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Revelation 4

In Revelation 4, John describes his vision like something from a Black Mirror episode, almost like a different dimension.  A voice says, “Come up here”, and suddenly instead of being on Earth, he is in the throne room of God.

I have heard this room/experience depicted as the most overwhelming, awe-inspiring place.  Kind of like coming up on the Grand Canyon or a pack super bowl stadium with your favorite team playing – then multiply that by infinity!

God is sitting on his throne and John can’t truly paint the picture to us what he sees.  The closest he gets is gemstones and light.  Jasper(clear/crystal) and carnelian(deep red) surrounded by an emerald green rainbow.  More like radiance – a pure, overwhelming, beautiful presence.

Around God’s throne are 24 elders. They are ready to throw their crowns down for every moment that God is praised as a reminder – “whatever authority we have came from Him, and it belongs back to Him”.  In front of the throne, a sea of glass, clear as crystal.  Some believe it is a barrier representing an uncrossable distance.  Others see it as a mirror, reflecting perfect clarity and peace.

Then some super unnatural imagery!  Four creatures, covered in eyes from front to back.  Never stopping, never blinking and representing the highest and best of all creation:

• Lion – wild/majestic(apex of wild animals)
• Ox – strength/service(apex of domestic animals)
• Man – intelligence/dignity(apex of humanity)
• Eagle – speed/freedom(apex of birds)

Bowing before God and constantly saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty – who was, and is, and is to come.”

The throne room of God is the most powerful place in existence — filled with radiance, lightning, and non-stop worship from every corner of creation. Before God reveals anything about the future, He makes one thing unmistakably clear: He is holy, He is sovereign, and He has always been in control. No matter what’s coming, the throne is never empty.

Hebrews 1 lifts our eyes above changing circumstances to the unchanging rule of Christ. God is not distant, silent, or unsure. He has spoken fully through His Son, who is “the radiance of God’s glory” and the exact imprint of His nature. Jesus is not merely watching history unfold; He is upholding all things by His powerful word.

This chapter shows that God rules over circumstances through the authority of His Son. The same Christ who created all things also sustains all things. The same Savior who purified our sins now sits at the right hand of Majesty. That means our lives are not held together by our planning, strength, timing, or control. They are held together by Him.

Hebrews 1 also reminds us that Jesus is greater than every spiritual power, every earthly authority, and every fear that feels bigger than us. His throne is forever. His kingdom is righteous. His reign is not threatened by uncertainty.

So where do I need to surrender control? I need to surrender the places where I act as if everything depends on me: outcomes I cannot force, people I cannot change, futures I cannot predict, and burdens I was never meant to carry.

Lord, help me trust that Jesus is not only Savior, but King. Teach me to release my grip, rest under His rule, and believe that what He upholds is safer than what I try to control.

Romans 8

This chapter in Romans is one that I always come back to when I need a refresh of who I am in Christ. I even have a 3×5 index card on my desk to always remind myself that I am a son. It is easy, at least for me, to lose sight of this truth. For me, the time when I need a refresher on my identity in Christ, is when I wind up feeling like just a servant or a tool that God is using. It is important to have that word “just” in the previous sentence. Why? Because I am a servant of the King and I am a tool that He uses, but I’m not “just” those things. Satan will use mostly true statements to tell blatant lies against my identity.

The first 11 verses of Romans chapter 8 talk about being free from the power of sin and no longer walking in the flesh but in the Spirit. Paul mentions that if the Spirit is not in you, you are not Christ’s. That is the bad news. The good news is that if the Spirit is within you, and you know He is by seeing the effects of Him (righteousness and the death of your flesh), then you are His. Notice that the effects are not what save you, but what show you are saved.

Let’s keep going. If I know I am saved by the presence of the Holy Spirit, what does the Holy Spirit show? Let’s look at verse 14. Paul states, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” So, let’s keep tracking. I can have confidence of my salvation because I’m filled with the Holy Spirit. I can have confidence I am filled with the Holy Spirit by seeing the effects of Him in my life. I can have confidence I am a son because I am led by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s go a step further. Verses 16 and 17 show us some more Truth that we ought to cling to. Paul claims, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Lastly, I can have confidence of my inheritance in heaven because I am His son. I hope you see the importance of your identity in Christ. We used some simple reasoning to track some very important Truths about our position in Christ.

Today’s Reading: Acts 4 

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.  Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Peter and John were two of the closest apostles that lived and were in close relationship with Jesus throughout his ministry, his death, burial and resurrection. 

