It Has Happened At Last!

“Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has happened at last – the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ! For the Accuser has been thrown down to earth – the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day and night.“ – Revelation 12:10 NLT

While the book of Revelation is often thought of as a book of bad news, filled with images of destruction and judgment, it is also has a tremendous amount of good news – for those of us who are followers of Christ. I guess it depends on your perspective when you read it. For instance, this morning I read a story on the Dallas Maverick game that took place last night. I happen to be a Maverick fan, so when I read that they had beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, I was pleased. But if I had been a fan of OKC, I would have read that same story with a great deal of frustration and disappointment. My team would have lost. The same is true when reading the book of Revelation. When I read it as a Christian, I read it with the understanding that my “team” wins. And chapter 12 confirms that message. Once again, John hears a voice from heaven shout, “It has happened at last – the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ! For the Accuser has been thrown down to earth – the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day and night” (Revelation 12:10 NLT). As a believer, I hear those words and they are nothing but good news. Sure, chapter 12 is filled with its fair share of bad news. Israel (the woman with child) is going to be persecuted by Satan (the red dragon) during the tribulation time on earth. But God is going to protect Israel during the last half of the tribulation (Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:14). The Great Tribulation is going to be an extremely difficult time here on earth as the final judgment of God draws closer. This is the last hurrah of Satan and His followers.

That”s why verse 10 is so exciting. John hears it announced that the defeat of our great enemy, Satan, is at hand. It is as good as done. It won’t be until chapter 20 that we find out his final destination – the abyss. But the voice from heaven let’s everyone know that Satan is defeated. The is “thrown down.” The great deceiver and accuser of the brethren has been defeated by God. And he has been overcome by those who came to Christ during the tribulation.

And they have defeated him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of their testimony. And they were not afraid to die. – Revelation 12:11 NLT

Even during the Great Tribulation, long after the church has been removed and the Holy Spirit with it, God will still bring people to a saving knowledge of His Son. Those individuals will place their trust in the blood of Christ shed on the cross – just like we did. And their testimony will overcome the deceiver and accuser. They will be so confident in their salvation that they will willingly face death and martyrdom during those dark days. Which reminds me that I should have that same level of faith right here and now. I should have a confidence in my salvation and in the love and mercy of God that allows me to face whatever comes my way in this life. I should also revel in the fact that my team wins in the end! All because of the the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ (Revelation 12:10).

Father, while I won’t be there to hear these words, I am excited to read them – “It has happened at last!” We are all waiting for that day. When Satan is defeated once and for all. We look forward to the day when Your salvation for mankind is complete. When Your kingdom is come in all its glory. But in the meantime may I have a confidence in the salvation of Your Son so that I stand firm in the face of adversity. I want to overcome the enemy through the power available to me in Jesus Christ. I want my testimony to be that I am willing to face even death for the sake of Christ. Because I trust that my team really does win in the end. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

And He Will Reign Forever and Ever!

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: ‘The whole world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.'” – Revelation 11:15 NLT

You probably recognize the words from the Hallelujah Chorus in the verse above. “And He shall reign forever and ever.” But if you’re like me, you didn’t know exactly where Handel got the words from. Well, now we know. They came right from Revelation chapter 11. Here we have a picture of the coming of the end of the “mystery of God” referred to in chapter ten. The final judgment of the world and of Satan is coming to a close. As it gets closer and closer to the time when God brings all things to completion and the time of His kingdom on earth is about to arrive, the seventh angel, the same angel who held the scroll in chapter ten, will make an announcement: “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: “The whole world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15 NLT). This announcement is in anticipation of God’s final victory that will set up His kingdom on earth where He will reign forever and ever! At this news the 24 elders will fall on their faces and worship God saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the one who is and who always was, for now you have assumed your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry with you, but now the time of your wrath has come. It is time to judge the dead and reward your servants. You will reward your prophets and your holy people, all who fear your name, from the least to the greatest. And you will destroy all who have caused destruction on the earth” (Revelation 11:17-18 NLT). The time of God’s wrath has come. He will reward His own and destroy the rest. Any mystery to God’s redemptive plan will be completely revealed. Everyone will know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what God’s plan is. This event was prophesied about in the book of Daniel: “In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever” (Daniel 2:44 NASB). God will put an end to all the other kingdoms of men, and He alone will reign.

