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Revelation 1

This final book of the Bible is a prophetic one. John says that whoever reads this book and whoever hears it will be blessed by it. Yet many people don’t want to crack it open because of all the symbolism, the doom, and the gloom. It is also important to note that this is the singular Revelation of Jesus Christ. This book, while it does display God’s wrath and judgment, is a book of God’s grace and mercy to an unbelieving world.

This book is about Jesus, the One, “who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:5-6). This Jesus I speak of has made us a royal priesthood by atoning for our sin. Jesus is the beginning and the end. He is God. He is infinite and eternal.

One of the greatest promises of the Bible is that Jesus is coming back for us. The theme of Revelation is found in verse 7, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” The Old Testament connections in Revelation are beautiful. Read Daniel 7:13-14, “As my vision continued that night, I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.” Sounds like Jesus to me.

But why is He delaying? Why doesn’t He just come back now on the clouds? Jesus is waiting for the fullness of the Gentiles to be saved. In other words, let me plagiarize what Peter has to say, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). This mercy and grace are what God is displaying all throughout Revelation. He breaks the seals, blasts the trumpets, and pours the bowls trying to wake up a people who are dead in their sin without Jesus. Many people will be saved in the tribulation, but many will shake their fists at God. In the fourth bowl judgment one of the saddest Bible verses reads, “And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory” (Revelation 16:9).

Our God is one who is just, merciful, gracious, and loving. Trust in Him today and receive the grace that He is offering to you. Read Revelation and you will be blessed by it.

Today’s Reading:  I John 1

Who needs me to extend grace?

Over the last couple weeks, we have been reviewing God‘s grace, and how we can extend it to individuals. In today’s question of the prompt it says “who needs me to extend grace? “ To that question, the answer is to everyone. Grace should not be only given to certain individuals, but everyone that you come in contact.

When trying to search for the ones to extend grace to,  I started having certain people in my mind. But then  I understood and realized that grace is something that we give continuously without measure or regard to the individual. Each person needs to have grace. When we start to delineate who gets grace and who doesn’t, then we are not a reflection of God‘s grace to us.

Walk in the Light

5 This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in him.

6-7 If we claim that we experience a shared life with him and continue to stumble around in the dark, we’re obviously lying through our teeth—we’re not living what we claim. But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin.

8-10 If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we’ve never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.

I John 1:5-10 MSG

In the first letter of  John, chapter 1, it shows that everyone has sinned  and everyone has been given grace. No matter how much we believe that we are not worthy, we are examples of God‘s grace. Each one of us is a reflection of the grace that God has given to all humanity. We all are to be that reflection, and to be the example that God has created us to be.

John is an eyewitness of Christ. He has seen the beginning and the fullness of God‘s love and grace. We have been given the opportunity to open up our hearts and our minds and our spirits. This is an opportunity that many individuals do not understand that they have. We have the ability to brighten up someone’s day and to give hope. 

How can we go intentionally to share God‘s grace? Has someone wronged you and you can give them God‘s grace? Have you hurt someone and asked for forgiveness and grace? Is there a possibility that you have said something or done something unintentional, and has caused suffering? And all these things that we can look at as an examining of our lives in these areas that we can have an intentional deliverance of God‘s grace to others. 

May you have a great and blessed week

1 Peter 1

Peter says we can live with “great expectation” (1 Peter 1:3, 13). Are you?

Expectations matter. Great change is usually pursued by people who believe change is possible. Martin Luther King Jr. expected a future in which people could live with greater freedom and equality. That expectation shaped everything he did.

Guess what? Your expectations shape everything you do too.

My expectations aren’t always so great. When Monday arrives, I expect it to be miserable. By the time Friday rolls around, I’m not anticipating a meaningful weekend; I’m just expecting to unwind.

Our expectations are often shaped by our limitations. Intelligence, health, age, energy, experiences, and disappointments all play a role. We look at what we have, measure what seems possible, and adjust our expectations accordingly.

