Jesus' Prayer - God's Glory

Intro:
How big is your view of God? How does he capture your imagination? Isaiah was a pretty good guy ….. from a morals perspective. Isaiah was a prophet of the Lord, he was not doing the bad things the other Israelites were doing and he sought the Lord during the dark days of Israel. He probably even had a big view of God …. though not big enough!

In Isaiah 6, Isaiah sees the LORD sitting on his throne with his kingly robe filling the temple. Imagine that. Isaiah is having a quiet time in the Israeli wilderness and all of a sudden finds himself looking at the LORD. That’s wild. What we learn from this is very instructive:

1. Seeing God made Isaiah fall down as if dead. This happens to most OT folks that see God or his angels. They usually have to be touched and brought back to life. Kind of like the paddles an ambulance crew would use to revive a heart attack victim.
2. The angels had special protection from God’s glory. The angels in the presence of God had 3 sets of wings. 1 set to keep them off the ground, 1 set to cover their feet and 1 set to cover their eyes. They could not stand to look at his glory!
3. The train of God’s robe filled the temple. In the ancient world, the length of a king’s robe indicated how righteous and honored the king was. Isaiah says that God’s robe “filled the temple”. That would be overwhelming.
4. Isaiah was convicted of sin. Really, he was a good guy! Just not compared to a great King. He had to have his mouth burned with a hot coal to cleanse his lips from sin.

How big is your view of God?

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Think:
In this section of the prayer we are back where we began … with God! We close our prayer time praising him while reminding ourselves of who he is.

He is the God that is a King! He has a kingdom that will never end!

He is the God of power! He has dominion that will never end!

He is the God of glory! He has splendor that will never end!

The OT word for glory, kavod, means heavy or weighty. It refers to a “weighty” person in society, someone who is honorable, impressive, worthy of respect. Usually a warrior or a wealthy or prominent individual was considered to have kavod. When used of God it speaks of his weighty presence and impressive worth. One good definition for glory is, “that reputation for greatness which God alone deserves.” The key word is alone.

This is the God we claim to know and get to pray to! How big is your view of God?

Do:
Take time to praise God for who he is. Thank him for being YOUR king, YOUR power and YOUR glory. He is your protector and the one who lifts your head.

As you pray, take time to tell him how marvelous he is.

Make a commitment to tell someone today how awesome your God is.

If you have time, listen to some of the new songs in the Worship Center below.

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Jesus' Prayer - Forgiveness

Intro:
God wants us to come to Him and ask forgiveness. My prayers need to include some form of confession. This is a difficult thing to remember to do in prayer since most of us do not come from a church background where confession is regularly practiced.

One Korean theologian made the comment, “As goes mother church so go her children.” In other words, we will recognize the activities of the Christians by the church they attend. Our approach to worship, evangelism, discipleship, etc. will reflect what we see at church on a weekly basis. So, if we see very little confession in our corporate worship services, it stands to reason that we will find very little confession in our personal worship times with the Lord.

So, we come to this area with the understanding that it is unfamiliar and possibly uncomfortable. And yet, important.  How important it is to confess our sin before God! It keeps us humble and broken before Him and humble before others as we stay aware of our own weaknesses. It opens us up to the relationship restoring forgiveness of God on a daily basis.

Think about your children and confession. We seem to have a home where things break on their own. It is not uncommon to enter a room and find a busted lamp … the victim of indoor football. How nice it would be to have our children come and confess to us BEFORE we find the busted lamp!

Jesus here invites us to confess our sin to God whenever we pray.

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Think:
There are 2 main reasons we are to confess our sins before God and seek His forgiveness:
1. Because He has forgiven us – in Christ on the cross, leading to salvation
2. So He will continue to forgive us – in daily living, leading to increased communion

There is a risk here. We are asking God to daily forgive us based on our forgiveness of others. This is not related to our salvation but our daily communion with God. So, if I harbor bitterness and unforgivenss toward another person I run the risk of not knowing God’s peace in a practical sense.

GO DEEPER: the word confess (homologia in the Greek) means to “say the same thing” as God already has said (homo = same, logia = word). This word is found in 1 John 1:9 where we are told to confess our sins to experience the daily cleansing of God. So, what is confession? It really is sort of simple, when we are praying and God reminds us of something we are guilty of we simply agree with Him. Say the same thing back to Him.

Do:
Do you know God’s ultimate forgiveness for your sins? Have you been “released” by His claims on your life? Have you been set free? If you want to know for sure, read the post: http://devolink.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-know-jesus-personally.html

When you come before God this day and you hit this section on forgiveness/confession, slow down and ask God if there is anything that needs forgiveness from Him. Any attitudes, behaviors, neglected discipline, missed opportunities, brazen rebellion, etc. If you are convicted or hear Him on an issue take time to agree with Him and ask Him to forgive you.

If in prayer you realize there is someone you need to forgive then take care of that immediately. Leave your prayer at the altar and go be right with your neighbor, then come back and finish your prayer time (Matthew 5:24).

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Jesus’ Prayer – Spiritual Warfare II

Intro:
Is there a real enemy of your soul? Does the devil exist?

We live in a culture where we do not see much of the activity of evil spirits. We seem to be so easily led astray by materialism or sensuality or hedonism (self absorption) that there is little need for evil spirits to manifest themselves.

