Today’s reading: Genesis 12-14

Now from the descendants of Noah’s son Shem came a man named Terah, who was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. After Terah died, the Lord spoke to Abram giving him instructions and a promise.

“Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” – Genesis 12:1-3

Leave and go where I show you to go – this is the first element of God’s promise. It requires more than just initial obedience of leaving all he knows. It also requires continual obedience and submission, following wherever God leads each and every day. It is not enough that I followed obediently yesterday; I must continue to follow in obedience today. Abram does this and receives confirmation of the PROMISE as the Lord appeared to him again in Canaan, “I will give this land to your descendants” (12:7).

I will make you into a great nation and bless you – God promises Abram that he will be blessed and grow into a great nation. This PROMISE has great significance to Abram because his wife, Sarai, has been unable to become pregnant and they have no children (11:30). Yet God promises Abram descendants. When God makes a PROMISE, we can trust Him for PROVISION. So if God was promising descendants, Abram simply needed to trust that God would provide children to Abram and Sarai. So accepting God’s promise requires daily obedience and willingness to follow God wherever He leads, and it requires a huge amount of faith.

You will be a blessing to others…all the families on earth will be blessed through you – this promise was not just about Abram and for the benefit of Abram. It was much larger than that. There were so many other people who would be blessed through this promise, so many others relying on Abram’s faith in God and his decision to obey. Who is relying on our faithful obedience today? Are we living with the realization that our decisions today could affect someone else tomorrow?

For Abraham is the father of all who believe. This is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God. – Romans 4:16b-25

I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt – God promises PROTECTION of Abram and guardianship of His promise. Unfortunately, Abram did not remember this part of the promise when he arrived with Sarai and his nephew Lot (Haran’s son) in Egypt.

There was a severe famine, forcing Abram to go to Egypt to find food. Now Sarai was very beautiful and Abram feared the Egyptians would kill him in order to have her. Instead of relying on God to fulfill His promise, Abram took matters into his own hands and deceived the Egyptians by telling them Sarai was his sister – which she very well may have been but he failed to mention she was also his wife. God had promised to protect Abram from harm but Abram still felt the need to protect himself through deception.

Everyone did notice Sarai’s beauty and she was taken to Pharoah to be his wife. Terrible plagues came upon Pharoah and his household because of Sarai. Pharoah gave her back to Abram and commanded him to leave Egypt – the place they had fled to in order to survive the famine.

Abram left Egypt and traveled to the region between Bethel and Ai. Their group was quite large so Abram offered to split the land with Lot, giving Lot his first choice of which land he wanted.

“If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.” (Genesis 13:9)

Now all the land to the east of them in the Jordan Valley was very fertile and well watered, obviously the best choice of land. Perhaps Abram has learned something from his journey through Egypt. He knows that it is not the land itself that will bless him but that God will bless him, regardless of which piece of land he gets. After Lot chose the better half, the Lord confirmed his promise to Abram a third time:

“Look as far as you can see in EVERY direction – north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession. And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted! Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you.” – Genesis 13:14-17

There was a battle between the kings in the nations around Abram and Lot was captured in the battle (14:1-24). Abram rescued Lot, as well as many others who had been caught in the conflict. The king of Sodom was so grateful that he wanted to give all the goods captured to Abram as a gift. Just as Abram now knew that God was the source of his protection, he also knew God was the source of his blessings. He refused the gifts and kept his eyes on God – his Protector and his Provider.

Dear God, thank you for your promises. May we respond in obedience to your call on our lives, just as Abram did. May we trust you for our protection and for every blessing in life. Show us the areas of our lives in which we are taking things into our own hands, trusting in our own abilities instead of relying on you. Remind us today, oh Lord, of your many promises. Remind me that everything good in my life is not a result of my own effort, but evidence of your PROMISE, your PROTECTION and your PROVISION. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 9-11

After the flood, Noah began to cultivate the ground, and he planted a vineyard. One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers. – Genesis 9:20-22

This was the mistake that would change the course of Ham’s life. It was an issue of disloyalty and thinking of himself before thinking of someone else. Ham had the opportunity to take responsibility and cover his father. Instead of taking action out of respect for his father, Ham went outside and told his brothers, who took care of covering their father. Ham shirked his responsibility and brought shame to his father. Noah cursed Ham’s descendants to a life of servanthood (9:26-27) – if you don’t want to help take care of family, you will spend the rest of your life with no choice but to take care of others.

