Category Archives: 5x5x5 Reading Plan

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Satan’s Achilles Heel

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 15
Meditation: Revelation 15:2-3

“And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and it’s image and over the number of its name. They held harps given by God.”

Shift Your Focus… Satan is a powerful foe, and the pure wickedness of his being will be fully unleashed during the great tribulation.  He will dominate the world through his deception, destroying anything and anyone who stands in his way.  Countless numbers of lives will be lost in the most horrible way by those who refuse to worship him.

Ah…but there’s his Achilles Heel:  Those who “refuse” to worship him.  Satan is powerfully evil, make no mistake about that, but he holds no power over those who refuse him.  And when he destroys them, he actually releases them to their ultimate victory—Christian death, which happens also to be his worst defeat.

John wrote in the previous chapter, Revelation 14:13, “Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on.”  Satan can dominate, he can deceive, he can tempt, he can inflict harm, he can destroy the body—but he cannot kill the redeemed spirit.  And with the simple refusal of a believer, the mighty Satan is felled.

John is describing what will happen in the end times, in the great tribulation, but do you want to see the devil’s defeat now?  Simply refuse him.  Refuse to give in to that temptation you are facing.  Refuse to give into the anger you feel rising in your spirit.  Refuse to gratify your flesh.  Refuse to allow Satan to sow doubt that would cause you to question God’s Word.

Refuse Satan, and press in to God like never before.  Surrender to his will. Obey his Word.  Love, serve and forgive the people in your life.  Put God’s kingdom first in everything you say, think and do, and by so doing, you cause Satan’s defeat.

Die to yourself and live for Christ, and by so doing, you cause Satan’s defeat.  And should the time come when you face physical death for your faith, gladly and bravely die the blessed death, for by so refusing to give in to Satan, your death releases your greatest victory and the devil’s worst defeat.

“Death stung himself to death when he stung Christ.”  ~William Romaine

Prayer…  Lord, should it be your will, I would consider it a privilege to join the ranks of those who handed Satan his worst defeat.

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God Rules, Satan Looses, We Win

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 14
Meditation: Revelation 14:7

“The Angel said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.’”

Shift Your Focus… If you have taken the time to read Revelation over the past few days, you probably got to the end of these chapters and said, “Huh?”  Don’t feel bad, so have I.  I have actually had to reread some chapters two or three times, and even then, I’ve needed to consult some of my commentaries just to make some semblance of sense out of them.  That is one of the reasons why, on the one hand, some believers are completely intimidated by Revelation specifically, and Bible prophecy in general, and on the other hand, why some believers come up with such far-fetched ideas about the end times. It is not the easiest book in the Bible to wrap your brain around!

Obviously, an extraordinary amount of symbolism is used in these chapters, and likewise, the Apostle John was trying to find language to describe future events for which there had been no human experience. Can you imagine someone in 90 AD in exile on the Island of Patmos seeing into the future during the 21st century and trying to describe computers, the Internet, cell phones, airplanes, electricity, and so forth?  No wonder his language seems pretty strange!

Suffice it to say that what John is describing in these chapters is the final knock-down-drag-out battle that occurs in heaven between God and Satan.  The object of Satan’s murderous rampage is the complete and utter annihilation of Christ and his people.  And even though we may not be able to accurately discern the details of John’s writing, we can certainly grasp his bottom-line:

God rules, Satan looses and we win!

One of the things historians, political commentators and sportscasters love to do is to do post game analyses on significant contests—wars, elections and Superbowls.  Revelation 12:10-11 affords us a rare post-game analysis before the event even happens.  It tells us how the spectacular defeat of Satan and the unlikely victory of the church takes place. And the Apostle John, the human author of this book, gives us two critical game-changers:

First, the game was already won before it got played when Christ died on the cross and rose again the third day.  He says, “they [that is, the church, followers of Jesus, you and me] overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb.”  When Jesus spilled his pure, sinless blood on the cross for the redemption of mankind, the dye was cast.  When he rose from death on that first Easter morning, Satan’s doom was sealed.  Checkmate!  Game, set and match!  Game over!

But there’s more—the game of all games still had to be played.  The second critical game-changer which secured the victory of Christ occurred as his followers lived out their faith not only in life, but they put their trust in his redemptive work on the line even in the face of death. John says Satan was defeated by the “word of their testimony…they did not love their lives so much as to even shrink from death.”

