Meditations

Read Revelation 12

“Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels
fought against Satan and his angels.”
(Revelation 12:7)

Thoughts… There is an unseen dimension that is just as real as the seen. And it is filled with warfare. The cosmic conflict between God and Satan rages all around you all the time.

And, by the way, in a very real sense, you are the object of this war. Satan hates God, and everything of God—and that includes you. He works tirelessly and cunningly to defeat and destroy you.

You can be totally unaware of it—although you would do well to wise up to it; you can ignore it and pretend it doesn’t exist; you can call those who acknowledge it kooky charismatics and hyper-spiritualists—but that does not diminish the reality of spiritual warfare.

Daniel 10:12-14 refers to it as the cause for delayed answers to prayer. Ephesians 6:12 says that it is the true source of conflict in the Christian life. And here in Revelation 12, we see that it will be one of the battlegrounds in the ultimate fight for control over the future of this present world.

Until Satan is finally thrown into the lake of fire, spiritual warfare in the unseen dimension will continue to be a reality of life. The good news is, as I’ve just mentioned, we know the final outcome. God wins—Satan loses! And all who belong to God will be victorious.

In the meantime, as the battle rages, we would do well to stay alert to it, armor up, as Paul teaches in Ephesians 6:13, and fight the good fight!

Yes, the battle rages—all round you. So be careful out there today—and go give ‘em heaven!

Prayer… Lord, before I begin my day I put on the whole armor of God. I am ready for battle, and I will not be unaware of the devil and his devices. I will fight the good fight and I will walk in the victory that you have already secured for me. I will overcome.

One More Thing… “There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counter-claimed by Satan” — C.S. Lewis

Read Revelation 11

“The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud
voices shouting in heaven: The world has now become
the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and
he will reign for ever and ever.”
(Revelation 11:15)

Thoughts… You cannot listen to the Hallelujah Chorus from George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” without getting goose bumps. That is not only because the Hallelujah Chorus is a tremendously moving piece, it is because it strikes a God-implanted chord deep within the human soul. It touches an undeniable reality that we intuitively know, whether we are Christ-followers or not: The final act to be played out in the cosmic drama is the indisputable reign of our God and his Christ.

All of creation awaits that day. Heaven longs for the moment. Justice demands it. And in your heart, and mine, there is a cry for this world to become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ.

And then the fun begins. He shall reign forever and ever. What God originally intended in the creation but was lost in the fall and corrupted by sin will now be fully restored. And we shall reign with him forever and ever.

That is the ultimate reality—the final act. This is the end of the story, and then the sequel of all sequels begins!

So set your heart on this blessed inevitability. Don’t let a day go by without reflecting on your ultimate destiny. Let every thought be influenced by this wonderful truth; every decision made in light of it; every action colored by it. Endure hardship, wait patiently, serve joyfully, give generously, pray expectantly, love unreservedly knowing that one day very soon, this world will become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ.

Think about that the next time you stand to sing the Hallelujah Chorus: “And he shall reign forever and ever.” Hallelujah!

Prayer… Holy Father, I long for that day when this world truly and fully becomes the Kingdom of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. So today I pray, let your Kingdom come, let your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. May this be the day!

One More Thing… “I will place no value on anything I have or may possess except in relation to the kingdom of Christ.” — David Livingstone

Read Revelation 10

“There will be no more delay…God’s mysterious plan will
be fulfilled. It will happen just as he announced
to his servants the prophets.”
(Revelation 10:6-7)

Thoughts… The Apostle John is speaking of the time when God’s plan for the ages will finally be fully revealed, and fulfilled.  The wicked will be judged, sin will be banished, Satan will be consigned to eternal punishment, the Son of God will reign with the saints over all creation, and we will live in God’s perfect universe forever and ever.

The Bible says that all of creation groans in anticipation of that day—including you and me—but God will stick to his sovereign and perfect timeline until that glorious moment arrives.  For reasons known only unto him, both the timing and the full revelation of his plan remains shrouded in mystery, and we can only hope in anticipation.

But know this: There will come a day when the heavenly herald announces,

“There will be no more delay…
God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled!”

The saints have waited for millennia anticipating that announcement—the full revelation of God’s glory. Untold numbers of believers have gone to their graves hoping for that day.  You and I have sometimes wondered if it will ever arrive.  God’s children have cried out in prayer over the centuries, “how long, O Lord, how long?”

