Day 5–The Final Blessings
Scripture reading for June 26: Revelation 22:7 (Jesus) “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this Book.” vs 12-14 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing My recompense with Me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”
The final recorded blessing from our Lord given to John is given to those who will hear and heed the prophetic announcements and warnings he was told to record at the beginning of his book. (Revelation 1:3) We notice the repetition of the words, “I am coming soon” by Jesus Christ. This promise was to be held closely by each faith responder as they worked and waited for the promise to find final fulfilment. But God did not reveal the exact timing of these final events. If we knew when, then we would not need to live by faith. But because we live by faith, we actively seek to be clothed in Christ’s robes of righteousness through Spirit-filled living. We gather with God’s people to worship Him and study His Word to prepare our hearts to enter the Holy City and eat eternally from the Tree of Life. We daily seek to proclaim the Gospel to those in our world.
But there is a warning from God concerning those who are shut out of the Holy City. These are those who refused to repent of their wicked deeds but instead practiced rebellion. These sought sorcerers and used drugs and alcohol in their idolatry. They practiced all forms of sexual immorality and violence to murder or enslave others. They were liars and loved falsehood, thereby hating the Truth found in Jesus Christ. Their place will be in the lake of fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. (Revelation 20:10, 15)
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Come! Your soon return is my hope and future desire. Lead me today by Your Holy Spirit to share this Good News of our eternal reward of a heavenly city and a Tree of Life! May all first responders become faith responders. Amen.
Day 3–The Final Call–the Upper-taker!
Scripture reading for June 24: 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 “For this we declare to you by a Word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
Believers in the early church at Thessalonica were struggling to understand the return of Jesus Christ. Some teachers in the church were saying that Jesus had already come and others were not clear on how and when He would return as He promised in the clouds of heavenly glory. (Acts 1:11) Paul wrote this letter to bring understanding to all believers. Paul declared that this written Word was from the Lord, Himself. This was not Paul’s imagination or interpretation of some mystical message.
When the Lord Jesus descends from heaven, there will be a cry of an archangel and the sound of God’s trumpet announcing His appearance. Those believers who have already died and their bodies are in graves will rise up first in glorified new bodies. Next, those believers who are alive and left on earth will be caught up together with those resurrected from graves. As a great company we will meet the Lord Jesus in the air to join Him for eternal life in His glorious presence. This event is described as the ‘rapture’ or ‘catching up’ of the Church, Christ’s Bride.
Whether you are a first responder or not, God Himself wanted us all to understand the certainty of this final call from the archangel and the sounding of God’s trumpet. This can happen at any time so now is the time to make sure you are prepared by abiding in Christ as Lord and eagerly awaiting to respond to His call. We are to encourage one another with these words!
Prayer: Father God, thank You that You are a God of order and planning,, knowing all that will come. You give each person instruction and warning of coming events. We await with anticipation the fulfilment of Your promise to come for us. Amen.
Day 2–Paul’s Anticipated Reward
Scripture reading for June 23: 2 Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
For many responders, our reward is to see those we are called to help find the relief that they long for. There is daily reward of those who thank us for help and the reward of our salary if we are paid. But God has promised those who believe in Him and Jesus Christ, His Son, something greater and more lasting.
Paul, the servant and apostle of Jesus, was facing death by beheading when he wrote his last letter to believers revealing his understanding. This was written down by God for us to give us hope and inspiration. Paul rejoiced in his life of faith. It was a fight, from beginning to end to stay true to Jesus and complete his assignment to share Jesus Christ with the Gentiles. He had suffered beating, shipwrecks, riots, hostilities, and imprisonment for his faith. God had been faithful to him, using him in each difficult situation to win souls, raise up new leaders, and plant thriving churches.
God had revealed to Paul that he would receive the crown of righteousness as his reward on the Day of Christ’s return. This award will be given by God to all believers who live by faith in Jesus Christ. Christ gives us His righteousness when we come to Him in repentance. We will be crowned with a special crown on the Day of Christ as a further gift of God’s grace. That is why we will cast our crowns at Jesus’ feet in worship and adoration. (Revelation 4:10)
Are you living daily in Christ’s righteousness? Are you fighting a good fight of faith by studying and applying God’s Word and commands? Will you be able to say ‘I have finished the race’ at your life’s end?
Prayer: Father God, thank You for revealing this amazing reward promised to all who love Your appearing on that great Day. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and allow me to share this good news with all! Amen.
Week 26–Day 1–Reward for walking with God
Scripture reading for June 22: Genesis 5:21-24 “”When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” Hebrews 11:5-6 “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him. . .”