The blood of the Lamb—that’s accomplished fact!  The word of your testimony—that’s being lived out even as we speak.  It is still “game on,” and we are going to kick Satan’s tail.  It won’t be easy, but go to the end of the book and get a sneak peak at the final outcome:  We win!

Now go out there and win this thing for Christ!

“He who burst the bars of death was thereby declared to be the Son of God with power. Since the resurrection morning there has never been–there could not be–the slightest question as to His final rulership of the world. Death was conquered, Satan was conquered, and He proclaimed the wearer of the name above every name. His final triumph was hence merely a question of the fullness of time. And He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, from henceforth expecting till His enemies are made His footstool. This Easter morning certifies us of that approaching day, and with, as it were, the foregleams of its glory on our faces and the stirrings of its mighty joy in our hearts, bids us watch and pray and look for the coming of the King.” ~E.P. Goodwin

Prayer…  Lord, it is not always easy.  You never promised it would be.  But you did promise to be with us always, even until the end of the world.  Be with me today, and empower me to live out my blood-bought testimony in a way that honors you—even to the point of not loving my life so much as to shrink from death.

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666

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 13
Meditation: Revelation 13:18

“This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666.”

Shift Your Focus… Revelation 13:11-17 teaches that half way through the seven-year period known as the great tribulation, everyone, without exception, will be required to have the “mark of the beast” on their right hand or forehead in order to buy and sell. Verse 18 then talks about something that has been speculated on, twisted and contorted more that anything else in the Bible: The number of the beast, which is 666.

So just what does 666 mean?

Someone pointed out years ago that there were 6 letters each in the late president Ronald Wilson Reagan’s full name. Throughout history, this 666-theory has been attributed to various popes, Martin Luther, Napoleon, Hitler, JFK, Kissinger, and so on. Take your pick—it’s the beast du jour!  There has also been speculation that the “mark” might refer to your social security number, or that it has to do with credit cards, or that it is embedded in bar codes on products.

Here’s what I think: In Hebrew, the number 6 simply represents man, while the number 7 represents God. Done in triplicate, these numbers represent completeness. So triple 7 represents the perfection of God; triple 6, then, represents the ultimate humanist—man totally without and opposed to God—the Antichrist, no more, no less.

Now the prophecy about the “mark of the beast” is exceptionally sobering because the next chapter, Revelation 14:9-11, says, “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath…” This is describing that time when the wages of sin will be paid out in the currency of God’s wrath as the great tribulation comes to an end with the battle of Armageddon.

That’s what the future holds—we know that.  But what we don’t know is when that future will become the present.  It could be this year; it might be a hundred years from now. We just don’t know for sure.  Neither do we have a clue as to “the Beast’s” identity, so there is really no need to speculate as to who it will be.

But I do think that it would be wise for us to keep an eye out for the “spirit of antichrist,” because it is already here.  And since it represents the ultimate perfection of humanity independent from God, it is going to seem pretty attractive to this old world.  That’s why we need to be on high alert for anything and everything that betters humanity but leaves God out of the picture.

Just know this: The “spirit of antichrist” now, and the real “Antichrist” to come, is and will be so attractive, not because of pure and obvious evil, but because of apparent “good” … good without God, that is.

And that has always been Satan’s stock-in-trade—from the beginning of human history when he deceived Adam and Eve right up to the deceptiveness of this current day when there is so much potential for the betterment of humanity but so little room for God.

In that sense, antichrist is already here.  So make sure you stay aligned with the winning team—and at all times, keep God in the center of all that you are and all that you do!

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”  ~Corrie Ten Boom

Prayer…  Lord, there are many things about tomorrow I don’t understand.  But I know Who holds the future.  And I know Who holds my hand!

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Cosmic Conflict

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 12
Meditation: Revelation 12:7

“Then there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against Satan and his angels.”

Shift Your Focus… 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 around you. So be careful out there today—and go give ‘em heaven!

“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

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.

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And He Shall Reign Forever and Ever

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 11
Meditation: Revelation 11:15

“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 forever and ever.”

Shift Your Focus… 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 sing the Hallelujah Chorus:  “And he shall reign forever and ever.”  Hallelujah!

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

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!

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Worth The Wait

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 10
Meditation: Revelation 10:6-7

“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.”

Shift Your Focus… 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.

Yeah, it will be worth the wait!

“Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All thing 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

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.

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The Steadfast Refusal To Be Forgiven

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 9
Meditation: Revelation 9:20

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

Shift Your Focus… 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.

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!

“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

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.