Peace In A Chaotic World

Revelation 22:12-20

When you hear the words “spoiler alert” do you mute your TV, or skip over what you are reading because you don’t want to know what will be coming ahead in the next episodes of your favorite show, or the ending of a movie you want to watch?  Are you one to peek ahead and read the last few pages of a book, particularly a mystery?  I am one that doesn’t mind hearing a “spoiler” of a movie or TV show.  Actually, I often prefer to know what is coming ahead.  That way when the show gets tense and stressful, I am not equally tense or stressed.  I can relax a bit because I know what is going to happen.  And yes, I do occasionally peek ahead in a book I am reading to find out the ending.  In life, though, don’t many of us want to know what is going to happen in the future, how everything will turn out with our lives, the lives of our family, and what will happen in the world?  Today's Scripture gives us a peek ahead to what God has planned for the future.  This is a “spoiler” that no one should pass over or miss!

In the final chapters of the Book of Revelation, the Lord lets us know how everything is going to turn out, both for the saved and the unsaved.  I know some people who absolutely go to pieces with doom and gloom with every single event that happens in the world.  Political changes, wars, weather events - these may cause many people to be filled with anxiety, but we can be at peace, because we know the end of the story.  We know that God has everything under His control, according to His plan.

As our Scripture begins, Jesus is telling us that He will be coming back soon (vs. 12).  Bible theologians often use the word “imminent”, meaning close at hand or fast approaching.  There is nothing preventing Jesus from returning today, tomorrow, or in a year or two.  It could happen at any time.  When Jesus comes, He will reward His believers for all that they have done for Him.  We don’t get to heaven by our works, but what works we have done in His Name won’t go unnoticed or unrewarded.  We need to be ready for Jesus’ return, which could happen at any time, and in the meantime be working to spread the Gospel.

Jesus repeats the words He said at the opening of this book (vs. 13), that He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8).  These titles of His reaffirm that He is sovereign and eternal, and show us that He is the ultimate authority over all creation.  Because of that, we don’t need to panic like the unbelievers do when anything happens in the world.  We know that God is in control!

We are then told that those who are obedient to God and His Word will have the right to partake of the Tree of Life (vs. 14).  Since the days of Adam and Eve, mankind has been forbidden access to that tree (Genesis 3:22-24), however now that tree is in God’s kingdom, and Christians have the right to partake of the fruit from it, and to enter God’s city.  Obedience to God’s Word is evidence to whether we have genuine faith, and that leads to eternal life.

In God’s eternal kingdom we will no longer have to deal with unrighteous people, those who so often have made the problems we deal with in our life here and now (vs. 15).  These people who contribute to the stress and anxiety we face, and even the outright persecution for believers in many areas, will no longer be present.  Instead, Jesus, the Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star, invites believers to drink of the water of life (vs. 16-17), which emphasizes salvation by grace.  We come just as we are, and God gives the water of life freely.  We cannot buy it or earn it through any work that we do.

The Scriptures close with a warning, and then a promise (vs. 18-20).  Jesus warns us to neither add to, nor take away from the Bible.  People who say that they have additional revelations from God are not speaking the truth, nor are there some books of the Bible that we can just ignore, effectively taking them out.  The Bible is the inerrant and authoritative Word of God.  God’s final words in the Bible is a promise that Jesus is coming back again quickly!

Because we know the end of the story, we can have peace in the midst of utter chaos in this world, a calm in the face of disaster.  We can be at peace when everyone else is anxious, because we know the Lord is at hand.  He is near, just outside the door.  When Jesus returns, He will turn everything that is wrong right-side up.  No matter what happens in this world and in life, we can have hope in the promise that Jesus will return, and all will be well.  This hope is not based on a rumor or wish.  Jesus Himself has assured us that He has a place for us (John 14:2-3), and that He will return.  He hasn’t forgotten us, or abandoned us in the turmoil of this world.

Worship The King

Psalm 47

There are several countries around the world which have a monarchy, but in only a handful of them does the monarch have any real or absolute power.  In most monarchies, the king or queen has limited ruling power, as that is held by an elected prime minister.  Many countries once had a monarchy, but over time they removed the monarch from power and replaced them with elected officials who only hold their position for a limited time.  Some people like the idea of a king or queen, and others don’t.  There is one King, under whose power the whole world is, and whose power we cannot just throw off, whether we like it or not.  Our psalm for this week speaks of this King, the Lord God Yahweh.  Let’s take a look at our Scripture for today.

