Category: Revelation–BibleTrekToday
The Glory of Heaven’s Throne!
Scripture reading for December 6th: Ezra 7-10, Psalm 97, Revelation 4
Revelation 4:1-4 “After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with One seated on the throne. And He Who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. . . “
John, after receiving personal messages from Jesus Christ for each of the seven churches, describes how he next saw an open door in heaven. As he beheld this door, a voice called to him (like a trumpet) commanding that he come up through the door. Immediately, John was in the Spirit and transported to the throne room of heaven. His attention was focused on the One seated there, clothed in radiant splendor like precious jewels. Around that throne were twenty-four other thrones occupied by twenty-four elders, clothed in white with crowns. This scene was marked by worship from these elders and four living creatures guarding and serving God’s throne. ,
Psalm 97:1-3 “The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. Fire goes before Him and burns up His adversaries all around.”
Prayer: Father God, I am in awe of Your glorious throne! Thank You for promising Your church an open door that no man can shut! Thank You for promising those who overcome the right to sit with You on Your throne and for the white robe of Your righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ and the crown of life eternal! Open doors here for sharing this Good News that more may be crowned and clothed!
Ezra 7:27-28 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, Who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and Who extended to me His steadfast love before the king and his counselors, before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.”
Open door? or Closed door?
Scripture reading for December 5th: Esther 7-10, Revelation 3
Revelation 3:8-12 “”Behold I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My Word and have not denied My Name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie–behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept My Word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the Name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, . . .””
Jesus explained to the church at Philadelphia that He had set before them an open door, which no one would be able to shut. Although these believers had little strength, they had been faithful to Jesus’ Word and had not denied His Name. Their patient endurance had brought rewards of deliverance from the hour of trial. In Jesus’ next message to the church at Laodicea, however, Jesus told them that He was knocking on their door, closed to His entrance! He implored them to open the door so He could come in and fellowship with them. Which kind of door is Jesus finding or providing in your life?
Revelation 3:20-21 “Behold! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also conquered and sat down with My Father on His throne.”“
Prayer: Father God, thank You that you always seek the welfare of Your people and speak peace and blessings for encouragement. You also warn those on a dangerous path. I have chosen to open the door of my heart to You and desire daily fellowship at Your table. Help me today to hear Your voice and remain faithful even though I often feel I have little strength. I will walk in faith through Your open door.
Esther 10:3 “For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.”
The one who conquers!
Scripture reading for December 2nd: Esther 4-6, Revelation 2
Revelation 2: 8-11 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The Words of the First and the Last, Who died and came to life. “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you in prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
Jesus Christ, the glorified Savior and Head of the Church, His Bride, spoke messages to John for each of the seven churches of Asia that John had oversight for. In each instance, Jesus gave commendation to them and then proceeded to instruct or warn them of their need to be overcomers–ones who conquered! Their battle was with Satan, the prince of darkness and he would seek to imprison, kill and destroy God’s people. They must do battle by standing firm in Christ’s Words and the victory of the cross. Those who remain faithful, even unto death, reap amazing rewards. Authority over nations, the crown of life, eating of the tree of life in paradise, hidden manna, a new name and the morning star are just a few!
Revelation 2:26-27 “The one who conquers and who keeps My works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from My Father.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for sending Jesus Christ as our Savior and the promise of His return to reward each believer with amazing gifts of Your grace. Strengthen me today to stand firm in Christ’s victory over death and hell. I want to keep Your Word and do Your works until the end. I want my family, friends and neighbors to all know You and conquer the evil one through faith in Your Son.
Esther 4:14 “”For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?””
Behold! Jesus is coming–again!
Scripture reading for December 1st: Esther 1-3, Psalm 139, Revelation 1
Revelation 1: 4-8 “John, to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits that are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ the Faithful Witness; the Firstborn of the dead and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.””
