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Today’s reading is Revelation 17:1-18:24.

“And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast” (Revelation 17:12).

It is so easy to look at the world and get discouraged. It seems that sin and Satan reign. Atheists and agnostics have the ear of the media. Islam is touted as a model religion. The arrogant and self-righteous often pose as Christian leaders. Television, radio, and billboards advertise sin for sale. Sometimes it seems like God is losing.

We have nothing to fear. The Lord’s enemies may reign, but their reign is only for an hour. They may make the most of their hour. But, this too shall pass.  We need only hang for a little while, holding on to God. He will win. We will reign with Him. And as their reign passes like an hour, ours will last as a thousand years. Praise God!

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS: What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is John 19:1-20:31.

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).

A disciple’s testimony. Evidence submitted for review and consideration. But submitted for an ultimate purpose. John, as tradition tells us, wasn’t simply telling us stories about some man. He was telling us about a Savior. He was telling us about the hope we might have of life. Over and over again he talked about the life we might have through Jesus. In fact, Jesus is the life.

I have been dead in my trespasses and sins. There is only one way to have life. That way is not to somehow pay for my sins. In fact, the only way I can pay for my sins is through my death. But Jesus has paid for my sins that I might have life if I will simply believe Him.

As John had just written, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading Acts 13:1-14:28.

Two things hit me today.

First, I normally don’t like the verse divisions because I think they cause an artificial reading instead of just reading it like a book or a letter (I do appreciate how it makes referencing scripture easier). However, there is one division in this reading that really grabbed me–the division between Acts 13:29 and Acts 13:30. 

Acts 13:29: “And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.”

Verse break. End of story. Over. Done. Jesus is dead and buried. The story ends. But wait, there is another verse:

Acts 13:30: “But God raised him from the dead.”

The story wasn’t over. Jesus was raised from the dead. He was victorious and I can be victorious through Him. Which leads to my “second.”

Second, Acts 13:38-39 really struck me.

“Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”

Because Jesus was freed from death, I can be freed from death. Because He was resurrected, I can be resurrected from the spiritual death I have caused. I can’t help but think about what Paul says in Romans 7:24-25, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” My body is filled with death because of my sin, but God can and will raise me up from that death through Jesus Christ. In fact, He already has.

Then Paul goes on in Acts 8:2-4.

“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be filled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

My story is not over. God is still working on me. I don’t believe this means I was baptized, now I’ll never sin. Rather, this is a progressive victory over sin. This is an increasing putting off of the flesh and its passions. I’m peeling back the layers of the onion to get down to what God wants in me. I am reminded every day that God will set me free and resurrect me as He did His Son, Jesus.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Revelation 11:1-12:17.

Many who call themselves Christians today seem to be trying to figure out a way to be Christian but also have the world like them. I can’t help but remember Joel Osteen on Larry King Live trying to agree with a woman who claimed salvation was only in Jesus but still have Larry King (I believe he’s Jewish) and the “non-Christian” viewing population still like him by saying that even though he agreed with the caller who was he to say how God is going to save someone.

This is a losing proposition. Jesus told the truth and ended up on a cross. Do we think we can do much better? Do you think we can teach about Jesus and have the world like us?

Revelation 11:1-14 tells about two witnesses who teach the truth about Jesus. They end up being killed. But note specifically Revelation 11:9-10:

For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.

No doubt, some will believe the message of those who testify of Jesus. For the rest, as amazing as it sounds, the message of Jesus will be a torment. There is no middle ground to avoid this. If we find some middle ground in which the world does not feel tormented by the truth of Jesus, then we aren’t really teaching the truth of Jesus.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying be vicious and hateful in your evangelism. I’m simply saying that no matter how we tell it, if we are telling the truth, those who don’t want to believe will be tormented by what we say. That may even cause them to attack us verbally, emotionally, and perhaps even physically.

But the glorious message of these two messengers is that even though it appeared that the world had defeated them, after three and a half days, God raised them up. They were victorious. That is the message of Revelation. God wins. We want to be on His side no matter how anyone else responds.