But what would happen if we allowed God to shape our expectations instead?

Moses expected God to lead His people toward the Promised Land because God had promised it. David expected an enduring kingdom because God had made a covenant with him. Neither expectation rested on personal strength. Both rested on the character and promises of God.

What did Jesus expect?

He expected rejection, suffering, and a cross. More importantly, He expected resurrection. He also expected a handful of imperfect disciples to carry His message into the world. He looked at something as small as a mustard seed and expected a kingdom to grow from it.

Do you think Jesus has expectations for you?

That is Peter’s invitation. Great expectation doesn’t mean expecting an easy Monday, a trouble-free life, or every personal ambition to succeed. It means expecting God to remain faithful—especially when life is difficult.

So, what do you expect this week?

Are your expectations being shaped by your present limitations or by the promises of God?

Are you living with great expectation?

Hebrews Chapter 10

A lot of times people will go back to doing something the old way because they were used to it, or maybe it was just more reliable and it appeared to get the job done right the first time.  Other times a new way comes along.  It might be completely different than before, but it is actually better for everyone at the end of the day.  This is exactly what Hebrews 10 discusses.  Think about it this way.  In the Old Testament, God asked of Moses and his people for all the different sacrifices to be performed and obedience be demanded.  This was never a permanent fix, more like a temporary patch to be reapplied over and over.  Jesus was the actual fix, done once, for good.  And because of that, we don’t have to live like we’re constantly on probation with God.

Think of it like paying rent forever versus buying the house outright.  Year after year, the priests brought the same sacrifices, which was basically an admission that the problem was still there.  The blood of the bulls and goats could cover things temporarily, but it couldn’t actually erase the guilt at the root.

Then Jesus comes along.  He wasn’t sent as just another sacrifice to be made over and over again; He came to actually do the will of God.  His whole life and death are what actually dealt with sin.  Not just another system, but a person.

I was reviewing a random pastor’s notes on this chapter and found some of it interesting.  In the Old Testament, priests never sat down in the temple.  There were no chairs because the work was never finished.  After Jesus was sacrificed, He sat down at God’s right hand. This is a gesture of completion.  The job is done.  Because of what Jesus did, we get direct access to God.  No middleman, no waiting room.

Another way to put it…. Christ is the final redemptive sacrifice.  We can all enjoy the full privileges He has secured.  We have personal access to God through Christ without an elaborate system.  Full assurance of our faith and salvation.  Hope for what the future holds and encouragement from other people of faith.  Through Christ and a community of believers we receive everything we need for spiritual growth.  Sometimes we may find ourselves pulling away from healthy relationships or falling into unhealthy ones or negative situations that undermine our spiritual drive.  This doesn’t mean that we have lost our faith or are stranded on a one-way to Hell, it just means we may be driving down the frontage road along the highway and need to take the next exit to get back on the path that He set forth for us.

Remember, faith isn’t a solo sport.  Show up.  Hold on.  Jesus already sat down – so you don’t have to stand alone!

Titus 3 reminds us that grace does more than forgive our past—it gives us a new identity and a new way to live. Paul says we were once “foolish, disobedient, deceived,” and controlled by sinful desires. Yet God did not save us because of our good works. He saved us because of His mercy, renewing us through the Holy Spirit and making us heirs of eternal life.

How does grace transform identity and behavior here?

Grace changes our identity from condemned sinners to justified children of God. We are no longer defined by our failures, desires, anger, or past choices. We are defined by God’s mercy and the hope of eternal life. That new identity should transform our behavior. Because God has treated us with kindness, we should show humility, gentleness, patience, and respect toward others. We should avoid pointless arguments and devote ourselves to actions that are helpful and beneficial.

What response fits grace today?

