Revelation 1:12-18 – I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
“I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.” John turns around to see who was speaking to him. We must remember that symbols are used in the revelation given to John. The best interpretation of the symbols, when available, are the Word of God itself. And more clear yet is the when, within the book of Revelation, the meaning of the symbol is clearly given. The seven golden lampstands are so explained in V20 “The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” So the mystery of the symbolism of the seven golden lampstands is gone. They represent the seven churches that the Lord will be addressing (Revelation 2-3).
Who is among the churches but He through whom the churches exist and survive, Jesus (Colossians 1:16-20). Here he is called someone like “like a son of man.” This is the term that was most often used by Jesus of Himself (Matthew 8:20, Matthew 9:6, Matthew 12:8, Matthew 16:27, Matthew 17:22, Matthew 24:30, Matthew 25:31, Mark 9:9, Mark 15:39, Luke 4:41, Luke 21:27, John 5:27, John 12:23). Also we can see in Daniel 7:13 that the Messiah, that Jesus was referred to as “like a Son of Man.” He was wearing a robe that some interpret as priestly. He had a golden sash around his chest. Gold is representative of royalty and here we have He who is King of kings (Revelation 17:14). The Jewish priests wore sashes around their waist. Here the sash is around His chest. It has been suggested that it is around His chest because when Jesus was on earth He wept, as when He wept for Lazarus and a lost world. However when Jesus comes back He does not come back as the Lamb of God, but as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, as Judge, Lord of lords and King of Kings, as Conqueror of all who oppose Him. He now longer is weeping and reaching out. He comes to rectify. The sash is binding His heart because He is control, He is on the throne and everything is going according to plan.
“The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.” Having hair “white like wool, as white as snow” takes us back to the Daniel 7:9. In this verse God is referred to as the “Ancient of Days” (Oh I love that name of God!) Here the hair of God is likewise described as “white as snow” and while like wool.” The reference back to this verse in Daniel is no accident. Daniel 7 is describing the same end times as Revelation the two are irrevocably linked. God the Father and Jesus are one. His white hair represents dignity, the wisdom of old age, holiness and purity. Here is the Jesus, who committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22) returning and people may see what the truth of what they had wanted to stone Him for, that He and God are the same, they are equal (John 10:33). Oh, I love it! Praise our Almighty Triune God!
His eyes are like blazing fire. They look right through us. No, better said, they burn right through us. There are no secrets between God and us. There will come a day when we shall all stand before God and all our works shall be judged if they were done for Jesus, or for any other reason. If what we have done in our lives is not for Jesus, then it is like wood, hay or straw. All our works will be to the fire. All works done not for Jesus, will burn in fire as He sees them. However, all works done because of the love of God within, will not burn, but will survive the fire. The only thing that will remain is what was done with Jesus as the foundation. For these, we shall be rewarded. Remember, this is a judgement that is not a judgement of salvation or cursing. We have an eternal salvation through Jesus that He will never take from us and that no-one and nothing can take from us. This is a judgement solely of our works. Family, imagine that day, standing before the Lord and Him calling you His own. The reality of the eternal punishment for those who rejected Jesus is very real and before our eyes. We are happy beyond belief that we belong to Jesus. Our gratitude to Him is without limit. Now it is my turn to have my works examined by the Lord. As His gaze ignites my works, how ashamed I will be if, as I stand before my Savior and Lord, almost nothing that I did was in His name, to bring Him glory. Oh what great shame! How horrible that feeling. Yet, more divine, and almost too much at the same time, is that He sees the meager pile of what remains and then looks at me and smiles at me with the most warm and loving face I have ever seen. Oh, I know I deserve eternal punishment from God. I also know that the only reason I am not receiving the eternal punishment is standing before me, accepting me as His, even with my feeble efforts on His behalf exposed. Those eyes that are blazing like fire are eyes that see all we have ever done, and we know it. Oh. My. Goodness. And at the same time praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Oh how He love us!
Family, knowing, whether we are always fully cognizant of it or not, we are in His presence. He is watching us. Let us all pray that our actions glorify God. He deserves that kind of love from us. In that day, when we stand before Him, we shall know the truth of His Word as He has revealed it to us. May we live faithful to God not that we may not be ashamed then. Even so, He loves us. For those who love the Lord, “Everything is going to be okay!” Everything is going to be beyond great. Praise God who assures that for us!
“His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.”
“16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.”
