Called. Chosen. Faithful.

Today's reading: Revelation 17:1-18

"They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” - Revelation 17:14

By the time John wrote this in the 90s AD, Rome has martyred so many Jesus followers. Two of the most prominent the Empire executed were the Apostles Paul and Peter (in the 60s). This helps us when we read Revelation 17. We see this prostitute being pictured as Rome, spreading its gospel of sex (outside of biblical marriage), violence, and pride.

We know that Jesus is pictured as He who was, who is, and who is to come (Revelation 1:4-7). Again, the beast is a parody of the original: it was, is not, and is to come (for judgment).

What about us?

We are associated with the Lamb, on his team, as a part of His family. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. I love the description given for the Lamb's people (you and I included):

• Called >> We were invited to be a part of Jesus' family.

• Chosen >> We responded to that invitation by faith/trust.

• Faithful >> We will go hard for Him till death.

No better time than Christmas to be reminded of who we really are. Jesus entered our scene as a baby, grew into a man, and died upon a cross to show us the kind of Kingdom he was initiating.