I have heard many, many stories of those that serve the Lord in foreign cultures of the exact opposite. For them, the existence and manifestation of evil spirits is common. If I did not know these people personally, or at least know them as sane people by reputation, I would be suspect. Regardless, the stories of demons are manifest and sometimes scary.

As we read v. 13 again, Jesus tells us to pray for deliverance from the evil one! He himself was tempted by the devil in the desert (Luke 4:1ff.). Peter warns us to be self-controlled and alert because our enemy the devil prowls around seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). That is not nice language. Devour? Surely that sounds like an overstatement to my Western cultured, overly educated, overly medicated, overly cynical, overly materialistic ears!

Could it be that we are not as smart or aware as we should be? At our missions conference this past week, one of the foreign missionaries, with 40 years in Papua New Guinea, said he could see the spiritual darkness and influence of demons all over America. What do you do with that data? We can mark him as a psycho in need of meds or we can humble ourselves and pay attention to our surroundings and pray for deliverance from the evil one. Either Jesus and these missionaries have it right or we do. Take your pick.

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Think:
The bible describes the devil as an angel of light. The bible also says he is a liar and the father of lies (or the source of all lying). So, if we combine light and lies how should you expect to be tempted? Wouldn’t it look like normal life? Very subtle.

This is a command. The prayer is a command for God to protect us. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that God is to participate with us in the deliverance (middle voice). This would line up with 1 Corinthians 10:13 …

“But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.”

New Living Translation

Temptation management is a partnership with God. He plays a part in protecting you but you play a part in staying under the load and not giving in to it. It is like being stranded in a foxhole during a war. You are tempted to run for it and risk getting killed in the process. Meanwhile the army is coming in full force. If you will wait, not give in, stay under the load, you will survive the foxhole.

So, we are to pray to God for partnership and protection in temptation. He alone sees light and dark, He alone sees the lies and the truth. Makes sense then to pray and ask God for help in temptation.

Do:
Take time to ask God for help in temptation. Ask Him to reveal anywhere you are on the edge and at risk. Ask Him to reveal the lies and deceit of your enemy.

Are you struggling with a specific area today? Do you feel bogged down in a foxhole of temptation? Jesus asks you to talk with your Father about it. Take it upstairs to Him.

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Jesus' Prayer - Spiritual Warfare I

Intro:
According to the 1992 World Almanac, tourists were being encouraged to visit Chernobyl just 6 years after the nuclear accident that released deadly radiation throughout the area. In 1986, the Russian tourist bureau invited travelers to tour the city of Chernobyl, the radioactive waste dump at Kopachi and the concrete vault that is built around the reactor. All visitors would be given a free radiation test at the beginning and end of the tour. If medical treatment was needed, it would be provided “at no extra charge.”

Sounds like a trip to start planning for! Let’s review our vacation packages for this summer: Turks and Caicos, Cancun, Alaska, Chernobyl. Hard choice. All look appealing, right?

Most of us would think twice before taking advantage of this last vacation package … even if it was with free medical benefits, free accommodations and free food. We value our lives too much to go to a place that would expose us to nuclear danger. And yet, how often do we allow ourselves to go to places that could do us great spiritual harm? It doesn't make any sense.

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Think:
When was that last time you asked God the Father to help you handle temptation? Is your view of God actively involved with you in your temptation? In other words, where do you picture God when you are being tempted? Is he there with you cheering you on? Is he looking down expecting you to fail? Is he busy somewhere and trusting you to take care of business alone? What is your view of God in your temptation?

James makes it very clear that God does not tempt us to sin but that he allows trials in our lives which will have choices of will attached to them. In fact, the word for temptation and the word for trial are the same exact word. Only the context can tell you which is meant. And so, as is often the case, our trials can become temptations.

A temptation is a test of will for us. How we handle the trial/temptation tells a lot about our spiritual condition.

In this part of the prayer Jesus is encouraging us to talk to God about our temptations and trials. To ask Him for help. To give us discernment and wisdom. If we are not wise we might stroll right into Chernobyl without knowing it.

Do:
Stop and ask God for wisdom in trials. Ask him for mercy to not give you more than you can handle. Ask him for the strength equal to the task vs. an easy road.

Do you have any Chernobyl’s in your life? Are you slowly poisoning yourself? The above picture is of a boy and his mom that were part of the Chernobyl fallout. Look at it again! It is a sad picture. Very sobering. I picked it hoping for a reaction. Does your soul look like that boy from the fallout of temptation and sin? Do you need some "no extra charge" medical treatment? Take it to God in prayer. Surrender these to God.

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Jesus' Prayer - Forgiveness

Intro:
If you think through the major seasons of life (early home life, elementary school, jr. high, high school, college, marriage, work, children, etc.) there are many memories. Some good, some bad. Maybe you remember a particular Christmas or a special friend or a great vacation to the beach.
However, when you look back at the major seasons there might also be key events that require us to forgive someone else: a particular argument, a broken friendship, a harmful word spoken or a trust violated. Can you remember any of these?

I had a really good friend for a number of years. We did many things together and made a lot of cool memories … until something happened. We had a disagreement that seemed really big at the time. It separated us. Shortly after that my parents moved us away. My friend and I never reconciled, never asked each other’s forgiveness. That relationship was locked up right there …. 30 years ago in 1979.

Many times I wondered what happened to him. There was an unclosed chapter in our lives. Do you have any unclosed chapters in your past? Do you have anyone you might need to forgive?

