Thoughts From the Bible

Read Revelation 1: 10-16 - As Christians, we believe by faith that the words of the Bible are all inspired by God. John writes in this passage what he was told to do while he was in a spirit of worship. The disciples were special people simply because they were chosen by Jesus to spread His message to the world. John is continuing to fulfill his mission while in exile. Jesus knew the power that could be found in the written word. This is what John wrote in verses 10 and 11, “It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” Jesus had two audiences in mind. The seven churches listed and all other Christians. The lessons contained in those churches apply to us today as does so much in the Bible. Jesus continues to give us lessons for our li...

Read Revelation 1: 9 - What price am I willing to pay for the Jesus Christ? I have heard all my life about the price Jesus paid for all of us. What price am I willing to pay for Him?  In this verse, John speaks to his situation, “I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.” John was exiled to an island he could not leave. Other disciples were killed. There have been missionaries who have been killed because of their work for Christ. I have lived a soft life compared to these situations and I have never been persecuted for my belief in Jesus. How would I respond? I would hope my faith is strong and would allow me to proudly uphold my belief in Jesus Christ. We need to always be prepared to make that stand.  

Read Revelation 1:8  "I am the Alpha and the Omega; the beginning and the end," says the LORD God. "I am the One who is, who always was, and who is still to come, the Almighty One."   John is writing under God's direction and/or inspiration.  This is another declaration God has given us.  He is showing us His position in this world that He has created.  We should take both comfort and confidence in who God is.  As the God of all ages, He has provided us with life and love and promised us so much through the Bible He has inspired.  God should be our true north simply because of who He is.   

Read Revelation 1:7- I rarely use just one verse for a day’s thought although the Bible lends itself to many of these, but this one verse really got my attention. It is such a grand verse and such a grand thought. Verse 7 says, “Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see Him; even those who pierced Him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for Him. Yes! Amen!" This will be an all-encompassing moment. The moment when Jesus appears in the heavens will truly be “Breaking News ”. Jesus Christ will be seen by everyone, and everyone will know who He is. Talking about inclusivity! This should be an exciting thought for Christians, especially in the times I am writing. There is nothing in Biblical prophecy that would contradict Jesus coming to back to earth today. This is a thought we should not only keep for today but for all our coming days.

Read Revelation1:4-6- I also think it is important that John included the following thought for us. In verse 5 we read this, “...and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kinds of the world. All glory to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding His blood for us.” The thought for me as I read through Revelation needs to be I should never lose focus of what Jesus Christ actually did for each of us. That remains the most important thing and all of scripture builds to this point. He loves us so much; He did all of this for us.

Read  Revelation 1:1-3- There is so much included in the Book of Revelation. I am not a Bible scholar or teacher so I will not be writing to provide great interpretations of this book. Many much more knowledgeable than me have done that. I will continue to provide my thoughts about how these passages of scripture impact me today. One very important aspect of all of Revelation is written in verse 3. “God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and He blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near.” First, we should all be working to know as much about God and what He has in store for us. I could also use the blessing of God on my life. God tells us through John about things that will impact this world and He also tells us He will bless us if we read and absorb what He has given us in Revelation. I know I need His blessing on me in this life.

Read  3 John 1: 9-15- This short passage tells us to remember that their fruits will show who they really are. John wanted people to be careful about who they associated with. John identifies one person specifically, “When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, but he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove they do not know God.” There are obviously issues with a leader of a local church, but my lesson today tells me what my reaction should be. We cannot let leaders determine our faith. Our faith must be based on Jesus Christ and the teachings and principles of the Bible. We need to not be dependent upon human personalities just ...

Read 3 John 1: 1-8- God has a lesson for us in this short letter. First, John encourages Gaius and urges him to continue to do what he was doing. Gaius was caring for those who were giving of their lives to preach and spread the message of Jesus Christ. We are to encourage each other, but especially those who are actively working to make sure the gospel of Jesus Christ is heard. John wrote personally in verses 5 through 8, “ Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. So, we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.” John also clearly shows we are also partners with those who work full-time to preach God’s word...

Read  2 John 1: 7-13- Conflict and deception. We see so much conflict and deception in our world today. It is more than differences of opinion. It is deception that is promoted for one agenda or another. John saw Christians were faced with deception  and it was important enough for God to impress upon John to write about it. In verse 7 John writes, “I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.” God knew we would be faced with similar situations, and we needed to be taught to be sensitive to teaching and test that teaching with against Biblical principles. There was yet another person given time in our modern media to cast aspirations on Christianity and the whole concept of God. Many will be influenced by this person. As Christians, we need to know God’s word and recognize these people and situations and not allow them a place in our lives.

Read 2 John 1: 1-6 - Some people when discussing their goals and desires in certain situations in life will refer to their “true north”. This is simply making sure that person does not lose sight of what the goal is or what the basic principle of life is. God’s principles should be what the actions of our lives should be, and the true north of these principles is how we love each other. John was inspired to write this in verses 5 and 6, “I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.”