Psalm 47 is one of eleven psalms that the Sons of Korah wrote.  Who were these Sons of Korah?  Korah lived during the time of Moses, and he was a Levite, a descendant of the tribe of Levi.  Levites were caretakers of the Tabernacle, and later the Temple, performed rituals, and they supported the priests, who were descendants of Aaron.  Korah wanted to be a priest, and felt that everyone of Israel had that right, even though that was not what God had said.  He, along with some others, rebelled, and God opened up the earth and swallowed them alive into the earth (Numbers 16:1-35).    Some of Korah’s children remained faithful to God, and did not take part in the rebellion.  They became known as the Sons of Korah, and led singing and music in Temple worship.

The Sons of Korah, in today’s psalm, call upon us to celebrate God’s sovereignty and kingship over all the earth.  Throughout the Bible, God is often referred to as king.  As mentioned, some people like having a monarchy, and others don’t.  However, Yahweh is not an overbearing king or tyrant who is only concerned with their own power and privilege.  We are invited and encouraged to celebrate God’s rule with enthusiasm.

God rules over all the earth, and over all nations.  This psalm shows that Yahweh was not just a local deity, nor was He God of just Israel.  He was and is God over all the earth, over all people.  We owe Him our allegiance. We can trust Him as our King.  Our worship of Him is to be active and joyful because He is a great and awesome God! (vs. 1-2).

As we read further in our psalm, we see some foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus, and His triumphant ascension back to heaven, forty days after the resurrection, along with His future return.  We see triumphant shouts and trumpets here (vs. 5).   At the time when Jesus will return, sometime in the future, an angel will announce His return by sounding a trumpet (I Thessalonians 4:16).  Traditionally when a king made an official entrance, trumpets or some other regal instrument would be played.  When Jesus returns, there will also be a glorious shout by the heavenly hosts.  Jesus will then reign as King of Kings, and all nations and peoples will worship Him as Lord and God.  He is in control of this world as He rules from His throne (vs. 8).  One day soon, Jesus will establish His kingdom fully upon earth.

With most kings, the average person cannot just walk up to them, approach them, or talk to them.  Generally, an average person cannot go to the king, bringing their petitions to them.  Yahweh, our King, wants to hear from us.  Scripture tells us that those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior can come boldly to His throne, where we will find mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16).  He delights to receive our worship.  Jesus cares for us personally, and is intimately involved in our life.  No other human king can say that about themselves with their subjects.

As we look back over our psalm we are reminded that just as countries cheer on their king when he comes out in public, so we as believers should praise God enthusiastically.  We need to remember that no matter what happens around the world, God is sovereign.  What He decides and plans will happen.  We should be living in anticipation of Jesus’ coming kingdom.  His rule should give us hope.  We can look forward to a time when God’s rule will be recognized by all people.

Set Free!

Acts 16:16-34

Today’s Scripture from the Book of Acts, is a very exciting passage.  It tells of a troubling encounter with the occult, deliverance from the powers of darkness, unjust brutality from civil authorities, and the transformation of a lost soul through salvation.  Through all of this, God’s love, mercy, and grace shine forth, along with showing His sovereignty, and the power of prayer and praise.  Let’s jump right into our Scripture for today.

As our verses begin, Paul and his missionary companion Silas were in the Greek city of Philippi, which is in northeastern Greece.  As it happened, for several days, whenever the pair went out through the city, they were followed by a slave girl who was under the control of a demon spirit (vs. 16-18).  She continually cried out that Paul and Silas were “servants of the Most High God”, and that they “proclaim the way of salvation”.  This continued for several days.  After a bit, Paul had enough.  He did not want advertising from satanic powers, so he turned around and cast the demon out of her.