Last week I found him on Facebook and sent him a “friend request”. It was risky but I wanted to know what happened in his life and what happened to our friendship. He not only accepted my friend request, he wrote me the following:

“Oddly enough, I tell my girls about you from time-to-time. I tell them of my old friend Kevin who I got mad at one day and lost contact when he moved to Irvine. I tell them that I regret being stubborn over some small & silly slight that I imagined at the time. I try to teach them to cut their friends some slack, and don't worry if their best friend pisses them off one day. To not say things that would make a good friendship sour beyond saving, for good friends can be hard to come by.. and are greatly appreciated later.

So, although it was long ago, I am sorry for getting mad and being such a thick-headed jerk.”

Itfeels good to be forgiven and to forgive! I am released! He is released! That chpater is closed and a new one is beginning. We are not made to live in tension with one another. Do you have any unclosed chapters in your past? Do you have anyone you need to forgive?

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Think:
To “forgive” means to set free, to release. This is a prayer of mercy to God. It is a time to confess our sins and ask His forgiveness and restoration. This is a command. Jesus expects us to forgive and to be forgiven.

This is the only conditional part of the prayer, “forgive … as we forgive”. In other words, if I choose to not forgive someone I will not experience the forgiveness of God requested in my prayers. He takes this seriously.

Forgive is not forget! Forgive is not pretend it didn’t hurt! Forgive is not saying what they did was ok! Forgive is releasing the person to God! Forgive is letting go of your right to seek revenge or to get even!

Forgiveness in the New Testament is never measured in terms of what happened to me but what God did for me in Christ. Consider the words of the old hymn,

“My sins, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought--my sins, not in part, but the whole, are nailed to the cross and I bear them no more. Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, oh my soul!"

Do:
Do you know God’s forgiveness for your sins? Have you been “released” from His claims on your life? Have you been set free? If you want to know for sure, read the post: http://devolink.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-to-know-jesus-personally.html

Do you have any sins that need to be confessed? Take them to the Father but know that He is expecting you to forgive others and He just might bring someone to mind and ask you to forgive them. Are you willing? Release them! Be free from your cage of unforgivenss and experience the release of God in new ways!

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Jesus' Prayer - Daily Needs

Intro:
Are you going through a difficult time right now? Talk to God about it!

Are you concerned how you are going to pay the bills this month? Talk to God about it!

Do you have a friend in need? Talk to God about it!

Do you know someone with cancer? Talk to God about it!

Do you know someone who does not know Christ? Talk to God about it!

God is not only available, He is interested. He desires to meet our needs on a daily basis. This is cool for two reasons:
1. It shows He cares about our needs
2. It shows that He is active in our lives every single day!

Let’s think through what we have said so far about prayer. I am not sure it is as clear as what I have written below … sorry about that!

When I come to God in prayer I want to pray the way Jesus taught His disciples to pray. I want to come boldly but carefully. So, pray:
1. Our Father – take time to worship God for being a Father. Take time to acknowledge that He is in heaven and above you and your circumstances. Take time to recognize that He is worthy of your praise. Let’s enter his courts with praise!
2. Holy – take time to reflect to Him how awesome and holy He is. Think through His character and His names. This is a worship time for sure.
3. Kingdom – pray for His will to be done in your life, pray for the lost and pray for Jesus to return soon.
4. Pray for your needs and the needs to others (this is today's focus!).

Read: Matthew 6:5-14

NLT
NASB

Think:
Today: the focus of this verse is our needs for TODAY. The words make clear that God wants us to talk with Him about what
concerns us each day. Truly there is a key to handling worry here. If I bring to God my daily needs and concerns I invite His help and find His peace (Phil. 4:3-6).

Daily: God is aware of our needs on a daily basis and so He is active in our lives DAILY. If we will pray, if we will take the time to ask Him to meet our needs, we put ourselves in the stream He is moving in. It allows us to see Him work.

Bread: the words tell us that God gives us just what we need - daily bread. The word would indicate this is the bread I need for today and maybe for the following day. There is clearly a reference to how God fed Israel manna in the desert. He supplied what they needed and they did not have to worry.

Do:
Pray to your caring Father in heaven. He desires to prove His love and grace on a daily basis.

Bring your laundry list of prayers to God. Bring the needs of others to Him. Pray for your spouse, children, parents, friends, neighbors, the poor, the sick, the President, your pastors, co-workers, enemies, etc.

Listen to Hillsong: "None But Jesus" In the DevoLink Worship Center below.

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Jesus' Prayer - God's Plan

Intro:
Have you ever been involved in a building project? Have you ever built a home or worked for a company that built commercial buildings? If you have ever been around the construction process then you know that one of the most important parts of the process are the blueprints.

This document tells everyone on the project what the finished product looks like. This document keeps people accountable to the outcome. This document allows plumbers and electricians and many other disciplines to work together for a common purpose. Blueprints.

The blueprint is the final document of the architect. He is the master designer of the project. He is the one that gathers all the data, envisions the end product and produces a document that everyone can use to complete that building.

In this section of the Jesus’ prayer we are introduced to God as Architect. He has a plan for our lives, a purpose He wants us to complete (Eph. 2:10). He has a blueprint in heaven that He is using to build His kingdom from. We are part of that plan. We are laborers building the house with the Architect (Hebrews 11:10).

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

Think:
God has a plan, a will. He has a blueprint in heaven that he wants done on earth. In verse 10, Jesus tells his listeners to tell God to bring His plan … to allow His plan to work on earth.

