seven churches.”  Jesus Christ walks in the midst of the churches!  This is so encouraging to me. My current ministry includes preaching almost every Sunday.  As I am needed, I fill the pulpits of several small and struggling churches.  Some folks might say some of these churches are dead or dying, and that the Lord has given them up and left them to whither away!  But Jesus walks in the midst of even these churches!  “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20).  Where He is, there is life and a future for even these churches!  Praise Him that He walks in the midst of the churches!

•      Revelation 2:2 – “I know your works….”  And Jesus goes on the describe some of these works in verses 2 and 3 – labor, patience, not tolerating those who are evil, testing the claims of those who falsely say they are apostles, not becoming weary in it all!  This knowledge of their works reminds me of what David wrote in Psalm 139:1 through 3:

      O LORD, You have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting
      down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.  You com-
      prehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my
      ways.  For there is not a word on my tongue, but, behold, O LORD, You
      know it altogether.

This is echoed in Hebrews 4:13:  “…there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”  Such omniscient knowledge should be a terror to an unbelieving person!  But it should greatly comfort the believer!  For God knows all about you and me, and will meet all our needs! (See Matthew 6:31-33; Philippians 4:19).  And, by the way, He keeps a record of all our works as Christians, to give us our due rewards! (See I Corinthians 3:11-15).  “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” (Romans 14:10).  Praise His holy name that He knows our works!

•       Revelation 2:4 – “Nevertheless I have this against you….”  On the other hand, Jesus knows our failings!  In the case of the Ephesian Christians, “…you have left your first love.”  Our first love, according to the Great Commandment in Mark 12:30 is, “…you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”  And, as it says in John 14:15, to love Him is to obey Him!

The Ephesian believers were busy with the things of the Lord, but they were not loving the Lord, putting Him first!  That is so easy for any one of us to fall into!  So yes, we can even praise the Lord for telling us when we fall short of fulfilling His will!

•      Revelation 2:5 – “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works….”  The Lord Jesus will never let us know our failures without telling us what to do to correct them!  Here he tells these Christians of the Ephesian Church to do three things to correct leaving your first love:

      ✞      “Remember…from where you have fallen…”!  Call to mind how it was when you first met the Lord – the joy, the zeal, the desire to grow in knowledge of and service to Him!

      ✞      “…repent…”!  Turn away from the sin of not loving [obeying] God first!

      ✞      “…do the first works…”!  Do again what you did when you loved Him so much!

Why should we praise God, according to Revelation 2:5?  While Jesus will point out our failings, He will always give us the corrective measures to take!  Praise Him for pointing us in the right direction, and telling us the steps then to take!

January 16, 2017

Revelation 1:4-6

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

Ok, we are finishing up Revelation 1:4 through 6 with a study of verse 6.  Here is the full Scripture:

      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.  To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own
      blood, and made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be
      glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.

We are studying Revelation Praise! – learning how better to praise the Lord through selected Scriptures from the book of Revelation!  As I have studied in preparation for writing these blogs, I am amazed at how much we can learn about praising God from Revelation!  So this will not be a short series!

We have already seen nine reasons why we should praise God – and that is just from verses 4 and 5 of Revelation, chapter 1!  I see four more in verse 6:

•      Revelation 1:6 – Jesus Christ “…has made us kings….”  How is that so?  In Revelation 20:6 it is written:

      Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.  Over such
      the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of
      Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

We, having part in the first resurrection (see I Corinthians 15:42-57; I Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 20:4), “…shall be like Him [Jesus], for we shall see Him as He is.” (I John 3:2).

      ✞      We will be perfect in body as He is – having a physical body perfectly adapted to spiritual living.

      ✞      We will be perfect is moral nature – sinless forever as He is.

      ✞      We will live eternally – as He “…ever lives…” (Hebrews 7:25).

A thousand years!  We will reign on earth with Him during the millennium!  And then we will be forever with Him in the New Jerusalem! (See Revelation 21:1-5).  Over what we shall reign is not yet revealed.  It depends upon how we manage our lives here and now to the glory of God!  In the Parable of the Talents (see Luke 19:12-27), the servant who made ten times over what his lord had entrusted to him was given “…authority over ten cities.” (verse 17).  The servant who multiplied his lord’s investment five times was given rule “…over five cities.” (verse 19).  The only ones whose reigning reward is already revealed are the twelve apostles – Matthew 19:28:

      Assuredly I say to you, that in the resurrection, when the Son of Man
      sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit
      on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Praise the Lord that we have been made kings, and will rule and reign with Him!