“His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.”
“When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.”
“Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid.”
“18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with
Luke 19:10 – For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.
1 Timothy 1:15 – Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.
Romans 7:22-23 – 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
1 John 2:1-2 – My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Who are the children of God? Really God reduced it all to something so simple, yet we had been so lost that the simple seemed impossibly difficult to understand. Indeed, in our corrupted hearts and minds (before redemption), it was.
As Romans 3:10,12 every single human being born into this earth is born with inherited original sin and is utterly lost and separated from God. This was all of us. Everyone was born into this world in this dilemma.
All of mankind has inherited a sin nature from our ancestors, Adam and Eve. We had no way to save ourselves (Matthew 19:25-26). Unless someone interceded, we were all hopelessly doomed.
Because of His love for us, God, our Rescuer, our Hope, our Savior, interceded and sent Jesus to save the us all (John 3:16).
Jesus answered the call. Jesus came. Luke 19:10 – For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.
Amongst the wretched of all of humanity through all of time, Jesus found me, no less a sinner than any other (1 Timothy 1:15). He also found all of you. He found us.
He loved us before we loved Him (1 John 4:19). We responded to His love and He saved us from our unsaved condition (Romans 10:9-10). He made us, who were lost, His very own children (1 John 3:1).
You’d think that after He rescued us that we would love Him enough to live in perfect obedience to Him. But no, we still struggle with the sin that clings to us (Romans 7:22-23, 1 Timothy 1:15). It truly is disgusting. You think He would get tired of us. But no, He still loves us, He still keeps us. His grace is a divine pulse that is not one time received and then gone. No, it is His love and divine will living in us throughout eternity. As our heart pulses earthly life through us and so we live. More so His grace pulses eternal life through us, and earthy cleansing that lasts forever, and so we shall live forever with Him.
1 John 2:1-2 – My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. This means we all have grace that never tires, never leaves, and never perishes. We love God and call out to Him, like bleating sheep who know that only their shepherd keeps them, we call out to our divine Shepherd, who keeps us safe and guides us home. And that is where we are going. We are going home. We are going to heaven. And evermore shall we be with Him. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with
Revelation 1:12 – I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
So very many times I have cried out, reached with outstretched arms, begging to receive within me what I could not fully know or fully contain, but could not live without. All I knew was that I had heard a call and must turn around from, turn away from, anything else that I might be focused on. So very many times the Lord has used the following hymn to remind me, and to refocus me. A simple song. The way I like them.
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus
To reach out and touch Him
And say that we love Him
Open our ears, Lord
And help us to listen
Open our eyes, Lord
We want to see Jesus…
Maybe, take a moment to follow this link to hear this song: https: https://youtu.be/eerjElgk4Dg
Is this the desire of our hearts? It is the foremost desire of our heart? Or is our greatest desire today to achieve at work? Is our greatest desire to be politically correct? Or even is our greatest desire to do good works? Family, our greatest desire must be to see Jesus, and in doing that, through the Holy Spirit, see the Father. All these things are good, but if we are not turning to Jesus and away from all else, we have gained nothing. If we have been kind to our neighbor but done so to feel good and have not done so to glorify God, it is for nothing. If we lovingly have raised our children, but have not raised them to place God first, to love God first, and glorify God with their fully yielded lives, it is for nothing. If they don’t burn for Jesus, God forbid, how shall they burn? Family, what burns in the heart of those who love and ache for God is a desire to see Jesus. We must love Jesus. God gave us the Word of God to reveal Himself and to lead us to Him and to keep us in Him. Yet, some, sadly, miss the point. Some can impressively quote scriptures, yet they have no love and they never see Jesus. Some can argue doctrine, and yet, they have never seen Jesus. Or perhaps they have a fading memory of a moment when they were greatly moved and called out to Him, but since then, their heart is untouched, while learning the scriptures. They have memorized the Word, but they don’t know the Word Himself, Jesus. They don’t ache to see Him and don’t even remember that seeing Him is possible, and necessary. If we don’t have love, we have nothing. If we don’t burn in our hearts, we are not where Jesus would have us be. We must be single minded in our pursuit that God is number one in our life and there are no close number twos. Family, if you will, God must be number one and there must be no number two’s. If we love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind, then all the number two’s are taken care of. Before we are truly ready to love others, God must first be loved. Before we can truly care for others, in the ways that eternally matter, we must get on our knees before God and receive the eternal care that He has given for all who respond to Jesus. If we truly know the Lord, if we truly love the Lord, then He will burn within us, as He did within David.