God says, “it will come, my child.  It will come!”  And as you and I long for that day deep within our spirits, what is called for as we wait is patient endurance and Christian hope.

But that day will arrive some day, and five minutes into eternity, or a billion years into eternity for that matter, the inconvenience of our waiting and the suffering we have patiently endured will seem so minor by comparison.  As the songwriter said,

“It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
Our trials will seem so small, when we see Christ.
One glimpse of his dear face, all sorrows will erase.
So bravely run the race, ‘til we see Christ.”

Prayer… Dear Father, I long for that day when the angelic herald announces, “there will be no more delay.”  What a day that will be—I can hardly wait.  But until then, O Lord, I will patiently wait and exercise Christian hope—which will make that day all the more glorious.

One More Thing… “Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains all that it strives for. He who has God finds he lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”  — St. Teresa of Avila

Read Revelation 9

“But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused
to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God.”
(Revelation 9:20)

Thoughts… This chapter in Revelation continues the story of the horrifying judgment that is being unleashed upon the world at the end of time. Though the devastation is unspeakable, it is deserved. God has patiently withheld his righteous wrath for the cumulative evil that has characterized the earth since the fall of man, but now his judgment has rightly fallen.

God’s judgment has two purposes. The first is to cause people to repent and turn to him. The second is to punish unrepentant people for their wickedness. God prefers that divine punishment would be redemptive, but when it is not, he will not withhold its punitive purpose.

What is truly amazing about sinful humanity, which we observe in this chapter, is that even under such harsh punishment, there is a stubborn refusal to repent and turn to God. People clearly know that they are suffering judgment from God, and there is no doubt as to why his righteous anger has been unleashed, yet they are so thoroughly prideful, arrogant, and stiff-necked in their rebellion against God that they would just as soon die in their wickedness as to acknowledge their sin and change. As someone has said, hell will be populated with people who are not remorseful, but resentful and defiant. (See also Revelation 16:8-11,21)

Now Christians will not be a part of the judgment described here in Revelation 9. My own theology leads me to believe that we will have a front row seat from the galleries of heaven as this is taking place on earth. So then, is there any personal application of this chapter for us in the here and now? How should this make a difference in my life today?

Perhaps the best application would be that the fate of these unrepentant people would cause us to evaluate our own attitude toward God’s discipline. When pain and hardship come our way, do we stubbornly refuse to consider the possibility that God may be trying to get our attention? This is not to say that all pain is punishment, but the wise of heart will take a long, hard look inside to see what wicked way God may be trying to reveal and remove.

C. S. Lewis wrote in “The Problem of Pain”,

“Because we are rebels against God who must lay down our arms, our other pains may indeed constitute God’s megaphone to rouse a deaf world to surrender. There is a universal feeling that bad people ought to suffer: without a concept of ‘retribution’, punishment is rendered unjust, (what can be more immoral than to inflict suffering on me for the sake of deterring others if I do not deserve it?). But until the evil person finds evil unmistakably present in his or her existence, in the form of pain, we are enclosed in illusion. Pain, as God’s megaphone, gives us the only opportunity we may have for amendment. It plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul. All of us are aware that it is very hard to turn our thoughts to God when things are going well. To ‘have all we want’ is a terrible saying when ‘all’ does not include God. We regard him as we do a heart-lung machine—there for emergencies, but we hope we’ll never have to use it. So God troubles our selfishness, which stands between us and the recognition of our need. God’s divine humility stoops to conquer, even if we choose him merely as an alternative to hell. Yet even this he accepts!”

My suggestion to you would be that you would consider whatever pain, hardship or discomfort in your life right now as God’s invitation to further surrender your life to him.

That kind of surrender is always a good thing!

Prayer… Father, make my heart tender before you. Let no stubbornness keep me from a repentant and pliable spirit. I humbly submit my life to you, and ask you to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Totally transform me into the person you desire me to be.

One More Thing… “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” —C.S. Lewis

Read Revelation 8

“The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with
blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the
earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were
burned, and all the green grass was burned.”
(Revelation 8:7)

Thoughts… There’s a global warming coming, alright! But it ain’t the one modern day environmentalist are thinking about. It is a global warming that cannot be prevented by reducing our carbon footprint or greenhouse gases or by worldwide efforts to go “green.”