The Greek literally reads like this: “Come the kingdom of You, allow to come into being the will of You.” We pray authoritatively that God’s kingdom comes and invades the earth and that His will is thereby brought to bear on the earth. We seek to remove all things that might keep Him from having full reign on earth.

God’s kingdom is bigger than a church or a denomination. God’s kingdom is both here and not yet. It is here: when a person gets saved, when demonic spirits are thwarted, when God takes back some ground in someone’s life, when Jesus Christ is made visible to the world through His Church. It is not yet: one Day Jesus will burst through the clouds and the kingdom of God will have come indeed!

So, how do you know what God wants? Clearly Jesus expected God to answer this in prayer. When we pray God will let us know what he wants.

Do:
Someone once said, “For God’s kingdom to come, my kingdom must go.” Think through that. How do you start your day? How dominant is your schedule? How open are you to change in your routine? Ask God to make His kingdom real through you and in you this day!

I’ve heard many Christians ask, “How can I know what God wants?
1. Pray and ask Him (Matthew 6:10)
2. Surrender to Him (Hebrews 12:1)
3. Have your mind transformed by the Word of God (Hebrews 12:2)
4. Seek godly counsel

When you pray today through this portion of Jesus’ prayer, ask God boldly to return. Ask for His kingdom to come today. If He chooses that it is “not yet” then ask Him to bring His kingdom to the lives of the people you meet today.

To close, listen to “Kingdom Come” in the Worship Center below.

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Jesus' Prayer - Intro

Intro:
Hammy is one of my favorite characters in Over the Hedge. He is full of life, not so bright and a lot like me. I don’t know about you, but when I pray to God I often feel like Hammy. Trying to stay focused without looking at email (probably shouldn’t be praying at the computer!) or without rehearsing my things to do list for the day.

One of my youth pastors, apparently aware of my Hammy tendencies, taught me to pray through the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6. This helps me think through what is important to God in prayer. It helps me not only to focus but to focus specifically on what matters to God.

Think through your prayers. What do they sound like? Who is the focus? How often do you pray for God’s kingdom or for your enemies? How often do you take time to confess sin or pray against Satan’s attacks? My guess is most of us do not pray for many of these things and yet they were on Jesus’ mind when He prayed!

We will spend this week learning about and practicing prayer.

Read: Matthew 6:5-13
 ⁵"When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men.  Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.
 ⁶"But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
 ⁷"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
 ⁸"So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
 ⁹"Pray, then, in this way:
         'Our Father who is in heaven,
         Hallowed be Your name.
    ¹⁰'Your kingdom come
         Your will be done,
         On earth as it is in heaven.
    ¹¹'Give us this day our daily bread.
    ¹²'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    ¹³'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'

Think:
Context: this whole section of Matthew is dedicated to exposing outward religion vs. inward reality. Repeatedly Jesus warns His listeners to practice their faith to be seen by the Father not “to be seen by men”.  Our motivation for giving (v. 1-4), praying (v. 5-13) and fasting (v. 16-18) is to be examined.  Like going through the security line at the airport, we are to examine the baggage we are trying to take with us.

There was a real risk in public ministry to give, pray or fast for the benefits gained from others. The Pharisees made a business out of it.  Christ followers were to be different.  Jesus warns His followers to check their baggage.  Make sure they were motivated to give the Father glory.  He didn't want them to miss the joy and filling of the Father.

Notice how far Jesus goes to make sure their prayers are not said so others think highly of them. He commands His listeners to get into an “inner room”, oh and don't forget to shut the door! This is first of all a private matter between us and God ... a secret thing (v.6). Now Jesus is NOT saying it is bad to pray in public! He is saying it is bad to pray to be seen by others. This speaks to motive.  He was concerned with why they did what we did.

 Jesus also warns His listeners to not pray repeating the same stuff over and over (v. 7,8). The unusual Greek word used here means to speak idly or to speak in a meaningless way with mechanically repeated phrases. This is to chant like the pagans did in that day. God is personal and does not need us to coax Him into blessing us.  Mechanical repetition does not reach the heart of God.  I know when my kids do it to me they usually do NOT get what they are asking for.

Do:
Have you ever stopped to evaluate your motives for praying in public, serving in a church ministry, giving a meal, visiting someone who is sick, sending a spiritually oriented email? Be sensitive to motive.  Why do you do what you do?

Do you have a place you can go to be alone and pray? Can you identify where that might be before you go to bed tonight?  Pick a quiet place and time where you can be uninterrupted for 30 minutes or more.  Jesus used to have to wake up while it was still dark to get alone with the Father.

Pray through Jesus’ prayer today. Pray it out loud to God. Think through each main idea. Work it through in your mind. Ask what it means. We will grow together in prayer this series.

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Revelation: Tighten your Belt

Intro:
"That's totally beast". That's what my public educated son told me one day. I was a little caught off guard. Beast? He tried to convenience me that "beast" actually means "awesome". What? How did that happen?

When we we were kids we would say something was "bad" and that was actually good. So things don't change much.

However, the word "beast" brings up many images that are not good. Many of those images come right out of Revelation 13.

Read: Revelation 13
1And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.

The Beast out of the Sea
And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?"
5The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

9He who has an ear, let him hear.
10If anyone is to go into captivity,
into captivity he will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

The Beast out of the Earth
11Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
18This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

Think:
Five things to note about the beast:

1. He will have died and raised from the dead (v. 3, 12). It looks like he has a fatal head wound . He is raised from the dead. He is probably a human ruler of sorts.

