Saturday , 23rd April, 2005
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. - Revelation 19v6
Praise God that no matter what the circumstances of life God is still in absolute control of the situation. Alleluia:
The Lord God omnipotent reigneth
The Lord God omnipotent reigneth
The Lord God omnipotent reigneth
The Lord God omnipotent reigneth
The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
The Lord, the one and only Lord reigns.
The Lord, the master of all reigns.
The Creator God of all the earth reigns.
The Almighty Creator God Who is Ruler of all reigns.
He reigns - the Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him.
Remind me today Father, throughout the day, through every thing that I face, that you, the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth and that nothing in my life today is going to take you by surprise!
Sunday, 24th April, 2005
Our thoughts for today come from the devotional book, The Valley of Vision.
“Give me such deadness to the world,
such love to the Saviour,
such attachment to his house,
such devotedness to his service,
as proves me a subject of his salvation.
May every part of my character and conduct
make a serious and amiable impression on others,
and impel the to ask the way to the Master”
There are so many scriptural references here that it is difficult to know where to start. I am only to take two such references.
Philippians 2v12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
The literal meaning of this passage is that we are to “out work” our salvation in “fear and trembling.” To live for the Lord is an awesome responsibility and a wonderful task, in the fullest sense of those English words. May the outworking of our salvation be such that it proves each of us “subjects of His salvation.”
1 Peter 3v15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
The second part of the devotional thought deals with how others see us. As we live our lives out for Him, may we always be ready to give an answer others are “impelled to ask the way to the Master.” If we are not “out working” our salvation others will have no need to ask the way to the Master. No one asks a directionless man for directions!
Lord, help us to live in a way that our direction is clear, that we prove our selves Yours, and that others may “ask directions” to You.
Monday, 25th April, 2005
Revelation 20v7-15
“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
What a familiar passage. Finally, at long last the final battle is over and the final victory is won! Satan and his forces are defeated. Those who have tragically followed him are cast into the lake of fire. The Christian’s victory is finally achieved!
As much as we look forward to that day, and we should, we must also be aware that we need not wait for that day to see victory. The victory is already ours today. “Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ comes to mind,” (1 Corinthians 15v57). 1 John 5v4 is another, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
I think my favourite victory passage is 2 Corinthians 2v14, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”
O what a blessed thought! We need not wait for the end of the millennium to walk in victory! It is ours today, Christ always, everyday, at every moment, has made us to walk in the great Victory Parade with our Saviour.
Tuesday, 26th April, 2005
Revelation 21v4 “and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away.”
Oh my my heart was stirred as I read the “no mores” of this verse. God will wipe away the tears because there are:
u No more death
u No more mourning
u No more crying
u No more pain
We sometimes sing a song called “What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see...” and that will indeed my a wonderful day when Jesus comes for His saints. Another “wonderful day” will be the day when there is no more need for tears. Did you see why there are no more tears? Because the “first things are passed away!” Death, mourning, crying, and pain are all results of the Fall of man. They are all the result of sin, but now, finally in our minds, as the new heaven and new earth appear, all of these things are passed away! They are gone, wiped out, eliminated forever! Praise God indeed, what a day that will be!
There is another comfort here though. Since God has the power to overcome these things we can be assured that He has the power over them today. When He allows them to come into our lives we can be assured that they are there for a purpose. Praise the Lord that one day He will wipe all these things away, but praise God for the assurance that He is in control of them today.
Wednesday, 27th April, 2005
“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”
-Revelation 21v5-7
O, there are some amazing passages in the book of Revelation that we all need reminded of. Just look at the amazing truths the Lord points out for us about heaven:
1) Behold, I make all things new
2) These words are true and faithful
3) It is done
4) I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end
5) I will give the water of life freely to those who are thirsty (Remember the woman at the well?)
6) To him who overcomes I will be his God and he will be my son.
Each of these passages merits its own study. Each is a precious promise from a loving God. Wouldn’t this be a great section for a personal Bible study?
However, the morning I want to dwell on what is the keystone to the passage, the phrase “To him who overcomes.” Many claim that this is a warning that those who somehow do not overcome the world by their own good behaviour will somehow be refused a place in heaven and will not be a child of God. If it doesn’t mean that, then what does, “he who overcomes” mean?
The answer of course is to be found in the Scriptures.“ For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? – (I John 5v4-5)
Notice who the overcomer actually is.
- Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world
- Faith is the victory that overcomes the world
- He that believes that Jesus is the Son of God overcomes the world
What is the key to inherit the promises of heaven? How does one become an overcomer? By their faith in Jesus Christ and being born-again according to John 3! Therefore, those of us who have truly accepted Christ as our Saviour are already overcomers, and can depend on the glories of heaven.
O Father, help us today to live like the overcomers that we are, honouring our Father!
Thursday, 28th April, 2005
Just one small phrase today from Revelation 21v23 – “…for the Lamb is its light.”
The context is that of heaven where there will be no need of the sun or moon for light. Then this appears, “for the Lamb will be its Light.” Today we live in a world of such heavy darkness. All around us sin abounds for the world has chosen to reject the “Lamblight” of Christ.
Let us just think of a few parrowphrased thoughts from the gospel of John this morning:
John came to tell the world about the Light, that all men through the Light might believe.
That was the true Light, to light every man that comes into the world.
This Light shines in darkness, but the world does not understand the Light.
The Light came into the world, but men love darkness more than light because their deeds are evil. Evil men hate the light, for under their light their deeds are exposed.
How sad it is that all around men reject the Lamblight of God today. One day we will truly be able to bask in that light. But the wonderful thing is that we can choose to look to the Light today. Jesus said this – “… I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8v12).
Father, thank you for the day when we will fully enjoy your Lamblight, help us to walk in the Lamblight today!
Friday, 29th April, 2005
“And they shall see His face...”
-Revelation 22v4
We all know what it is like to long to see the face of a loved one. We have two children, a daughter-in-law, and a grandaughter in the States at the moment. Everyday we miss seeing them and look forward to every chance to see their faces. I think about being in the airport waiting areas scanning face after face looking for our daughter when she comes home for Christmas. Then, suddenly, the doors open and there is her face. Oh, what joy that brings!
Yet, today we read of seeing another face, that of our wonderful Saviour. Here, as everything is being readied for eternity, we read that we shall see His face and that His name will be in our foreheads. I only want to address the first part of that today – the thought of seeing the face of the One Who died to me. I am not a poet ot songwriter, and they have expressed this day so much better that I ever could.
One songwriter put it this way - “What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see. When I look upon His face, the One Who saved me by His grace...” However, one my favourites is this one, by Carrie Breck.
Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face—what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ Who died for me?
Only faintly now I see Him,
With the darkened veil between,
But a blessèd day is coming,
When His glory shall be seen.
What rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
When the crooked ways are straightened,
And the dark things shall be plain.
Face to face—oh, blissful moment!
Face to face—to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ Who loves me so.
Refrain
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!
Help me Lord, even today, to be looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith, as I anticipate the day when I see Him face to face!
Source for hymn - http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/f/a/faceface.htm