John the Apostle, was by this time an old man. He was suffering exile on the Isle of Patmos for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and wrote this amazing letter to the seven churches of Asia that God had assigned Him oversight for. John writes a letter of love and grace from the heart of God the Father and Jesus Christ, conveying God’s Word and prophetic insight concerning the things to come. This God we serve is the great “I Am,” and is described by John as the One Who was in existence from everlasting, the ‘Alpha’ and Who is now present and Who also is the One Who is to come in time yet known. Our Father knows it all–past, present, and future! He knows the end from the beginning and His will will be done on earth as in heaven. He will come again with the clouds to receive glory and dominion forever and ever! That is Truth!
Psalm 139:3-4 “You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.”
Prayer: Father God, I am in awe of Who You are–the God Who always was, and is now and will exist in eternity future. You truly know all things and have revealed Your plans to us through Your Word and the prophets and apostles. You place us where You desire and fulfill Your purposes through those who serve You. Use me today to bring others to know You through the Good News of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Esther 2:16-17 “Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. And when Esther was taken to king Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the other virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.”
Importance of love and unity!
Scripture reading for June 14th: Proverbs 19-21, Psalm 40, Romans 16
Romans 16: 16-20 “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. I appeal to you, brothers to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under you feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
Paul’s final thoughts for the Romans including greeting many of the believers by calling out their names and what he was thankful for in their lives and service to Christ. He encouraged unity and love to flow genuinely between believers and emphasized that all churches greeted them in the same Spirit of Christ But the leadership needed to be watchful over the church for those who had other motives and caused divisions through twisted doctrines and legalism. Paul did not want the division to sow strife and evil talk and accusations in the church. God was and is a God of peace and it is Satan behind the division. Through grace and peace and unity, God would soon crush Satan under those believers feet! (And ours!)
Psalm 40:4 “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!”
Prayer: Father God, I have made You my Trust and value Your Word as truth. Help me to live in unity and harmony with each member of Your Body, the Church. Help me to watch out for those who are divisive and do not follow sound doctrine but are greedy and follow their appetites. As we pursue You and the truth of Your Word, we trust You to crush Satan under our feet as we walk with You.
Proverbs 21:21 “Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor.”
Praying for God’s workers!
Scripture reading for June 13th: Proverbs 16-18, Romans 15
Romans 15:29-33 “I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”
God’s Word declares that all His people are ‘saints’, set apart to serve Him. But those chosen to go out and preach and teach and evangelize are to be supported in prayer by those that send them. Paul asks the church to pray for him as he goes on to minister in places not yet reached by the Gospel. He asks deliverance from the unbelievers. This does not mean that he won’t be persecuted or suffer for Christ’s sake and the Gospel. He asks that his service, his ministry and life will be acceptable to the saints and to God and that by God’s will he might return to them and share the joy of ministry he has experienced and be refreshed by their ministry to him. As believers we are told to ‘strive together’ with God’s workers in prayer and support. As we give prayer, our God of hope and peace will be with us!
Romans 15:13 “May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Prayer: Father God of Hope and Peace, thank You for filling me with joy and peace as I trust in You for salvation and power to obey Your Word. I lift up those who are preaching and teaching Your Word in lands where they have never heard. Deliver them from attacks of unbelievers and make their work acceptable to the saints and to You. Fill them with joy and peace and abounding hope as they trust You.
Proverbs 16:20 “Whoever gives thought to the Word will discover good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.”
Be careful, don’t judge legalistically!
Scripture reading for June 10th: Proverbs 14-15, Romans 14
Romans 14:1-4 “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
In the culture of the church in Rome there were those who were weaker in their faith because of being immature and untaught in God’s Word. They still held some cultural beliefs or held to portions of the law although they had repented and come to salvation through believing on Jesus. Those who were more mature were passing judgment on these and looking down on them because they refused to eat meat that may have come from idols. Some became ‘vegetarians’ and both sides were critical of the other. Paul told them emphatically not to pass judgment by asking them a question. “Who are you to pass judgment?” He also added another truth: each person would stand before Christ and give an account!
