04.5 Revelation – Do you fear suffering?

Do you fear suffering?

In Revelation 2:10 Jesus tells the church of Smyrna, “ Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.”

Let’s think about that for a moment.  Isn’t having a healthy fear of suffering a good thing because it keeps us out of high-risk situations?  Don’t suffering and pain go hand-in-hand and didn’t God give us pain as a warning sign?

But as I thought about this command from our Lord, I realized that the opposite of fear is not “to seek out” or “to look forward to.”  So I looked up what the opposite of fear is.

According to Roget’s Thesaurus, the antonym of fear is faith.

I thought about the story of Jacob upon his return trip to his home land and the fear that gripped him.  As you will recall, Jacob tricked his father into giving him the blessing he had intended to give to his brother Esau.  Esau was so angered, that Jacob fled for his life.  Years go by.  He raises a family, prospers, and the time comes for him to return home.  But returning home means facing Esau and the 400 men who, alerted to Jacob’s return, are on their way to meet him.  A stream separates the land and picking up the story in Genesis 32:22, Jacob sends his family and all possessions across the ford and remained on the other side by himself where, it says, in verse 24, “Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.”  As daybreak came, despite suffering from a dislocated hip, Jacob refuses to let go without receiving a blessing.

We have been given the same choice.  Are we starting the new day in the grip of fear or are we clinging to God.  What is faith other than an unrelenting holding on to God?  We cannot allow fear to prevent us from the mission God has for our life.  God does not promise that mission will be free of suffering and persecution.  God never promises an easy road while on this earth. But the reward of the suffering of the path is that it is an on-ramp to the ultimate “high-way” of heaven that lasts for eternity.

But, let’s be honest with each other – we do not have the power to overcome this fear on our own.  If we are fully aware of the pain and suffering that standing firm to the word of God will bring, our initial reaction is to draw away in fear.  But, God does not expect us to overcome this fear on our own.  We are not to overcome fear by looking through it to the reward on the other side, nor by convincing ourselves that it will be temporary or “not-so-bad”.  While those may be true, they are insufficient. The only way we can overcome fear is by faith.  The only way we can overcome fear is by following the example of Israel and relentlessly refuse to let go of God no matter how much the synonyms of fear (anxiety, despair, doubt and worry) grab ahold of us.

Hold the hand of the Lord firmer.  He is reaching out to you with assurance, confidence, calm, encouragement and joy. “ Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer.”  Do not allow fear to keep you out of those loving hands!

My Answers:

13.
a.
imprisoned, death, torture, whipped, cursed, falsely accused and tried, taken out of jobs, homes, land, the synagogue., stripped, beaten.

b.
Some of this happens in places today.  In all places, where followers stand strong in their faith, they are ridiculed and made fun of, caused to lose or forgo earthly riches, etc.

14.
a.
They are either in the grasp of fear or the hands of God – you can’t turn your life over to both.  To allow yourself to be in the grip of fear is to deny that God has the power and authority and desire to protect you.

b.
He suffered.  It is an honor (not one we look forward to, yet we are taught so by the apostles) that He considers our faith strong enough to allow us to face that level of trial and persecution so that His message can shine through it.

15.
I anticipate suffering in ever human matter possible – physically, emotionally, financially – as I continue to witness for Christ.  I do not look forward to this suffering, but I do look forward to growing my faith through it and the comfort and assurance that Christ will provide through it.

04.4 Revelation – Incomprehensible Eternal Presence

Incomprehensible Eternal Presence

In July 2015, NASA’s New Horizon passed Pluto sending amazing photos back to Earth.  With it, there were numerous news stories attempting to explain the size and scale of the mission.  It is hard for us to comprehend since New Horizon was traveling at speeds upward of 36,000 miles per hour and it still took 9 years to travel the 3.1 Billion miles to Pluto.

As CBS News wrote, “Imagine the sun the size of a quarter on the goal line of a football field.  Now imagine all of the planets stretched out in a straight line from the sun.