What we need most every day, no, every moment of our lives, is to first of all see Jesus. To hear His sweet voice and to have our heart, even more completely, our very souls, turn to Him to see and listen. Before our feet touch the floor may we see the Lord, and hear the Lord, as we say to Him “Good morning Lord. I love you Lord. I am listening Lord. Please help me to listen and to follow you. Lord, may I do no other thing today if I do not glorify You. Lord Jesus, oh dear sweet Lord Jesus, please, please, I want to see You, to reach out and touch You, to gaze into the eyes and see Your love.” Family, may we start out our day desperate to see Jesus. And all this is not burdensome. Love is not burdensome, it is a joy too big to contain. It is peace so deep, so vast, and so expansive that it can never be exhausted.
Family, what the Lord wants for us every day is to see Him, to touch Him, to be touched by Him and to hear Him. That is the way He would have us start and live every day. To live a victorious life in Jesus, we must turn to hear Him who calls for us. We did that one day in order to come to Him. The Revelation that John received would not have been received if He did not respond to the voice of Jesus. May we do it every day! Let us, every day, first look to Jesus, to see Him, to desperately reach out to Him. to touch Him, to hear Him and to say that we love Him! Amen? Amen!!!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with
Isaiah 26:3-4 – 3You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. 4Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Matthew 7:24-27 – 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Matthew 7:28-29 – 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Everlasting peace, perfect peace, comes from God alone. Of course a person may have fits of happiness, but deep down peace that cannot be taken or lost, is only from God. I place my life in that knowledge. I place my eternity on that knowledge. Jesus taught that those who put their eternal security in Him will stand with Him eternally. Those who put their faith in anything or anyone but Him, especially who trust in themselves, have never moved from death to life (John 3:18), and in that state, at the end of their lives it will proved that they have placed all hope of eternity on what cannot stand. Very sad. Eternally sad.
When the people heard Jesus teach they were amazed because He taught as one with authority. Indeed He had authority from God the Father. Whom God has ordained, God has enabled. He does that today for men through whom He has called. True authority comes from God and authority given by God leads men, as God calls. True authority does not drag or push. Jesus did not drag or push, but led, and those who heed the calling of God followed. Those who desired to keep their life and not live for God, did not follow. May we follow His example!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Oh Lord may it be so for me. Praise You that it is so. It is my desperate plea to you Jesus my Savior and Lord, please keep me close and may your Spirit ever live within me. You are my everything, You are my all. I love you Lord! Oh how I love you! I love how You love me! I love you Lord. With confidence in Your love I cry out, remake me to be the servant that pleases You. Praise you God! I revel in Your love. My peace is found only in You. I love you Lord! I love you!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with
Revelation 1:7-8 – “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” Family, all of you who love the Lord, close your eyes and picture the scene as the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back to the earth in power and great majesty. Perhaps what the inhabitants of the earth first see is a huge cloud headed toward earth. All news stations have live camera feeds focused on this cloud. It fills Facebook live across millions of computer, tablet and phone screens. People stand in the street and look up wondering what is happening. Some people are afraid and run to hide. Nobody has an explanation. The government and the meteorologists cannot explain it. There is simultaneously great fear and wonder throughout the world. Then the clouds open and what is first seen is Jesus emerging. Can you see Him, how majestic and grand! Then we, who are with Him, following Him as we have committed to always doing. During this great moment of the Lord, He shares it with us. We are with Him. Praise God!
Now what emotion does this scene bring to you? For those who love the Lord and long for Him, that scene brings great exhilaration, great joy! For those who have not loved the Lord, it brings great fear. They see the holes where the nails had been as He had hung on the cross. The realization of the horror of the lies they have lived. They cry, they mourn. Their comeuppance has arrived. Jesus who came first as the suffering Messiah to give hope to all who would follow is now returning as Jesus, the Lord and the conqueror of evil, of all who have and do oppose Him. For those who love the Lord, what great elation this scene brings. From those who have not loved him, the scene brings anger and also fear.