It is the setting up of Heaven’s sovereignty over the earth visibly, which, when invisibly exercised, was rejected by the earthly rulers heretofore. The distinction of worldly and spiritual shall then cease. There will be no beast in opposition to the woman. Poetry, art, science, and social life will be at once worldly and Christian. – Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary of Revelation

Think about it. Everything will be under God’s control again. It is not that He is out of control now, but that He is allowing things to operate counter to His original divine plan. The creation is broken and marred. There is an enemy alive and well, walking the earth and wreaking havoc on mankind. But that day is going to come to an end. The world is at odds with God right now. But the day is coming when everything will be made godly again. The kingdoms of this earth will give way to ONE kingdom over which God will reign through His Son Jesus Christ! This should be a reminder that our God is in control. He is going to set all things right. Even though everything around us looks broken and out of sorts, God will restore His world back to its original glory. He will reclaim what is rightfully His. And He will reign forever and ever. Think about this passage the next time you hear the Hallelujah chorus this Christmas.

Father, You will reign forever and ever. You will rule here on earth and there will no longer be any opposition. That day is coming. Help me to keep my focus on that reality. You are not done yet. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

The Mystery of God Is Finished

“but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.“ – Revelation 10:7 NASB

There has been a brief time of silence in heaven. We saw that in chapter nine. Now another angel breaks that silence with a voice that sounds like peals of thunder. He lifts up His right hand and swears an oath to God that there will no longer be any delay, because the mystery of God is finished. Evidently this “mystery of God” is the theme of the little book the angel holds in his hand. But what is the mystery he is talking about? What is this mystery of God? It is the mystery of God’s plan of redemption. He is referring to the hidden ways of God that had been revealed through the prophets and made known through the apostles. Paul referred to this mystery when he said, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Corinthians 4:1 NASB). In Ephesians, Paul once again refers to this mystery of the Gospel. He says, “that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief” (Ephesians 3:4 NASB). He goes on to explain what that mystery is: “to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 4:6 NASB). The mystery or divine secret of God for mankind has come to an end. Now all will know what God is about to do. God had revealed His plan little by little through His prophets. Then with the coming of His Son, He made it more clearly known. Now the angel tells John that there will be nothing hidden any longer. The mystery of God’s kingdom is going to be fully revealed. And that will include His final judgment of mankind. And it will involve the complete restoration of His kingdom. No longer will Satan rule on this earth. The ruler of this world will be dethroned and sin will be finally and completely dealt with. The result will be that God will reign. We’ll see that played out in the next chapter.

Father, one day the mystery of Your kingdom on earth will be completely revealed. There are those who do not see it right now. They do not know that You are God and that You reign. But one day they will know beyond a shadow of a doubt. You will set all things right. You will deal with sin and Satan once and for all. Thank You for that assurance. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Stubborn right up until the end

“But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to turn from their evil deeds. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood––idols that neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their immorality or their thefts.“ – Revelation 9:20-21 NLT

Now the imagery really starts to get strange. Locusts ascending from a pit in the earth who have the capacity to torment men by stinging them like scorpions. These aren’t your everyday, ordinary, run-of-the-mill locust, but they appear like battle horses with human faces and on their heads they wear golden crowns. They have long flowing hair like women and teeth like lions. On top of that, they have tails like a scorpion, and they are given the power to torture and torment all those alive on the earth at that time for five solid months – except the 144,000 who have come to Christ during the tribulation period. They are protected by God. But it will be so bad for the rest who are alive, that they will want to die. “In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee away!” (Revelation 9:6 NLT).

And it gets worse. Four angels or demons will be released who will destroy one-third of mankind. Added to the one-fourth who were killed under the fourth seal judgment these two judgments alone destroy one-half of the earth’s population. Yet in spite of all that is happening, there will be those alive at that time who will refuse to repent. “The remaining men and women who weren’t killed by these weapons went on their merry way–didn’t change their way of life, didn’t quit worshiping demons, didn’t quit centering their lives around lumps of gold and silver and brass, hunks of stone and wood that couldn’t see or hear or move” (Revelation 9:20 MSG). That’s hard to imagine isn’t it? How could anyone who lives through this kind of cataclysmic event not turn away from their worship of anything or anyone other than God? Yet it reveals the hardness of the human heart. They would rather worship idols they have made with their own hands than turn to the one true God who is bringing about judgment on the face of the earth. Others would rather die than repent. It just goes to how that there are those who, even in the face of eminent destruction, will not bow their knee to the living God. More than half of the earth’s population will die and the rest will stubbornly cling to their misguided worship of false gods. And the result will be their eternal destruction.