Have you ever wondered if your life was pleasing to God? Have you thought about the end of your life and where you might end up? Today, our life-span is seventy or eighty years if we are blessed to live that long. Some make it to 100 years but that is the exception. In the first book of the Bible, the ages of people listed there are much longer, giving them more time to reflect. Today we look at Enoch, a man who lived three hundred sixty five years and he walked with God after the birth of his son, Methuselah.
Enoch is mentioned in the Book of Genesis as the seventh generation from Adam, the first man. He walked with God after his son was born. Methuselah lived longer than any other person recorded in Scripture at 969 years. His name meant, “When he dies, judgment will come.” God revealed His plan to Enoch in this manner and by faith he chose to walk with God. After three hundred years, Scripture records that suddenly he was here no longer and that God took him away. Hebrews reveals that Enoch did not see death because God took him up. The reason he was taken was his faith walk. Jude records that Enoch prophesied to his generation about the coming judgment. In the year his son Methuselah died, the great flood came and God’s judgment fell.
I believe that Enoch is a picture of the reward of all who walk with God by faith. We are told as New Testament believers in Jesus to expect Jesus to come for His people and snatch them away to heaven. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) Walking by faith pleases God our Father and He gives eternal life as reward.
Prayer: Father, I desire to walk with You through this life and am willing to share Your Good News that through Jesus Christ, whoever believes will have eternal life. Amen.
Day 5–Blameless in His Presence!
Scripture reading for June 19: Jude 24-25 “Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
I love to give blessings to those I minister to. These blessings are powerful revelations of God’s amazing love to His people. Faith works by love so that faith is increased as we receive these words of blessing from God’s heart as our Father. Blessings also give us vision through declaration and vision keeps us focused forward on God’s plans. So it is good to declare these blessings out loud over your own life and family. As our Father loves to bless His children, so pastors and fathers of children on earth should bless God’s children and declare God’s love and promises over them.
Jude’s blessing declares that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ are able to keep us from stumbling and present us before God’s glorious presence as blameless and full of joy. This will be the highest blessing that we ever receive. We who have sinned and are worthy of judgment and eternal punishment in the fires of hell are granted deliverance from our earned fate. By grace through faith in the Lord Jesus, we are declared righteous and blameless in His sight. Our own works count for nothing. Christ’s righteousness is our covering and robe as we stand or kneel in His presence, overflowing with thanksgiving and joy. All glory and majesty and dominion and authority are given to Jesus Christ now and forever and ever. Amen! It is finished!
This blessing brings us great peace as faith-filled first responders. Even if we stumble in our personal lives or in service to others, our Lord will keep us moving towards the goal of eternal joy in God our Father’s presence. We can joyfully serve now and live a life that exalts our Lord and Savior, sharing His blessing everywhere we go.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for keeping me from stumbling and picking me up when I have been tripped up. Thank You for vision beyond the troubles and trials of this life to the glorious presence that You will present to us when our work here is done! Amen.
Day 4–Peace and Love With Faith
Scripture reading for June 18: Ephesians 6:23-24“Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.”
Today’s short blessing from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is full of encouragement that reinforces the other blessings we already covered. The Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6:23-27 declared God’s smile of favor over His people giving them His peace. Jesus declared the blessedness of peacemakers being called the sons of God, reinforcing our identity as belonging to God’s eternal family. (Matthew 5:9) The blessing in Hebrews declared our Father as the God of peace Who made peace for us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. This act demonstrates true love to us and enables us to have faith, which works by love. (Galatians 5:6) Paul declared peace to the brothers (and sisters) in this blessing for today.
Paul also declared love with faith to the believers from God the Father and the Lord Jesus. God’s love always acts for the highest good of the other, regardless of cost. God our Father in love gave us who believe the gift of the Holy Spirit Who confirms to us our identity as God’s children. God is love and true love is from God. His children should reflect His love. Jesus taught Holy Spirit becomes in us a river of God’s love flowing out of us. (John 7:38-39) (Romans 5:5) Because we know His amazing love, we can now respond by loving Him and loving our brothers and sisters. (1 John 4:10-12) This means working for their highest good, regardless of cost to us.
But love on our part can be corrupted. We can say we love God and yet hold hatred for our brothers or sisters. We can declare we love our brothers and sisters, yet close our heart to helping them in need. (1 John 3:17) When our love is corrupted, God’s grace to us is restricted by our own heart attitude. His flow of love through us is also restricted for those we are sent to help.
Prayer: Father God continue to reveal to me, a first responder, Your great love in Jesus Christ. Reveal any heart attitudes that corrupt my love for You or hinder Your love flowing through me to others. I receive this blessing of peace and love with faith from You and our Lord Jesus Christ and want to pass it on. Amen.