2. He will deceive the world and they will follow him (v. 3-4, 13-14). His raising from the dead and miracles will fool everyone but the Christians.

3. He will be in open rebellion against God (v. 5, 6).

4. He will fight against the saints and kill them (v. 7-10, 15). It will be a terrible time for believers.

5. He will control the world and the monetary system (v. 16-18). People will not be able to get food or make money without some level of allegiance to the beast.

Do:
I think the Christian church in America is at risk. If we continue the way we are today we could fall away if these evil days were upon us. Why would I say that?

1. We love money & we love food - Paul warned that in the end times our god will be our appetite! That we will live to be satisfied by food and things. We are a pretty gluttonous people. When the world system requires worshipping the beast to eat, drink and be merry some are going to fall for it.

2. We love the sensational - gotta feel it man! We like to be wowed by music, movies, extreme sports, 24-7 news channels, car accidents, missing moms that were probably kidnapped by their husbands ....... on and on it goes. When the beast shows up and does miracles some are going to fall for it. I guarantee it.

When is the last time you fasted? When is the last time you said "no" to the constant input of your life and got away in the quiet?

Carve out some time to be alone this week. Say "no" to a few meals. Control your body and make it YOUR slave, not the other way around.

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Revelation: Don't Go Quietly

Intro:
Do people KNOW that you are a Christian? Are you going to the grave quietly?

I got challenged by these questions at church yesterday. Jesus' disciples were transformed by the Holy Spirit. They were so captured by Jesus they could not help speaking about what they had seen and heard (Acts 4:20). They were not going to go quietly!

Read: Revelation 12
The Woman and the Dragon
1A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short."

13When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. 15Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

Think:
Big battle. Lots at stake. A battle unlike any battle before.

Clearly from this passage satan's focus is on two things: Jesus and believers. He hates Jesus (v. 4, 10, 13) and those that follow Him (v. 10, 17). He is at war with them. He's at war with us.

For now he attacks spiritually ... accusing those who know Jesus. He is called the "accuser of our brothers" (v.10). He reminds God of the failures of God's people. He stirs up the culture against those that would stand for Jesus Christ.

In the future he will attack physically ... making war with those those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus

Satan is focused on those that are obeying and those that are holding to the testimony that Jesus is God. The focus is on those that are actively and continually holding to the testimony of Jesus.

Do:
It takes guts to be bold for Jesus. It puts a target on your back. It takes guts to take a stand in love. You will get push back.

Are you bold for Jesus? Do people know where you stand on the issue or are you going to the grave quietly?

Our culture is not quiet in its love for pleasure and sin. They are very bold. I saw Transformers II this weekend. The writers and producers of the movie are very bold in their promotion of sin. It is embarrassing and not a movie I would recommend to anyone ... especially not teens ... their target market.

Let's choose to speak up for Jesus. Let's let our culture know where we stand. Let's not go quietly.

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Revelation: Worthy is the Lamb

Intro:
Father,
None can fathom You: indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God. All powerful, untamable, awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, "You are amazing God!".

You are God alone, from before time began, You were on your throne, You are God alone, and right now, in the good times and bad, You are on your throne, You are God alone. You are the only God who's power none can contend. Unchangeable, unshakable, unstoppable, that's what You are!

Read: Revelation 5
The Scroll and the Lamb
1Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" 3But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
6Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song:
"You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."

11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"

13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" 14The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Think:
What a scene. Can you feel the build up? The missiles are ready to launch and save the world but no one has the key .... like that, only 1000x more serious and important!

The text says there is no one worthy to handle this assignment. There is no one from the past (those that are dead and "under the earth), there is no one alive on the earth and there is no creature in heaven that is worthy to handle this assignment (v.3).

Only the Lion/Lamb, the one that was slain but also triumphed, is worthy (v. 5, 6)! The word worthy (axios) means "weighing, having weight". One OT commentary described this weightiness as, "that reputation for greatness which God alone deserves". In other words, this word is used of God in the OT (ichabod) and of Jesus in the NT. This word describes the indescribable. This word captures the weightiness of Him that cannot be measured. He is WORTHY!

"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and
strength and honor and glory and praise!"

Do:
Like we saw yesterday, God is more than a co-pilot or buddy. He is a great and mighty King. He is the Worthy One! He is indescribable.

Yet He loves you. He died for you. He was slain for you. He has triumphed for your future hope and your present power over sin. Do you love him? Does your life reflect his worthiness?

Pray, pray, pray .... your prayers are making it to the throne room of God as a fragrant worship to him (v. 8).

Listen to Indescribable and You Are God Alone in the DevoLink Worship Center.

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Revelation: Behind the Curtain

Intro:
Do you remember the Wizard of Oz? Do you remember the scene when Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal that the great noise maker and controller of the Oz universe was just a frail, old guy? Do you remember? The culture wants us to think that God is weak and ineffective. They do not know what is really beyond the curtain!

As such, we try to run God out of our schools ... at least that is what the bumper stickers read! Really we cannot get God out of our schools. He is God and can go where He pleases.

God is my co-pilot .... that is another tacky bumper sticker. Last time I checked, God is the Pilot and we might be lucky to be in the luggage compartment! We do not make Jesus Lord any more than we make the CEO our boss. It is what it is and He is who He is.