“So shall it be! Amen.” We who have loved the Lord, and all who have ever loved Him, rejoice at the sight of His return. All the doubters who spread all the lies and all the rebellious who believed the lies have their folly revealed. All those who were mocked and stood for the Lord are vindicated. Our hearts sing “Hallelujah, praise the Lord! To the unbeliever we say “what we have told you about, what you have mocked is here. Now, where is your arrogance? Now, where is your raised fist! Glory and honor and praise forever to Jesus our Savior and Lord! Praise to our mighty King!” Oh Family, hallelujah! What a wonderful and fulfilling sight! We who belong to the Lord are vindicated. Jesus, who has been mocked and cursed for over two thousand years comes back as Victor and He appears in glory, power and majesty that none can withstand. Yes, those who love Him say “So shall it be! Amen.” We revel in the glory of God and are proud to be with Him. For when He comes, we shall be with Him. Oh how humble, and proud we shall be to be in the glorious cloud of witnesses that come with Him!
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” When John originally recorded the proclamation of Jesus being the Alpha and the Omega (To wit: The Beginning and the End) he fully wrote out “Alpha.” However he only began Omega, and did not spell it out. It was a subtle but emphatic statement from John that all things began through Jesus and that Jesus is the end of it all, yet there is no end to Jesus. The wonder of Him shall eternally be new revelations of amazement to us. He is the end with no ending, praise Jesus! Also, Jesus is not only the beginning and the end, but He is also everything in-between. He spiritually raises us from the dead and stays with us forever, to the end of this time, and beyond into infinity. Amazing! Yes, Jesus is amazing! Praise God! Because Jesus is God, He lives, He has always lived and He is coming back, as He promised. There is no “if” to that fact, it will be. We know it to be true because He said it. For those who do not love it, they will know the truth when He returns. For them a sad day. For us, the best of days! May the Lord be glorified! Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with
Luke 2:49-50 – “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Family, today I believe the Lord has led me to send out a slightly modified version of a letter that this morning I sent to a Brother and his wife. I am supposing that the Lord has some person, or people, whom the letter would minister to. I pray to always hear and be obedient to His leading. I pray that this minister to some of you who hear the roaring of our enemy. Remember that the enemy roars like a lion, but that our Lord and Savior is the Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah. Praise God!
Thank you!
Bob
Hello Brother,
No apologies necessary! I love you Brother and I thank you for kind thoughts. I love you both!
Thank you for giving me your new number. I thought you were avoiding me! Ha! Just kidding!
I will keep you both, and your family in prayer. Having my father pass away in October 2015 I realize the great time that is dedicated to the care of a parent whose health is lessened. Since his death my siblings and I were immediately faced with the declining health of my mother. We still do. I would like to talk to you. Or at least keep an open line of correspondence. I know what it is to have your time so taken that even a few minutes seems like a lot to spare. Still, I encourage you to do it. The Word says that our enemy is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). What do lions do but try to separate their prey from the pack and then close in to with a deadly attack. I encourage you to stay connected with our family in the Lord. As my Dad’s health decreased, I saw him most every day. I missed, I think, very few days. I did not pull back in what the Lord had me do. Some very loving and dear family, even family in the Lord, thought that wrong. They said that the Lord would understand and it would be okay for me to temporarily drop some ministries. However, that is not what the Lord wanted me to do. I am not saying it is wrong for everyone, but that it is not what the Lord would have me do. I responded that I must be about my Father’s business (Luke2:49). I prayed for my Dad to be healed and left it to the Lord. Knowing and never straying from “God is good all the time and He loves me,” and my Dad, I found peace. The Lord is my refuge (Psalm 18:2). It is God Himself who calls, enables and sustains (Psalm 54:4). Brother, stay strong in Him. Nothing else matters. In response to what some said to me “The Lord will understand,” I say that is definitely true. But what will He understand? What will He know…about me? What I want Him to know is that nothing, not anything, comes between Him and me. It is not a morbid struggle, but a bond of love. Our God is my everything. He needs to be that for all of us. I know you love the Lord. I’m sure the enemy is attacking you. I am confident that your faith shall shine. Cling to the Lord who has a strong hold on you. He loves you tenderly.
I hope we will stay in contact and maybe be able to meet. Love God. Oh, did I remember to say “love God?”
Brother you and your wife are in my heart.
