BIBLE PASSAGE:
“I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive
for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
(Revelation 1:18)
MEDITATION:
Imagine if you were given an order from the Lord to write about
things a couple of millenniums in the future, based on visions that
you had been given. It would be a daunting task, wouldn’t it? You
would be writing about things that have not been invented yet and
a culture you are unfamiliar with.
This was the task given to John.
Write, therefore, what you have seen,
what is now and what will take place later.
(Revelation 1:19)
Trying to articulate unfamiliar things in a vision is difficult enough,
but John had an even greater task of writing about the return of Jesus
Christ. How was it even possible for him to do that? He could do it with
confidence, because he had received a stamp of approval from the One
who had given him the command, which was the Spirit of Jesus.
Imagine the fear in John as he saw and heard from Christ’s Spirit.
We can guess at how we would feel, but we have no way of knowing
how we would react. However, we can read about John’s reaction
and see how he was comforted in the midst of his fears.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
Then he placed his right hand on me and said:
“Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.”
(Revelation 1:17)
We are given a clear indication of the One who was speaking to John.
Our first clue is, He told John, “Do not be afraid”. That comment is
typical of a loving Lord who used that phrase (or some variation of it)
often when He walked among men in human form.
The second clue we have is, He said, “I am the First and the Last”.
Jesus has been here since the beginning of time and will be here
forever.
Next, He identifies Himself as “the Living One”, which assures
John (and assures us) that He has been resurrected, regardless
of the opinions of the naysayers and doubters in the world.
And lastly, we know it was Jesus because He said, “I was dead,
and behold I am alive” This confirms that He is the One who
was crucified, was resurrected, and is now alive and living
with our Heavenly Father, forever.
When He told John, “I hold the keys of death and Hades.” ,
it means that judgment is coming. Having the keys to death
means that the One speaking has conquered death, and He
knows the ‘keys’ for overcoming death.
When we think about John having to write about Jesus, we
need to remember that there is probably more evidence that
He rose from the dead, than there is that Julius Caesar ever
lived. We aren’t saying that Julius Caesar did not live, there
is just more evidence of the resurrection of Jesus (when we
accept what is written in God’s Word as truth).
As John was writing, he had no idea of how people of future
generations would be so prejudiced against God’s Word that
they could not, or would not, accept the fact that Jesus was
crucified for their sins, and was resurrected three days later.
However, the scriptures tell us that Jesus will return to take with
Him those who believe in His existence, sacrifice, and resurrection.
At the time of His return, those who did not believe in Him, those
living with evil in their hearts, and those who scoffed at others who
were followers of Jesus and called them names, such as deplorables,
simple-minded, gullible, etc., will be judged and cast into a darkness
of suffering physically and emotionally.
Physically because they will be tormented by the pain that never
ends, and emotionally because they will have a constant reminder
of the eternal life they could be enjoying if they had just allowed
their evilness and selfishness to be replaced with the love and
kindness of Jesus.
ACTION:
John had a monumental task of reporting to future generations,
but aren’t you glad he obeyed what He was told to do? John
fulfilled God’s commands by telling others about Jesus, and
we are tasked with the same job of telling others about Him.
We might say, “I’m not John, or a preacher, or a missionary”.
True, we are not John, but when we receive salvation from
God, it includes becoming His missionaries? Why? Because
we have been given a mission to:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to obey everything I have commanded
you. And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age.”
(Matthew 29:19-20)
How can we fulfill the mission we have been given? We can
start by discovering the ‘spiritual gift’ God gave to us when
we were saved. Our Creator knows more about our abilities
and potential than we do, because He created us!
As a result, He has given us a ‘spiritual gift’ that is especially
designed for us to use when as His ‘missionaries’. After we have
discovered our ‘gift’ from God, we need to pray and ask Him t0
show us how to use it and look for opportunities for using it.
The ‘spiritual gift’ He has given us may be designed for us to
use in an area that’s outside our comfort zone. Personally, I
was given the ‘spiritual gift’ of prophecy. At first glance, we
might think that means predicting the future.
But what it really means is ‘teaching’. It means to ‘speak forth’
or ‘declare’ God’s will and purposes; to make known the truths
of God’s Word. For someone who loves sports and music, this
was not what I expected or wanted, and I realized I would have
to explore using my ‘gift’ in an area I was not familiar with. To
be honest, I was not looking forward to serving Him in this area.
However, as I began to allow Him to guide me in using what He
had given me, it created a new and exciting anticipation of what
he would give me to share next. I started looking forward to the
things He would teach me, so I could share it with others.
In addition, I discovered how He can open some recesses of our
minds that we never knew existed. How can we possibly serve
the Lord in an area that is uncomfortable for us? How could we
develop confidence in serving Him where we feel inadequate?
If we will remember, Jesus told us that when we become a member
of God’s family, He would send us an advocate (helper), who is the
Holy Spirit. We will be amazed at what we can accomplish with the
help of the Holy Spirit. We also discover that we must depend on Him
if we want to successfully serve the Lord where He has called us.
I am fully convinced that the content and associated scriptures of the
devotionals I have been given to share, are provided by the Lord, so
they are really “His” devotionals, and I am just one of His distributors.
Jesus said to His disciples (which includes Christians of today),
But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I
am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate
will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him
to you.
(John 16:7)
I learned from experience that the Holy Spirit helps us achieve
what God expects of us when we trust and rely on Him. In my
case, the Holy Spirit reminded me from the very beginning of
my journey in ‘teaching’, that whatever new truths I discover
and share, God deserves the credit and praise.
I have learned to be dependent on Him and not independent and relying
on myself. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? It prevents us from becoming
egotistical, independent and impressed with what we do. Instead, we
learn to be thankful for His presence in what He has called us to do.
When we learn to rely on His help in fulfilling our ‘mission’ as members
of His family, we will discover that the transition from who we are to who
He wants us to be, is much easier and less stressful. In addition, we will
become comfortable in using our ‘spiritual gift’ to serve Him where He
has called and equipped us to serve.
I admit that there have been times when I felt He wanted me to share
some things on topics that can be controversial. However, although I
didn’t feel ‘comfortable’ about it, I did feel ‘confident’ that He wanted
me to share those things. Why? Because the Holy Spirit encouraged me
that this was God’s will, and my opinions, or preferences have nothing
to do with it.
So…, once we have discovered our spiritual gift, we should never
be reluctant to start using it, even if it is in an area we did not want
or expect. This is our opportunity to prove our faith through being
obedient, and for us to enjoy being used by God.
God will make sure we are successful in our efforts, because
He sent the Holy Spirit to help us in any areas where we feel
inadequate or incompetent. He will provide encouragement,
confidence and an increasing desire to use our ‘spiritual gift’
given to us by Him!
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word and how much
it tells us about Your Son, Jesus Christ. Scripture assures us
that He will return one day to take all believers with Him to
our heavenly home. Help me to realize how important it is for
me to be a servant of Yours, and for me to point others to Jesus
with my words and actions. Forgive me if I have not lived in a
way that shows others my faith in You is genuine. Lord Jesus,
I know that You are alive, and the more I allow You to live in
my heart, the more I will have a desire to spend time with You
and Your people. Thank You for reminding us that Your church
is not a building, but it is the unity of believers who worship and
praise You and encourage each other.”
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