•      Revelation 1:6 – Jesus Christ “…has made us…priests to His God and Father….”  What does a priest do?  Two things:

      ✞      He represents God before man!  The priest in the Old Testament was supposed to show forth God’s holiness (see Leviticus 21:1-9) – especially the high priest (see Leviticus 21:10-15).  Besides personal and public holiness, he was to have an understanding of Scripture, and teach the people about God.

      ✞      He represents man before God!  It was the priest who presented all the different offerings of the people – given by them to obey and please God.  And he was also to pray for the common folk, interceding for them in their need!

We have been chosen to do the same things!  We are to show forth God (revealed in Jesus Christ) to the lost world! (See Matthew 5:13-16; 28:18-20; John 13:34, 35; Acts 1:8).  And we are to intercede for others before our heavenly Father! (See Colossians 1:9; I Thessalonians 5:25; I Timothy 2:1-4; I John 5:16).  Praise Him we are priests to His God and Father!

•      The last two reasons to praise God (found in Revelation 1:6) we will take together:  “…to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”  God is so glorious that mortal man cannot look upon Him and live! (See Exodus 33:20).  And in the New Jerusalem, we are told in Revelation 22:5:  “They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light.”  That light is called His shekinah glory!

Dominion is rule over a nation, kingdom, or society.  As far as Jesus’ dominion is concerned, when He reigns as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16) – it will be a good and righteous dominion! (See Isaiah 11:1-10).  It is recorded in Daniel 7:14:

      Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all
      peoples, nations, and languages, should serve Him.  His dominion is
      an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom
      the one which shall not be destroyed.

And in Psalm 72:8: “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River unto the ends of the earth.”  Praise God for His dominion!

“Amen.”  And that means, “So be it! ”

January 13, 2017

Revelation 1:4-6

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

As David wrote in Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth…”  I want to learn to praise God more!  For it says in Hebrews 13:5, “…let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.”  Too many of my prayers – and I would suspect yours too – are more asking God to fulfill our wants and needs!  And, while God promises to meet our needs (see Philippians 4:19), what our prayers generally lack is praise!

The book of Revelation teaches us much concerning praise!  This, then, is a series called Revelation Praise!  And we, in this second blog, are looking at verse 5 of Revelation 1:4 through 6.  Here are all three verses of our featured Scripture:

      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.  To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own
      blood, and made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be
      glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.

In our first blog, we found in verse 4 four broad things for which to praise God:  the Church, God’s grace and peace, Jesus’ eternality, and the work of the Holy Spirit!  We find five more praiseworthy things in verse 5:

•      Revelation 1:5 – “…Jesus Christ, the faithful witness….”  Proverbs 20:6 tells us, “Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?”  We have all proved faithless at times!  It is part of being sinful at our core!  But Jesus had no sin (see II Corinthians 5:21).  And Peter states this in I Peter 2:22 (Contemporary English Version) when he writes, “Christ did not sin or ever tell a lie.”  He never told a lie!  So when Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – we can believe Him!  Praise Jesus Christ for being the faithful witness!

•      Revelation 1:5 – “…Jesus Christ…the firstborn from the dead….”  Yes, He rose from the dead.  But here we find a special word inserted – firstborn!  Firstborn means in this case that many others will follow!  Romans 8:29 tells us, “…He [is] the firstborn among many brethren.”  In Romans 6:5 (International Standard Version):  Paul wrote, “…we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His.”  Because He conquered death, we will live again also!  Praise Him for being the firstborn of the dead!

•      Revelation 1:5 – “…Jesus Christ… the ruler over the kings of the earth.”  Many people are upset that Donald Trump is our next president.  They want another to direct our country.  On the wider world scene, multitudes desire a change of rulers so they can live in peace and security.  Someday, perhaps soon, Jesus will return as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).  And then, “The kingdoms of this world…[will] become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15).  And, as prophesied in Isaiah 9:7:  “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end…” (Revelation 11:15).  Praise Him that He will be the ruler over the kings of the earth!

•      Revelation 1:5 – “…Jesus Christ…who loved us….”  How much did He love us?  Paul puts it this way in Romans 5:6-8:

      For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the
      ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for
      a good man someone would even dare to die.  But God demonstrates His
      own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

As Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”  Praise God He loves us so much!