Ham was not the only of Noah’s descendants to think too much of himself. Ham had four sons but it was his son Canaan on whom the curse landed. But with the curse of servanthood did not come a humble spirit. The desire to be famous and rise above the curse remained. The tendency to think too much of themselves remained.

The descendants of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan…Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was the first heroic warrior on earth. Since he was the greatest hunter in the world, his name became proverbial. People would say, “This man is like Nimrod, the greatest hunter in the world.” He built his kingdom in the land of Babylonia, with the cities of Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh… – Genesis 10:6-10

Recognize Babylon? Babylon becomes the epicenter of arrogance and idolatry. This is where it begins. The descendants of Nimrod thought too much of themselves. Their desire was to build a name for themselves, for their own glory instead of for the glory and purposes of God. I find it ironic that today’s slang definition of “nimrod” means idiot or jerk. Nimrod found too much pride in being a heroic warrior and hunter, but pride comes before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Nimrod’s descendants are about to experience a fall like no other.

At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia and settled there.

They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.” – Genesis 11:1-4

With a shortage of stone in that area, the people used innovation and created bricks. Rather than recognizing this as a gift from God, they found excitement in the idea that they might become famous for their creation. If they could build a great tower made of bricks, the world would hear and see how wonderful they were. People would come from all around to see this tower that represented how great they were. They would become famous and there would be no need to ever leave their earthly kingdom.

Consider the sin of Adam and Eve. The serpent tempted them with the possibility of becoming like God. Eve was easily convinced by the serpent and her desire for wisdom like God’s caused her to sin. Adam witnessed the whole thing and joined in this self-ambitious sin. They were banished from the garden, made to leave the area they had come to love.

Compare the sin of Adam & Eve to the sin of those building the tower of Babel. The people of Babylon desired to be as powerful and famous as God. Their longing for fame and fortune was stronger than their love for God. Their desire to stay there and not be scattered all over the world resulted in just that – banishment and the scattering of people across the region.

But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. “Look!” he said. “The people are united and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”

In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why the city was called Babel, because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world. – Genesis 11:5-9

Our salvation depends on having a humble and repentant heart. If we think too much of ourselves, or think too much of what we have accomplished, we begin to depend less on God and more on what we think we can do on our own. When we start seeing ourselves as a HERO, we soon become known as a prideful IDIOT. When confronted with temptation and sin, we arrogantly choose to build our own tower of Babel. This reminds me of some verses we looked at when we were recently studying the letter written by James, the half-brother of Jesus:

And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. – James 4:6-10

God, humble us today. May we see every good and wonderful thing in our lives as a gift from you. May every blessing be evidence of your generosity. Forgive us for our moments of pride. We long to be your servants for your Kingdom rather than building our own fame and fortune. Help us to see the needs of others and respond with help rather than gossip. Help us to see every obstacle as an opportunity to see YOU glorified, not us. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 5-8

But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you (Genesis 4:7b). Unfortunately, like Cain, most of Adam’s descendants refused to do what was right.

The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing – all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” But Noah found favor with the Lord. – Genesis 6:5-8

There are 2 men in the account of Adam’s descendants in chapter 5 of Genesis who were described as “walking in close fellowship with God” – Enoch and Noah. But what God did with each of their faithfulness was very different.

Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had many other sons and daughters. Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. – Genesis 5:22b-24

In comparison to the life span of the other descendants of Adam in this account, Enoch lived a very short life. If we put it in our terms today, it would be like someone dying around age 40. Enoch was faithful to God and lived in close relationship with Him, but God chose to take Enoch from earth early in his life to go and be with God.

Noah was also a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he also walked in close fellowship with God (6:9). God had a 950-year plan for Noah (9:29) – a plan to keep him on earth for God’s purposes.

This difference stands out to me this morning as I consider the many times I have wondered why God took one of His faithful followers to be with Him instead of healing them or sparing them physical harm. God has different plans for different people and it is not always easy to understand His reasons, but we can always trust His heart. Both Enoch and Noah found favor with God, but His loving response differed from one situation to another – yet God remains the same faithful and loving God. God was ready to bring Enoch home but He simply wasn’t done with Noah.