This passage shows that demonic possession is not just something out of horror novels and movies, but is very real.  This girl was possessed by one or more demons, and they used her to tell fortunes, which is something that Christians should never get involved with.  Fortune tellers are either fake, or if their predictions come true, are under the power of demons.  The power and authority of the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ set her free!  This girl’s masters had used her demonic powers to make a lot of money, and when they saw that her powers were now gone, as the demon had left, they were quite angry (vs. 19-21).  They did not care that she was set free from demonic powers that controlled her.  They only cared about their bank accounts, so they went to the authorities to report the two as troublemakers.

The city authorities immediately acted upon the complaints of the owners of the slave girl, and took Paul and Silas into custody.  They were unjustly beaten and flogged, which was against the law to do to Roman citizens without a proper trial.  This was nothing new for Paul.  Both then and now there will be persecution for preaching the truth, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

How did Paul and Silas react as they lay chained to the wall of their prison cell, bloodied and in pain from the unjust flogging they received?  Did they shout out curses and threaten to sue the magistrates?  Did they complain to God and say that they were quitting the ministry?  Many of us might respond that way, but not those two.  They spent the night in jail praying and singing hymns to God! (vs. 25).  Even in suffering, Paul and Silas worshiped God, which shows that faith is not dependent on circumstances.

God honored their faithfulness, and brought an earthquake which flung the doors open and loosened their shackles (vs. 26).  God is sovereign over nature as its Creator, and will use natural events to bring about His purposes.  The jailer saw what had happened, and believed that the prisoners escaped.  That would mean his execution by the Romans if that were the case, and so he pulled his sword and was going to kill himself.  Many prisoners would have just let him do that, as there is usually no good feelings between prisoners and jailers, but Paul didn’t.  Instead, what did he do?  He told him about Jesus!

The jailer probably heard throughout the night the prayers and hymns of Paul and Silas, and knew that there was something different about them.  So when Paul stopped him from killing himself, he came and asked what he could do to be saved, to have their faith.  As we learn in verses 30 and 31, we don’t do anything except believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  We don’t have to give money, do various good deeds, or follow certain rituals.  We just have to believe.  Salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through works.  That night the jailer and his family were saved and became believers.

Paul and Silas knew the power of praising God, even in dark times.  They may have been in prison, but they weren’t imprisoned in their hearts.  They chose to praise God for who He is, in spite of the circumstances, and then God moved in power.  The act of thanksgiving and praise opens impossible doors, and shakes loose all chains.

Paul and Silas did not ever give up hope, and did not ever fail to give thanks.  That is the power of gratitude and thanksgiving.  When we find ourselves faced with difficulties, consider the response of these two, and ask ourselves whether our prayers and songs reflect the awesome grace of God?  Will people be moved to ask, “What must I do to be saved?”  Keep giving thanks in all circumstances.  God is big enough to deliver you!

Love, Obedience, And Peace

John 14:23-29

When we genuinely love someone, we want to do things that would please them and make them happy.  Sometimes that might take a little bit of effort, but it is worth it, as we love the person.  We don’t want to do anything that would upset them or disappoint them, and certainly not on purpose.  That only makes sense.  We love that person.  How about with God?  In our Scripture passage from the Gospel of John, the Lord Jesus speaks about this.  Let’s see what He has to say.

Chapter 14 from the Apostle John’s Gospel continues the series of private talks that the Lord Jesus had with the disciples the night before His crucifixion.  Earlier in the chapter, He had a sort of short question and answer session with His disciples.  Now He repeated a statement that He had made only moments before, and that is that if we love Jesus, we will keep His word (vs. 23).  Born-again believers have a personal relationship with God.  That relationship is rooted in obedience to His Word.  Jesus taught that to love God means to obey Him.  He wove those two words, love and obedience, together.  Words or feelings are meaningless without actions to back them up.

As Jesus continued, He spoke of the contrast between those who truly love Him, and those who don’t (vs. 24).  We see this in the world today, including in the Church.  People will say that they love Jesus, but then they turn around and completely disregard what is plainly said in the Bible.  They might say that this or that doesn’t apply today, or that society has changed from the days of the Bible, and we are a “more advanced” society today.  Yet that is disobedience, and Jesus says then that those people do not love Him.  He continued by saying that if they reject His Words they are rejecting the Father.  True believers are set apart from the world, and must stand firm in Biblical truth, even when society opposes it.