So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. 4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. – John 20:2-4

These two individuals were with Jesus or in close proximity to him at the crucifixion. They were the apostles that went to the tomb on the day of resurrection. They also were able to interact with Christ for the 40 days after he returned to earth. Peter and John  are some of the most prominent apostles that we have. 

At the beginning of their careers they were somewhat timid and did not know how to use the gifts that were given to them. But here in the Acts, we see that they have gained this boldness that transcends understanding. The boldness that they received is from the Holy Spirit. It is after Christ ascended in the Holy Spirit came to them that they had this boldness. 

One of the best things that we have currently is the Holy Spirit is available to each at one of us. The Holy Spirit is God the spirit. The Holy Spirit is the same spirit that was at the beginning of time; the same spirit that was at the resurrection of Christ; the same spirit that was working through the apostles. The same spirit is what we have available to us if we open our hearts and our selves to the Holy Spirit.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, and we accept the Holy Spirit and understand that Jesus’ purpose was to bring the reconciliation of the Holy Spirit to us through his blood. We are able to use the same spirit to become bold in the things that we do. The things that we do for the spirit and for raising the connection in relationship with God to others.

There’s three ways that we can be bold  to show God’s love to others.

 

Bold in the preparation 

Bold in the asking

Bold in the doing 

 

 

Be bold in the prep

Whenever we’re doing something, we have to have the confidence that what we’re going to do will be accomplished. We have to be bold in the preparation. We have to make a statement and know that when we make a statement it will be completed. When we have doubt and questioning, then that allows us to get into the scenario and not allowing the spirit to be the main purpose in the scenario.

Be bold in the asking 

Many times when we are asking for things, we take a timid stand. We take a stand of shyness. When asking we have to be bold and asking and assure ourselves of what we’re asking. When we are asking God for clarity, or for understanding, or for health, or for financial peace, or for anything, we have to ask within the knowledge that He is going to provide it for us. We cannot be shy when we’re asking God for things. It’s not being arrogant or overconfident. We’re just asking with the understanding that our Father is going to provide for us the things that we need and he’s already given to us.

 Be bold in the doing 

One of the most important aspects of everyday life is the follow-through. Many times we can prepare and we can ask, but we do not have the follow-through. When we have the follow-through, we are doing the things that God has in store for us. When Peter and John were approached by this beggar in this passage, they were bold and what they could do and what they were able to do. They did not shy away from telling the beggar that they did not have money, but they did tell him they didn’t have money and what they were able to do. 

And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. – Acts 3:4-7

Many times we shy away from things that we can’t do and then we also shy away from the things that we can do. What we have to do is be bold in both. Be bold in our limitations and be bold in our strengths.  When we walk in the spirit, we can be bold without being overconfident or arrogant. We also can be bold at the same time being humble because we understand that God is using us to fulfill the needs and the wants and they ask of others.

As we go through this week, let us see how we can be bold in the things that we have. Let us see how we can be bold in the preparation and be bold in the asking and bold in the doing.

 

 

Isaiah Chapter 46

What do you think of when you hear the term ‘false gods’?  Short answer…..gods that aren’t real.  The word ‘false’ isn’t even the part that makes me think ‘not real gods’.  It is the fact that ‘gods’ is plural and we all know there is only ONE GOD.

Isaiah really drives it home in chapter 46 and what false gods really look like to God himself.  Babylon’s top gods – Bel and Nebo – are so fat, they are being loaded onto animals to be hauled away.  They can’t even move themselves.  The animals almost can’t even handle the weight.  God flips this image completely.  He is saying, I am paraphrasing, “I have been carrying you since you were born.  I’ll keep carrying you when you are old and gray.  I made you. I will sustain you.  I will rescue you.”  God vs. gods is a no brainer.

Then Isaiah refers to the ‘idol’ comparison.  God challenges anyone to compare Him to an idol.  The idol-making process as described by Isaiah: hire a craftsman, melt gold, shape it, set it on a pedestal.  It stands there.  It can’t move.  You cry out to it and you get nothing in return.  It SAVES you from NOTHING.  We still do this today.  We just happen to build our idols out of different materials.  Influence, financial security, relationships, political saviors.  But the same problem exists, when we cry for help, they don’t answer.

Then God calls out those who have strayed.  “Remember this, you guilty ones.  Remember the things I have done.  Remember who I am.”  He announced the end from the beginning!  He is not reacting to history, he is the author of it.  He doesn’t get surprised, what He says happens.  That sounds like the basis for trust to me.

