Day 347: Revelation 4:1-11

“At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.” - Revelation‬ ‭4:2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Now we enter into the spaces of Revelation that have been heavily debated upon for over 1900 years.  One thing that is helpful to remember as we read Revelation 4-5 is that we are viewing heaven as it currently is. Want to see heaven as it will one day be? Skip ahead to Revelation 21-22.

Who are these 24 elders? Many believe they represent the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles, representing all of the Old and New covenant participants, the Jews and the Nations. God’s chosen people as a whole. They have white garments and crowns. We saw those earlier as promises given to the seven churches (see 2:10, 3:5).

Crowns were given as a reward. We like the idea of rewards, especially when it comes to heaven. How fitting, though, that they take their crowns and cast them before the throne of the One who is truly worthy (4:10).

The throne room is colorful, majestic (thunder), peaceful (sea of glass), and flooded with worship to our King, who ”created all things.”

May we view our lives as a rehearsal for the throne room and eventually the new heavens and the new earth. Because our God is a loving creator, He is worthy to be praised.

"The fact that John will see the future from the vantage point of God’s heavenly throne room is extremely significant, for it means that we cannot possibly understand the goal of history unless we realize that God is in control of history. God rules; God is king; God’s sovereign will shall be done."  - Davis, C. A. (2000). Revelation (pp. 162–163)

Day 346: Revelation 3:7-22

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." - Revelation 3:15-16 ESV

Laodicea is the last church in the lineup to receive a personal note from Jesus, but it probably packs the biggest punch with meaning. When I was taught this passage as a kid, I was taught that we don't want to be cold or lukewarm, but especially not lukewarm (I mean, who wants Jesus to vomit them?).

Yet as we look at the historical context of Laodicea, we see they were situated in a valley and that their run-off water supply was unsafe to drink. The following quote (though a bit long) is really helpful in understanding this history:

"The one thing the city did not have was good water. The river Lycus at that point is not strong, and sometimes it dries up altogether in the summer. There are, however, two other sources of water, one to the north and the other to the southeast. To the north, standing high on a dramatic cliff, is the city of Hierapolis. It boasts to this day a set of hot springs to which tourists come from all over the world; the hot, chemically charged water comes bubbling out of the ground (channeled, today, into the bathing pools of various hotels), and spills over the cliff, leaving a white mineral deposit visible from miles around. In the first century they built aqueducts to bring this water across to Laodicea in the centre of the valley, four or five miles away. They can still be seen today – with their insides covered in hardened mineral deposit. But by the time the water arrived in Laodicea it was no longer hot. It was merely lukewarm. What was worse, the concentrated chemicals made it unsuitable to drink, unless for medicinal reasons you wanted to make yourself physically sick. To the south-east of Laodicea was the town of Colosse. It, too, had suffered badly in the earthquake of ad 61, but had not been rebuilt. Colosse, however, had a splendid supply of water, flowing down from high, snow-capped Mount Cadmus: fast-flowing, chilly streams of almost Alpine quality. But by the time the water reached Laodicea, 11 miles away, the normal Turkish heat meant that it, too, had become lukewarm." - N.T. Wright, Revelation for Everyone (p. 37-38)

Hot water?! Useful!

Cold water?! Refreshing!

Lukewarm water?! Disgusting!

What made them lukewarm, though, was their dependence upon wealth. Verse 17 sums it up well: "I need nothing." Yet they didn't realize they were "wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked."

Jesus encouraged them to buy three things from Him (presumably free of charge):

Gold, refined by fire >> Laodicea's riches were nothing compared to Jesus' wealth (He owns it all).

White garments >> The city was known for their black, glossy wool that they used for clothing.

Eye salve >> They were also renowned for their medical school, which drew crowds of people to get their special ointment for the ears and eyes.

Today, I pray that we will release our deep need for Jesus. We won't be able to save ourselves. 

We need a Lord and Savior. I pray that all our churches open the door and let him in (verse 20).

Day 345: Revelation 2:18-3:6

“The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” - Revelation 3:5 ESV

700 years before Jesus said these words, Sardis was one of the greatest cities in the world. The original city was situated upon a 1500-foot plateau, making it almost impenetrable (or so they thought). Their pride and lack of watchfulness led to their being conquered twice (Cyrus of Persia and then Antiochus IV Epiphanes).

The city also boasted of being the first place on earth to dye wool (yes, you can match that shirt with those shoes). This brought a lot of wealth into the city.

So it is no mistake that Jesus emphasizes two things:

1. “Wake up!”

2. “I clothe in white!”

Though most of the church in Sardis was dead, there were a few who were watchful and would be clothed in white. Jesus promises to confess their name before His Father (Matthew 10:32).