As our Scripture proceeds, Jesus goes on to promise His disciples that He will send the Holy Spirit to them (vs. 26).  One of the blessings that the Holy Spirit brings to believers, is that He will continue to enlighten us in the things of God, and that He will bring to our remembrance what we have read in His Word, the Bible.  God’s Word is without error, and the Holy Spirit will illuminate its truth to us.  There is no new revelation, but He helps us to understand and apply the already revealed Word of God, and He will bring to our mind specific Biblical Scripture passages just when we need them.

Jesus then speaks of another promise, and that is His promise of peace (vs. 27).  We hear a lot about peace today, and most sensible people desire peace in the world, with an end to the fighting in various locations around the world.  That is one type of peace, an end to conflict, whether between countries or individual people.  There is another type of peace, and that is an inner tranquility, a calmness in our spirit.  That is more what Jesus is talking about here, and we can have that regardless of what is going on in the world around us.

Jesus’ peace is not a product of our surrounding circumstances.  No matter how chaotic our lives may be externally, we can have an internal sense of serenity through the Holy Spirit, who lives within each believer.  The peace of God is an inner calmness that we can experience only when we put everything in His hands, our lives, our worries, our future, and fully trust Him for the results.  When we face trials, we can be assured that Jesus is in control.

The Lord Jesus doesn’t always make every situation a happy or pleasant one.  However, His truth always gives us peace, and will set us free.  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit His peace creates a sense of well-being and wholeness in spite of what is going on around us.  So many things are troubling in this world, but we can relax and rest in the Holy Spirit.

As these verses close, Jesus spoke of His departure, but reassured His disciples that He would return (vs. 28-29).  Jesus is a Savior we can love, who will actually return our love.  He will come to us with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and will stay with us forever.  Jesus will never leave us, will never throw us out of the house, and will never turn on us, hate us, or give us the silent treatment.  Instead, Jesus promises to make us a part of God’s family.

A Miracle In Lystra

Acts 14:8-18

How do we react when we receive praise after having success in some project we have accomplished?  Some might act a little shy and even embarrassed, as praise makes them uncomfortable, while others just swell up with pride.  They might puff out their chest, and even have a little swagger in their step.  A little praise or some compliments are okay, but for some, the more success and then praise they get, the more they let it get to their heads, and rather soon they start to think that they are really someone special.  We see this in sports, in business, and unfortunately, even among religious leaders.  In our Scripture today from the Book of Acts, the Apostles Paul and Barnabas had the opportunity for that to happen in their ministry.  Let’s take a look at this occasion.

As our Scripture opens, Paul and Barnabas were continuing on with their missionary journeys, and they had arrived in the village of Lystra, which was in south-central present-day Turkey.  There they proceeded to give a sermon, bringing the Gospel message of Jesus to these folks.  As we read, as Paul continued in his sermon, he noticed one man in the congregation.  He stuck out for some reason.  Paul noticed that he was intently paying attention to the message, and from the look on his face, he was believing the message.  Faith was growing and was becoming evident to the Apostle (vs. 8-9).

This man was crippled, and had been since birth.  Paul saw that he was crippled, and perhaps had even been told that earlier.  The Bible does not tell us what Paul’s message was, but whatever he said produced faith in this man.  He heard the preaching of the Word of God, and that gave birth to faith.  That faith began to grow in the man the more he heard Paul speak.  (Romans 10:17).  The seed of the Word of God was planted in this man’s spirit.  As Paul continued to preach, that seed of faith blossomed in his heart.

The Holy Spirit brought this to Paul’s attention, and the Apostle interrupted his message, and spoke out to this man.  He told him to get up and start walking. Most people might have responded that they couldn’t, and would have remained seated.  However, this man had allowed the Word of God to work in his heart, and he had faith, faith enough to act on Paul’s word.  He stood up for the first time in his life, and started walking and leaping around! (vs. 10).

This miraculous healing was not done through any power of Paul’s, but was instead done through the power and authority of God.  Paul and Barnabas were just the human vessels for God’s work.  It is faith in the Lord Jesus that truly heals.  However, the people of Lystra had different ideas.  They looked at this miracle, and instead of having listened and believed the words of Paul, they attributed this miracle to their pagan gods.  They even claimed that Paul and Barnabas were the gods Zeus and Hermes in human form.  The local pagan priests even brought sacrifices and flowers for the two (vs. 11-13).

