Tag Archives: book of revelation

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; H.L.M. – Thirst for God

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In the book of Revelation, God addressed the church in Laodicea, one of the wealthiest of the seven cities written to by John. However, the city had a problem with its water supply. An aqueduct was built to bring water from hot springs. Yet when the water reached the city, it was lukewarm. When God confronted the people’s spiritual apathy, He said, “I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)

The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.

Proverbs 14:27

The commodity of hot water, which is precious in many other countries, often flows freely in homes in the United States. However, when it comes to genuinely embracing the Christian faith, the majority of Americans seem to be lukewarm.

As you consider the spiritual condition of this nation, look at your own reflection in the fountain of God’s truth. Are you thirsting after a relationship with God with all your heart, mind and soul? As you pray, also ask the Lord to unite Christians in prayer for America to desperately thirst after His truth and righteousness.

Recommended Reading: Revelation 3:14-22

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Multiply It

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Our Daily Bread

Revelation 22:1-5

There shall be no more curse. —Revelation 22:3

Amy had battled cancer for 5 years. Then the doctor told her that the treatments were failing and she had just a few weeks to live. Wanting some understanding and assurance about eternity, Amy asked her pastor, “What will heaven be like?”

He asked her what she liked most about her life on earth. She talked about walks and rainbows and caring friends and the laughter of children. “So, then, are you saying I will have all of that there?” she asked longingly.

Amy’s pastor replied, “I believe that your life there will be far more beautiful and amazing than anything you ever loved or experienced here. Think about what’s best here for you and multiply it over and over and over. That’s what I think heaven will be.”

The Bible doesn’t describe in detail what life in eternity will be like, but it does tell us that being with Christ in heaven is “far better” than our present circumstance (Phil. 1:23). “There shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3).

Best of all, we will see the Lord Jesus face to face. Our deepest yearnings will be fully satisfied in Him. —Anne Cetas

We’re thankful, Lord, for Your presence now

in our lives. But what an amazing day it will be

when we meet You face to face!

Life with You in heaven will be greater by far.

To be with Jesus forever is the sum of all happiness.

Bible in a year: Jeremiah 40-42; Hebrews 4

Insight

In some translations of the Bible, the book of Revelation is entitled “The Revelation of St. John,” giving attention to the human author John, one of the disciples of Jesus. This title, however, is inaccurate. In Revelation 1:1, we read, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.” This is significant because the word revelation means “a revealing or unveiling.” The primary purpose of the book is to give us an unveiling of Christ Himself. Interestingly, that unveiling reveals Jesus to be the Lamb of God, and the word lamb appears in Revelation more than 25 times.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Coming Soon!

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Our Daily Bread

Revelation 22:7-21

“Surely I am coming quickly.” —Revelation 22:20

A “COMING SOON!” announcement often precedes future events in entertainment and sports, or the launch of the latest technology. The goal is to create anticipation and excitement for what is going to happen, even though it may be months away.

While reading the book of Revelation, I was impressed with the “coming soon” sense of immediacy permeating the entire book. Rather than saying, “Someday, in the far distant future, Jesus Christ is going to return to earth,” the text is filled with phrases like “things which must shortly take place” (1:1) and “the time is near” (v.3). Three times in the final chapter, the Lord says, “I am coming quickly” (Rev. 22:7,12,20). Other versions translate this phrase as, “I’m coming soon,” “I’m coming speedily,” and “I’m on My way!”

How can this be—since 2,000 years have elapsed since these words were written? “Quickly” doesn’t seem appropriate for our experience of time.

Rather than focusing on a date for His return, the Lord is urging us to set our hearts on His promise that will be fulfilled. We are called to live for Him in this present age “looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13). —David McCasland

Live as if Christ is coming back today.

Bible in a year: Joshua 10-12; Luke 1:39-56

Insight

As with today’s text, 2 Peter 3:1-10 deals with Jesus’ imminent return. Peter explains that “the Lord is not slack concerning His promise . . . but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (v.9).

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Character Or Reputation?

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Our Daily Bread

Revelation 3:1-6

You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. —Revelation 3:1

Legendary basketball coach John Wooden (1910–2010) believed that character is far more important than reputation. “Your reputation is what you’re perceived to be by others,” Coach Wooden often told his players, “but your character is what you really are. You’re the only one that knows your character. You can fool others, but you can’t fool yourself.”

In the book of Revelation, we find the words of the risen Christ to seven churches in Asia. To the church in Sardis, Jesus said, “I know your works, that you have a name [reputation] that you are alive, but you are dead” (Rev. 3:1). The Lord knew the truth about them, and no doubt deep down they knew it too. Jesus told them to wake up and strengthen the spiritual life inside them that was about to die (v.2). He urged them to remember the truth they had received, obey it, then turn around and start moving in a new direction (v.3).

When the Lord shows us what’s wrong in our lives, He always provides a remedy for change. When we turn from our sins, He forgives and strengthens us to start over.

How liberating to exchange a false spiritual reputation for the true, life-giving character that comes from knowing Christ our Lord! —David McCasland

Men talk too much of gold and fame,

And not enough about a name;

And yet a good name’s better far

Than all earth’s glistening jewels are. —Guest

The true test of our character is what we do when no one is watching.

Bible in a year: Leviticus 14; Matthew 26:51-75

 

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Married To Royalty

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Our Daily Bread

Revelation 19:6-9

The marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. —Revelation 19:7

The book To Marry an English Lord chronicles the 19th-century phenomenon of rich American heiresses who sought marriages to British aristocracy. Although they were already wealthy, they wanted the social status of royalty. The book begins with Prince Albert, son of Queen Victoria, going to the United States to pay a social call. A mass of wealthy heiresses flood into a ball arranged for Prince Albert, each hoping to become his royal bride.

Believers in Christ don’t have to just hope—they are assured of a royal marriage in heaven. John talks about it in the book of Revelation: “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (19:7-8). Jesus is the Lamb, who is the Bridegroom talked about in that Scripture, and believers are His bride.

As the bride of Christ, we are to make ourselves “ready” for that day by striving to live close to Him now in anticipation of our future with Him in heaven. There we will “be glad and rejoice and give . . . glory” (v.7) to the King of kings and Lord of lords! —Dennis Fisher

Jesus, we look forward to that day when we will

be with You! We want to be ready, but we know

we can’t live a life that is pure unless You are

in us and help us. Change us and fill us.

There is no greater privilege than to know the King of kings.

Bible in a year: 1-16

 

John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Sharing Christ’s Dominion

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John MacArthur

“You are . . . a royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9).

In Exodus 19:5-6 God says to Israel, “If you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples . . . and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” They were to be both priests and royalty, but they violated the covenant and forfeited those privileges. Now, according to Peter, Christians are the royal priesthood of God.

The Greek word translated “royal” in 1 Peter 2:9 was used of a royal palace, sovereignty, crown, or monarchy. In this context it refers to royalty in general. We speak of the royal house of England or France, meaning not a building but a sphere of dominion. So it is with God’s spiritual house (v. 5). Believers serve the King and will also reign with Him in His sphere of dominion.

That is affirmed elsewhere in Scripture. In the book of Revelation we read, “Thou has made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (Rev. 5:10); and, “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him” (Rev. 20:6).

Your royal position has some practical implications for the way you live each day. For example, when dealing with the problem of litigation among Christians, Paul said: “Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, matters of this life?” (1 Cor. 6:1-3).

Never forget who you are in Christ, and don’t let sin or the world distract you from your priestly role.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Memorize 1 Timothy 4:12. Ask God to make you a better example of one who represents His royal priesthood.

For Further Study:

Read Genesis 14:18-20 and Hebrews 7:1-17. Who was Melchizedek and what was unique about his priesthood?

Presidential Prayer Team

Presidential Prayer Team; J.R. – Vision of Victory

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An American nurse, a captive of the Japanese in the Philippines during World War II, spoke of her anticipation as the U.S. Army came to her rescue. “We watched, waited, prayed, and listened with trembling excitement…we suddenly heard the rumble of heavy tanks outside the camp. It was followed by wild cheering and shouting coming from thousands of throats!”

A white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True. Revelation 19:11

In modern times, an approaching tank is often the first evidence of impending liberation or conquest. In ancient times, it was signified by a king or general riding into a city atop a white horse. Yet when John wrote the book of Revelation, he was hardly in a victorious position. He was, in fact, a prisoner. But the apostle had a clear vision of the ultimate and certain triumph to come through Jesus Christ.

Today, don’t focus on your difficulties. Instead, watch, wait and pray for the day when Christ will conquer sin and death, once and for all. As you do, your hope and faith will draw others in your neighborhood and your nation to the Savior who is forever faithful and true for you…and your victory over whatever you’re facing.

Recommended Reading: Hebrews 6:11-20 

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Greg Laurie – Antichrist Behavior

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Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. —1 John 2:18

We are seeing an anti-Christian mentality become more popular and more widely accepted in our nation today. It is one thing when it is in an Islamic country where Christians are executed for simply believing in Jesus. But it is another thing when the persecution of Christians is happening in a country that was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. It is another thing when this anti-Christian bias is happening in the United States of America—and indeed it is.

Here is something to consider. Though we do not know whether the Antichrist himself is alive today, there are antichrists, plural. This term “Antichrist” is actually not used in the book of Revelation, though it refers to the person. The very term is found in 1 John 2:18: “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”

Even now, many antichrists have come. . . . John goes on to say, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us . . .” (verse 19).

This is interesting. The question to ask yourself is not Who is the Antichrist? Rather, the question to ask yourself is, Am I antichrist? So who is antichrist? According to John, it is someone who once made a profession of faith but has since turned their back on God. That is antichrist behavior.

Are you living that way? Have you put something or someone else in His place? Are you opposing Him in some way? Have you cut yourself off from other believers and effectively turned your back on God? If so, then you could be antichrist.

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Greg Laurie – The Overcomers

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Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh. —Hebrews 10:19–20

How do we overcome the devil? In the book of Revelation we are introduced to a group of believers who are able to do that: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death” (Revelation 12:11)

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. The next time the devil tempts you to think that you are not worthy to approach God, here is what I advise: Agree. Say, “You are right. I am not worthy to approach God. I never was worthy to approach God. I never will be worthy to approach God. My access to God’s presence is not based on my worthiness, it is based on what Christ did for me on the cross.”

Sometimes we get into the mentality as Christians that if we are doing well spiritually, then we can approach God in prayer. If we get up in the morning, read four chapters from the Bible, give thanks for our meals, and share our faith with someone, then we think we can approach God. But if the next day we sleep in and don’t read the Bible, if we forgot to say grace over our meals and didn’t share our faith, then we think we are not worthy to approach Him.

While doing those things is important, the point I am making is this: Your access to God is there unconditionally. If you have done well, then great. Approach God. But if you have sinned, then approach God and say, “Lord, I have sinned. This is why I need the blood of the Lamb.”

The devil always will try to keep you away from the Cross. But the Holy Spirit always will bring you to it.