Is there a loss in your life that you are still grieving? Perhaps this would be a good time to stop and give your pain and grief to God, trusting HIS plan and HIS love regardless of your inability to understand HIS reasons. Trust God’s heart, even when you don’t understand His plan. Know that God remains the same faithful and loving God no matter how difficult life becomes.

God chose to wipe all living creatures from the earth because of the violence that was everywhere. But, because of the faithfulness of one man, God created a plan to spare Noah and his family.

God told Noah that he was going to cover the earth with a flood.
Noah had never experienced a flood but he trusted God.
God told Noah to build a boat.
Noah had never seen a boat but he trusted God.

Everything God told Noah to do, he did exactly as God commanded him (6:22; 7:5). And everything God said He was going to do, He did – in His time.

It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith, Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith. – Hebrews 11:7

It rained for 40 days and the floodwaters covered the earth for 150 days. After 5 months, Noah released a bird to see if the floodwaters on the earth had dried up. But the bird came back because there was no place for it to land. It was not God’s time. Noah sent out a dove, but again the bird came back. It was not God’s time. Seven days later, Noah released another dove and it came back with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. It was still not God’s time but a sign from God that the time was drawing near. Seven days later, Noah released a third dove and it did not come back. Still Noah waited patiently for God’s instructions (Genesis 8).

Then God said to Noah, “Leave the boat…” So Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives left the boat (Genesis 8:15,18).

God told Noah before the flood that He would confirm His covenant with Noah (6:18). The first thing Noah did after emptying the animals from the boat was to build an altar to the Lord and sacrifice burnt offerings to Him. God then spoke His covenant or promise to Noah:

“I will never again curse the ground because of the human race, even though everything they think or imagine is bent toward evil from childhood. I will never again destroy all living things. As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night.” – Genesis 8:21-22

Just as He promised, God confirmed His covenant with Noah. He also gave him a sign of his covenant, a promise for all future generations to see and be reminded that God keeps His promises. God sent a rainbow – an image of peace after the storm and a reminder of God’s eternal covenant with us.

For God’s purposes…

in His time…

because I choose to believe He is a God who keeps His promises.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 2:5-4:26

“Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” – Genesis 4:6-7

When God placed Adam in the garden with the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good & evil, the opportunity to sin was created. God blessed Adam generously but asked for obedience in this one area – do not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good & evil. Disobedience would mean death.

God surrounded Adam with beautiful trees that produced delicious fruit (2:9). He gave him a job to do. Now that he was done naming all of the animals, God gave him the responsibility of tending the garden and watching over it (2:15). So God made it clear – this is what I want you to do and this is what I do not want you to do. Tend and watch over the garden but do not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good & evil. The opportunity to sin existed BUT God had fully equipped Adam with everything that he needed to resist sin and choose life.

God saw that Adam had one more unmet need, the need for intimate companionship. God took one of Adam’s ribs and created from the rib a woman – Eve (2:22). There was now something missing from Adam that could be completed when united with his wife. This union was a beautiful thing, a gift from God, yet another opportunity to sin if not used the way God intended.

So Adam & Eve had a choice – to do what is right or to refuse to do what is right. Sin was crouching nearby, just waiting for the opportunity to control Adam & Eve. The serpent convinced Eve that there was something missing from her life, something God was withholding from her through His rules of right and wrong. Eve had a choice and chose to be deceived by the beauty of the tree’s fruit and the desire for wisdom independent from God. She ate of the fruit. Adam watched all of this occur (3:6) and willfully made his own choice. He chose to join her in doing what they had specifically been commanded not to do.

At that moment their eyes were opened and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness (3:7a).

And WITH SHAME CAME BLAME. When confronted with their sin, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. Their response was essentially – it’s not my fault! No one was willing to take responsibility for their actions.

“Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked, “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” – Genesis 3:11-13

Their son, Cain, played the same blame game after killing his brother in a jealous response to Abel’s choice to do what was right. God warned Cain that his anger was inviting sin to come and control him. He commanded Cain to subdue the sinful anger and stay in control, but Cain chose to wrap himself in self-pity and anger. When asked where his brother was, Cain basically responded – it’s not my responsibility!

Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother?”
“I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” – Genesis 4:9

Cain was given the choice to do what was right or to refuse to do what was right. He chose the latter and God punished him for his sins. When confronted with his sin, Cain could have chosen repentance and confession. His response was instead (4:13-14) – it’s not fair!

Cain replied to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear! You have banished me from the land and from your presence; you have made me a homeless wanderer. Anyone who finds me will kill me!” – Genesis 4:13-14

Do these responses sound familiar? We continue to hear them today, sometimes from other people and sometimes coming from our own mouth.

It’s not my fault!
It’s not my responsibility!
It’s not fair!

God’s response remains the same.
He warns us – Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you.
He advises us – Subdue sin and be its master rather than letting it master you.
God makes it clear, just as He did for Adam.
This is what I want you to do and this is what I do not want you to do.
We have the same choice Cain did.
We can do what is right or we can refuse to do what is right.

“Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.” – Genesis 4:7

This is the message you have heard FROM THE BEGINNING: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. – 1 John 3:11-12

Lord, we ask for wisdom today – Your wisdom. Give us eyes to see sin crouching near us. Give us discernment to see truth from lies. May your Spirit remind us of the dangers of temptation and may your Spirit be the source of strength to choose what is right in every situation. Place in us the desire to stay within the boundaries you have laid out before us. Reveal in us any sinful responses such as – It’s not my fault! It’s not my responsibility! It’s not fair! Father, we look to you and we place this day in your capable hands. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Genesis 1:1-2:4

January 1st is one of my favorite days of the year! I love the idea of a new year, a clean slate, a fresh start. I have a tradition of taking the Christmas decorations down, cleaning the house, exercising and then planning a delicious dinner for the family – all to the background “music” of the football games playing on tv. This perfect day gets my year off to a good start.

I will also spend a portion of my day planning out my goals for 2015. What do I want to accomplish? What do I want to complete? What habits do I need to break? I guess you could call them New Year’s Resolutions, although that always seems to jinx my goals when I call them that. In fact, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I finally completed a New Year’s resolution successfully.

After years of disappointment in failed resolutions, I decided a few years ago that my New Year’s resolution would be to never run out of toilet paper that year. I know that sounds silly but I had a pattern of forgetting to stock up on one of the most important household supplies. I would consolidate the partial rolls to one bathroom or announce to the family what bathrooms they could use until I could make my way to the store. You will be happy to know we have not run out of toilet paper in ANY of our bathrooms since I made it a goal a few years ago! Finally, a successful completion of a New Year’s resolution!

So this morning, before I start tearing the house apart in order to put everything back together, I want to take a look at what kind of order my life needs to be in. I long to hear from God, to hear what HE desires for my 2015 – to hear HIS goals, HIS purpose, HIS plans. So I do what I know to do. I enter into His presence with my new Bible in one hand (thanks Mom & Dad Sherwood) and a cup of my morning coffee in the other.

As the cadence of life naturally gives me a new beginning, I go back to the VERY beginning – to the first chapter of Genesis. I look back to the beginning of the world to seek why God created the world, why He created me, and what He is calling me to do in 2015.

What is the purpose of our creation? What were we created for? We can find this answer by looking back at the account of creation. Take a minute to read Genesis 1:1-2:4. There we find God’s first instructions to His creation.

Then God said, “LET THE LAND SPROUT with vegetation – every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. – Genesis 1:11

So God created man in his own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “BE FRUITFUL and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” – Genesis 1:27-28a

So what is the purpose of creation and, therefore, God’s call on my life? To bear fruit – to produce fruit with seed in it that will then produce more fruit with seed, which will produce more fruit with seed…

So how do we do bear fruit? What does it mean to be fruitful? Jeremiah 17:7-8 teaches us that we can bear fruit by trusting in the Lord and by “remaining in the vine” – even when life around us is pressing in.

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. – Jeremiah 17:7-8

So the purpose of our existence in this imperfect world is to be fruitful. When the heat is increasing and we experience a time of drought, God promises to be the source of our needs so that we can remain “green.” We need God, in good times and in bad, and so what better place to be than along His riverbank with our roots reaching deep into His living water.