How about us?

Have we been lulled into apathy and sloth by the world around us when it comes to our faith?

Have we dirtied our clothes in exchange for temporary pleasures?

May we wake up and look forward to wearing white.

"Even in a congregation judged as dead, a few individuals have managed to stay alive and refused to be entangled in either the sin of the world or the apathy of a dying congregation." - Foster, L. (1989). Revelation: Unlocking the Scriptures for You (p. 54)

Day 344: Revelation 2:1-17

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” - Revelation 2:4

Our first loves tend to fade with time. Do you remember the first time you held hands with your first love? The nerves, the sweaty palms, the excitement. Yet, what do we do after it's been 45 years? The same is true when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. If we don't intentionally remind ourselves why we fell in love initially, we are certain to forget what it was like.

I am reminded of a verse we read not too long ago in our reading plan: "But grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." - 2 Peter 3:18

We are not saved to settle. We are saved to seek.

You may be asking how it turned out for this church in Ephesus that was in danger of losing its lampstand. How did they respond to Jesus' challenge? Unfortunately, the word of warning has come to fruition, as there is no Church in Ephesus today. The entire ancient city lies in ruins.

Ephesus wasn't always this way, losing focus on their first love. Their elders were the ones who Paul requested to come and pray with him, and he gave them a personal message of encouragement (see Acts 20:17-38). Over time their faith in Jesus became rigid and cold (but their theology was strong).

Don't let your love for Jesus fade. Consistently seek His face today and every day. Surround yourself with like-minded Christians who will help protect that same love.

“Forsaken (aphēkes) is a strong term; they had completely abandoned their first fine flush of enthusiastic love. They had yielded to the temptation, ever present to Christians, to put all their emphasis on sound teaching. In the process they lost love, without which all else is nothing.” - Morris, L. (1987). Revelation: An introduction and Commentary (Vol. 20, p. 65)

Day 343: Revelation 1:1-20

“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” - Revelation 1:5 ESV

This opening chapter of the Revelation to John, for the seven churches in Asia Minor, seems to be attempting to give us a better view of Jesus from every possible vantage point. When you first take a look at Jesus, you may see a first-century Jewish man from northern Israel. Yet as we see how he lived, died, rose, and ascended, we start to see so much more.

We don't have time here to run through all of the descriptions of our Savior given in this chapter, but here are 13 that John records:

Faithful witness >> shows us what God is like

Firstborn of the dead >> first to defeat death by His resurrection

Ruler of kings >> all authority is on loan (see Daniel 2:21)

One who loves us and frees us by his blood >> this is our redemption by His death on the cross

Long robe >> longer the garment, the more honored in ancient cultures

Gold sash wearer >> frees His arms for serving

White hair/head >> pure, glorious, beautiful

Fire-eyes >> He sees to the depths of who we are

Bright feet >> victorious over enemies

Thundering voice >> His voice rises above all others if we'll just listen

Commander of angels >> one angel for each church here

Sword-mouth >> this was a short, deadly Roman sword; it shows divine judgment/justice

Sun-face >> those with unredeemed sin cannot see it

This is just a glimpse of the tapestry found in Revelation, showing us just how incredible our Lord Jesus Christ really is. Doesn’t it make you excited to read on tomorrow?

”There is a sense in which Jesus may be observed here in his three ministries as a prophet (faithful witness), priest (conquering for man the wage of sin exacted against man through his victory over death), and king (ruling all other kings).” - Paige Patterson

Day 342: Jude 1:1-25

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” - Jude 1:20-23 ESV

Have you ever looked at someone who has followed Jesus for 60 or 70 years and wondered, "How am I going to be able to stay that faithful to Jesus for that long?" I mean, temptation seems to grow stronger every day. The greatest temptation seems to be for us to go our "own way," and if we really want it, God will "hand us over" to that kind of life.

Jude is not what I would call a "soft preacher." The man (who was probably another one of Jesus' brothers) got right to the heart of the matter. He didn't need multiple chapters and verses to bring his point across. His advice to us:

Keep yourself in the love of God >> If not, we will lose ourselves in sin and shame.

Be patient for Jesus' return >> This is what we long for.

Show mercy to the doubters >> Thomas wasn't the only one to struggle with doubt. All of us have.

Fire-snatch >> We are helping people avoid an eternal hell, bottom line.

Don't dismiss the seriousness of sin >> We are compassionate to the people, but not to the sin.

Walking in this counsel will keep us focused on what matters most in this life, giving us the best perspective possible.