We can develop such a wrong impression of who God is and what he is doing if we only look at the news and the bumper stickers. You can get discouraged and feel that God is not active or worse, feel that He is somehow powerless to act!

Let this reading from Revelation give you a glimpse of what is going on in heaven. You might see that this God we serve is not run out by any school board and he is no co-pilot to anyone.

Let's look beyond the curtain.

Read: Revelation 4
1After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. 3And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. 4Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. 5From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. 6Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. 7The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." 9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being."

Think:
As good as our democracy is you will never see a group of people give their leader this much respect and fear. No school board, no deacon board, no county commission or city council will ever revere a leader in the way that God is honored.

Yet, these same invent ways to remove His influence in society. I know that is a general statement but the basic principle remains. We have a low view of God in society. The fear of God is nearly gone in America.

Yet what is going on in heaven? What does it look like behind the curtain? Our culture wants us to think that God is just like the Wizard of Oz. He talks a big game and tries to scare people into submission but really he is weak and impotent. I do not get that from this passage! As I try to picture the scene as John saw it I am confronted with my secular worldview of God.

There are things in the room with God that have wings. Wings that are designed to cover their inadequacy. Wings for flying so as to not accidentally touch the ground near God. Wings to cover their eyes so as to not accidentally look upon God and wings to cover their feet so as to not accidentally offend God with their dirty world traffic.

There are things in the room with God that have eyes all over them and who sing his praise. These are somebodys. These are elders, creatures of respect and honor. These are leaders in heaven. Yet they fall down before the King and cast their crowns at his feet. We don't even talk off our ball caps in prayer or when entering a room anymore! What a contrast.

Ok, you've seen beyond the curtain, what do you think?

Do:
How is your view of God? As you reflect on all the years of government schooling and the constant message of society is it possible that we have forgotten that our God is an awesome God? Is it possible to have forgotten that He alone is worthy to receive glory and honor and power? Do you see now that you cannot make God your co-pilot? It is not even a possibility. He is God alone from before time began.

Listen to You Are God Alone in the DevoLink Worship Center.

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Revelation: Knock, Knock ... WHO's there?

Intro:
You really need to read yesterday's DevoLink to appreciate the impact of this devotion!

We saw that Jesus has authority and ability to open doors and close doors. In fact, what he opens no one can shut and what he shuts no one can open. We saw that this was related to kingdoms (and businesses too) and salvation. Jesus has authority and ability to open or close any door he wants.

Maybe, though, there is a door he refuses to open. There just might be a door that he will not force open. He has the ability and even the authority but we have the power to leave it closed.

Doesn't that seem odd? Who's that knocking at the door? WHO's ringing the bell? Do me a favor, open the door and let Him in, ooooh yeah, yeah let Him in! Knock, knock.

Read:Revelation 3:14
14"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Think:

This church was far from Jesus and did not know it. They were not against Him and they were not for Him (v. 16) they were comfortable in between. They had one foot in the Kingdom and one foot in the world. What happened?

Money, that's what happened (v. 17). Stuff, wealth, things, money. They forgot their need of Jesus to daily cleanse and restore them. They forgot that it was Jesus that opened the doors of opportunity to allow them to make the money in the first place. They forgot to BE with him and spend time alone with him.

Reread the section in RED above. Isn't it odd? Not a few verses above this we saw that Jesus can open ANY door he wants! That he has the authority and ability to open doors and close doors. The God of glory and power can open any door he chooses and yet stands at the door of your life and KNOCKS! That's crazy.

This verse is often used in gospel presentations but it really is a message to the Church. This is written to the church at Laodicea. Written to believers.

So, Jesus invites these lukewarm Christians to open the door to him. The great Door Opener is knocking and urging these Christians to open the door to him. That blows my mind. It is both a wonderful and yet somehow a sad picture.

That is how much Jesus wants relationship with us! He is willing to withhold his authority and ability to not force the door open. He is like a friend or lover that is knocking at the door so he can enter the house and enjoy a meal and some good conversation.

Knock, knock.

Do:

Are you aware of Jesus knocking at the door of your heart? Are you aware that Jesus wants to know you personally? He wants to share a meal with you. He wants to encourage you and challenge you.

You have the power to open that door!

Knock, knock. WHO's that knocking at the door, let Him in.

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Revelation: An Open Door

Intro:
On my Facebook wall I have a "piece of flair" that reads: "Automatic DOORS make me feel like a JEDI". I don't know about you, but that cracks me up! I love that kind of thinking.

I imagine myself standing in front of the door, right hand raised with fingers squished together and making that authoritative motion that is to make anything I want happen. Like Obewan Kenobi coming into town with Luke and telling them, "These are not the droids you are looking for." Something in the magic fingers and that wooshing motion that makes things happen.

If that last geek paragraph didn't work for you then you can move on! :)

Jesus has the authority and ability to make things happen! He can open and close doors with his will. He has Jedi skills, if you will. What we would love to be able to do ...... have the power to make things happen .... Jesus can do.

Read: Revelation 3:7-13; Isaiah 22:20-23
7"To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth. 11I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. 13He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Isaiah 22:20-23
20 "In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 23 I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will be a seat of honor for the house of his father.

Think:
Jesus holds the key of David (v. 7). When David was anointed king he was told that his kingdom would last forever and that he would bring the covenant promises to bear on Israel and the world. What was promised to Abraham would be initiated by David and fulfilled by Jesus Christ.

