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Revelation 5 — Read it and worship as you behold the Lamb of God!

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?” (Revelation 5:1,2).

Imagine! Among the multiplied billions of humans who have ever lived, now live or ever will live, no one will be found worthy anywhere to open this book. No one, that is, but Jesus. The Lamb! The Lamb is worthy. No one will challenge Him. No one will mock Him.

Why is the Lamb worthy? The short answer: because He was slain. Want a little more detail? “For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” The Lamb, unmatched and unrivaled, is worthy!

This is still in the future, a scene yet waiting to unfold itself. And the Lamb was slain over 1900 years ago. Such a terrible way to die, and under such awful circumstances. What a long time to wait! Millions still mock Him. But He patiently waits. Someday His final triumph and vindication will be clear before all. And all will accept it and bow before Him. Because the Lamb is worthy “to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:12). Read it all

Revelation 2:8-11; 3:7-13 — Are you gaining an incorruptible crown?

Twice the Lord gives credit to the church at Philadelphia for keeping His Word. They were well on their way to gaining an incorruptible crown!

Many people despise God’s Word by holding it in total disregard. They do not respect it, they do not read it, they do not want anything to do with it. They know they despise His law and they don’t care. Others despise God’s Word by having an improper legalistic view of it. They see it as a rule book to be enforced in their lives and the lives of others. Their primary concern is for the specifics of the law, not its Spirit. In their legalistic approach to the Word, they trivialize it by not loving it.

Many Christians sincerely love the Word of the Lord. They treasure it. They live by it as best they know. They live joyfully in the assurance that they are striving to live in obedience. They also keep on searching the Scriptures, asking God for further knowledge of His will so that they might walk in that also.

Which of those are you? Read it all

Revelation 3:1-6,14-22 — Is your church suffering through the perils and dangers of complacency and lukewarmness?

Notice two reasons in this passage for the Lord calling on His people to repent, essentially for having disregarded the dangers of complacency:

• Deadness toward God (Revelation 3:3)
• Lukewarmness toward God (Revelation 3:19)

That a church or an individual is weak and struggling spiritually is not a sign to give up and give in. Not at all!

Look at the church in Sardis. They were dead as a church. Only a few individuals had not contaminated themselves with the world. But all was not lost. They still had the opportunity to become overcomers. Jesus called on them to “strengthen the things which remain.” They needed to wake up and remember and hang on and repent.

The Lord rebuked the Laodiceans for their lukewarmness. Then He told them to be zealous and repent. Read it all

Matthew 2:11-15; Galatians 4:3-7; Revelation 12:1-5 — Jesus, wonderful in His birth

Over the years, I have written much pertaining to Christmas, Christ’s birth, and the Incarnation. This post got quite long. Just so you know at this stage, here are the main sections:

• Has the Baby grown up yet?
• The wise seek Jesus
• Questions to chew
• What Christmas means to me
• Is Christmas for the Christian?
• What makes a Christmas celebration Christian?

Now, let’s get to it!

He’s wonderful in His birth, but Has the Baby grown up yet?

Look around you with some attention to the obvious details, and you would think the answer is negative. This alleged celebration of Jesus’ birth mostly takes us back to His babyhood and infrequently focuses on His adulthood. In the US, the birthdays of certain Presidents rate a national holiday of sorts. That is appropriate for any country to do. But how inspirational would it be for the citizenry to remember these men only as newborn infants?

Has the Baby grown up yet? Imagine celebrating your birthday the way Christmas is celebrated! We would hang up pictures of you in your crib, but generally disregard you in favor of other festive and seasonal activities. And if anyone would get around to remembering you, it would be to reminisce about your birth. Maybe you’d get a baby rattle for a gift. Read it all

Revelation 2:18-29 — Do not tolerate the leaven of unsound teaching!

The Son of God had some very good things to say about the church at Thyatira. I would be so happy and blessed and thrilled and joyful and satisfied to have this said of my home congregation: “I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first” (Revelation 2:19).

But the church in Thyatira was too tolerant of some unsound teachers and their unsound teaching. Though quite a few in the church did not embrace that unsound doctrine, they still tolerated its presence and presentation in their midst.

The Son of God declared judgment on the unfaithful and called on the faithful to hold fast to truth. Do not let go of sound doctrine! And do not coexist with unsound teaching.

If the shoe fits, my friend, wear it. Or as the Son of God said repeatedly, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Revelation 2:29 and elsewhere).Read it all