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” – John 15:1-4

This is why one of my goals for 2015 is to wake up each morning and enter into God’s presence with a hot cup of my morning coffee. I long to grow my roots deeper into the soil of His word. I desire to be pruned and perfected for His purposes. I long to remain in Him and have Him remain in me so that I can bear fruit – the purpose of my creation and the purpose of my existence, but also the purpose of my salvation.

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. – Romans 7:4

If I want to please God, if I want to be in the center of His will for my life, I must bear fruit that bears fruit. This is what I was created for, what I continue to exist for, and what I was saved for – to be fruitful and increase. It was what God was calling me to do in 2014 and what He expects in 2015.

So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. – Colossians 1:9-10

Lord, we enter into your presence and ask for a fresh filling of your Spirit. We sit at your feet and sip from your Word, asking for spiritual wisdom and understanding. May our lives always honor and please you, O God – not by our own effort but because our roots are established deeply in you. Lord, we long to watch you produce good fruit through us today and throughout 2015 – seed-bearing fruit that will itself grow and create more seed-bearing fruit so that your will can be accomplished and your gospel advanced. This is what you created us for, what we exist for and what we were saved for. We long to know you better and better, Father – to grow as we learn at your riverbanks. Amen.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. – Revelation 19:11-13

Why are your clothes so red, as if you have been treading out grapes?
“I have been treading the winepress alone; no one was there to help me.
In my anger I have trampled my enemies as if they were grapes.
In my fury I have trampled my foes.
Their blood has stained my clothes.” – Isaiah 63:2-3

The Word of God – John was the disciple who opened up his account of the life of Jesus with a description of Christ as “The Word”, which adds to the personal significance of this moment for John.

In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. – John 1:1-5

The armies of heaven, dressed in finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords. – Rev. 19:14-16

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to who we are accountable. – Hebrews 4:12-13

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast – miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies. – Rev. 19:19-21

Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. – 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon – that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan – and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. – Rev. 20:1-3a

As I mentioned a week ago when I started this study of Revelation, it is a difficult book for me to read. I love the visual descriptions but the harshness of the judgments and plagues are unpleasant to even consider. But in the midst of all the descriptions of evil unleashed, I love that it ends with the glorious victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. No matter how dark things get, darkness can NEVER extinguish the light. Christ has already won the victory and the day is coming when evil will be bound and locked up. Praise God!

In the meantime, I pray for those who are currently being deceived. I pray for those who are choosing to enjoy evil and the pleasures of this world instead of believing in the truth and walking in the light. For them, I pray this morning. I pray they will love and accept the truth that can save them.

[I apologize for rushing through the book of Revelation. We will look more closely at this book next December. Tomorrow I start the NEW YEAR back in Genesis with the goal of making it from Genesis to Revelation in 365 days. I pray you will join me as we study God’s word – enjoying the sweetness of His presence and the warmth of a hot cup of morning coffee.]

As John’s Revelation continued, I wonder if he remembered back to a day when he sat by the lake with Jesus. A large crowd gathered around Jesus – so large that Jesus got into a boat and began to teach the people as they stood on the shore. He spoke in parables, first of a farmer planting and then of a harvest that comes at the end of the world.

The first parable is one of my favorites. The farmer is planting seed in his field and some falls on the footpath where birds come and eat it. Other seed falls on soil so shallow that the seed are unable to grow deep roots and they die. Other seed falls among thorns that grow up and choke the tender plants. Still other seed falls on fertile soil and produces a great harvest.

“Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” – Matthew 13:9

The seed on the footpath represents those who hear but don’t understand. The seed on shallow soil represents those who hear the message, receiving it with joy, but never grow deep roots. They fall away as soon as problems or persecution comes. The seed among thorns represents those who hear God’s word but the message is crowded out by the worries of life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of righteousness. Then Jesus told this parable:

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grown and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’” – Matthew 13:24-30

Perhaps John was the disciple who spoke up later, after the crowds had left, and asked Jesus to explain the parable.