Earth, just 0.009 inches across at this scale, would be positioned around the three-yard line. Mighty Jupiter, just one tenth of an inch across, would be “orbiting” inside the near red zone just past the 15-yard line. Ringed Saturn would be just inside the 30. The outer gas giants, Uranus and Neptune, would be orbiting on the opponent’s side of the field, 57 and 90 yards from the sun.

Pluto would be an invisible speck one thousandth-of-an-inch across 18 yards beyond the opponent’s goal line. At this scale, the next nearest star would be some 458 miles away.”

Yet, Jesus is bigger.  The letter to the church of Smyrna points out that Jesus is the first and the last, who died and came to life again.  He is across all space and time.  All things were created through Him and He is present, everlasting, in all eternity. He is one of the three persons of the Eternal, all Knowing and all Powerful God.

In the vastness of that eternal space and time, our entire existence, not just you or me, but all mankind since the creation, is immeasurably small – smaller than a single vibration of a soundwave.  Talk about blinking and missing it.

Yet. Yet, Jesus is present fully in our here and now.  His love and presence is so big that He is fully in the smallness of our lives.  And His presence is so great, that He does not consider it small.

He became lower than the angels to walk this earth only to die for our sins.  He chooses to hear and answer our prayers.  He chooses to stay active in creation and He cares deeply and fully about each and everyone one of us during each and every moment of each and every day.

Mind – Blown!

My Answers:

11.
who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again
Jesus is eternal – He is a person of the Trinity for ever.  He is the first and last of the earth (at the beginning and the end).  He is the one who saved mankind by dying and coming back to life.

12.
a.
your afflictions and your poverty – yet you are rich.  He knows about the slander of those who claim to be Jews but are not God’s chosen people but of the synagogue of Satan

b.
Difference between man’s view and God’s view.  They lacked earthly resources, but they had abundance of spiritual resources.  They did not have earthly savings, but they had treasures in Heaven.

04.3 Revelation – Getting Out of the Rut

Getting Out of the Rut

Jesus said to the Church of Ephesis, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen!”

I don’t think this means they had forsaken Christ nor that they had stopped loving Him.  Clearly from the previous commendation, they still were active in the church He held in His hand.  They continued to seek the truth and endured without growing weary.  But they did not love in the same way they once had.

Many Christians have experienced this.  There is the first excitement as the Holy Spirit pours into their life and they shake off the bondage and despair they held before in exchange for the hope and promise of the good news of the gospel.

But, day to day life the progresses.  They travel the same paths.  The routine of their life begins to form paths, which over time form ruts along those paths, until the are bottoming out in the ruts of life they have made.  Most of us have been on that path.

But that is not the life Jesus wants for us.  But it requires a change on our part.  Each day, Christ would have us take a new path.  We may drive the same way, we may do the same work.  But the Christian life is not about these things it is about souls.  Along that same drive we will encounter different people.  At work we will transact and talk with different people or, even if it is the same people, their life will have changed from the previous day.

Do you start your day by asking God to open your eyes to the person you are to witness to today?  You may witness to them by discussing Christ with them, by praying with or for them, or maybe by refraining from the anger you would like to show when they cut you off or mistreat you.

In life we will get on the wrong path.  Rarely, if ever, will we have the strength on our own to get out of that rut and change direction.  More commonly, if we try to do it on our own, we fall right back into the same (or a deeper) rut.  It is only by the strength and love of God that we can truly repent.

You are a fully forgiven, eternally living, child of God who has been invited to do what Adam and Eve were prohibited from doing – to eat from the tree of life and live forever with and walk with your creator.  Does your life reflect that?

My Answers:

7.
You have forsaken the love you had at first

8.
a.
To put time with God at the beginning and end of every day.  To stay in His word daily and carry it in our thoughts, in our words and in our actions.  To let the light of His holiness shine through us.  To walk in the light not hide in the shadows.

b.
Willingness to lay down my own life, interests, priorities and desires to serve the Lord in what ever way He calls me.

9.
1. recognize you are on the wrong path   2. confess   3. with God’s power, turn back
My lack of self discipline in many areas of my life (diet, exercise, time management) reduce the days I have to serve Him

10.
a.
After sinning (by eating from the one forbidden tree) man was not allowed to eat of the tree of life (he lost his rights)
Jesus is giving man back the right to eat from it and live forever

b.
It means that every sin and all sin have been erased.  Man will be restored to the garden to live and walk with God and live forever.

04.2 Revelation – Tolerating Wicked People

Tolerating Wicked People

The buzz-word of our time seems to be tolerance.  Tolerance has been positioned to be not only a virtue, but a requirement of modern society.  Tolerance is defined as a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic origins, etc., differ from one’s own; freedom from bigotry.

But, your tolerance toward another does not grant that person the right to do wrong or perform wickedness nor does it require you to tolerate those wrongs or wicked acts.

Jesus commends the church of Ephesis because, “you cannot tolerate wicked people.”

I think the ways to reconcile this in our lives are as follows:

  1. Purposefully eliminate filling your life (what you read, listen to, think about and discuss) with the wickedness of the world.  There are far better things to fill your life with rather than the latest celebrity news and debauchery.  It can feel like we are swimming in soundbites of sin because that is what we have allowed to surround our lives.  Turn it off.  Spend less time on tabloid trash (or no time) and use that time to serve God by drinking in His Word and pouring out His love to others around you.
  2. Do not be drawn into the notion that practicing tolerance is the same as being accepting of every sin someone wishes to continue to perform.  It is possible to consider sinful behavior sin without hating the person committing the sin.  Jesus modeled this.  While we were sinners, He first loved us and died for us, paying the price for our sin before we did anything.  Jesus was inviting to sinners, but he absolutely did not encourage them to continue sinning.
  3. Do not allow your own sin to disqualify you from being able to stand against wickedness.  Those in the family of Jesus are not perfect (yet), but we are saved and forgiven.  We desire to continue to be transformed into holiness and desire to sin less.  The fact that you are not to cast the first stone, does not equate to giving up your right to believe that sin is sin.  It is not judging others to hold onto the core values of right and wrong.  That is a form of perseverence.
  4. Like the church in Revelation 2, test those who claim to be bringing a “new truth”.  If their teaching and preaching is not consistent with all the words of scripture, it is false teaching.

Will doing these things be an easy path?  In our times, the most intolerant people seem to be those refuse to tolerate beliefs by others that anything and everything they want to do is acceptable and right.  Tolerance is expected for all beliefs except the one that says that sin is sin and we require a savior from our sin.

But whose acceptance and praise do you desire?  From those on social media and in the news or from the one who holds the stars in His hand?  Do not grow weary.  Persevere.

 

My Answers:

3.
a.
The 7 stars are the angels of the 7 churches and the 7 lampstands are the 7 churches

b.
The words John writes to the churches are the Words of Jesus, who holds the churches in His hand and knows all

4.
1. Deeds   2. Hard Work   3. Perseverence   4. Cannot tolerate wicked people   5. Tested those who claim to be apostles but are not (and found them false). 6. Persevered 7. Endured hardships for Jesus’ name 8. Have not grown weary

I desire to have less tolerance for wicked people.  They tend to dominate news and discussions – there are better things!

5.
examine the scriptures to see that it is true, do not conform to the world but stay transformed to know God’s will, if speaking by the spirit then praising Jesus as the Lord (always), test by actions and share good things with their instructor, test against scripture, know right from wrong by being fed daily by the bible

6.
To, regardless of consequences, stand firm in the name of Jesus.  To witness the gospel.  To speak boldly and act differently.  To not back down.  Not for own sake – but for Jesus’ name.  To accept the persecution and hardships that come from that.

 

03.5 Revelation – Thought Word Deed

Thought Word Deed

I grew up in a church with a more traditional liturgy and book of prayer.  The public confession in our worship service, on communion Sundays, began with the statement: “Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.”

This came to my mind as I thought about John and the way he is witnessing his faith.  I see him witnessing in thought, word and deed as and example to us all.  On the Lord’s day, he is in the spirit.  He hears the voice like a trumpet and he sees the one he loves.  This is his very best friend, Jesus.  This is the one to whom he has dedicated his entire life.  And, in response to seeing him, John models for us the one and only appropriate response: he feel to his face in submission to the holy Lord, King of Kings.

It makes me think of how I should respond to Jesus each and every day.  He is no longer the babe in the manger (although that is part of who he will always be).  He is the victorious one.  The firstborn of the dead.  The glorified person of the God-Head.  He is our savior, Lord, and King.

I can be tempted to think of Jesus only as that babe.  I can be tempted to think of Him only as the preacher and healer.  I can be tempted to think of Him only on the cross or risen from the tomb.  Those are all accurate, but they can also be a temptation to put Jesus in a little box.  Jesus is bigger.  Instead of trying to compartmentalize Jesus to a viewpoint or to a certain time of the day or week, I need to change my perspective to match that of John.  The most direct way to change my perspective is to change my posture.  Maybe I need to spend less time trying to stand up in defense of my thoughts, words and deeds, and more time face down on the ground in front of my Maker and Lord.  If I truly do want to make a personal connection with Jesus, maybe I should spend less time trying to reach to Him and more time in submission to Him so that He will lay His hand on me as He did on John.

My Answers:

12.
the seven churches

13.
Jesus.  He is the exalted promised Messiah, who died, but through grace, saves those who caused His death.

14.
He fell face down at His feet.  He knew Jesus and knew who He was.  He witnessed to us through his actions.  This is the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah.

03.4 Revelation – Don’t Be Silenced

Don’t Be Silenced

Many believers through the ages have faced resistance and persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ.  John, and the apostles, were no exception.  This persecution continues to this day and there are areas of the world where people are dying for their faith.

But, what is the appropriate response for those of us who are not facing great persecution or hardship for our faith.  Should we feel bad?  Should we feel guilty? I don’t think so.

Instead, I think we should see through the opposition and persecution that happens in the world, beyond the action itself and view the goal of the evil forces that are behind the persecution.  Their goal is not simply to make life difficult or kill that believer.  Life is difficult and every believer (until the rapture) will die.  Their goal, I believe, is bigger.  Their goal is to silence others.  The bigger picture is not the one person or even group of being being attacked but the deterrence of others who would be witnesses.

So, what can and should we do?  Do not be silent!  Do not be deterred.  Do not be intimidated.  Do not fear the persecution (God is bigger and stronger).

Our call in the commission that Jesus gave through the apostles is “to be my witnesses”.  It is not a competition about who has the best persecution story.  (I don’t know if it happens in the ladies’ groups, but guys are notorious for following up from a previous answer from another guy with the statement “I can’t top that…”).  It is a call to not let any persecution story – your own or someone else’s – silence your witness.  Be bold.  Stand strong.  Be a witness.

My Answers:

10.
a.
On the Island of Patmos, suffering in patient endurance because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus

b.
stoned, run through with sword, hung on cross, tortured, killed.  Tradition says John was placed in a vat of boiling oil prior to being sent to the Island of Patmos

11.
a.
They are minor – but every conflict or issue happens on BSF Mondays.

b.
through standing strong – continued witness is thought, word and action to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Stand boldly!

 

03.3 Revelation – A View of God

A View of God

Have you every viewed the stars through a telescope?  The greater the magnification and the deeper you look, also, the narrower your focus.  You see beauty.  You see magnificence.  You see any number of other attributes and characteristics.  However, it would be easy to extrapolate and think the entire universe is exactly like the small slice that you are observing, when actually, each perspective is as unique as the last.  It can be so much bigger and grander than we can even imagine and that is even from the singular perspective of earth-bound views.  Imagine, even more so, if you consider all the perspectives from all the planets in the universe.

Yet, God is even bigger than the Universe.  In each generation of man, since creation and throughout time we have had the opportunity to observe and get to know God.  But, like the view through the telescope, God is so big that to take a deep view of God is to limit our focus to only on a small slice of the true majesty of God.

