Me? A Sheep to be Slaughtered? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Revelation 13:5-7,

"The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them."

This beast was empowered by Satan who also gave him "great authority", verse 2. With this power and authority, he waged war against "God's holy people" and conquered them!

Why was this beast allowed to do such a thing? How was it he was able to conquer God's very own people? God has ultimate authority throughout all the cosmos. He has tremendous power beyond our ability to grasp, and certainly well beyond what "the dragon" and his beast and all his minions might have! So, how is it possible this beast was able to conquer God's people? Doesn't God love his own people? Why would he allow such a thing?

The answer is yes, God does love his people. He has a big heart and a big love for his people. We read of it throughout the Scriptures as God reveals himself. Where we get off track is our assumption that God's highest priority is our highest priority. Most people naturally feel their life in this age is their highest priority, and, hence, should be God's.

What we may fail to see is that as we read of God's grand program of the redemption of mankind and his judgment of all who oppose him, there may be bigger things afoot than each one of our lives. In the grand scheme of things, as they say, we might find ourselves expendable to God's purposes as he carries out what he is doing in this lost and fallen world energized by Satan and his ilk.

This is where passages such as Romans 8:36 (Paul's quote of Psalm 44:22) find their expression in our lives, "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

Certainly God loves us and although I may not understand why I am or a loved one is expendable to him, it is important that I abide in that posture should God so deem I am to be used by his purposes in such a circumstance. He does care for us and nothing will happen to us that doesn't cross his desk. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants." Psalm 116:15.

After all, he gave his Son's life for me, that I might share in his inheritance in eternal life, and whatever sacrifice he may make of me, he will certainly reward me a thousand times over whatever that sacrifice might be.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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An Age of a Different Nature is Headed Our Way! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Revelation 12:5,

"She gave birth to a son, a male child, who 'will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.'"

John quotes Psalm 2:9 here as he describes his sweeping vision. The "She" in this verse is the nation Israel and the son born to her is Jesus Christ. This quote points to the coming reign of Jesus Christ over all the nations of the earth. As a future event, Jesus Christ will firmly rule ("iron scepter").

In an interesting passage in Jesus' letter to the church in Thyatira, he appears to plan on sharing his rule with the church, "To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—  that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'—just as I have received authority from my Father." Revelation 2:26-27.

The Psalm that both Revelation 2:26-27 and Revelation 12:5 quote, Psalm 2, begins with the question, "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?" It goes on to observe, "The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, 'Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.'" I can't think of a better way to characterize what we see today on the international stage.

Psalm 2 gives God's response to the rebellious nature of the nations of the world: he laughs at them! "The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 'I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.'"

What we see coming our way following this age is an existence where all of the acrimony, all of the strife, all of the expression of the world's collective sinful nature will all be gone! In its place will be the reign of Jesus Christ himself over all the nations.

I can't wait! How about you?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God In His Glory Brings Awe! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Revelation 11:15-19,

"The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
   'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,
      and he will reign for ever and ever.' And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:
   'We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
      the One who is and who was,
   because you have taken your great power
      and have begun to reign.
    The nations were angry; and your wrath has come.
   The time has come for judging the dead,
      and for rewarding your servants the prophets
   and your saints and those who reverence your name,
      both small and great—
   and for destroying those who destroy the earth.'
Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm."
 
This depiction of the Seventh Trumpet is something that leaves me in awe… "loud voices" in heaven worshipping God, the 24 elders worshipping God: the world becomes Jesus Christ's kingdom that will last forever! The Eternal God of great power reigns! Judgment and reward flow from God's temple in heaven with flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, earthquakes and hailstorms!
 
Just breath-taking! Today I worship our God in all his majestic splendor! The God who sustains the universe from second to second, the God who maintains my life from breath to breath, the God who blesses us with so much from moment to moment!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Lord Comes! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Revelation 10:5-7,

"Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, 'There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.'"

As a herald to the judgment of the seventh trumpet, this mighty angel declares the coming fulfillment of "the mystery of God". He swears, by our Creator God, that there will be no more delay.

I am reminded we live in a time when God's forbearance allows the world to continue on, that more might respond to the gospel of God's grace. He is giving us all more time to respond to him. 

But the day of judgment is coming. It may seem slow to us, but, as a massive, unstoppable freight train, it has already left the station and is headed our way. Nothing can slow it, nothing can divert it, nothing can stop it. It is slowly rumbling down the tracks, right for planet earth and when it makes the last bend, it will suddenly be here. 

It is certain, it is absolute and it will be here right on time. There is no negotiating with it, no treaty can be made with it, it can't be bargained with - it is simply coming our way! There will be those who will climb aboard and those who will be crushed under it.

God's massive presence is thundering our way!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

The Presence of Spiritual Beings - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Revelation 9:14-15,

"It [a voice from the heavenly altar] said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, 'Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.' And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind."

This passage tells us there are four angels at the Euphrates River awaiting to be dispatched to kill a third of mankind. Certainly they were in place and waiting to carry out their assignment prior to the timing of this vision. Are they there now? When do they get there? How much do we really know of the activities of spiritual beings we are unaware of, and yet are possibly around us?

It causes me to think of another passage that clearly expresses a spiritual being that is in place today awaiting further orders at the end of this age, "The secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming." 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8.

This "restrainer" was in place and holding back the secret power of lawlessness in Paul's day, and he continues his restraining work until he is relieved from his work so that "the lawless one" will be revealed prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ, yet future.

All this confirms to me that there is so much in the spiritual realm that I know so little of, and yet exists around us! It really makes one wonder, doesn't it?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Prayer and God's Judgments - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Revelation 8:3-5,

"Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake."

Horrific judgments of God upon the people of the earth that are announced by seven angels with trumpets are initiated in this passage. We see that an angel with a golden censer offered "much incense" together with "the prayers of all God's people" on the golden altar in front of God's throne in heaven. This incense, together with these prayers "went up before God". The next thing we read is the angel filled his censor with fire from the altar and "hurled it on the earth" which initiated these coming judgments through "peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake."

The text of Revelation 8:3-5 tells us these horrific judgments of the seven trumpets followed this presentation of incense and prayers of God's people on God's heavenly altar. We read in Revelation 5:8 about living creatures and twenty-four elders who "were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people." Incense represents the prayers of God's people.

This brings the thought to me this morning of the importance of the prayers of God's people. Prayer, among other things, impacts the actions of God. Just how the prayers of God's people impact God's judgments at the end of the age are not clear to me, as I'm certain that it has been God's intention all along to bring his judgments upon this sinful and fallen world, and particularly on those who reject God. Nevertheless, look at this vision John had of the throne and altar of God in heaven. The prayers of God's people play a key part when these judgments are initiated.

It causes me to think of James' words, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16. Prayer is not simply a spiritual discipline for its own sake. Clearly, here in Revelation 8:3-5, it is a key component of the roll out of God's judgments.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God Is Worthy of Our Worship Today! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Revelation 7:9-12,

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
 
'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'
 
All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:
   
'Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!'"
 
I'm sure we all have different viewpoints on what this and that means in the book of Revelation. I don't care too much about that when I get to these expressions of unabashed worship found in its pages! Here I see you and me, all of us who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ offering up praise and adoration to God along with these elders and four creatures. There is no question in my mind that one day you and I will be together with this tremendous throng worshipping our Lord together.
 
Why wait till then when the Lord has given us mouths to offer worship to him today? Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!! 

"Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.