Love and blessings to you both,
Your brother and servant,
Bob
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with
Revelation 1:3-6 – Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. 4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy…” Let us always remember that God does not predict, like a meteorologist who interprets the clues to give his best guess of what the weather will be. No, God speaks of what He knows. Remember that God is omniscient. Since He knows everything, He knows the future. He KNOWS the future. He tells of things that will happen because he knows they will happen. When God speaks it is absolute and unerring truth. If God says it will rain, it will rain, even if it had never rained before. God does not speak of the future as someone who makes an educated guess, but as someone who knows what does not yet exist (Romans 4:17, Matthew 24:25). So sure does God know the future that He exists in what is not yet existing, but beyond all doubt, will come to exist (Isaiah 46:8-10). When God reveals a prophecy to us, it is not a prediction of what is to come and then we wait to see if God was right. No, it is a statement of what God knows and there is not a margin of error. This is of highest importance to us. Because God knows the future, we know that we shall be eternally secure in His grace. We know that He will rule forever and that He will forever keep those that are His. No error is possible. There are no “ifs.” God has spoken and it is not a matter of if something will happen, it is only a matter of when it will happen. What God says will happen is, to us, as sure as what has already happened. The fact that yesterday the sun rose in the east and set in the west, is no more true than what God has stated will happen. Praise our God!
“To the seven churches in the province of Asia…” This book is written to the seven churches of Asia. Why did God choose to write to seven rather than three or five or seventeen? Well, He didn’t say. We can surmise, but we must always be careful to express that what is said is only an opinion and not expressed by God. Therefore, being clear that it is an opinion, some think that the number seven is used because it expressed completion. Also, many think that these seven churches aptly represent the condition, or stages of all churches. Some think that these seven churches represent the different stages the church, as a whole, will be in at different time periods. One thing is certain is that the church is the body of Christ, the children of God. This letter is written to the children of God.
“…Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” His greeting is a greeting given to the believer, to who the peace of God is solely available to. Only those who know of a sure and eternal future with God have the deep down eternal peace of God. Before a man can have the peace that God gives, He must first be recipients of His grace. Who give us this grace and peace is God, God the singular, yet plural, person of the Holy Trinity. We see God the Father sending Jesus His Son, who is led and empowered by God the Holy Spirit. What is a witness but somebody who has seen something, heard something or has done something and then recounts what he has seen, heard or personally experienced. Or what the witness has a sure knowledge of, such as an expert witness. Jesus sent His angel to reveal, to uncover, what is within this book. Jesus has testified, the angel revealed and John recorded it and passed it on. Jesus is firstborn from the dead. Jesus was the one who defeated death. We are blessed to receive the benefits of His victory. Jesus has preeminent and absolute authority. He is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 17:14). All authority is under Jesus (Matthew 28:18). Who is the boss, none other than Jesus! Praise God!
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” The victory of Jesus that belongs to all believers is complete and omnipotent. It is the power of Almighty God released for our benefit. Almighty God freed us and lives within us. The God who created all and has no limits, lives within. Praise the Lord! The veil is rent in two and what separated us from full communion with God was defeated by Jesus (Matthew 27:51). We have been freed from our sins and from the power of sin (Romans 6:17-18). We were slaves to darkness but are freed by Jesus to live in the light (Psalm 107:14). Jesus paid the whole price to set us free. He paid it with His own blood. Oh Family, let’s jump up and down and praise Jesus! Let us spread the Good News, Jesus did it all and to Him we owe everything.
“…and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 2:10 states that we are “God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” We are not the authors, the creators, the givers, or the finishers of our salvation (Ephesians 12:2). It is all through and by Jesus. The Word says here that we are a kingdom, united under His kingship. We are priests serving as Jesus our High Priest determines. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a prized possession of God who saved us from living in the stench of evil while residing in darkness. The job of a priest is to get the message of God to the people and pray for the people. We are His prized possession. Family, we are His prized possession! What do you value most in your life? That is us to Him. Praise the Lord! We who were not a people, not a group, were called to be His people (Hosea 2:23), and His servants, and He has all the assignments of His people, as a group mission and as individuals, ready for us to do. Remember the famous quote of Hannibal Smith from the television series The A-Team “I love it when a plan comes together?” Well, all of God’s plans “come together.” In fact they are together now. We shall see them. It is not a matter of if, but when. Praise our God who is all-powerful and all-knowing so that all He has said, and all He has promised, will come to pass, at just the right time. Because He said so. Good enough! Better than good enough! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with
Luke 10:20 – However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.