•      Revelation 1:5 – “To Him who…washed us from our sins in His own blood….”  Jesus’ shed blood is the most precious substance in the world! It is only His blood that can wash away our sins! (See I John 1:7).  As the old hymn goes:

                                What can wash away my sins?
                                       Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
                                What can make me whole again?
                                       Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

There were 1500 years of animal sacrifices in the Jewish religion, as designated by the law.  But all that was just a temporary covering of sin – until the One who offered the perfect sacrifice of His own self to permanently take our sins away!  The writer of Hebrews explains it this way in Hebrews 10:4, 10, 12, and 14:

      …it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats could take away
      sins….[but] we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of
      Jesus Christ once for all….this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice
      for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God…For by one offering
      He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

It all pointed to Jesus sacrificing His own blood on our behalf!  Praise the Lord for washing us clean in the blood of the Lamb of God! (See John 1:29).

There is one more blog for this featured Scripture coming on Monday.

January 11, 2017

Revelation 1:4-6

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

I try to regularly engage in prayer as a daily discipline.  But more than a discipline, I want to communicate with God as a child with his Abba Father! (See Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6).  My Father in heaven is the One who sent His Son Jesus Christ to save me!  But I still have much to learn concerning prayer.  And one thing in particular I need to learn is how to better praise my God!  David testified in Psalm 34:1, “I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”  I want to make that a goal for my prayer life – His praise shall continually be in my mouth!

As a matter of fact, praise is offered to God 182 times in the Psalms alone!  And in Psalm 22:3 we learn, “…You are holy, who inhabit the praises of…” Your people!  So, if you want to draw near to God, praise Him!  And in the New Testament (Hebrews 13:5) we are told, “…let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.”

Where can we best learn to praise our Lord?  I believe the book of Revelation is a good place to start.  So I am beginning a series called Revelation Praise!  Here is the first lesson on “How to praise God!” from Revelation 1:4 through 6:

      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.  To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own
      blood, and made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be
      glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

•      Revelation 1:4 – “…to the seven churches which are in Asia….”  These seven churches (see Revelation chapters 2 and 3) are thought to represent all congregations over all the earth throughout the history of the Church Age – from Pentecost (see Acts 2) to the Rapture (see I Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 4:1, 2).  So this last book of the New Testament applies to you, Christian!  And, by the way, Revelation is the only book of the Bible that carries the promise of God’s blessing if we read it with understanding! (See Revelation 1:3).  Praise Him for His Church!

•      Revelation 1:4 – “Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come….”  I find two broad reasons to praise the Lord in this short portion of Scripture:

      ✞      He gives us grace and peace!  Grace is God’s undeserved favor!  We certainly don’t deserve such favor!  We deserve His eternal wrath and judgment which would mean we would be assigned to hell forever!  But He gives us grace!   I think a Scripture that shows this grace is Romans 5:8:  “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  We were His enemies!  But He made His own Son His enemy on the cross, that we might become His friends! (See John 15:14, 15; II Corinthians 5:18; Ephesians 2:12; Colossians 1:21).  Praise Him for His grace!

      ✞      Jesus is described as the One “…who is and who was and who is to come….”  He is eternal!  He is God!  He is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit!  He died “…once…to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Hebrews 9:26).  And now, “…He ever lives to make intercession for [us].” (Hebrews 7:25).  What is more – and especially as we live in this old sinful world – He will come again, this time as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).  Praise Him for His eternality – and for His coming reign upon the earth!

•      Revelation 1:4 – “…and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne….”  Seven in the Bible is thought of as the number of perfection!  Here, the Holy Spirit is introduced as seven Spirits – the perfect Spirit!  Praise Him for His perfect Holy Spirit!

      ✞      He is the one who draws us to the Savior, wooing us, leading us to put our faith in Him! (See John 6:44).  The unpardonable sin is when we push the Spirit away – or attribute to evil spirits His work of drawing us to Christ (see Mark 3:22-30).

      ✞      The Holy Spirit is the permanent seal given by God and dwelling within us to show that we are the Lord’s possession! (See Romans 8:9, 16; II Corinthians 1:22).

      ✞      He is the guarantee that God will complete in us the work that He started! (See I Corinthians 6:19; Ephesians 1:13, 14; Philippians 1:6).

      ✞      He is the energizing force working within for us to live out the Christ-life! (See John 7:38, 39; Romans 8:13, 26; 15:19; Galatians 3:5; 5:16; Ephesians 5:18-21; I Peter 1:2).

