God's Word For Every Day

Revelation 1:1-20   This is ‘the revelation of Jesus Christ’ (1). It comes from Him and it speaks of Him. Christ ‘loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood’ (5). We rejoice in Him. Christ is ‘coming with the clouds’ (7). We must get ready for Him. ‘The revelation of Jesus Christ’ calls for our response. It is not ‘for information only’. We are to ‘pay attention to what is written in it’. We are to ‘take it to heart’. We are to ‘do what it says’ (3). Christ reveals Himself to us. Is it for our benefit only? Is it just to make us ‘feel good’? No! We are to share with others what the Lord is teaching us. Christ said to John, ‘Write what you see’ (19). Don’t keep it to yourself. Share Christ. Tell others about Him. Tell them what the Lord has done for you. Speak His words of love: ‘Come...and learn from Me’ ( Matthew 11:28-30 ).

Don't blame me! It's not my fault!  These words take us back a long way - back to the Garden of Eden, back to the beginning of sin (Genesis 3). It's not just a story from a long, long time ago. It's our story. It's the story of every one of us. We don't confess our sin. We make excuses for ourselves. What does God say about this? He says, 'Really? - Do you really think it's not your fault? Do you really think you're not to blame?' Let's go back to Genesis 3. What do we find there? We find sin - and, before that, we find temptation. What's the connection between temptation and sin? Temptation gives us a choice to make. Temptation came from "the serpent" (in Revelation 12:9, we learn that "the ancient serpent" is, also, known by the names, "the devil" and "Satan.) When did temptation become sin? It became sin when Adam and Eve chose to do what the serpent suggested they should do. The temptation came fr...

John 3:16 , Rev 3:16–20 In John 3:16 , we read these wonderful words concerning God’s love: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Here’s another “3:16″ – “So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth” ( Revelation 3:16 ). This “3:16″ leads on to some other words about God’s love: “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent” ( Revelation 3:19 ). Called to repentance by the God of love, we hear the great promise given to us by our Saviour: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” ( Revelation 3:20 ).

"We don't need God. Science is enough for us." This is what a lot of people think. Is science really an alternative to faith? If you think that science has made faith redundant, maybe you might want to think about this: How do we get from believing that everything came about by chance to building scientific study on the basis that there is regularity in the way things happen in our world? - By not following through the idea that everything happens by chance? It seems to me that there's a huge leap of faith involved in getting from "everything happens by chance" to faith in science. Do you think that science is a better explanation than God for the beginning of the world? Does science not raise a lot more questions than any answers it might possibly give to us? I'm not suggesting that, if we have faith, we can dispense with science. What I am questioning is the idea that, if we have science, we can dispense with faith - the faith which begins with ...

Esther 2:19-5:14; Revelation 3:7-22; Psalm 141:1-10  There are doors which can only be opened by God – “See, I  have placed before you an open door that no-one can shut” (Revelation 3:8). There are doors which must be opened by man – “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). This is illustrated in the story of Esther. She became the Queen of Persia according to the sovereign purpose of God. God opened the door. Nevertheless, there were doors which had to be opened by Esther. As the Queen of Persia, she had to act in a wise and courageous way in order to carry out the purpose of God. In everything, we must say, with the Psalmist, “My eyes are fixed on You, O Sovereign Lord” (Psalm 141:8). This is not, however, to be the kind of heavenly-mindedness which makes us oblivious to what is going on around us. We must keep a close eye on events. We must di...

Esther 1:1-2:18; Revelation 2:18-3:6; Psalm 140:6-13  God is at work in the life of both the Church and the nation. He has a message for His Church. It is the message of the Spirit: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 2:29; Revelation 3:6). This message of the Lord concerns His Church. It also concerns the world. On the surface, the story of Esther is not a very spiritual story. Nevertheless, God is there. Amid all the talk of “twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes and cosmetics” (Esther 2:12), God was working out His purpose. He was revealing Himself as the “Sovereign Lord”, the “strong defender” of His people. The plans of men – “the wicked” – did not succeed. The pride of man was brought to nothing so that the glory belong to God alone (Psalm 140:7-8). This is the message of the book of Esther. In order to hear this message clearly, we must read between the ...