How would many people respond in such a situation?  Unfortunately many people would jump at the chance to be considered a god!  They would take advantage of the power that would come with this.  Many religious leaders, after having success in their ministry, large crowds at their services, and successful book sales, allow this to swell their pride.  They begin to think and act like they are someone special.

This was not how Paul or Barnabas responded to the pagan priests.  They vehemently rejected the sacrifices or claims of deity.  They knew and stated that worship belongs only to Yahweh (Exodus 20:3-5).  Paul used this moment to proclaim the Gospel, stating that Yahweh is the only true God, that He is the Creator of all things, not the false, pagan gods they have been worshiping (vs. 14-18).

As we look back over this Scripture passage, we see that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ can bring transformation in a life.  This man had been crippled since birth, and yet his newborn faith in Jesus brought a great healing.  What can we see our faith do today?  We also need to be vigilant against idolatry in all forms, and reject worldly worship.  Though no one will be calling us some Greek god, we must never let any success in ministry or anything else make us proud, allow us to think too highly of ourselves, or to become arrogant.  All praise and devotion belongs to Jesus!

Spreading The News

Psalm 67

As believers, there are several things that the Lord wants us to be occupied with while we wait for His return.  The most important thing we are to be doing, though, is telling others about Jesus, and bringing Him praise.  One of Jesus’ last words that He spoke to His disciples before He returned to heaven was that He wanted us to go to all nations and tell them about Him.  Our short psalm for today speaks of this, as well.  Let’s take a quick look at this portion of Scripture from the Book of Psalms.

As our psalm opens, the writer desires God’s blessings and mercy upon his life.  He speaks in a poetic manner about wishing God’s face to shine upon himself and the people (vs. 1).  We can tell when we are in good favor with someone by the look on their face.  As children we knew whether or not it was wise to ask a favor of our father when he got home from work by the look on his face.  Later, as adults, we knew to tread softly at work if the boss’ face was in a scowl.  A beaming smile indicates good favor, whereas a frown, scowl, or worse is not good.

To have God’s face to shine upon us means that He is looking towards us and on us with favor.  Those who don’t enjoy His shining face endure His wrath.  When God’s shining face is turned towards us, we should reflect His blessing in acts of love and service to a world lost in darkness.  When we are filled with love and joy, it is often evident on our face.  God’s shining face is part of the blessing He had the priests use for the people (Numbers 6:24-27).

The psalmist continues by declaring that God’s ways should be made known to all nations, all around the world (vs. 2).  Unfortunately, during the time of the Old Testament, very few of God’s people told the people of other nations, the Gentiles, about the Lord.  Though they believed that Yahweh was the one, true God, they felt that He was their God, and that He didn’t care about other nations.  However, throughout the Old Testament, particularly in Psalms and many of the prophets, God says that He wants His message given to the world so that the Gentiles can come to Him.

This desire of God has not changed throughout the centuries.  Jesus wanted His disciples, us, to spread the Gospel message of salvation throughout the world (Matthew 28:18-20).  The psalmist declared that God’s ways and salvation should be made known all throughout the earth.  When other peoples and other nations turn to the Lord, then His blessings can extend to them.  After people have come to faith in the Lord Jesus, the natural response is to bring Him praise.  They can be glad and sing for joy (vs. 3-4).

As we continue, the psalmist proclaims that God’s judgments are righteous (vs. 4).  When He judges, it is not a mistaken judgment, and neither too harsh or too lenient.  He does not desire that anyone should be lost or perish, but that they come to repentance and salvation, that they turn from their sins and be reconciled (II Peter 3:9).  The only way that the lost are going to hear about Jesus is by us telling them, so again, the psalmist is urging us to bring God’s message to others.