      ✞      The Holy Spirit produces within us the fruit of the Spirit! (See Galatians 5:22, 23), and gives us His gifts (see Romans 12:6-9; I Corinthians 12:7-11).

We have only here covered verse 4 of our three-verse featured Scripture!  But I think you can see that we can learn a lot about praising God from the book of Revelation!  There is more to come in the next blog – and in several more blogs in the future.

January 9, 2017

James 4:10-12

(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)

A Know-It-All is someone who thinks and acts like he or she knows all there is about a situation so they can make a judgement call concerning it. However, James deals with this very thing in James 4:10 through 12:

      Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Do
      not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother
      and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if
      you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is
      one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge
      another?

Judging your fellow Christian is judging the law! What law are we talking about? James identifies it in James 2:8: “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well.” Since the epistle of James is generally considered to be the first writing of the New Testament, then the Scripture he is referring to has to be in the Old Testament! And we find this royal law in Leviticus 19:18 – an exact quote: “…you shall love your neighbor as yourself…” (see also Matthew 22:36-40; Romans 13:8-10). And to what degree should we be loving our neighbor? Jesus tells us in John 13:34 and 35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Our goal is to love one another as much as Jesus loves us! And what does such love do? Among other things, it says in I Peter 4:8, “…love will cover a multitude of sins.” (see also Proverbs 10:12).

Isn’t this what Jesus Christ has done for us? He so ‘covered’ our sins that they are gone through His sacrifice on the cross! (See Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 38:17; Micah 7:19; Colossians 2:13, 14). Our sins are removed from us to the extent that God says in Hebrews 8:12 and 10:17, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” He will never even call them to mind!

But back to speaking evil of a brother or a sister – as James says, when you engage in such judging, you are setting yourself up as a judge! And, as he tells us in verse 12, “There is [only] one Lawgiver…” and Judge – God Himself! Why is there just one? Think of a human courtroom where the judge sits to hear a case – sometimes without a jury. The lawyers present their set of facts and arguments. The judge has to sift through everything to glean what he or she feels are facts from falsehood. And then the judge makes a decision – but not until he or she feels all that is relevant to the case is in!

If you engage in judging (in speaking evil of someone) do you know all the facts? To be a judge like God, rendering true judgment all the time, you have to know all the facts! You have to know all there is to know – a Know-It-All! You have to be omnicient! And only God is omnicient! This is why James emphasizes, “ Do not speak evil of one another, brethren.” If you are criticizing and judging another Chrisitian brother or sister, you are setting yourself up as God! And this is the very sin that caused the fall of both Satan and our first parents! (See Isaiah 14:12-14; Genesis 3:5).

In my first church, in central Pennsylvania back in the early 70’s, there was a young woman who was a product of the hippie culture. She lived for wild parties, drugs, and free sex! But she traveled out west and fell in with a group of Jesus freaks, and got saved – I mean really saved! She came back into town still looking like a ‘hippie flower child’ – long hair, bare feet, torn jeans. And she lived in ‘the gas house’ on the edge of town, almost rent free – a shack that had no running water and an outhouse out back! But she had nurse’s training. She went back to the wild parties, but her purpose now was to tell her former hippie acquaintances about Jesus. She also rescued those who had overdosed on drugs! She would bring them back to her ‘shack,’ nurse them back to health, and share Christ with them! Sure, it was an unusual ministry, but it was effective!

A staid member of our church, a proper woman in her fifties, came to me one Sunday morning to tell me how terrible it was that this young girl was picking up men and bringing them back to live in sin with her! But, after explaining the unusual ministry this person was pursuing, she stopped her criticism and changed her mind! She just didn’t know all the facts! Now I did not agree with all this young nurse was doing, but she proved to be a Christian who loved Jesus, and was willing to have her reputation questioned because of her unique ministry!

James starts out our featured Scripture with this: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord….” Acknowledge that you are not a Know-It-All! Tell the Lord that only He is omniscient! Confess to Him that only He is qualified to be Lawgiver and Judge – not you! Yes, that will take some humility on your part, especially if you are in the habit of criticizing, judging, and speaking evil of others! But know that when you do humble yourself before God, “…He will lift you up.” For Jesus said, “…whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11 – see also Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6).

Don’t Be A Know-It-All! “…humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God…[and] He will exalt you in due time.” (I Peter 5:6).