Nehemiah 13:1-31; Revelation 22:1-21; Psalm 150:1-6  Each day, we stand between the past and the future. In our prayers, we call upon God to “remember” (Nehemiah 13:14,22,29,31). There are two different kinds of ‘remembering’ here. God remembers His faithful servants. He also remembers those who have been unfaithful. As we face the future, we must be guided by both the Gospel invitation and the Gospel warning (Revelation 22:17-19). Salvation is offered to all. It is to be received by faith in Christ. There is also judgment for those who refuse to “come” to Him. Whatever our reaction to Him may be, God maintains His saving intention. He waits patiently for us to heed the call to “praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:1,6). “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). From my One Year Bible

At the cross, we see Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). In the cross, we see the fulfilment of God’s eternal plan of salvation – “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). In the cross, we catch a glimpse of the eternal glory of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb … For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘He will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes’” (Revelation 7:10,17). As we consider the glory of our Saviour sent to us from eternal love, crucified for us, leading us on to eternal glory, let us join with Paul in saying “I will glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We rejoice in our Saviour. We give all the glory to Him. He's "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). What a great salvation He has given to ...

"The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8): Before we had sinned, God was planning for our salvation!

Isaiah 61:1-3; John 21:1-17; Revelation 5:11-14 When our service of worship ends, our service in the world begins. God is calling us to be alive in our worship , and he's calling us to be involved in our community . Worshipping the Lord and serving Him - we need both, not one without the other. We are tio be committed to the Lord in the whole of our life - not just part of it.  * We are not to say, "I will worship the Lord for an hour on a Sunday, but I don't want to get involved in serving Him during the rest of the week." "It's just an hour on a Sunday." Can we ever truly worship the Lord if we're thinking like this? True worship leads to active service. If we are learning to worship the Lord, we will want also to serve Him.  * We are not to say, "I can be a good Christian without going to Church." What does this say about our commitment to the Lord, if we do not take time to be with Him, giving thanks to Him, listening to wh...

“These are the people who are coming out of the terrible suffering.  They have washed their robes  and made them white in the blood of the Lamb ...  The Lamb in the center near the throne will be their shepherd.  He will lead them to springs filled with the water of life, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:14,17). The Lord Jesus Christ - "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29) - is our Saviour and our Shepherd. He forgives our sins, and He leads us on to His eternal glory.

In Genesis 3:1, we read of ‘the serpent’. Here he is again - ‘that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan’. He is a powerful enemy. He ‘leads the whole world astray’. He is a determined enemy. ‘Day and night’, he is busy, accusing God’s children. He is a defeated enemy. ‘They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb...’. This is not only Christ’s victory over Satan. This is our victory in Christ, the victory Christ has won for us. Why is Satan so busy? It’s because ‘he knows his time is short’ (Revelation 12:9-12). How are we to take our stand against Satan? We must listen to the Word of God: ‘He who has an ear, let him hear’. We must obey the Word of God: ‘This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness...’ (Revelation 13:9). Christ has won the victory for us. Let us claim His victory by faith.

In Christ, we have the victory: “they have conquered Satan by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:7-12). God is calling us beyond the conflict. He is calling us on to victory. We don’t live in a perfect world. We’re not perfect people. We wish things could be different – but they’re not! Not yet! We pray, “Your Kingdom come” – but we’re still waiting for God’s complete answer to this prayer. The Book of Revelation provides us with a vision of God’s coming Kingdom. As we await His Kingdom, the words of Habakkuk 2:3 are very helpful to us: “the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” * There is conflict with the world. We commit ourselves to living for Jesus Christ. There are plenty of other people who don’t want to have anything to do with Him. This is something we must live with. “We do not lose heart” when we face opposition. We give thanks t...

Jesus was tempted. Jesus is victorious. He is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16) – and He’s at work in us, bringing us through temptation and into victory. We don’t live in constant victory. Often, we’re defeated. We need to learn to listen to God’s Word and be led into the pathway of victory. It’s a lifelong learning process. There’s never a time when our ‘education’ is complete. Throughout our life, we must keep on coming to the Lord, confessing our need of His cleansing and power and praying that He will make us more truly and more fully what He wants us to be – “Cleanse me from my sin, Lord. Put Thy power within, Lord. Take me as I am, Lord, and make me all Thine own. Keep me day by day, Lord, underneath Thy sway, Lord. Make my heart Thy palace, and Thy royal throne” (Mission Praise, 82). May God bless each of us as we read His Word and learn to trust the Lord to give you victory over temptation. “Yield not to temptation, for yielding is sin; each ...

