The Lamb and His book

Just about everything we know about the Book of Life is from Revelation (cf. Rev 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; the only other reference is in Phil. 4:3). And here’s what we know. It is a book about life (how’s that for insightful?). It’s not that the book itself imparts life, but it is […]

What do you know about Satan?

If we are not careful, it is easy to be duped into adopting the world’s caricature of Satan — he is a mischievous cartoonish red character with a pitchfork, horns, and a spiked tail who desires us to do wrong, but probably shouldn’t be considered as wholly evil. He is someone to be laughed at […]

Will God’s wrath relent?

Reading a book like Revelation can leave one overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught of God’s wrath. Chapter after chapter devastating destruction pours from God’s throne. It is grievous and wearying. Will it ever stop? Will God’s wrath relent? Will suffering cease? Revelation 10-11 provide some hope for the end of God’s wrath and God’s provision […]

He didn’t repent?

I do not remember a time when I have not been in a church. And in all those years of memories, I have seen and heard many tales of perverse sins, both inside and outside of the church — drug and alcohol abuse, financial misdeeds, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, unbiblical divorce and remarriage, physical assault, abuse […]

It’s about to get quiet

Last night we finally decorated our Christmas tree (as usual, the topper is crooked). When we finished, we did what we generally do. We turned out all the lights except the ones on the tree and enjoyed looking at the beauty. We talked a little bit, but we also were quiet and just looked. It […]

Life in heaven

Throughout Revelation, the reader is given glimpses of life in heaven is like. Among these images is one given in chapter 7 during the interlude between the coming sixth and seventh seal judgments. A large multitude of people who had been redeemed from every nation on earth surrounding the throne of God saying, “Salvation to […]

The great delusion

There are many confusions about God. There are many truths about Christianity that have been confused and perverted so that too many people are deceived and deluded about the realities of God and His Word. But one delusion stands above the rest: God is love and that means that He could never be angry against […]

Holy, holy, holy

In the year 739 B.C., Isaiah had the vision of God’s throne where he saw angels surrounding that ultimate source of rule and authority. And those angels had one declaratory message: “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” (Is 6:3) More than 800 years later, the […]

He is worthy

We know that God does not share His glory with another (Is. 42:8). But a careful reading of that verse reveals that the Father is not saying that He does not share His glory with anyone else, but that He does not share His glory with another besides His chosen One, His Servant, the Messiah […]

Are you listening? Part 2

In Revelation 2-3 Jesus Christ sends a series of letters to seven churches in Asia Minor. These churches are intended to awaken them from a variety of states of spiritual slumber, and while most offer some form of commendation, the primary intent is to address sins in the churches that are worth of Christ’s condemnation […]

Are you listening?

When our girls were little and we needed to talk to them about some form of conduct that needed correction, they would often offer some kind of defense, “But Dad, I…” They wouldn’t be far into their apologetic before I would raise my hand in the universal signal of “stop,” and then look directly into […]

The terror of Jesus Christ

Read many contemporary books about Jesus Christ and they will paint a picture of One who is a friendly buddy, or a permissive and non-threatening boss, or a kind, passive, and undemanding husband. But the apostle John paints a different picture of Christ in Revelation 1. He: is the faithful witness (v. 5) is the […]

An unusual commendation?

We all like to be complimented. We identify with the boy who said to his father, “Dad, let’s play darts. I’ll throw. And you say, ‘great shot!’” We want people to say we’ve done a job well, that we look good for our age, that it looks like we’ve lost a few pounds, that our […]

When it’s wise to be inhospitable

I grew up in a home where we often had others into our home for the purpose of fellowship and hospitality. In serving as a pastor for more than 20 years now, my wife and I have always sought opportunities to spend time with people inside and outside our church body to cultivate relationships and […]

Do you love God? How do you know?

Augustine observed, “There can only be two basic loves, the love of God unto the forgetfulness of self; or the love of self unto the forgetfulness and denial of God.” From that it might then be asked, “whom do you love supremely? God or yourself?” Now we all know what the answer should be — […]