This one is coming because of the wrath that will be poured on those who worship the earth rather than the earth’s Creator.

Now don’t get me wrong—I am not an anti-environmentalist. I believe that Christians are called to be good stewards of this wonderful planet God created. After all, in the beginning, he gave the earth to Adam and Eve and commanded them to steward it. Christians ought to lead the way in caring for a planet that God put so much thought, effort and love into when he created it.

Believers ought to be setting the pace with common sense environmentalism. But we must be careful to love the earth without worshiping it. And we must keep in mind that God will one day destroy this third rock from the sun because it has been deeply and irrevocably corrupted by sin. Earth’s destruction will come not through natural disaster nor preventable man-made causes; it will be ultimately destroyed as a result of God’s inexorable judgment.

But in its place God will recreate the heavens and the earth. And if you think this one was a pretty good deal, wait until you get a load of the new one. It will make the present earth look like a slum by comparison.

And best of all, no sin will ever taint the pure and pristine nature of the new earth. It will be enveloped by the presence of God himself, protected by his power, preserved by his Spirit, sustained by Divine love, and ruled by his Son.

So in light of what God has revealed in his Word about earth’s future, let’s do our best to steward it. But don’t get too cozy with it—a new and improved planet is just around the corner.

Prayer… Father, I’m in awe of the beauty of your creation. I can’t imagine that you could ever outdo yourself, but there’s a promise in your Word that you will do just that. I will do my best to honor your creation, but I can’t wait to experience the next one.

One More Thing… “The whole earth is a living icon of the face of God. … I do not worship matter. I worship the Creator of matter who became matter for my sake, who willed to take His abode in matter, who worked out my salvation through matter. Never will I cease honoring the matter which wrought my salvation! I honor it, but not as God. Because of this I salute all remaining matter with reverence, because God has filled it with his grace and power. Through it my salvation has come to me.” — St. John of Damascus

Read Revelation 7

“After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a mighty shout, ‘Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!’ … These are the ones who died in the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.”
(Revelation 7:9-10,14)

Thoughts… The Scripture is pretty clear that the great tribulation will be a time of unspeakable evil under the worldwide rule of “the beast.” Under his one-world government, he will actually demand that all people everywhere worship him, and the vast majority of humanity will gladly do so.

And for those who don’t, great hardship awaits.  They will be economically deprived, socially isolated, physically tortured and ultimately executed.  These are the ones John is describing here in this chapter.  They were martyred for the faith they had placed in Jesus Christ.

My theology leads me to believe in the rapture of the church prior to this great tribulation.  I believe Jesus will suddenly take his church out of the world, and this, then, will launch the seven-year period of tribulation that John describes.  I realize that many believers don’t hold to this theology—so we can agree to disagree on this issue (although I suspect they secretly hope that my position is correct!).

When I was a child learning about the rapture of the church and the great tribulation, I sometimes thought that if I was bad enough to miss the rapture, then, according to these verses, I would have a second chance in the tribulation to get my act together. When push came to shove, I would refuse the mark of the beast, place my faith in Jesus Christ, be martyred and go straight to heaven.

But by and by, my immature theology was rudely awakened to the reality that if I was not able to live for Christ in the good times of the here and now, what made me think I would have the guts to die for Christ under the diabolical pressures and intense evil of the tribulation?  In truth, standing for Christ when that had not been the track record of my pre-tribulation life would be an exceedingly unlikely thing when standing for him during the tribulation would mean certain death.

Yes, there will be some who wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb during the great tribulation.  They will be martyred for their refusal to worship the beast.  But those who share the escape-hatch theology of my childhood ought to think again.  If you cannot courageously live for Christ today, it is most unlikely you will bravely die for Christ then.

Today is the acceptable day of salvation the Bible says.  The tribulation is not the time to make a decision to live for Christ.  Don’t wait to get right with God, or you might very well find that you have been left behind.

Prayer… Father, strengthen me to live in a way that honors you in the good times, so that if hard times ever come, I will only be doing what is consistent with my long-held beliefs and practices.