“The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” – Matthew 13:37-43

I wonder if the memory of this day came back to John as he stood before the throne and watched the Son of Man seated on a white cloud – a crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. An angel came from the Temple and shouted:

“Swing the sickle, for the time of harvest has come; the crop on earth is ripe.” So the one sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the whole earth was harvested.

After that, another angel came from the Temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, who had power to destroy with fire, came from the altar. He shouted to the angel with the sharp sickle, “Swing your sickle now to gather the clusters of grapes from the vines of the earth, for they are ripe for judgment.” So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and loaded the grapes into the great winepress outside the city, and the blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle. – Revelation 14:15-20

Then all the people who had been victorious over the beast held harps and sang the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb:

“Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed.” (Revelation 15:3-4)

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” – Rev. 3:22

[On January 1st, we will start a 365-day journey from Genesis to Revelation – making our way through the Bible chronologically. If this sounds like something you feel God is calling you to, I would love to have you join me each day as we enter into God’s presence and enjoy a cup of my morning coffee.]

In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. – Revelation 9:6

The next four chapters of Revelation describe seven judgments that will take place on the earth and in the sky. Each time one of the seven angels stands before God and blows their trumpet, another horrible event takes place. Hail and fire fall down to the earth, burning trees and grass. A mountain of fire falls into the sea, killing one-third of all things living in the sea and destroying one-third of the ships. A great star falls on one-third of the rivers and the water turns bitter. One-third of the sun, moon and stars go dark and terror spreads across the earth.

Locusts the size of horses prepare for battle, stinging all who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The sixth trumpet blew and 200 million mounted troops were released to kill one-third of the people on the earth, breathing plagues of fire and smoke and burning sulfur.

But the people who did not die in these plagues STILL REFUSED TO REPENT of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood – idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts. – Revelation 9:20-21

Just like we often see today, people experiencing difficulties and extremely hard times have a choice. They can run from God or run to Him. They can hide from Him or trust in Him. They can admit their sin or choose death. God has made it clear in His scriptures that sin is wrong and judgment is coming, yet so many people refuse to repent and accept God’s grace. Those who reject God’s grace will receive God’s judgment. It is inevitable. In the meantime, God is waiting patiently for His people to repent. He continues to extend His grace and offer forgiveness for those who will accept it.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

Another mighty angel came down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud with a rainbow over his head – the symbol of God’s promise. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. He said, “There will be no more delay. When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as He announced it to his servants the prophets.” – Rev. 10:6b-7

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting from heaven:

Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of the Covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm. – Revelation 11:15-19

There will be judgment and there will be reward. There is no need to fear the terror that is ahead when we are walking in the light of our salvation. Remember Jesus’ words:

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” – John 3:16-21

[Only 3 more days until we start a NEW YEAR and a NEW journey from Genesis to Revelation. If you are looking for a way to study the Bible from beginning to end in 2015, I would love to have you join me.]

“Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” – Revelation 5:5b

The Lamb breaks the first seal and one of the four living beings says with a voice like thunder, “Come!” Picture a white horse approaching the throne, its rider carrying a bow. A crown is placed on his head and he rides out to win many battles and gain the victory (6:1-2).

The Lamb breaks the second seal and the second living being also says, “Come!” A rider on a red horse approaches the throne carrying a mighty sword. He is given the authority to take peace from the earth and replace it with war and slaughter everywhere (6:3-4).

The Lamb breaks the third seal. “Come!” A rider on a black horse approaches carrying a pair of scales in his hand. A voice from among the four living beings says, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waster the olive oil and wine.” (6:5-6)

The Lamb breaks the fourth seal. The fourth living being says, “Come!” and a pale green horse approaches with Death and the Grave riding on its back. They are given authority of ¼ of the earth – authority to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals (6:7-8).

The Lamb breaks the fifth seal and now John sees that under the altar stand those who have been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful to their testimony. They cry out for their blood to be avenged and they are told to rest a little longer. There are more martyrs joining them (6:9-11).