Unless God moves our hearts, none of us would ever seek Him. We do not have the capacity to seek after God. Each of us would choose death over life if it were left up to us. But God, in His mercy, chose to reveal Himself to us through His Son Jesus Christ. He opened our eyes so that we might see the beauty of the Gift. He removed the scales from our eyes so that we might see the truth of our condition and the hope of salvation made available through His Son. We should be “eternally” grateful that God chose us in order that we might choose Him.

Father, what more can I say than “Thank You?! You opened my eyes to the truth. You softened my hardened heart. You placed Your Spirit within me. Otherwise I would never have chosen You. I would have been just like those in John’s vision – stubbornly clinging to the ridiculous gods of my own making. So I truly am grateful for Your abundant grace and mercy. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

The Sound of Silence

“When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour.“ – Vs 1 NLT

Out of all the fantastic imagery found in this chapter, the ten words found in the second half of this verse jumped out at me the most. In the previous chapters John has witnessed the ceaseless praise going on before the throne of God. There are angels, elders, and saints dressed in white, all standing before the throne of God, giving him never-ending praise and glory. There is a “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” (Revelation 7:9 NIV). They are crying out in a loud voice,  “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10 NIV). Remember, this is a crowd of individuals so large, you can’t count them. Now, imagine the noise level. On top of that, you have the four living creatures and the 24 elders singing before the throne, “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become God’s Kingdom and his priests. And they will reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10 NLT). And as if that wasn’t enough, there are “thousands and millions of angels” singing before the throne, “The Lamb is worthy – the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12 NLT).

Can you imagine the sound? It would have been deafening. Beautiful, but deafening. And then suddenly, SILENCE!

With the opening of the seventh seal, there is suddenly silence in heaven. Most likely for the first time in eternity! The praising stops. The singing ceases. No one is saying anything. Do you catch the significance of this moment? John says that there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. It must have seemed like an eternity. For the first time in all of time and even before time began, God was not receiving praise. The sense of anticipation is palpable. Something significant is about to happen. Judgment is coming on the earth. John goes on to describe what that judgment is going to be like. The silence seems appropriate. It is as if the angels, elders, and saints all stop and hold their collective breath as Jesus opens this seventh seal. They know what is about to happen. The stored up wrath of God is about to be unleashed. His long-delayed judgment is coming. It is an event prophesied in part in the book of Zephaniah. “Stand in silence in the presence of the Sovereign LORD, for the awesome day of the LORD’s judgment has come” (Zephaniah 1:7 NLT). Zechariah penned a similar warning: “Be silent before the LORD, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling” (Zechariah 2:13 NLT).

He is springing into action from His holy dwelling. The day IS coming when God will judge mankind. He will not put up with all that is going on forever. He is not powerless or indifferent to the sinfulness of mankind. He is simply waiting for the perfect timing in His diving master plan. Christ must first return to take home His bride, the church. Then the great tribulation must take place. But after that, the day of judgment will come. Preceded by a time of deafening silence. Because what will follow will be like nothing the world has ever seen before – or will ever see again. The unrestrained judgment of God. The thought of it should cause all of us to stop and reflect.

Father, I can’t even begin to understand all the imagery in this book. I don’t know when all of these events will take place. But I do know they will. And I do know that Your judgment is going to be full and complete. There will be no one who disbelieves in You at that point. It will be the beginning of the end. This passage reminds me to stop and think occasionally about the reality of the future. There is a day of judgment coming. Right now, all I can hear is the noise of this life. And at times it is deafening. It is all we can hear. But help me to stop and meditate on the fact that You are going to bring judgment in the end. You are a holy God who will complete what He began. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Our side wins!

“For the Lamb who stands in front of the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to the springs of life–giving water. And God will wipe away all their tears.“ – Vs 17 NLT

Regardless of your eschatology or view of future things, one thing we can all agree on is that God wins in the end. He will bring all this madness to an end. We can sit and debate the specifics and argue pre-trib, post-trib theology, but we can’t argue over the fact that God is going to finish what He began. We can’t debate the fact that He is redeeming a people for Himself out of all of mankind and their salvation is available only through His Son Jesus Christ. That seems to be the primary thought in this chapter. If you get beyond all the opinions as to who the 144,000 and the great multitude that couldn’t be numbered really are, you see that the focus of chapter seven, like the rest of this book, is the Lamb.

John views a scene of a vast multitude of believers clothed in white robes and standing before the throne of God, carrying palm branches and crying out, “Salvation comes from our God on the throne and from the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:10 NLT). In response to this cry, the all the angels, the 24 elders, and the four living creatures bow before the throne and shout, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and forever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:12 NLT).