One More Thing… “Persecution often does in this life what the last day will do completely—separate the wheat from the tares.”  —Lord Milner.

Read Revelation 6

“And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us
and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the
throne and from the wrath of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 6:16)

Thoughts… There will be a divine payday, someday!

God’s justice demands it. The blood of the righteous prophets who were murdered simply for being God’s voice to wayward nations demands it. The untold millions of believers who have been martyred for their faith in Christ demands it. The thousands of years of indescribable and unnecessary human suffering perpetrated by the greed and arrogance of corrupt rulers and evil world systems demands it. The wanton and flagrant disregard for the laws of God demands it. The humiliation and murder of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, demands it.

And it is coming. One day Christ will return, and prior to establishing his eternal reign, will administer divine justice. The righteous wrath of God will be finally and fully leveled at both the systemic as well as the specific wickedness that has ruled this world since the fall of Adam, and righteousness will be vindicated.

It will not be a pretty sight. Just read the description here in Revelation 6: War on a scale humanity has never seen before, economic devastation, famine, pandemic disease, ecologic upheaval that will make global warming seem like child’s play.

Anyone who reads this will shudder at the horror that will be visited upon the earth. No right-minded person wants to see this inflicted upon this present world. And yet there is a part of us that knows intuitively that the evil of this world system and the wickedness of mankind has it coming.

So as Christians who read about the wrath of God to come, what should our response be? One, it ought to cause even greater motivation to share the Good News with those who are lost. God has made a way for sinners to escape the coming judgment. That has always been a vital piece of the Good News—and it needs to be shared unapologetically.

Two, God’s coming wrath ought to cause us to live soberly in the here and now. Peter reminds us, “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (II Peter 3:11-14)

And three, reading of God’s imminent wrath ought to produce greater gratitude that those of us in Christ Jesus will be shielded from such unbearable times. John writes in Revelation 3:10, “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” Praise God, we who are in Christ get a pass!

Yes—there is a divine payday, someday. We’d be wise not to forget!

Prayer… Father, I am so grateful that through Christ, I am preserved from your coming wrath. In truth, I deserve it! But the spear of your righteous anger was instead plunged into Christ’s breast. And I will be eternally in your debt for that.

One More Thing… “When the author walks on the stage the play is over. God is going to invade, all right…something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left? For this time it will be God without disguise…it will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up.” — C.S. Lewis

Read Revelation 5

“And when he took the scroll, the four living beings fell down
before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held
gold bowls filled with incense, which are the
prayers of God’s people.”
(Revelation 5:8)

Thoughts… It is not uncommon for us to feel as if prayer is an exercise in futility; that either our payers are unheard, or if they are, that they don’t really matter. We don’t always feel this way, or else we would never pray. But sometimes we do sense that the heavens are brass and our prayers simply disappear like a puff of smoke into the atmosphere.

According to this verse, however, all of our prayers matter to God. They rise up to heaven and are offered as precious and pleasing incense before his very throne. God will not answer every prayer according to our desires—thankfully. I share this observation with Jean Ingelow: “I have lived to thank God that all my prayers have not been answered.” As Mother Teresa rightfully observed, “More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.” Yes, thankfully not all of our prayers are answered in the way we want, but each prayer is an act of worship offered in faith that blesses the very heart of God.

Now there is nothing wrong in hoping for the answer to your prayer. God’s Word is clear in that our Father desires to give us those things we ask for in prayer. So don’t quit expecting your answer. But pray with this added dimension: The greatest answer to prayer is the act of prayer itself.

You see, prayer is practicing the presence of God. It is entering his very throne room in the great court of heaven. It is exercising faith in the One who rewards those who believe that he exists and diligently seek him. It is placing your needs, concerns and hopes into the hands of a loving Father who delights in your dependency and is pleased to provide for your needs according to his gracious will.

Hopefully, the answer you are expecting will be in line with his will to act. But if not, your act of prayer does far more in the unseen realm than you will ever realize this side of eternity.

So keep praying!

Prayer… Father, I lift my prayer to you today simply as an act of worship. May I, and this prayer, please and glorify you. You know my heart, you know my needs, you know your will for my life. Fulfill your perfect plan for me—whether it comes in the form of some great and miraculous intervention, or simply through the intimacy of your silent presence.