The Lamb breaks the sixth seal and there was a great earthquake. The sky is transformed as the sun turns black, the moon turns red and the stars fall from the sky. The sky is rolled up like a scroll and all of the mountains and islands are moved from their places. Everyone, from the most powerful of leaders to slaves, hide from the One who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive? (6:12-17)

Four angels stand at the corners of the earth and hold back the four winds as another angel approaches carrying the seal of the living God, which is to be placed on the foreheads of God’s servants. 144,000 from the tribes of Israel were marked with the seal, but there is a tribe missing and in this I find significance as I sip on my morning coffee. Where is the tribe of Dan?

There are two passages of scripture that may reveal why the tribe of Dan is not included in the 144,000 among the tribes of Israel. In Judges 18 we learn how this tribe chose a different path than what God had for them. As the tribe was trying to find a place to settle, they came to the peaceful town of Laish. They walked into the house of Micah, stealing his idols and encouraging his priest to come and be their priest. They then walked into the peaceful town of Laish and attacked with swords, burning the town to the ground. They rebuilt the town and set up the carved images and began a long history of idol worship.

In 1 Kings 12, Dan is made one of two places for people to travel to worship false gods and idols. Now they are excluded from those marked with the seal of the living God. They made their choice and now they will suffer the consequence of their decision. To put anything above God in our lives is idol worship and there are consequences to making other items or people in our lives more important than God.

“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” – Revelation 7:10

This is the song of the redeemed, of those who choose to worship only God. Their robes have been washed in the blood of the Lamb – not leaving them with red stains but leaving them white (7:14). Now they have the privilege of standing in front of God’s throne and serving him day and night.

“…And He who sits on the throne will give them shelter.
They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scored by the heat of the sun.
For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of live-giving water.
And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” – Rev. 7:16-17

I find a stark contrast as I read Revelation 6 & 7 this morning. The tribe of Dan, who consistently chose to worship idols instead of worshiping God, is missing from the list of those marked with the seal of the living God. But those who look for salvation from God are standing before His throne. They will never be hungry or thirsty or scorched by the heat of the sun. They have kept the Lamb on the throne of their lives and He is now leading them to springs of life-giving water, wiping every tear from their eyes.

God is still on the throne, whether I choose to worship Him or worship all this world has to offer. But if I live my life as if God is not on the throne, I will miss out on His life-giving water.

The Lamb broke the seventh seal and there was silence for about a half an hour (8:1).

Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on the scroll and open it?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.

Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. – Revelation 5:1-4

John wept because he realized how great the loss was if no one was able to open the seal to reveal the contents of the scroll. Even those who surrounded the throne of God were unworthy to open the seals. There were seven seals on the revelation from God but John was unable to access the promises held inside the scroll because of his sin and unworthiness. The weight of this reality fell heavy on John and he wept bitterly.

There are times when the weight of our sins falls heavy on us. We consider our sinful attitudes, bad decisions and selfish ways and we know we are unworthy of anything God could offer us. We struggle to forgive ourselves and the shame of how we have messed up lays heavy on our shoulders. We have hurt others with our words, we have chosen our own desires over His desires, and we have made a mess of what God intended to be beautiful.

“Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” – Revelation 5:5b

Don’t miss what takes place next because it represents the salvation we have access to because Jesus was willing to die for our sins. What happens next, as revealed by John, is a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us. There is no need to carry the weight of our sins because He has already purchased them with His blood. There is no need to struggle with our past because He holds our future. TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE MESS and focus on the beauty of the Lamb, slaughtered in our place and now standing between us and the throne, interceding on our behalf.

Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incenses, which are the prayer of God’s people. And they sang a new song with these words:

And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. – Revelation 5:6-14

Take your eyes off the mess.
Stop weeping and look – He has won the victory and that victory is ours!
Stop weeping and listen – hear the song of salvation the angels are singing!
Stop weeping and worship – join in the song of praise – for we now have access to the throne through the perfect Lamb of God!

[Do you have plans for how you will position yourself to hear from God in 2015? On January 1st, I will be returning to Genesis 1 to begin another chronological journey through the Bible. This year I will blog 7 days a week and make it a goal to go from Genesis to Revelation in 365 days. Perhaps for some of you, this is where our journey goes separate ways. If so, thank you very much for taking the time to read this blog in 2014. I hope there are some of you who would choose to go back to Genesis with me – to join me in daily positioning ourselves at the feet of Jesus while we share in His Word and a cup of my morning coffee.]