Day 3–Equipping Blessing
Scripture reading for June 17: Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
The writer of Hebrews closed his letter with a short prayer and blessing. This prayer confesses Jesus as Lord and our Great Shepherd. It humbly asks that through the blood of the eternal covenant Christ Jesus would equip us with everything we need to fulfill His will and that He would work into our character and life that which pleases Him. The blessing closes with a declaration of ascribed glory to Jesus Christ forever and ever!
This prayer and blessing is a good one for responders to declare daily over their lives. Let’s look at the Names of God mentioned in the blessing. First, ‘The God of peace” is acknowledged. Peace is one of the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit and peacemaking is one of the blessings taught by Jesus in yesterday’s devotion. (Matthew 5:9) Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be known as the ‘Prince of Peace’ in Isaiah 9:6. Jesus brings us peace through forgiveness of sins by His sacrifice of His body and blood on the cross. Now our resurrected Lord Jesus mediates our peace by prayer seated at the Father’s right hand. He equips us to become peacemakers and bless others, reflecting God’s nature.
Jesus is also our ‘Good Shepherd’ and here addressed as ‘the Great Shepherd of the sheep.’ Shepherds guide the sheep, leading them to safe pastures and streams of water. They give the sheep everything they need to follow and reproduce. Shepherds also protect the sheep from wolves and predators. The Great Shepherd provides everything we need to do His will and works His plans into our lives as His sheep. All good sheep can only give glory to Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd forever and ever!
Prayer: Father God, thank You that You are made known to us as ‘the God of peace’ and our ‘Great Shepherd’ Who made with us an eternal covenant of peace through Jesus’ shed blood. I surrender to You to work in me what is pleasing in Your sight equipping me to do Your will. To You be glory forever! Amen.
Day 2–Blessedness of Jesus’ Followers
Scripture reading for June 16: Matthew 5:2-10 “And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The sermon on the mount is the first major recorded teaching of Jesus and it begins with a short discourse on blessedness from the King of the kingdom of heaven. As first responders, it is good to review what heart attitudes that Jesus recommends as blessed. First He commends those who are poor in spirit and those who mourn. Responders regularly encounter people who are down in their spirit and lack hope. They also help people who are in mourning over life circumstances or loss. Jesus reminds us that the kingdom of heaven is opened to these people. Comfort from heaven flows to those mourning. As responders, we are God’s hand extended to them.
Jesus stated that the meek or humble person would inherit the earth. Our attitude of humility opens us up to the world of God’s amazing grace and we can humbly receive God’s authority and identity, enabling us to rule our own souls first and then greater things. When we hunger and thirst for righteousness, God promises our satisfaction in our lowly state as He pours out forgiveness of sins and gives us His righteousness.
As responders, mercy should be our heart attitude towards those we encounter. We should act towards each person with a pure heart and a calm and peaceable demeanor. The pure in heart see God and reflect God to others. Peacemakers represent God’s heart for all mankind. Even if we are persecuted or suffer for doing good, we belong to the King and His kingdom.
Prayer: Father God, thank You for helping me to understand true blessedness by revealing these principles of Your kingdom. Make me a blessing to the mourning and poor in spirit. Use me to show mercy and make peace among those in conflict. In Christ’s blessing may I reside. Amen.
Week 25–Day 1–An Ancient Blessing
Scripture reading for June 15: Numbers 6:23-27 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.’ So shall they put My Name upon the people of Israel and I will bless them.”
God always desires to bless His people and He is the source of all blessing on earth and in heaven. The word for blessing means to be highly favored and showered with good gifts that come through covenant relationship with God the source of all blessing. One of the blessings of God include a good wife or husband that brings you joy and children. God blesses those who work with increase. Rain is a blessing and seeds multiplying thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold are blessings. He blesses our food and water so that we have nourishment and a safe food and health in our bodies. (Exodus 23:25-26) Flocks and herds multiply and give milk and meat and fruit trees and vineyards produce harvests. Peace is a blessing promised by Jesus Christ. (John 16:33)
God instructed Aaron and his sons in the priesthood to bless His people by speaking a blessing over them. Since God is not a man that He should lie, everything He commands is true and will come to pass. The first phrase of this blessing simply states that the Lord will bless you and in the process of that blessing He will keep you from all harm and provide all you need for life and godliness. The next phase of this blessing declares God’s smiling countenance lifted up over you. The idea is that God is rejoicing over you and smiling with joy, giving you His peace. This blessing was to put God’s Name on His people, marking them as objects of His extreme blessing in His forever family.
As responders who represent God’s blessing to those we are sent to, we can rejoice at God’s blessing of us as well as others. As you go to an incident, picture God lifted up over you and His smile radiating approval and love, giving you peace. Better yet, in the New Covenant, Jesus is present with us in the Holy Spirit indwelling us with His joy and peace. Let it flow from you to others by the smile on your face! Amen.