Jesus holds the key of David. He has the authority and ability to open and close doors on kings, kingdoms, governors and the governed. He has the authority and ability to open and close doors related to covenant promises as well. He is the king.

He can open doors of salvation for us and our friends. He is constantly opening doors. He opens doors for Asia. He opens doors for Africa. When these doors are open NO ONE can shut them. Not even a Jedi! No one.

However, he can also shut doors. When the opportunity is done he closes a door. This is a one time event. He shuts the door and NO ONE can reopen it. Apparently there is a place and time when the door is shut by the Lord. I am not sure why this happens but it does. America might have some lost opportunities going on right now. America might have a closed door at this season. Asia was closed for many years.

Maybe this is why we are told that today is the day of salvation and IF your hear his voice do not harden your hearts. It is as if this is the time the door is open. If you hear his voice and the door is open then it is time to respond. It is the day of salvation. It is the time.

The One who has the key of David has the authority and ability to open and close doors.

Do:
Where is God working today? Where are the open doors? Who is the Lord working on around you? What open doors are available in your life today?

The One who has the authority and ability to do great things is in charge of your life and he has some open doors ready for you to walk through today. You just might hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

Do you know someone who is lost and needs to know Christ? If so, pray that a door will be opened and also pray that you will recognize when that happens. Sometimes we are guilty of forcing things open. It never works out well. Find out what God is doing and join Him in it!

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Revelation 3: Thief in the Night

Intro:
I am one of the few people I know that has been robbed at gun point. I was trained on what to do if it happened. I even knew that it was possible but somehow I was still not prepared.

At the bank teller window, the guy slid me a note and threatened me with a gun. I was so surprised, I laughed at him. I thought it was a joke. I knew very quickly that this was no joke by the serious threats this guy was giving me. He went on to rob other banks and eventually shot and killed a young teller in Santa Cruz, CA before he was caught.

My point: even though I knew that being robbed was possible I was not ready. I was enjoying a normal banking day .... emptying the ATM machines, and managing customers. I was not ready.

Read: Revelation 3:1-6; Matthew 24:37-44
1"To the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. 3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. 4Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. 6He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Matthew 24:37-44
37As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Think:
How would you create urgency? How would you introduce the real risk of falling asleep in life (Rev. 3:3)? How would you communicate to those you love the importance of staying close to you?

Jesus did it through story and imagination. "If you KNEW that you were going to be robbed tonight what would you do differently?" Really think through that. Imagine someone coming though a window in your home or hiding in a closet. Imagine someone hoping to catch you off guard. They want to clean out your house. You are going to lose everything ... tonight! What are you going to do about it?

Wake up! Make a plan! Get ready! Do not act like all is normal (Mt. 24:37-39). Live with the urgency and the focus required of the followers of Jesus.

What do these passages teach us?

1. It is possible to get sleepy toward the Kingdom of God (Rev. 3:3).

2. We can get distracted by the "normal" things in life: marriage, eating food, working, having children (Mt. 24:37ff.).

3. Jesus is coming back and we need to be ready (v. 42, 44).

4. We must keep watch (v. 42-43). You and I cannot "know" by perception or observation when Jesus will return so we must always be ready.

Do:
Do you live as if Jesus could return any second? Is your life marked with urgency? Or have you become sleepy? Are you pursuing money, retirement, a better lifestyle for your kids? Are you pursuing your marriage more than Christ? Your kids? These are not bad things that Jesus lists. These are all good and necessary. Food is not bad. Marriage is good. But it is not a replacement for the Kingdom of God!

Are you ready? How does it show? If we were ready we would be:

1. Captured by heaven and eternal things

2. Waiting for Jesus

3. Bold in our witness

4. Live with urgency and focus

5. Giving away more than we keep

You may never be robbed at gunpoint. You may never have your home broken into. But ..... if you knew it was coming ...... you'd make sure you were ready! You'd do what it took to not be surprised. You would change your priorities ("repent" in Rev. 3:3) and get ready.

Ok, so I need to tell you ...... there is a thief coming. What are you going to do about it?

DevoLink: Devotions to help you Link with God.

Revelation 2

Intro:
Let's spend time rereading Revelation 2 again today. During the week I realized that we were jammin through the chapter and missing some very important things.

Since it is long .... let's get right to it.

Read: Revelation 2
To the church in Ephesus
1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
To the Church in Smyrna
8"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
To the Church in Pergamum
12"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 14Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
To the Church in Thyatira
18"To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): 25Only hold on to what you have until I come. 26To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'— just as I have received authority from my Father. 28I will also give him the morning star. 29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Think:

Each church's letter is broken up the same way.

1. A letter is addressed to the "angel" of the church. This might suggest that churches have angels that watch over them. However the word "angel" can also mean "messenger" and might simply be a teacher in the church. The true identity of the "angel" is unknown.

2. A description of Jesus - taken from chapter 1. Each description taken deliberately for that particular church's issues (v. 1, 8, 12, 18).

3. An "I know" section. After the description of Jesus, he identifies that he "knows" the situation of each church (v. 2, 9, 13, 19).

4. A challenge and call to action (v. 4-5, 10, 14-15, 20-25). Most are challenged for missing something important (love for Jesus, holding on to the truth, ignoring sexual sin). Only the church at Smyrna was not challenged for missing anything.

5. A call to listen to the Holy Spirit (v. 7, 11, 17, 26). This is only for the one that CAN hear. There is an impression given that some folks are not able to hear when the Spirit speaks.