Family, our home is not here. I love my country and would, with all of its faults, I choose no other place to live. I’m blessed that I live in a location minutes from the beach, surrounded by the mountains, an hour or so from the desert. I remember watching the evening news and a favorite television news anchor Jerry Dunphy’s famous line regarding his broadcast area “From the desert, to the sea, to all of Southern California…” I love my neighbors, even those who have diametrically opposed political views. We all have the same desire and that is what is best for our city, state, and country. The point is that I want to live in no other country. I will take the good with the bad and I proudly say that I love my country and the people who live in it. I am very blessed indeed!
I also love all the people from all other countries. If, as a Christian, I did not, well then something is wrong (Mark 12:31). In the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), Jesus revealed that everybody is my neighbor and I am to love all the people in the world. Not their opinions, oh no. But them. Why, because God loves each and every one. I can look back to my youth when I knew a certain truly detestable person whom God never gave up on until the person came and submitted to the Savior and Lord Jesus. God has never given up on that stumbling, bumbling person. Yup, He loved me then, He loves me now, and He will always love me. As He has loved a train wreck like me, so He loves everyone in the world and wants them to live forever with Him. In peace and in love. So I love the people of my country and the people of this world. What would the world be like if we all loved God with all our hearts, our souls, our strength and our minds? And if we loved each other more than self? Imagine that? So I love my country and I love the world God gave us to live in. I keep praying for the whole world to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. I know it won’t happen, but the thing is, if I love as Jesus loves, then I still will hope, pray and work to that end. If I should not, then something is wrong with me.
But this world is just a temporary home. My citizenship in my country here is not what matters most to me. What matters most is my citizenship in Heaven. My whole life is focused on being there, my time here is short. Everyone’s time here is short. I long to be home with my eternal Father and Savior and Lord Jesus. I long to be like my Father God. The more I am changed, the better for everyone. It hurts me to know I have hurt so many. I thank God that He loves me and bears with me.
I have many blessings from God. But none are more precious than that I am His child. Nothing matters more. Nothing is dearer. I have the honor and privilege of serving the Risen Savior. I know what a great honor it is to serve the God of gods and the Lord of lords. I live in this world for only a short time and then I go home. I know where I’m going. I know where I shall live forever and whom I will live with (1 John 5:13, 1 John 2:17). I wish that all I know would also know and that all will be where I will be. Family, like most of you, I know where I’m going and who I shall be with. That is my home. That is our home. That is what brings me joy. So to many, I may not look very successful, as the world judges. But to God Almighty, creator of everything that exists, I am a wonderful success. A success that has nothing to do with me and everything to do with Him. Yes, I rejoice that one day I will be home. The journey will be over. I will live forever with God. I will see God. Family, we shall see God! Praise God! Every day brings me one day closer to home. How wonderful! How grand! We, soon enough, at the right time for all of us, shall be home and all the strife of the world will be a distant memory. I’m going home! What a great reason to celebrate! Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with
Revelation 1:1-3 – The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants, 2 who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” The Apostle John has often been referred to as John the Revelator, since He wrote the book of Revelation. It is true that John wrote the book to share it with us, as God intended him to do. John is not remiss to let the readers know that what he is sharing is a revelation that came from Jesus. When my pastor shared that to know God we must not concentrate that God is love without knowing that God is also righteous, and then I share that, I share that he taught us that in his sermon. John is clear to let us know that while he is sharing knowledge with us, it is knowledge gained from Jesus. John the Revelator, well, I suppose. But He points to Jesus Christ, to God as the Revelator. Isn’t that true of all Truth? The Father gave it to Jesus, Jesus gave it to an angel who gave it to John, and John gave it to us. The obvious pattern here is to receive the revelation from God and then to share it with others. It is the same pattern that we are to do with the Gospel, to receive the information and just share it. Remember that Jesus told us to spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20). In Mark 4:24-25 Jesus said that we should carefully consider what we have heard from Him. We should stop and think about what He has given us. He also says that “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you–and even more. Whoever has will be given more…” We are to consider the Word of God, we must apply it to our lives and let it transform us, and then we are to share it with others. As we do these three things, then God gives us more. It is like our bodies, we need not consume a lot of calories if we are not going to burn them. But some people work hard and burn a lot of calories. It is the same for us, God is not going to give us powerful gifts of ministry if we don’t minister. Those who do nothing but sit on their couch don’t need powerful gifts from the Holy Spirit. God expects much from those that He blesses much (Luke 12:48b). Share what God has revealed to you. Share generously and generously God will pour even more into you. “You can’t out give God!”