One More Thing… “If Jesus Christ is bringing you into the understanding that prayer is for the glorifying of His Father, He will give you the first sign of His intimacy—silence.”

Read Revelation 4

“Holy, holy, holy,
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.”
(Revelation 4:8)

Thoughts… When you read John’s awesome, breathtaking description of God upon his throne, it only makes sense that the continual activity of heaven is the worship of the Almighty. What else can the angels, elders and all living creatures do except to fall before the Creator and worship?

That, too, is what you and I will do when we get there. One second in God’s presence and we will be overcome with worship. Our eyes, our minds, our mouths, our hearts, our bodies—every fiber of our beings—will be completely and irrevocably undone when we finally gaze upon him who loves us more than we can comprehend, and infinitely more than we deserve, and we, like the other occupants of heaven, will fall before the throne and join the chorus singing,

“Holy, holy, holy,
is the Lord God Almighty,
who was, and is, and is to come.”

That day is coming—sooner that you think. Finally, freely and fully, you will be able to express your love and devotion to God without earthly limitations. Until then, you have opportunity to worship God in the community of the saints as you gather to praise him in church. When you lift your voice in song, you are practicing what you will be doing one day in heaven.

So lose yourself in the wonder of worship now. You are only engaging in the activity of heaven. If you are bored with worship now; if don’t like the style of worship now; if you see worship as the warm up act for the sermon now—then you are not going to enjoy heaven all that much.

The next time you have opportunity to worship, imagine yourself before the throne of God with all of the redeemed—and cut loose with your praise. The details of the worship service do not matter—the song selection, the style of music, the worship leader, the skill of the musicians. Worship is not for you anyway; it is for God.

So express yourself as best you know how and give all the glory and praise to God. Make it your aim to bring a smile to your Heavenly Father’s face.

You are going to do that some day in heaven. Why not perfect your worship in the here and now!

Prayer… Father God, you are worthy of praise. All glory and honor belong to you. You are holy, and you alone deserve my worship.

One More Thing… “The Scotch catechism says that man’s chief end is ‘to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.’ But we shall then know that these are the same thing. Fully to enjoy is to glorify. In commanding us to glorify Him, God is inviting us to enjoy Him.” —C.S. Lewis

Read Revelation 3

“To the church in Philadelphia…To the church in Laodicea…”
(Revelation 3:7 & 14)

Thoughts… To paraphrase the unforgettable opening line of Dickens’ classic, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of churches, it was the worst of churches.”

Throughout the centuries, Biblical scholars have interpreted the letters to the seven churches in Revelation in a variety of ways.  Some have suggested that these letters are written literally to seven contemporary churches throughout Asia Minor during the time of John’s imprisonment, describing real conditions that existed in those churches.  Others suggest that these seven churches represent eras of church history, with the last two, Philadelphia and Laodicea, concurrently representing the condition of the church at the end of time.

I lean heavily toward the latter, but however you wish to interpret, the message to these last two churches is clear, and quite applicable to the church in our day:

One, God assesses the condition of his church far differently than we do.  What we consider weak, ineffective and unattractive in a church, God treasures because of that church’s fidelity to his Word.  Size, slickness and sizzle do not impress God if his Word is not being honored above all else.

On the other hand, what we might consider attractive, powerful, and impacting in a church because of its bigness, buildings and budget, God may assess as way off the mark because Biblical truth has been neglected or compromised, all in the name of cultural relevance and church growth.

That leads to the second thought:  Beware of all the bells and whistles when evaluating the church.  If these last two churches do represent the condition of the church in the last days, it is rather obvious that many of today’s churches are indeed the church at Laodicea.  Don’t get caught up in the personality cult and celebrity worship of TV preachers or the hype of the mega-church.

Ask yourself:  Does my church honor God’s Word above all else?  Is my pastor and are my spiritual leaders truly people of God—full of the Holy Spirit, evidenced by the fruit of the Spirit in their lives and passionate about fulfilling the purposes of God for the church without compromise?  Is this a church with whom God is well pleased?

If so, then you’ve got a great church.  If not, start praying!

Prayer… Father, purify your church, that we might be the Bride of Christ, pure, spotless, and ready for the return of the Bridegroom.

One More Thing… “God evaluates by character not charisma.”