God calls us to reality and truth.  People turn to many things to fill their inner needs.  But anything other than God will fail like an idol that cannot protect itself or its worshipers from captivity.  In contrast, God is the everlasting, sovereign Lord of history who can, and will, do what he says.  Putting our hope in God’s hands is the only way to find true fulfillment.

Other gods are burdens YOU carry.  The God of Isaiah is the one who carries you…and He’s been doing it your whole life.

Psalm 139 reminds me that uncertainty never places me outside the reach of God’s presence or authority. David writes that God knows when we sit and when we rise, understands our thoughts from afar, and goes before us and behind us. There is no place we can flee from His Spirit and no darkness that can hide us from His sight.

That truth is deeply comforting when life feels unstable. I may not know what tomorrow holds, how circumstances will unfold, or why certain doors open while others close, but God is never surprised or absent. His sovereignty means He sees the full picture while I only see fragments. What feels uncertain to me is already known to Him.

Psalm 139 also reminds me that I was intentionally formed by God. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” My future is not random, and my life is not governed by chaos. God’s hand is present even in seasons of waiting, confusion, and change.

Because of this, I can rest instead of striving to control everything. I can trust that God’s wisdom is greater than my understanding and that His presence is steady when my emotions are not. His sovereignty does not remove uncertainty, but it gives me peace within it.

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Today’s Reading : Genesis 45 

So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. – Genesis 45: 4-7

A cool, crisp pear. 

Several years ago, while on the mission trip I had the pleasure of speaking to a priest. While we were speaking, he was giving me a story about something that happened in his life. When he was younger, he had to work a very strenuous job. At  the end of the day of long work, his grandmother would give him a cool crisp pear.   This was a reminder of grace and love to him.

Throughout his travels, he would always have a reminder of this love in this compassion, a cool crisp pear. On a particular journey through a combat zone and devastation, he was on a bus in the middle of the desert. He had no food. He had no money and he sat by a stranger. After the two visited. As the stranger was leaving, he opened up his briefcase and gave the priest a cool crisp pear. It was a reminder of love and compassion.

Think about a pear.   A pear is something that is special and something that you cannot get all the time. You can get an apple anywhere, but a pear is special and it’s has to take time to be prepared.

Think of the life-cycle of a pear. You have to plant the seed. You have to wait for the seed to grow and mature. The tree starts to grow, it takes several years to produce fruit. Once they produce fruit, then it has to be harvested. Once it’s harvested, it has to be transported to the grocery store or to the market.   Once it’s there at the store, you purchased it. You can enjoy it. Many times we just enjoy the fruit, but we do not remember the journey process that it took to get to you. The pear had been prepared for you in the past so that you can enjoy it today.

In today’s reading, Joseph is reunited with his brothers. The brothers of Joseph were not kind to him. They were envious of him. They were jealous of him. They wanted him to die. They actually kidnapped their brother and sold him into slavery. They had expected him to die and not have his future fulfilled. Joseph was sold into slavery. He was put into jail.  He was almost killed. But God had seen the big picture. God saw the preparation in Joseph’s past to prepare him for the future.

When Joseph recognized his brothers, and understood their love and compassion for their father and youngest brother, he was overjoyed. He was excited to share his new statue in Egypt with his family. He was able to push past the hurt and the frustration that he had for them before. Joseph understood God’s purpose in his life. Joseph understood how his past had prepared him for this opportunity. Joseph understood how he could benefit his family in the midst of the hurt. Joseph saw how he could protect and provide for his family.

Many times in our past, we have a lot of hurts and pain.  We might want to hurt others because we were hurt. We might want to take revenge on others who have taken advantage of us. We do not want to forgive. But because of God‘s love that works in us we can see how God has perfected us through the transitions and through the trials that we have gone through. God has actually used those situations to make us stronger and to make us more resilient. It is not easy to go through life. It is not easy to go through pain. It is not easy to see things happen for others and not for ourselves. But when we know God‘s purpose for us and we walk in that purpose and promise then we have peace.

As we go forward due this week, let us look at our past. This is not a easy thing to do. It can be difficult. But once we understand our past and see how God has prepared us for today in our past. He has not allowed us to go through these things for no purpose. Just as it took a while for the pear to mature and to be presented to us from a long period of time. God has something ready for us today that he has prepared for us from our past. We have to ask God to reveal this to us and allow us to accept it when it is presented to us.

Be Blessed