6. A promise to the one who overcomes.

Do:
If you labored through the think section then you will benefit now. Here is what we learn in application:

1. God speaks to the church and we need to make sure we are listening!

2. Our Jesus is an awesome God to be loved and feared!

3. Jesus knows what we are doing right now, he knows our situations. He knows where we are strong and where we need help. He is calling us to respond to him in trust, repentance and love.

4. There are awesome things waiting for those of us who persevere.

So, are you listening to the Lord? God still speaks through the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit and others.

Do you have a high view of Jesus? He is more than a buddy, he is the holy God.

What is God calling you to do right now? Is he calling you to step up to something big? Is there an area that is out of step with God's call on your life?

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Revelation: Jesus has 20 / 20

Into:
Do your deeds show that you are a Christian?

You know a tree by its fruit. You know a train by its sound. You know a Christian by its actions.

It would be crazy to call an apple tree an orange tree if apples are hanging on the limbs. It would be crazy to call a person a Christian if there is little love and perserverance hanging in their lives.
We all fall short, we all fail at times but our beliefs are creating behavior. If we do not see deeds in keeping with the Spirit of God or the Scriptures we need to look at what we believe and what story our deeds are telling.

After all, that is what Jesus is looking at.

Read: Revelation 2:18-29
18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): 25 Only hold on to what you have until I come. 26 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
27 'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery' - just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Think:
Twice, Jesus tells this church that he is aware of their deeds (v.19, 23) . He knows what their lives are producing, he commends them and will reward them for their choices (v.23).

So, what captures the attention of Jesus? What does he see in the deeds of this church that are worthy of mentioning?

I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

Revelation 2:20

Jesus KNOWS = by watching with his eyes and by inspection

He knows their DEEDS = activity for the Kingdom of God

He knows their LOVE = sacrificial love

He knows their FAITH = trust in God

He knows their SERVICE = act out the commands of others

He knows their PERSEVERANCE = stay under the pressure

He knows that they are doing more than at the first.

Do:
What does Jesus KNOW about your walk with him? What does he see with his eyes when he looks at you or your church?

How is your love for others? How is your service? Are you faithful and trusting the Lord? How is your perseverance? Are you holding to the Lord in difficult times?

Can you choose one of the "deeds" above and take it to the Lord in prayer this day? Talk with him about it and ask him to help you trust him with it.

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Revelation: The devil's in the details

Intro:
Is the devil real or something that people have made up to personify evil? There are some that do not believe that the devil even exists.

Thomas Jefferson, a founding father of America, did not believe in the existence of the spiritual world. His Jefferson Bible was an attempt to "demythologize" the scriptures. In other words, he created a bible with no devil, no angels, no resurrection and no afterlife. He created a moral code for people to follow without the spiritual component.

We are not too different in practice. In our attempts to be practical we can often miss the spiritual. We have a tendency to demythologize life to make it more functional and in our control. It is the big life events of birth, death and suffering that force us to change our lens and ask deeper questions.

I am raising this because of what we are reading today. As I read through this with my family I was surprised at the role satan plays in the church and the culture. So much of my Christian experience does not deal with demonic influence ... at least not that I am keenly aware of.

Read: Revelation 2:8-17
To the Church in Smyrna
8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. 9 I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of *death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

To the Church in Pergamum
12 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13 I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to *death in your city—where Satan lives. 14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15 Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

Think:

Does the emphasis on satan surprise you? Does it cause you pause? He is a defeated foe but a foe he remains. He hates Jesus and those that name the name of Jesus. Therefore he hates the genuine followers of Jesus Christ.

Look at his influence. Apparently he owns a synagogue (v.9). The Jewish leadership and the members of the synagogue were opposing the Church for many reasons. Some were motivated politically, some financially and others spiritually but really something deeper was happening. Satan was so at work that Jesus calls it a "synagogue of Satan".

This led to suffering and persecution and death for the members of some of the churches (v.10). Jesus says that the devil will put some of you in prison. Clearly he, himself, is not going to be doing this. But he is given credit for doing so. He is the power seen behind the actions of others. He is the emperor behind Darth Vader, if you will.

In another instance, satan is said to have a throne - a seat of power and authority and also that he owns a city (v.13). His evil influence seen in the actions of others challenges the faith of the believers (v.13) and even caused the death of a key Christian leader.

Is satan active in the church today? You'd be foolish to say he is not. The issue is where and what does it look like?

By the time we reach the times described here in Revelation, he is actively opposing the church. He is the cause of persecution and suffering. He is running religious institutions and cities. Obviously we are moving toward those days and so his influence and power must be active though we do not see it clearly.

Do:

If satan's goal is to defame the name of Christ then he is doing a great job in the church already! We have so many issues in the church today. We embrace cultural relativism where every idea is equal and everything is gray. We embrace divorce. We embrace spending excesses. We embrace programs over people. We love gossip. We fight and argue for position.

Now, not all churches or all Christians have the above issues but the over all view of the Church in America would support those statements.

Further, the Church in the world is undergoing persecution like not seen in the past. Hundreds of thousands give their life for Christ in Africa, China and other parts of the world. Just because it is not in the news does not mean it is not real. Check out the Voice of the Martyrs site: http://www.persecution.com/

You might want to pick up CS Lewis' Screwtape Letters and see how subtle satan can work in a church, in a pew, in our choices.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:8-11

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