Revelation is a complex book, yet is is for ordinary people. Its theme is simple and straightforward: Jesus is Victor! There are many things we don't understand, but there's one thing we do know: God will have the last word.  * Satan has a great deal to say about our lives. He is "the accuser of our brothers and sisters" (Revelation 12:10). He " accuses them before our God day and night" (Revelation 12:10), but God will have the last word: " Now have come the salvation and the power  and the kingdom of our God,      and the authority of his Messiah" (Revelation 12:10).  * Satan is not only the accuser of God's people. He is also "the deceiver of the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). What do we see as we look around us? - "The whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). That's what we see now. There will, however, come a day when the righteous owner will take over: " The kingdom of the world...

Here are a few thoughts from the messages to “the seven churches.” * Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love (Revelation 2:4). This is one of the saddest verses in the whole of the Bible. It tells the story of so many of us. Let us pray that this will not happen to us. * Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life (Revelation 2:10). Here, we have God’s call to faithfulness. He is calling us to be faithful to the end. Let us pray that God will give us His strength so that we may remain faithful to Him throughout our earthly journey. * Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth (Revelation 2:15-16). Why is the C...

Nehemiah 11:22-12:47; Revelation 21:1-27; Proverbs 31:21-31 “At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem”, the keynote of the service was joyful thanksgiving. They gathered together “to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving” (Nehemiah 12:27). “On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy” (Nehemiah 12:43). They sang “songs of praise and thanksgiving to God” (Nehemiah 12:46). This joyful thanksgiving is only a foretaste of the greater joy and thanksgiving of heaven: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). In the city of God, “the glory of God” will be shining with everlasting brightness (Revelation 21:23). The Church of God will be “prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). The beautiful picture of the godly wife in Proverbs 31 gives us an outline of what God is seeking to do in His people. It is summari...

Nehemiah 9:38-11:21; Revelation 20:1-15; Psalm 149:1-9  The Lord’s people, in Nehemiah’s time, made this commitment: “We will not neglect the House of our God” (Nehemiah 10:39). Such a commitment to God and His work is not easy to maintain. There is an enemy who opposes God and His work – “the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan” (Revelation 20:2). Whatever chaos Satan may cause in the Lord’s work here on earth, we are left in no doubt about his eternal destiny: “The devil … will be tormented day and night for ever” (Revelation 20:10). Satan’s eternal destiny is very different from that of God’s people: “The Lord takes delight in His people; He crowns the humble with salvation” (Psalm 149:4) – “This is the glory of all His saints” (Psalm 149:9). From my One Year Bible

Nehemiah 9:1-37; Revelation 19:1-21; Psalm 148:7-14  In the history of Israel, we read a great deal about the history of human sin. First and foremost, however, it is the story of God’s grace and mercy. Israel’s sin is there in the forefront: “We are slaves today … Because of our sins … We are in great distress” (Nehemiah 9:36-37). Even more significant is the God of grace and mercy: “But in Your great mercy You did not put an end to them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and a merciful God” (Nehemiah 9:31). The God of grace and mercy is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16). He reigns in grace and mercy. This is not to suggest that there is no judgment. There will be judgment. People from all walks of life come under the divine judgment (Revelation 19:18). There is, however, a way of escaping judgment. It is the way of coming to the Saviour: “Come, gather together for the great supper of God” (Revelation 19:17). When the redeemed of the Lord are gathere...

'King of the Jews' (Matthew 2:2). Jesus came from the Jews. He came for 'all nations' (Matthew 28:19). He is the 'King of kings' (Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16). Here on earth, we are learning 'to worship Him' (Matthew 2:2). We are being prepared for heavenly worship (Revelation 7:9-12): 'Kings and queens and beggarmen, presidents and servants, the people of all nations, will gather on that day. We will kneel before the King. None will be observers. We will lift our voices. Together, we will say, "He is the King and He will reign forever. He is the King and we will sing His praise. The King of kings and Lord of lords forever, Jesus, He is the King. Hallelujah to the King, He is our salvation. Master of the universe, King of all creation"!' Let 'Jesus...take the highest honour'. Let us 'glorify the King of kings' ( Songs of Fellowship , 302, 590).