Romans 14:10-12 “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.”
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for setting Your people free from dietary laws and condemnation. Forgive me when I have been haughty and critical of others whose faith may not have been developed yet. You alone are the Judge. Thank You for ‘life-giving’ reproof from Your Word to instruct me in the fear and respect for Your Word and Your people whom You have redeemed.
Proverbs 15:31-33 “The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom and humility comes before honor.”
Put on the armor of Light!
Scripture reading for June 9th: Proverbs 11-13, Psalm 8, Romans 13
Romans 13: 11-14 “Besides this you know that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now that when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Paul encouraged believers who had given their bodies to God as a living sacrifice and their minds to think God’s thoughts to now apply these truths in practical ways. It is easy to acknowledge spiritual truth and then not apply it. We must know who we are–now children of Light living in God’s glory and made to bring Him honor. We must cast off the works of darkness that marked our old way of living and now cloth ourselves with the armor of Light! We are told to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus is our righteousness, our sanctification and the assurance of our resurrection and full salvation. Our new living in Christ Jesus serves as a guide to those who are our neighbors, believers and unbelievers! Amen!
Psalm 8:3-5 “When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”
Prayer: Father God, when I see the vastness and intricacy of Your amazing creation, I wonder, along with the psalmist, ‘what is man that Your are mindful of him?” But in Christ Jesus You have shown me my true identity as Your child and my calling to love You and love my neighbors through obedience to Your Word. Clothe me afresh today with My Lord Jesus Christ and the armor of Light!
Proverbs 12:26 “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
Let love be genuine!
Scripture reading for June 8th: Proverbs 8-10, Psalm 144, Romans 12
Romans 12: 9-17 “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil: hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil,, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.”
Paul encouraged believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice to God and to renew their minds with His Word. Paul used the last chapters of his letter to explain practically how the Christian walk takes place in a world of evil in a church that has people of all different levels of maturity and faith, including some who are not walking in faith yet! Believers should be known by their genuine love for God and for people. They understand that love shows honor and affection to all people, no matter what level of maturity. Love requires patience with people as they work out their salvation. Love meets people where they are emotionally and shows hospitality. Love blesses and doesn’t curse. Love is humble and doesn’t judge people or seek to harm them an any way but to be a blessing. This walk brings glory to God!
Psalm 144:15 “Blessed are the people to who such blessing fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!”
Prayer: Father God, I thank You for Your genuine love in Jesus Christ. Without His love, I would not know how to love others or You. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and pour out Your love through me to others in these practical ways taught by Paul to the Romans. I present my body to You and my mind to be renewed to love You better and preach Your Word that Your love may cover all offenses!
Proverbs 10:11-12 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.”
God’s deep riches and wisdom in Christ!
Scripture reading for June 7th: Proverbs 6-7, Psalm 7, Romans 11
Romans 11:28 “As regards the Gospel, they (the Israelites) are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that He may have mercy on all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!”
Paul explained to the Roman believers about God’s great desire to show mercy to all people, Jew and Gentile. For now, the Jews rejected the Gospel. Their rejection opened the door so that God sent His church into the Gentile world so that they could receive mercy. But God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable for the Jews as well. God has promised them salvation and an inheritance. Through the Gospel, God will also save the Jews who believe in Jesus Christ. All are disobedient and all need God’s mercy for salvation. His deep wisdom and knowledge is beyond natural man to figure out. Worship is the response of those receiving mercy!
Romans 11:36 “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.” Psalm 7:17 “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the Name of the Lord, the Most High.”
Prayer: Father God, my response is worship and thanksgiving for Your great mercy, wisdom and righteousness! Thank You for forgiving all my sins and giving mercy to all who are disobedient and repent. Speak to me daily through Your Word and Spirit and lead me in Your everlasting ways. To You be all glory and honor now and forever! Amen!
Proverbs 6:20-23 “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.”