***Question: How do you maintain faith in the face of opposition?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is John 21:1-25; I John 1:1-10.

As Jesus is allowing Peter to be reconciled following his trifold denial, He says something really strange. When I first read it, I thought, “Jesus, if you’re trying to pump Peter up, is this really the right way?”

In John 21:18-19, Jesus said:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

To be honest with you, if I were trying to get someone to follow me and feed my sheep, I don’t think I’d tell him that the end of that whole journey is death (seemingly by crucifixion). Yet, that is exactly what Jesus says. What on earth was He thinking?

However, with a little more thought. I get it now. What was Peter’s problem? He had promised Jesus that even if he had to die with Him, he would never forsake Jesus. But when push came to shove, that is exactly what he did not do. He promised to die, but instead he protected his hide. He failed. Think about how that would plague him forever. No matter what great things he did, there would be the reminder that this was nothing, when he came to the ultimate test, he failed. Every bad thing he did would simply be a reminder that he probably did this because he was worthless. After all, he failed the ultimate test.

Jesus is telling Peter, “You’ll make it, Peter. You are going to keep your promise. You are going to succeed. You are going to pass the test. Just keep following Me. Keep feeding my sheep. You said you would die for me and one day you will. You will win.” Imagine how this could change Peter’s outlook. When he succeeds, he can see it as a step to passing the ultimate test. When he messed things up again (which he would), he didn’t have to see it as reinforcement that he was just a failure. Instead of giving up, he could remember, “Jesus said I would win. I just need to keep trying. I’m going to make it.”

But Peter isn’t the only one to whom Jesus makes this promise. In Romans 8:28-30 and Philippians 2:12-13, He makes the promise to us. If we love God, we’ll win. If we love God, God is working to make sure we conform to the image of God’s Son. Maybe we messed things up today. Let’s not give up. God said we aren’t working alone. God is working with us. We’ll make it. We will win. Just like Peter.

***Question: What do you do or say to yourself to keep on keeping on after you messed up?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. I also use this as the final point in one of my favorite sermons. Check it out here.

Today’s reading is I John 4:1-5:21.

I John 5:18 really hit me today and I need it. Once again, this probably stood out to me because I’m now using the ESV and the different translation threw up a flag that said, “Hey, stop a minute and look at this more closely.”

The text says, “We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.”

I have spent so much time on this verse in the past trying to explain why this doesn’t mean Christians never sin that I missed the explanation contained in the verse itself. First of all, let me remind you that in I John 1:8, this same author said, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” John can’t possibly be saying once a person becomes a Christian they don’t ever sin again. If a Christian said that, they would be deceiving themselves. 

Okay, with that out of the way look at John’s explanation in I John 5:18. Why doesn’t the child of God “keep on sinning”? Not because the child of God is now so righteous that he never sins. No. But because the one born of God protects Him and the evil one does not touch him. That is, Jesus protects him. Most of this little letter is about the fact that Jesus was born of God. He is the one who protects.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think this passage means we sit on our thumbs and wait for Jesus to take away all temptation and we don’t have to care if we submit otherwise. The Bible teaches we must resist the devil and he will flee from us (I Peter 5:9). Nor do I think this means Jesus reaches in and miraculously changes us over night to sinless creatures.  The Bible teaches virtue and self-control are a never ending growth process (II Peter 1:5-8). But we can’t hide that this verse says the reason God’s children do not continue in the life of sin is because Jesus protects us. In other words, in our haste to teach everyone of their personal responsibility to resist the devil and grow, we must not forget Jesus’ involvement. We must not forget we cannot resist and grow on our own. Without Jesus working in our lives we will always be enslaved to sin. 