In the beginning, we see a slice or view of God as creator.  Through the Old Testament we see a focus on God as provider, but also of God who provides the law and expects compliance with the law.  With the New Testament, we see the love of God through the gift of His son, Jesus.  In Revelation we see the wrath of God unleashed and we will see God on the great white throne of judgment.

All of these views and perspectives of God are true and accurate, but they are each just a single perspective of the unfathomably great God.  However, John, in his gospel, letters and book of prophecy, helps present the overarching story of the bible, when seen from beginning to end.  That perspective, or focus on God, is the view that God gave us as THE view-piece through which we are to see and be in a relationship with God.  That focus/view is none other than Jesus Christ.

As John writes, Jesus, the Word, was in the beginning, everything created was created through Him.  He was promised at the point that sin entered the garden.  He was present with the grace shown in the law, which was nothing more than a foreshadowing of the insufficiency of these sacrifices, in anticipation of the all sufficient and complete price paid through Jesus’ death and resurrection.  He is love.  He is the one who walked on earth and cared for the forgotten and sinners.  He was the one who healed the sick and fed the people.  He also is the judge, the redeemer, the victor.  He is the one shining in glory, striking the decisive blow to sin and death.  He is the firstborn into the new heaven and new earth that is to come.

There is an old story about blind men trying to describe an elephant.  Each bases his description on the part of the elephant he experiences.  A leather ear.  A leg.  The tail.  Each presents a true, but very different viewpoint of the elephant.  As we study the book of Revelation as the climax and conclusion of the bible, we need to see the elephant in the room: Jesus.

My Answers:

6.
a.
He is the creator, the one is is was and is to come, Jesus Christ was present at all, the faithful witness, firstborn of the dead (more to come), the ruler of kings

b.
It provides a perspective by which any argument of any other reason than love for His people is removed.  In an eternity, mankind has nothing to give to God.

7.
John: He was given to the world by God, in love, to save the world1Cor: He died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures
1Cor: He is raised from the dead, the firstfruits
Phil: He is exalted in heaven,  name above all names, every knee will bow & tongue: He is glory of God

8.
I am saved.  He gives the greatest gift – Love, His Son.  He is risen and in control of everything.

9.
a.
i. All the peoples of the Earth
ii. All who have sinned – we condemned Him to the cross
iii. All, we will be humbled and mourn our own inadequacy in light of His glory.  We as believers (if we are still on the Earth at that time) will also be mournful because the hope for those we have been praying and hoping for that they would turn and accept Jesus, will be at an end.

b.
We haven’t missed it.  Even though we all have sinned – we are forgiven, our debt is cancelled: nailed to the cross

03.2 Revelation – Blessed

Blessed

We sometimes get a bit too casual with blessings.  Bless you, bless you, oh, you sneezed, bless you, too.  But blessings from God are big deals.

I know there are more authoritative definitions, but I think of a blessing as receiving undue and unearned favor.  Blessings can be conditional, and have requirements or qualifications in place to receive them, but they are not wages or payment, they are a gift.  Blessings can be something that the receiver immediately sees as a positive, but not always.  Sometimes the biggest blessings in our lives can be hardships and challenges that helped us grow stronger, change path and walk closer to the Lord.

Since creation, God has blessed His people.  He gave a special blessing to Abraham, which he passed to his son Isaac who then passed it to Jacob who became Israel.  We see in the story of Jacob and Esau that a blessing is something of great value worth desiring.  From Jacob/Israel we see it is even something worth fighting for as he wrestled with the angel of the Lord.

