via TJC
“The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, .... Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” Revelation 1:1,3 (NIV)
John, while in exile on the island of Patmos, recorded his revelation and sent it to 7 churches (noted also as 7 lampstands). His message brought hope and challenge to real churches at that time and for later generations.
From early readings of the book through to today, there have been debates and even votes on topics such as will Jesus’s Second Coming be “pre-, mid-, or post-trib”; in the end it doesn’t matter because our ‘vote’ will not sway God.
What does matter and should be our focus is what the Bible is clear about, such as Husbands love your wives, or Victory in the end (Rev 22); we lose focus when attempting to debate topics the Bible is not as clear about.
There is a danger when expecting God to work a certain way. An historical example from just after WWII in China: Many Christians in China expected Christ to come and take them away before the godless Communists took over, and when that expectation didn’t happen many stepped away from Christianity.
How about us here in America? Can we learn from such lessons or would the faith of many here remain when shaken and present expectations for God not met? How would you respond if you and your family were persecuted for your faith in Christ? Revelation describes martyrs conquering by following the example of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, willing to innocently die for the sake of others.
Daily Battle Order:
Your mission today & the rest of this week: read Revelation. Want a blessing: “read aloud the words of this prophecy” to your family. And the blessings for your family are for “those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near”.
To learn more about leading your family, come with your spouse and join TJC on the Battlefield, this 27APR at Chickamauga or this 11MAY at Gettysburg. Registration & more at https://www.joshuacommission.org/ .