The proper response is not to try to earn God’s love, but to live gratefully because we have already received it. Today, choose one act of grace: forgive someone, speak gently during disagreement, meet a practical need, or serve without seeking recognition. Let your conduct demonstrate what God’s mercy has accomplished in you.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for saving me by Your mercy. Help me live from my new identity and extend Your grace to others today. Amen.

Philippians 3

Repeatedly in Philippians, Paul gives reasons to rejoice. He even starts this chapter by saying, “For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.” The NLT says it in simpler English; Paul uses repetition to safeguard the readers faith. There is so much wisdom in this practice. There are times when I feel like I am hearing the same things from the pulpit that I already know. The repetition of hearing the elementary principles of the Christian faith will safeguard the very faith that we have. This is not to say that we should not desire spiritual meat instead of spiritual milk, but we should be constantly reminded of the Truth of the Gospel.

Paul then goes on telling the church at Philippi to be watchful for any work’s based, legalistic salvation doctrine to creep into their church. He gives a list of reasons of how he could be confident in his flesh, but states that he counts it all as garbage. He doesn’t trust in his own efforts to be righteous for salvation, because He realizes that Jesus already achieved that positional righteousness for him by living a perfect life and offering Himself as the spotless lamb who took away the sin of the world. He then talks about striving towards the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul ends this chapter with an awesome reminder. He says, “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.” Paul said a similar thing to the Corinthian church when he said, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). This is a call to young and old people alike. The exhortation for the subjective “older” followers of Christ is this, be a worthy example of Jesus so others wouldn’t be ashamed if they imitated you. This should be done by middle schoolers to elementary aged children, by high schoolers to middle schoolers, by young adults to high schoolers, and by adults to young adults. This is not the role of pastors or church employees, but it’s the role of the Church at large. Meaning it is my job, your job, and everyone who professes Jesus’ name’s job. One aspect of this is setting a holy standard for the next generation to follow, but it is also investing your time and talents into the next generation. This is called generational discipleship and Paul commands it in Titus 2. The call to the subjective “younger” person is to be seeking out discipleship from those who have more experience, wisdom, and knowledge. Every mature believer should be discipling someone while being discipled themselves.

Grace is an interesting concept and still a mystery for many.  When you really look at it, we have been given grace before we even knew that we needed grace. We currently are living in a time where Christ has already given us and extended grace to us. 

Over the past week I’ve tried to imagine a world or a life without grace. At one point in time before Christ came and reconciled us to God, grace was not given easily. There was mercy to some.  The love was extended was through the law. 

But we have been given these beautiful mysteries of love, mercy, and grace. Sometimes we forget that we are beneficiaries of Grace.

Grace is defined in religious—particularly Christian—contexts, grace is defined as the unmerited, loving favor and help given to humanity by God. It is the free gift of forgiveness, salvation, and divine strength that cannot be earned by human deeds.

In the Old Testament grace is mentioned about 20 times. The New Testament, grace  is mentioned about 120 times. In Ephesians, grace is referred to 12 times. In Ephesians chapter 2, it is mentioned three times. So overall it’s 10% of time it’s mentioned in Ephesians throughout the whole Bible. When grace is mentioned in chapter 2, it is referred to sequentially about God‘s love and salvation.

“made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬, ‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Even though we don’t see the absence of grace as it had been before Christ, we can see how God uses grace in us in our everyday lives. 

As a father, I see grace through me to my children daily. I use grace daily to comfort them and help them understand life and give them grace.

 I see the grace in individuals who have been hurt and harm, but able to continue little life and showing mercy to others.

I’ve seen grace in the hospitals where difficult news is given, but then grace extends a peace to patent.  Even though the news is hard news, they have some solace to know that God is taken care of them.

Grace is not anything that we can earn.  It’s been given to us before we knew that we needed. It has been given to us without question. So many people do not think that they don’t have grace or have to earn it, but the spirit of God God is giving grace to everyone. They just have to accept grace. If they accept grace, then they will be able to rest easier.