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it.” Blessed, or happy, is the one who reads and understands. Read the Words aloud and understand them. Preach these words to yourself, and then to others. Stop, consider them, and recognize that these are holy words from God. Ask God for understanding and know how to apply the words to oneself and then share with others. Read them aloud. Don’t read them in a daze as you are falling asleep. Read them aloud, announce them to yourself. To the unsaved, these are scary words. To the saved, they are news of great hope and sure blessing. Not only must we understand these words, but we are to apply them to our lives. With such powerful words concerning both the present and the future, the wise don’t only listen, but also take the words to heart and are guided by them.
“…because the time is near.” Jesus gave John a book revealing what was, what is and what is to come. People desperately want to know the future. God, here in this book and throughout the Bible, gives us many insights in tomorrow. Jesus told us what was coming. Now, more than any other time before us, the signs of His imminent return have dropped in place, as we shall see. What is our reaction to this? We look up to heaven and long for His return. Is it today? Praise our God if it is today! Praise God if it is tomorrow. The wise will be ready! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
John The Revelator
by Bob with
Jude 1:17-18 – But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
Most of us are familiar with these scriptures. Certainly we know of people who have scoffed at the prospect of the imminent return of Jesus. We should not be surprised by that since the scriptures clearly say so here and in 2 Peter 3:3. However it should never be Christians who scoff. It is natural for those who don’t walk with the Lord to scoff at the return of Jesus. If they continue in their disbelief, the Lord’s return for them means the eternal judgement for their sins also comes (Hebrews 10:27). What is not “natural,” what should not happen, is for those who call themselves Christians to also be a scoffer.
Titus 2:13-14 “while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.” To the Believer, the returning of Jesus is our blessed hope. I remember a young man sarcastically, with raised voice, who identified himself as a believer, telling me that it was an okay hope for old people (I was about forty-three years old) to look forward to the Lord’s return because we already had lived out our lives, but for the young, they want to live. I was saddened and did not rebut the opinion of the young man because he really had no desire to hear anything I would say. The truth is that all believers, young and old, should daily wonder if today will be the day that Jesus returns. We should be hoping for that because really, that is when the best part of our eternal lives begin. We must not be ignorant of the fact that this world is not our home, and though God has blessed us abundantly in this world, it does not compare to the blessings of living eternally with the Lord (Hebrews 11:14-16). We must never become too attached to this world (1 John 2:15-16) and prefer it, in any measure, to being in the very presence of God for eternity. If this does not excite someone, then some self-examination and some education is in line. Family, in this world we enjoy all of God’s creation. Yet this world does not compare to the joy that heaven holds for us. We can’t fully understand or know it (1 John 3:2).
Looking forward to the Lord’s return and hoping it will be today, as early as possible, is a positive factor in our lives. If we are hoping that the Lord will return today, if we are truly believing that, why would we cling to earthly possessions? Instead, we would rid ourselves of anything that distracts us or clings to us as we ready ourselves for the return of our Lord (Hebrews 12:1). It is often said that, too often, we don’t own possessions, possessions own us. Certainly we are thankful for the blessings from God, but if we are thinking that the Lord is coming back today, if we are really believing that, what possession here on earth is important? I think none of them are. Then, only the essentials of life are important. Thinking the Lord will return today keeps us from lusting for things of the world and lusting after them.
If we are believing that the Lord truly may return today, we will live our lives in a manner that pleases the Lord. The sinful things that hold us, we will shake free from our lives. We don’t desire to have the Lord return and catch us in the act of sinning. How horrible! So, if we believe the Lord is returning today, we keep our lives pure and possessions lose their allure (1 Thessalonians 5:4-11).
Titus calls the appearing of our Lord “the blessed hope.” Indeed that is what it is. Let’s be excited that Jesus could be coming back today. You know, He truly could be. Let our hearts be looking forward to being with God forever in Heaven. May we live for and strive for the return of Jesus. If we do, we shall be ready and unashamed. Let us not have in our hearts what the unbeliever has, hoping that Jesus will delay His return. That is shameful. Let us look with hopeful excitement that the Savior of our souls will return today and that we will forever walk with His love. What we realize now in part, we will know fully then (1 Corinthians 13:12). Jesus may come back today! Yes Lord, yes, come Lord Jesus, come! We await for you. We look out the window hoping that today we will see your return. Jesus, you are our great Hope. Come Lord Jesus! Come and receive our love and praise! Come Lord Jesus!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with