Category Archives: 5x5x5 Reading Plan

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Global Warming Is Headed Our Way

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 8
Meditation: Revelation 8:7

“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.”

Shift Your Focus… 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 the carbon footprint or greenhouse gases or by world-wide 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 worshipping 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 either natural or 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.

“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

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.

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If You Can’t Stand For Christ Now…

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 7
Meditation: Revelation 7:9-10, 14

“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.”

Shift Your Focus… 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.

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

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.

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The Lamb That Roared

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 6
Meditation: Revelation 6:16

“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.”

Shift Your Focus… 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 demand it.  The thousands of years of indescribable and unnecessary human suffering perpetrated by the greed and arrogance of corrupt rulers and evil world systems demand 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!

“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

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.

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Your Prayers Are Eternal

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 5
Meditation: Revelation 5:8

“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.”

Shift Your Focus… 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 heard, 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 dependence 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 that you will ever realize this side of eternity.

So keep praying!

“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.”

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 come in the form of some great and miraculous intervention, or simply through the intimacy of your silent presence.

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Worship—Now and Then

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 4
Meditation: Revelation 4:8

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

Shift Your Focus… 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!

“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

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

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Rx for Spiritual Coldness

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 2
Meditation: Revelation 2:4-5

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”

Shift Your Focus… Like the love of a husband and wife that grows cold through the years, so a church can grow cold in their love for the Lord.  That would certainly hold true for individual believers as well.

You can do all the right things—go to church, sing in the choir, give in the offering, teach a Sunday School class, participate in an outreach, share your faith—yet not be head-over-heels in love with Jesus like you were when he first redeemed you.  Your actions are there.  Your head is there.   But your heart isn’t! It’s not like you hate God, or are angry with him.  It’s not even that you ignore him or are indifferent to him.  You just have not kept loving him as the number one priority.

Here’s the deal:  God wants your heart more than anything else. So what can you do if passionate love for the Lord has waned in your walk with him?  Jesus gave John the cure in verse 5:

First, you must remember what it was like when Jesus first found you!  Remember the passion, the energy, the willingness, the excitement you had for the Lord in those days.  You were consumed with him.  Jesus calls you to literally bring that back to mind and dwell on it until you long for the thrill of those days once again.

Second, you must repent!  You have forsaken your number one priority:  To nurture a loving relationship with Jesus Christ.  To neglect that is a sin, an offense to the One who loved you so much that he gave his life to redeem you.  Allow sorrow over grieving him to fill your heart.  Ask him to forgive you, and then make a 180-degree turn in your present behavior so as to live in congruence with your prayer of repentance.

And three, return to the things you did at first.  Rediscover the joy and thrill that you once knew in walking with Jesus.  Go to church with an attitude of anticipation.  Enter into worship with joy.  Express your love to God with passion.  Share you faith with the lost.  Serve the poor.  Give generously.  Act like you are in love with Jesus, and soon you will feel love for Jesus like you did at first.

The Lord wants your love more than anything else.  Love him first.  Love him early and often.  Love him again as you did at first. Love him above all else, and everything else will fall into place.

“If you continue to love Jesus, nothing much can go wrong with you, and I hope you may always do so.”  ~C.S. Lewis

Prayer… Jesus, I do love you.  However, I have taken you for granted.  I have often been more engaged in doing things for you than in loving you. Forgive me.  With the help of your Holy Spirit, I will keep my love for you as the first and highest priority of my life.

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The Blessing of Reading, Hearing and Doing

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 1
Meditation: Revelation 1:3

“Blessed is the one who reads 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.”

Shift Your Focus… John, the human author of the Revelation, promised God’s blessings upon those who read and acted upon the words of his prophetic revelation.  The same double blessing applies to all of God’s Word—both Old and New Testaments alike.

Today, when you read the Bible, there is a blessing that will be upon you.  You are not just reading another book, you are reading God’s Book.  You hold in your hand the very revelation of God himself, inspired by God, revealing God’s nature, God’s will for all of mankind—which includes you—and God’s plan for the ages.

To all who read with an open heart and a humble spirit, God’s favor will rest.  But there is another, even greater blessing:  It is for those who not only read the Word of God; it is for those who act upon it.  Divine blessing awaits those who translate their belief into behavior.

As you read this portion of Scripture, the Revelation of John, what behavior is required of you?  Simply this:  Since this prophecy concerns God’s plan for the end of days, you must seek to apply it in readying yourself for Christ’s return.

So then, how do you actually live such a ready life?  First, you must live with an end-time perspective.  Verse 7 says, “Look, he is coming with the clouds…”  Jesus is coming soon, and everything you think, say or do ought to be lived in the light of his return.

Second, you must realize that you have been redeemed to be both a king and a priest in God’s eternal reign.  Verses 5-6 remind us, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priest to serve his God and Father…”  You are going to rule and reign with Jesus in the eternal kingdom soon, so you ought to act like a king and priest now!

And third, until then, you must patiently endure trial and tribulation.  In verse 9, John reveals himself as “your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus…”  John was able to endure great hardship—harder than you will ever face, most likely, because he knew what was coming.   When you know the end of the story—that you win—you can put up with anything in your present circumstances.

Reading and receiving the blessing promised in this book requires you to adjust your beliefs and your behaviors to it.  So develop an eternal perspective, act like the priest of God’s kingdom that you are, and patiently endure difficulty, and you will be handsomely rewarded for it!

“Looking forward to the eternal world is not…a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.”  ~C.S. Lewis

Prayer… Dear Lord, I have read the opening words of your Revelation of end-time events.  Now bless me, I ask.  And even more, strengthen me to put it into practice this day—and everyday until you return.