I need to hear this today and every day. I need to be reminded that the only way I will resist the devil and grow in virtue and self-control is if I maintain a constant connection with God, through Jesus Christ. If I think I can overcome Satan today on my own. I’ll fail miserable. Perhaps today it will be an imperceptible slip back into worldly think. Then tomorrow a little more. But in the end, the result will always be the same. When I try to beat Satan on my own, he will eventually overcome me. I can only win when Jesus is protecting me. I had better stay connected to Jesus today.

***Question:

How do you stay in constant connection with Jesus?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Matthew 17:1-18:35.

“Truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

I needed to hear that today. What this means is the mountain of sins in my life, the struggles that keep cropping up can be removed. But how? Not by my power. Not by me just trying harder. Not by me stepping up and saying, “I can do this.” No. It happens when I rely on faith in the working of God.

Today, I need to surrender myself to God and in faith tell those mountains of sin to get out of my life.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

To be honest, as we wrap this trek through the New Testament, this final reading leaves me almost speechless. I almost feel as if anything I might try to say will only detract from the glorious picture of victory John painted by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

I could share with you that I think this is not necessarily a picture of heaven, but rather an apocalyptic vision of the church victorious. But what would be the point in that. You could just as easily point out that the greatest picture of the church’s victory is it’s place in heaven for eternity. Perhaps that is the picture Jesus used to portray that victory.

Whatever is the case and whichever you prefer to believe, this one thing is true. Jesus wins. His people win. We want to be on that winning side that needs no sun because the Lamb is our lamp and needs no temple because the temple is the Lord God almighty. We want to be with the victorious who eat of the tree of life while swimming in the river of life.

I want to be there. I know you do too. 

Stay with Jesus no matter what. You will have this victory.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Alright, I’m going to go out on a limb and share my view of the millennial reign. I’m sure you’ve already gathered, I’m not a premillennialist. I do not accept what seems to be the common idea that we are waiting on Jesus to return and establish His kingdom. I believe the kingdom is already here just like Revelation 1:9 demonstrates.

What then is this thousand year reign in Revelation 20:4. First, let me warn you that what I’m going to say is not the least bit exciting. It is not some amazing bit of eschatology that is entertaining like some kind of sci-fi novel. The fact is, what I think is being said here would not make a great novel series. Perhaps that is why so few want to accept it. Clearly, the Left Behind model is a lot more fun and entertaining. However, I just don’t think it portrays the true picture.

Second, we need to keep this statement within the context of the entire book. Too often we just run to Revelation 20 and want to talk about these people reigning for a thousand years and forget the pictures that have already been established.

Let’s set that context. We have already seen these people back in Revelation 6:9-11. These are the martyrs who cried out for God’s vengeance on those who have oppressed, persecuted and killed them. God brings that vision back to mind to bring home this point. Even if we die in His service, we still win. God will bring judgment on those who oppose His people. He does so in His time, not ours.

But the bigger point of context is the constant contrast and comparison between God’s people and the beast’s people. In earlier chapters we see the contrast between those who have the mark of the beast and those who have the mark of God. We have the contrast between pure virgins as God’s people and the harlot as the beasts. Now we get to a great comparison. Remember what Revelation 17:12 said about the kings who reign with the beast? Yes, it certainly appeared for a time that they were winning. However, their authority and reign lasted for an hour. Don’t misunderstand, this is not a literal hour. No one believe this means that from 1:00 to 2:00 pm on some day in history or the future that these people got to reign. We all recognize in this verse that it means their reign was short and, on the whole, a trivial period of time. But the saints who stay faithful ’til death reign for 1000 years. If we don’t take the hour reign of the beast’s kings literally, why should we take the millennial reign of Christ’s people literally? The point is not that from 3000 to 4000 AD the children of God reign. The point is that God’s enemies reign but for an hour. Those victorious with Christ reign completely. As 1000 years compares to an hour, so is our reign greater than the reign of our enemies.

No, it is not entertaining. It doesn’t make for a best selling novel. But it does make the greatest point. When we fear God’s enemies are winning and we think of deserting our Savior, remember that their victory will last only an hour. If we can hang on for that hour, our victory will truly last. Stay on God’s side no matter what.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC