In the Beginning, God starts on Monday

I hope you have been benefited and lifted up by Pursuing Holiness through God’s Word over the last year. This blog followed that annual theme for the Christians who Meet on Livingston Avenue.

We are starting a new theme on this coming week. We will continue our daily Bible reading and a daily online devo. However, we will be moving to a new blog that mirrors the new theme.

We want to put God in the beginning of everything we are and do. Our theme will be, “In the Beginning, God.” We will be moving to PutGodInTheBeginning.wordpress.com. Click over there, scroll to the bottom of the page, then subscribe to that blog so you will not miss out on any of our daily dips into God’s Word. See you over there.

It’s been a great year. I look forward to another one reading God’s Word together.

Don’t Wait for Eternity, Get in the City Now

Today’s reading is Revelation 21-22.

I know this is not the normal view of the New Jerusalem, but bear with me and consider an important alternative. Most of us view the New Jerusalem as a beautiful picture of heaven in which we hope to dwell someday. I suggest John was not giving us a vision of heaven, but an apocalyptic vision of the church even right now while on earth. The last few chapters of Revelation tell us about a battle between two cities: Babylon, the Great Harlot, and the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ. The battle is intense and frightening, but the harlot is defeated and Babylon falls, while the Bride marries the Son and the New Jerusalem withstands the attack. John’s point is not, “Hang in there, someday you’ll get to be in this city.” His point is this is God’s city and it can’t be beaten. Its walls cannot be scaled, its heights cannot be conquered, its gates cannot be broken, its foundations cannot be shaken, therefore its inhabitants cannot be beaten. So you better get in that city, Christ’s church, right now. Are you in His church, His Bride, the New Jerusalem? We’d be happy to help you become a citizen today. Let us know how we can help.

Monday’s reading is Genesis 1-2. However, it will not be on this blog. Today’s is the last daily devo blog post for this site. Monday we’ll be moving to a new annual theme and therefore a new blog. You can find it by clicking here. Scroll to the bottom of the page and subscribe to the new daily devo blog. See you over there.

The Rider on the White Horse Wins!

Today’s reading is Revelation 19-20.

I told you to watch for it. At the beginning of the book, the rider on the white horse went out conquering and to conquer, but he was followed by all those other riders that seemed to be fighting against Him. Within the book a lot has happened, ups and downs, victory snatched from the clutches of seeming defeat. Now, the rider on the white horse comes back on the scene as the conquering hero and king surrounded by His army, administering the judgment of God, defeating every enemy from beasts and kings to Satan, the great dragon. I told you; Jesus always wins. Hang on to Him.

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 21-22.

The Next Great Enemy Falls

Today’s reading is Revelation 17-18.

Yesterday, we were reminded of Israel’s first great enemy, Egypt, and her fall at the hand of God and His plagues. Today, we see the next great enemy, Babylon–a harlot, riding on the back of a great and powerful beast. She experiences pleasure, drunkenness, debauchery, power, wealth, hedonism. Those who follow her have pleasure and power, for a time, while they wage war on the saints. What is her end? “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” God reminds us, the new Jerusalem and heavenly Israel, of the downfalls of Egypt and Babylon, the two great enemies of earthly Jerusalem. What do we learn? Christ’s kingdom, Christ’s church, Christ’s people have had enemies before and will have enemies again, but all God’s enemies fall. Hang on to Jesus Christ; He is the victor.

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 19-20.

Salvation for God’s Chosen…Always

Today’s reading is Revelation 15-16.

Does any of this sound familiar? A plague of sores and boils, a plague of water turned to blood, a plague of darkness, a drying up of water for someone to have a path to cross. What about flashes of lightning, peals of thunder, earthquakes? What about a sanctuary of God filled with smoke and God’s glory? Cap it all off with the song of Moses? Do you get the picture of what God is saying in Revelation 15-16? We are facing enemies that we think are too powerful for us. But wasn’t Israel facing that in Egypt and what did God do? He plagued the enemy and brought salvation for His chosen people. Never fear, God will bring salvation for His chosen in the face of their worst enemies always. Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 17-18.

Who is Like the Beast?

Today’s reading is Revelation 13-14.

What a question in Revelation 13:4: “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” Of course, the question is not who is similar in nature to the beast, but who is similar (or greater) in power to the beast. While I believe in context this refers to the Roman government of John’s day, there are great parallels for us today. Do we sometimes look around and think the enemy is winning the upper hand, if there really is anyone who can fight against our enemy? Keep reading to Revelation 14. There is one as and more powerful than the beast. The Lamb of God, with His 144,000, His voice like thunder and many waters, His coming judgment, His cup of God’s wrath, His sickle for reaping. The beast and His followers may believe no one can compete, but we know the rider on the white horse, the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ can and will conquer. Praise the Lord!!!

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 15-16.

Surviving the Dragon’s Attack

Today’s reading is Revelation 11-12.

It is likely too simplistic to say the woman and child in Revelation 12 are Mary and Jesus. However, I think we can say that the imagery of Mary and Jesus are used to make a greater point. The Christ came into the world as a baby. Satan attacked. But Christ survived. Of course, the baby grew and Satan attacked again. While Christ died, He still survived, being resurrected. Satan knows he is defeated, so he attacks us the followers of Christ. However, if we hang on to the blood of the Lamb, proclaiming the testimony of Jesus, and are willing to follow Jesus to death, we will survive the dragon’s attack just like Mary did, just like Jesus did. Hang on to Jesus.

Monday’s reading is Revelation 13-14.

“Need to Know”

Today’s reading is Revelation 9-10.

Every once in a while…well, actually, pretty often, I find myself saying, “I wish God had provided more information here.” Perhaps some account doesn’t contain enough details for me or I wish some teaching was more fleshed out. Then we get to Revelation 10 and John wants to tell us what was said in the 7 thunders, but a voice from heaven tells him not to. What?! Why leave us hanging like that? Because it is “Need to know,” and we don’t need to know everything. God gives us all we need to know and doesn’t clutter us up with the unnecessaries we probably couldn’t grasp anyway. Trust God; He knows what we need and has given it to us in Christ and His Word. Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 11-12.

The Lord Knows His Own

Today’s reading is Revelation 7-8.

The rider on the white horse went forth conquering and to conquer, but He was followed by war, plague, famine, death, trouble, turmoil, persecution. In a sense, we live in the interim–the interim between when He went forth to conquer and when He finally and completely conquers. Though I believe Revelation was dealing specifically with events in the early years of Christ’s church, I believe we can see parallels between then and now. For a time it appears that death, war, and plague conquer and win. We may think God has forgotten us. But the rider on the white horse knows who are His. When He conquers, we will not be lost in the chaos of battle. Hang on to Jesus no matter what. We are sealed in Him, and He will not forget who we are.

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 9-10.

One Horseman Will Win

Today’s reading is Revelation 5-6.

I know it looks bleak. Sometimes it does. The rider of the white horse goes out conquering and to conquer, but He is immediately followed by death, famine, plague, war. It looks like He is not conquering. I want to invite you to hang on until closer to the end of the story. The rider on the white horse conquers. He wins. He always wins. Don’t give up just because there is a lot of hardship in between. Hang on to Jesus no matter what.

Tomorrow’s reading is Revelation 7-8.