A Devotional Thought From Revelation

For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.     Revelation 22:15

I just completed a year and a half long devotional reading of the Bible (KJV). In the very last chapter we find this verse announcing God’s screening program for the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city. The city of our God is, of course, heaven, and according to God’s eternal plan there are those who cannot be allowed to enter and they are listed in this verse. They are left outside the walls because such people would defile the holiness of heaven. The list starts with “dogs.” In ancient days dogs were not usually the sweet, fuzzy, loving pets of our day. Mostly, ancient peoples would see dogs who were feral, raiding garbage heaps, terrorizing people, returning to their vomit, and “dog” became a term used for people who were savage, unclean even disgusting (cf. William Barclay, the Revelation of John).

Also, according to Barclay, a “dog” was the nickname for male prostitutes in heathen temples, and represented immoral people. Then in addition, to people represented by this word, “dogs,” John lists sorcerers, those who cooperate in occult religion; whoremongers, those who use or sell sexual services of women, debauching them, and being unfaithful to purity and morality for themselves and others; murderers, those who assault  the image of God in mankind by unlawfully taking the lives of people who should live long lives joyfully to God’s glory; and idolaters, those who worship false gods and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image (Romans 1:23) of corruptible man, birds, creeping things, dollar bills and euros, automobiles, smart phones or anything other than the true God. And, as well, those who love and make a lie; they’re the ones who tell our present society that what God says in His word isn’t true. They say sin is O.K. they say there are no consequences to actions. They say if God has spoken against sin then God is wrong. They say, don’t worry be sinful.

These people are outside the walls spiritually today, and will be literally in that future. But what if there are those among them who don’t want to live in such a way that they will be on the outs with God?

Some years ago I had a DVT blood clot. My physician of nearly 40 years walked in the hospital room and learning of the diagnosis said, “We can fix that!” If a person sees himself/herself in this list in Revelation God can fix that. Jesus died to fix our sins, to wash them away, to make us new, and fit us to be in the heavenly city forever. Trust Him as Savior and your destiny will be changed.

A Devotional Thought From 1 John

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.     1 John 4:9

          How can anyone know that God loves him or her? How do we answer when someone asks us that question? “There are all sorts of religious in the world,” they might say. “They all have their rules and regulations. They all offer whatever ‘salvation’ they envision. If there really is a God, the One true God, then how is it possible for me to know He loves me? Is there any evidence? Is there any proof? Is there any assurance that God, the Infinite Person, loves me, one of the finite creatures of the universe?”

          We Christians love a question like that. Of course, the One and Only God of the universe loves even sinful you. The evidence is Jesus. God sent His only begotten Son into the world. In fact, we Christians will, with great joy, thankfulness, and sentimentality, celebrate that coming as we rejoice in Christmas in a few weeks. Around the world we will be saying look into the cradle in the stable because God so loved the world He sent His Son, Jesus, for us, and you can see Him there with the eyes of faith: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). If you’ve ever heard of Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem Who died at Calvary, that hearing of His name is proof that God loves you, and all the people of the world.

Something I’m Thankful For

 I’m grateful to have a relationship with God like the one described in Psalm 25:7b (Moffatt).

In KJV: “according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.”

Moffatt: “and in remembering my sins be kind to me.”

Because of my faith in Christ, I am in that kind of fellowship. I can ask for that kind of blessing.

He has done that for me.

What David wrote about in Psalm 103:4 God has done for me. David said of the LORD: “Who redeemeth thy life from destruction….”

My sins would have destroyed my life far more than once – but God was kind to me.

Happy Thanksgiving!   

A Devotional Thought From 1 Peter

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.     1 Peter 2:24

The message we need to constantly keep proclaiming from our pulpits, and in our personal witness day by day, is restated in this verse by Peter. He says, Jesus, when He died on the cross carried our sin. My sins, and I have many, were heaped on Jesus. I don’t know how God was able to do that, but He did. Your sins were placed on Jesus also. And, somehow, He carried our sins in His body, and was crucified for them. That means we were made free of them, or in Peter’s statement here, we died to sin. Sin can no longer make us do anything, and because Jesus did that for us on the cross we are now expected to live differently, righteously. And we can do so, live differently, because of His stripes. The wounds he received from the Roman scourging, which, I think, symbolize the full meaning of His death on the cross.

The message of the church and Christian faith is centered in Jesus and what He did on the cross. “In the cross of Christ I glory towering o’er the wrecks of time.”* The church must glory in the cross. The individual must glory in the cross. One day the world will glory in the cross and the Savior, and then what a wonderful world it will be.

*John Bowring from the hymn