He's Given a Revelation...

Read Revelation 1:1-3

End times prophecy is probably one of those Biblical subjects many would like to know more about but are not quite sure how to go about learning.  Well we're going to engage in a few devotions to help walk through some of the key elements of Revelation.  For this week - take a quick look at Revelation 1:1-3.

We're told this revelation comes from Jesus and God gave it to show his servants what events are going to happen in the end times.  He presented this revelation to his servant John through an angel and John faithfully reported everything he saw.  Now this is just my guess but I'm not so sure John understood everything he saw but he reported everything he saw faithfully. 

Verse 3 tells us whoever reads the words of this prophecy to the church will be blessed if they listen and obey the message.  So as we approach this message we should pray God will help us to hear clearly and obey what we're told to obey.

Understanding end times prophecy reminds us that:

• God is sovereign
• God is good
• Motivates us to holy living
• Helps us establish proper priorities
• Gives us hope

 Keep these in mind as we continue our Living Hope Devotional series in Revelation.

Living God's Way

Read Proverbs 3:5-6

We have so many options in life; so many ways we can go with our decisions, our relationships, spending our money and dealing with our health issues.  You name it, we have all sorts of ways we can respond to what's happening in our lives.  However, God is perfectly clear in how He wants us living.  He wants us living God's way not our way.

Often it's easier for us to think of others living one way vs. living God's way.  Because we have a different perspective when we're not in the middle of something so we can see things more clearly when it's not us but someone else we're seeing living their way instead of God's.  But what about us?  Isn't our relationship with God about us and God, and not about others and God?  Sure we're supposed to live in relationship with others and encourage Godly living, the Bible is filled with wisdom for all of us to love others in ways that inspire Godly living.  But what about us?

It's much more difficult for us to check the way we're living and really see if we're living God's way or our own way.  And while it's difficult, it's not impossible.  Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture because in order for us to live God's way, we must follow what this Proverb says.

It all begins with trust.  Trusting God in all things with all our heart and not trusting in our way.  Proverbs says we're not to lean on our own understanding.  You see God's way is filled with wisdom, Godly wisdom that is so much more than just knowledge.  It's applied knowledge because it reveals God knows best. 

Next, in all our ways we are to acknowledge Him.  This shows us that in everything and every area of our lives we're to say to God, "what do you say about this Lord."  You see again God knows best; He knows better than you and me because well He's God and we are not.

This proverb ends with a promise that if and when we submit our will to His, God will set our paths straight.  Listen our lives won't be perfect but they will be right before Him whom we exist to serve with our lives.

Living God's way is all about trusting and submitting to Him.  This isn't about us trying harder or doing more.  It's simply about listening and following Him.  And the coolest thing about all this is God gives us the power and ability to do this by giving us the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity to come along side us and empower us to listen and follow.  So in the end, at the end of the day living God's way is possible because He makes it possible!

Equal...

Read Romans 3:1-20

When we consider society, any society, at it's core people want to know and believe there is equal opportunity that all people are created and valued equally.  Yet there's often this question among let's just call them groups of people where there's this competition.  Who's better?  It happens in sports, in the arts when you think of the Grammy's and Emmy's and it happens among people of different backgrounds - gender, age, interests - you name it there's this question about who is better.

And it's this question that comes when we read Romans 3.  Where Paul is writing to the Jewish people and asking them if there's any advantage to being Jewish.  And while his initial answer seems to indicate the Jews are better because he answers saying "yes" to the question is there any advantage, we soon find out all are equal in the eyes of God; no difference between the Jew or the Gentile.  And here's why.

Paul tells these Jewish believers in Rome that they have this advantage because they have the word of God and He came to them with His word.  However, they are asked another question in v. 9 - Are we any better?  Paul emphatically answers Not at all!  Instead he says ALL are guilty of sin.

His whole point is no one is right before God based on his or her own merit.  It's God who makes us right with Himself by sending and giving us Jesus and His sacrifice.  So on our own we all fall short of the glory of God - v. 23.  But in Christ by faith and believing in who Jesus is and what He did for us - because no matter our background at the foot of the cross we are all equal and can be justified by faith.

Blessed?

Read Romans 4:1-8

Do you consider yourself blessed?  If so, why?  What would you say was the basis of thinking and believing you are blessed?  Would it be material things?  Relationships?  Fianancial blessings?  Health?  All of these?