The psalmist desires and prays for God’s blessings upon himself and the people around him.  This isn’t for selfish reasons, or that his bank account will increase.  He seeks God’s blessings so that His Name will be glorified throughout his neighborhood, his nation, and around the world (vs. 5-7).  When others see how we follow the Lord, and that He hears and answers our prayers, when they see that we pray for a sick loved one, and they recover, or that we pray for a job and He hears and blesses us with one, etc. then they will seek to know Him, too.  We will glorify God for answered prayer, and they can glorify Him, as well, for the salvation they found.

When we share the message of Jesus with others, they can come to enjoy God’s blessings upon their lives.  Then they, too, will enjoy having God’s face to shine upon them, rather than face His wrath.

A Plague Of Locusts

Joel 2:21-27

A plague of locusts!  The thought of that is enough to cause some people to get all shivery with fear!  I am someone who does not like most insects.  I do like butterflies, dragonflies, and ladybugs, but that is about it.  I certainly would not like a swarm of any type of insect around me!  There aren’t as many locust plagues as there used to be, though they do occasionally happen in East Africa and some spots in Asia.  However, not quite in the Biblical proportions. A large swarm of locusts can devastate the agricultural economy of any area, and when they swarm to plague status, their numbers can easily top 100 billion of them, enough to cause famine to whole countries, with multiplied deaths following.  Our Scripture today is in reference to a plague of locusts, and the promise of God which followed.

To better understand our Scripture, we should give a brief background.  The prophet Joel primarily ministered to the Southern Kingdom of Judah during the 9th century BC.  (If you have a chance, read Chapter 1 and the first half of Chapter 2 of the Book of Joel.)  Joel brings a message from God that He is sending a plague of locusts upon the people as punishment for their disobedience of His Word.   Such a message would strike fear into the people.  It would be just as bad as if saying an enemy army was descending upon them.  As a matter of fact, that is how a plague of locusts is described, just as an army coming down upon the people.  They devour the crops, leaving nothing behind, a never-ending horde, sometimes even darkening the sunlight for hours at time.  Within a matter of just a few minutes, fields of crops and woodlands are devoured by the multiple millions of locusts, with all leaves, grain, and grass gone for hundreds of miles.

Naturally the people were horrified at the thought of this happening.  This was the judgment of God, called in the early chapters The Day of the Lord.  Because the people of Judah were not walking faithfully with God, He sent this plague of judgment.  The Lord promised repayment and restoration if they would only repent, ask Him for mercy, and follow Him.  There is still hope for their future if only they would return to the Lord.

After reading the description of the horrible destruction caused by these locusts, we come to our Scripture passage.  The prophet Joel gives a description of what they could expect if they return to Yahweh in repentance, and decide to follow His Word.  Our passage opens with the prophet telling the people and the land that they do not need to fear any longer (vs. 21), but instead they can be glad and rejoice.  Joel tells the cattle and other wild animals that their feeding grounds will return (vs. 22).  The result of the sins of the people had fallen upon them, as well, affecting these innocent animals, but now their grazing land would return.

The Lord continues by promising the people that He will send rain to replenish the fields and crops.  Thus the people’s crops and harvests will return (vs. 23-24).  That is a reason that they can be glad and rejoice in the Lord.  He promises the people that when they return to Him in obedience and fellowship, He will restore all that the locusts have eaten, that great army of insects that have destroyed the land (vs. 25).

When locust plagues occur, almost inevitably a famine will soon follow, as every plant for hundreds of miles is destroyed.  Both man and animal die of hunger.  God promises that He will restore what the locust has eaten, and the people will have plenty to eat.  They will know that this is from Him, as only God is able to do such a thing (vs. 26-27).

Though there are very few locust plagues any more, we can still have major devastation in our lives, often caused by our own sinful behavior.  Such events can wreck such havoc in our lives that it could feel almost like a plague of locusts have gone through, leaving us in a crumpled heap afterwards.  We can feel so hopeless afterwards, especially if this was caused by our own sin.  We wonder if we will ever survive afterwards, and if the Lord will ever forgive and accept us again.  During this deadly plague, the people of Judah wondered the same.  The prophet Joel reminded the people that yes, the Lord would.  If they repented and followed His Word again, He would restore them and the land.

The Lord is not absent during dark seasons, even when they are brought about through sin.  When we seek God with humble hearts, He will pour His mercy and blessings upon us.  He will restore to us all of the years that the locusts have eaten!