Jesus was serious about blessings.  His first recorded sermon is filled with blessings from Matthew 5:

3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
    for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
    for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
    for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
    for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

So, when we read Revelation 1:3, we need to not take it lightly.  A blessing from God is something we should long for and desire with our whole heart.  This one is a conditional blessing offered freely when these conditions are met:

  1. Read aloud the words of the prophecy
  2. Hear it
  3. Take to heart what is written in it

By doing these things, we are offered a double blessing from the Lord.  And this particular blessing is an everlasting blessing, one that promises to the family of believers, everlasting life.  Not only is this something we should desire, but it is something that should cause a change in our lives.  It is impossible to “take it to heart” and not have a transformed heart in the process.

My Answers:

3.
a. Jesus Christ

b. God to Jesus to the angel to John.  Blessings

4. To receive undue favor.  An eternal blessing.  Increased faith leading to a better ability to witness

5. Not just knowledge but an emotional, physical and spiritual change. My love for God and others should change for the better.  My faith and the witnessing of that faith should become more bold.

02.5 Revelation – Waiting

Waiting

There are many people you will talk to and read writings from that will discuss how we are in a downhill slide and Jesus must be returning soon.  Many of us look around and see persecution and trials and can see things getting worse and worse.  Like the saints in heaven we desire to cry out to God, how long will you wait?.

I was at the automobile service station this week and it made me think.  We sometimes view the events of the world like we view our cars.  This is starting to go bad, and that is making noise and this is wearing out and, and, how much longer can this thing keep running?

But, God isn’t waiting for things to get worse, He is waiting for the fullness of believers to come to Him.  It is not a matter of how much worse, frankly things can and will get worse.  It is a matter of waiting patiently and refusing to close the door of the fortress, despite the heavy attack, because there still are more people to come in to the shelter.

Maybe our prayer should not focus on the enemy or the attack, but on whom God would have us invite.  Who have you asked to come to BSF this year?  Who have you invited to sit down and discuss their personal relationship with Jesus Christ?  Who have you spoken boldly to so they see and hear the testimony in you actions and words?  If you long for Christ’s return, the surest way is not along the path of complaining, but along the path of spreading the good news.  That person you reach out to in the spirit just might be the last one whom God is waiting to bring into His house before the first seal is broken.

My Answers:

8.
a.
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.

b.
He is God – He triumphed over death.  It is confirmation that all He said and promised is absolutely true and what He said and promised is amazing.

9.
a.
sin, sin, sin, fear, denial of the truth, lost on the wrong path, lack of faith and trust, lack of understanding of purpose, rejection of purpose

b.
all of this is temporary, but what will come will be eternal

02.4 Revelation – God is die skepper

God is die skepper

I was preparing for the school lesson this week and one of the items is the basic truth about the question: Who is God?  Part of the answer was that God is the creator, and I was looking for an interesting way to help the kids learn and understand this.  In the process, I was using Google translate to see how it translates into other languages, when I ran across the translation from English to Afrikaans.

According to Google Translate, “God is the Creator” translates into “God is die skepper.”

I loved this image.  We can sometimes get into incorrect thinking, called deism, that God was very active in the creation and then stepped back and let things be.  That God is distant and not involved in day-to-day, moment-to-moment life on the Earth or the Universe.  He just set things in motion and lets the laws of physics, chemistry and biology take over from there.  But being the Creator is not a “one and done” thing, it is ongoing.  Using a boat as an analogy, God didn’t just create the boat that is all of creation, He is the skipper of the boat. He is the captain, the admiral, the commander.  His hand is steering it and in charge and control at every moment.  Everyone and everything is under his command and authority.

I think, in the study of Revelation, we will be reminded of just how true this is.  God is die skepper!

My Answers:

6.
If you have ears: listen.  The victorious will be in paradise.  God is holy and almighty,worthy, creator
Jesus (the lamb) is worthy, Angels and heavenly beings profess this in unity in continuum
Only God is to be worshiped, not the angels (they are fellow servants)We are invited to come and drink, free gift of h2o life
7.
a.
All who know Him do it gratefully and continuously.  It is the logical and right thing to do and it brings joy to those who do.  It is the appropriate response to the one true God.

b.
Mercy and grace.  That He is everlasting, all knowing, creator, and yet chose to save His people from the clutches of sin instead of giving us what we rightly deserve