"One cannot fight for the faith without having the attitude of the one in whom our faith rests, the one who came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). The faithful are to do all they can in a spirit of gentleness and mercy to restore others to faith, and yet they must be cautious or they too will fall prey to temptation (Galatians 6:1–2)." - Holloway, G. (1996). James & Jude (Jud 23)

Day 341: 3 John 1:1-15

“Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.” - ‭‭3 John‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This letter from John is a tale of two Ds. We would do well to lean into the differences between Diotrephes and Demetrius.

Diotrephes is your typical control freak. If we’re honest, we’ve all fallen into this trap. This small way of living (and thinking) is when we refuse to listen to anyone else as an authority. We sincerely believe that we don’t need help, and we refuse to grow by making ourselves incapable.

Then there is Demetrius. No matter what angle you choose to look at his life, he is approved. He has a reputation as someone who follows what is right. The church was testifying, John was giving witness, and the truth itself was also confirming. He wasn’t scheming for control; he was placing his faith in the bedrock of truth found in Jesus. Others were noticing.

So, who do you want to be? Someone who is the resident expert without the need for help? Or a teachable person, always looking for new ways to do good. If we remain teachable, we are deciding to remove the limits to our potential for growth. There is no church, business, school, or government that isn’t clamoring for someone like Demetrius.

“You can plan for control, and you can plan for growth, but you can’t plan for both.” - Rick Warren

Jesus is ready to help us grow. Are we willing to let Him?

Day 340: 2 John 1:1-13

“Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made complete.” - ‭‭2 John‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Have you felt this same desire as history pushes forward digitally? Technology has made it harder for some to communicate when they see others in person. We send text messages, are on video calls, and use social media, but it is a far cry from face-to-face. In this way, our hearts are connecting with Elder John.

He writes that if and when he can see his letter recipients in person, hopefully before his exile in Patmos, their joy would be complete.

John's Greek word for joy here is chara, which is similar to the term used in the New Testament for grace (charis). It can also translate as delight or gladness. This is the same word used to describe the Magi when they saw the star that would lead them to toddler Jesus (Matthew 2:10). They “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy!”

John also writes that their joy would be complete when they finally see each other face to face. This is the word pleroo, and it also means to make full. This means that there is something that falls short until we rejoice together in the same physical space.

I pray that in an increasingly technological world that we will always value personal connection. It will never go out of style or lose its value.

This will be especially true when we finally see the face of Jesus in the New Heavens and New Earth. Check out the following passage:

“No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” - Revelation 22:3-4 ESV

Day 339: 1 John 5:1-21

“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life... And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.” - 1 John 5:13,20 NLT

The Apostle John didn't write in code when it came to his intentions in this 5-chapter letter. He, over and over, wrote to assure his audience of two main truths:

1) We can know for certain that we are saved. When I say "saved," I mean that we can be assured that we are among those whom God calls His children, both right now and when we step into eternity. Heaven awaits those who "have the Son." (see verse 12) This is manifested by our obedience to God and our love for those around us.

2) Jesus is, in fact, God. Our Savior proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that He was who He said he was. In verse 8, John points to three that testified of this:

The Spirit >> Jesus' birth and life (see Luke 1:35, 2:52)

The Water >> Jesus' baptism (see Matthew 3:13-16)

The Blood >> Jesus' death on the cross (see Matthew 26:28, Ephesians 1:7)

The amazing thing? Our original testifiers aren't here anymore. They've received their reward in heaven. Yet these three continue to testify, to this day, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

“The Gospel was written for unbelievers, that they might read the testimony of God to his Son, believe in him to whom the testimony pointed, and thus receive life through faith.” - John Stott

Day 338: 1 John 4:1-21

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” - 1 John 4:18 ESV

The most often quoted command in the Bible is, "Do not be afraid." Still, we see time and time again that we are also commanded to fear the Lord. Both the Old Testament and New Testament writers are clear that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (see Proverbs 1:7, Colossians 3:22).

So, is John stepping into a contradiction with the rest of Scripture? I believe he's not.

The context of 1 John 4 is that because of God's great love for us, mainly Jesus' sacrifice, we no longer have to fear punishment from God. The proof of our understanding of this is reflected in how we love those around us. We are not anticipating divine wrath from God because we are trusting in Jesus’ protective blood.

David L. Aiken said it so well as he wrote, "This deficiency of love causes one to dread the day of judgment for fear of permanent departure from the presence of God. Therefore if one fears this day, he is not being perfected in love."

At the same time, we do fear the Lord. Fear, in this sense, has to do with recognition and worship. We bow down. We lift our hands. We tremble at the magnitude of His word, it being the authority over us. We know what He is capable of, and we are thankful for His mercy. We continually sing.

Commit yourself to fear as a way to worship God. Fear not His punishment because Jesus' blood was spilled for you.