Take a look at Romans 4:1-8 and see that Paul talks about a different kind of blessing.  He's using the examples of Abraham and David and how by faith they were justified, made right with God and in relationship with Him not by anything they had done but by the forgiveness they had received by accepting the work that Jesus had done on the cross by paying for their sins.

Listen, verses 7 and 8 tell us that if your sins are forgiven and covered, if the Lord will never count your sins against you because you've accepted His work on the cross then you are BLESSED.

Blessed beyond comparison because there is nothing that compares with knowing everything we've done wrong, all our sins will never be counted against us because we have a saviour who justifies by faith.  So whenever you think of whether or not you are blessed, always remember if you've placed your faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins you are indeed blessed.  Praise God for this blessing!

Give Me Jesus

Read John 10:10

Ever get winded?  You know what I mean - winded, going up a flight of stairs, trying to catch the elevator, hurrying to get anywhere.  Sometimes we're in such a hurry to get where we're going we get winded and realize we're not in the shape we want to be in and so we wonder what it's going to take to turn it around where we're no longer winded, out of breath and stressed because we're not in the shape we'd like to be in.

Transfer this thought to our faith - ever get winded?  Tired of trying and doing and relying on what we've got inside us instead of Jesus.  All I want is Jesus, Give Me Jesus and I'll be ok; in fact, more than ok I'll be energized with life, passion, energy, purpose, enthusiasm, and the abundant living that I was created to have. 

Friends, we can all have this abundant life.  The secret is this ask, simply ask for God to give us more Jesus.  John 10:10 tells us we have an enemy that will make us winded, zap us of our strength, come against us to steal, kill and destroy what God is doing in our lives and how He's using us to live for Him.  But that's not the end of the story.  Jesus, the greatest communicator ever, says "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Let's be people who accept this, own this and then live this.  Want to make a difference, change this generation, inspire the next?  Then take hold of God's truths, this truth that we have Jesus and more Jesus means more life.  Pray this prayer this week.  Father God, give me Jesus, more Jesus in my life this day, this week, this month and this year.  Then and only then will we have influence with this one life we've been given.

Go Outside

Read Acts 2:47

We are so often associated with same - the same people, places and things.  Yet as followers of Jesus we're called to go outside ourselves and into this world so that others will have the opportunity to hear and respond to the message of the cross where Jesus sacrificed His life.

The questions is why?  Why are we to do this?  The simple answer is we are in a battle with the spiritual forces of this world that do not want anyone, let alone any more people coming to faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross where His sacrifice paid once and for all time the penalty for our sins so that all who believe and place their faith and trust in Jesus' forgiveness and leadership in their lives might be now in a right relationship with God the Father.

So who are you in relationship with so that the family of God, that is the church of God may grow like we see in Acts 2:47?  We are called to be intentional as we share the grace we have received with those who have yet to receive God's grace.  Will people we talk with about faith always receive this good news?  No but that's not the point.  The point is what are we doing to go outside, even outside our own comfort zones to let this good news be heard among our family and friends.

Pray this week who you can be talking with about your faith so that they might be able to take one step closer to coming to faith in Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

Go on to maturity...

Read Hebrews 6:1-3

Hebrews 6 begins by telling us to leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity.  Then God shares what's considered elementary teachings - repentance, faith in God, instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.  When I look at this list I'd think this is not an elementary list.  What do you think?

The interesting thing about chapter six is that it's connected with the end of Hebrews 5 where we're told solid food is needed and not milk.  Milk is the food for infants while solid food is for the mature.  The solid food being talked about is the teaching about righteousness and for the mature who are able to discern and have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Listen the word of God is so important we need both milk and solid food.  But using this illustration milk is for babies while solid food is for maturing disciples of Christ.  Imagine still eating baby food you can only grow so much until you need food that is right for physical growth.  It's the same thing with spiritual growth - we need to chew on the word of God as our food that will assist us and guide us so that we can grow in our faith. 

Let's go on to maturity by building on the foundation of our faith that was our first spiritual food and go on to meatier matters.  Let's leave the elementary teachings as we relate with God and when we meet with one another in community, learning the importance of spiritual growth as we grow in our love and knowledge of God.