John is then told who the great multitude of people dressed in white are. They are those who have come out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the lamb, and their robes are now white. In response to this transformation of their lives, they stand before the throne of God and serve Him day and night. God has transformed them through the sacrificial death of His Son, and as a result, they worship and adore Him. The elder tells John:

They will never again be hungry or thirsty, and they will be fully protected from the scorching noontime heat. For the Lamb who stands in front of the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to the springs of life–giving water. And God will wipe away all their tears. – Revelation 7:16-17 NLT

Isn’t this what it is all about? Isn’t this what we all long for? A time when we will never hunger and thirst again. We won’t hunger for change or for release from this body of death. It will have taken place. We won’t thirst for more of God because we will be with Him. We won’t have to suffer the scorching heat that comes from life in this world. But we will enjoy the constant refreshment of God’s presence. We will feast and drink in the very presence of God. There will be no more tears and no more sorrow. No more longing for things to be different. No more anxiety. No more worry. No more disappointment. No more stress. No more fear. No more struggle with sin. No more depression. No more ….

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be our shepherd.

Father, I can’t wait until that day. While there is a lot about the end of time that I don’t understand, I do understand that You win in the end. As confused and screwed up as this world seems to be, it will all be made right when You determine it is time. And I will be part of a great multitude of people who stand before Your throne and worship You day and night. Thank You for making this possible through the blood of Your Son Jesus Christ. Help me to keep my eyes focused on the reality of the future. What we are experiencing here is just a blip on the radar screen compared to what eternity holds (2 Corinthians 4:17). Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

You can run, but you can’t hide!

“Then the kings of the earth, the rulers, the generals, the wealthy people, the people with great power, and every slave and every free person––all hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they cried to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who will be able to survive?‘” – Vs 15-17 NLT

There is a lot about this chapter I don’t understand. I have to rely on the “experts” to give me any idea of what is going on and what all the symbolism stands for. Like the white, black, red, and pale horses. But one thing I do think is pretty clear is that a day is coming when everyone who is alive on the face of the earth will acknowledge “the one who sits on the throne.” From the mightiest and the most influential to the wealthiest and the least significant, they will all share one thing in common: their fear of the wrath of God and the Lamb of God – Jesus Christ Himself. They’ll attempt to hide themselves among the caves and rocks in the mountains, but it won’t do any good. They’ll even beg the rocks to fall on them to protect them from Gods wrath.

There is much debate as to exactly when this is going to happen. But there is no dispute that it WILL happen. And when it does, no one will be able to stand before the wrath of God. Jesus Christ will no longer be able to be ignored. The One whom they have despised, rejected, discounted, and continually ignored as irrelevant and unnecessary will suddenly be the focus of all their attention. Their power, wealth, prestige, and position will not be able to save them. That day will be the great equalizer. All men who have rejected the Son of God will stand before God and His holy wrath. And John asks the question, “who is able to stand?” No one.

God will set all things right. His Son will be seen for who He is. He will no longer be ignored. He will be feared. I may not know exactly when all this is going to take place. I have my opinions. But I DO know that it will take place and that this is a reminder to us all of the holiness and righteousness of God. It also reveals the power of God. All the cosmic events described in this chapter – earthquakes, darkened sun, blood-red moon, and stars falling from the sky are reminders that God is the one who holds it all together. It is all under His control. And the day is coming when He will exert full and final control over all creation and all men. The Lamb of God will become the Lion of Judah. And no one will be able to stand before Him! We serve a great God and an incredible Savior.

Father, You are in complete control. You have a perfect plan that You are working and You will bring it about in Your time. Help me to remember Your greatness. No man alive or yet to live can stand before Your divine power and wrath. Your Son is the King of kings and He will one day reign over all. Men who once ignored Him will bow down in fear before Him. Their ridicule will turn to respect, reverence, fear and awe. Help me to keep my eyes focused on the end. The good guys win. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Worthy is the Lamb!

“Then I wept because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll and read it. But one of the twenty–four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has conquered. He is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals.“ – Vs 4-5 NLT

The scene continues in John’s vision of heaven. God is seated on His throne surrounded by the four living creatures and the 24 elders who are worshiping him ceaselessly. In His hand God holds a scroll. But to John’s dismay, there is no one deemed worthy to open to the scroll and read it. No one in heaven or on earth meets the qualifications for worthiness required to take the scroll from God’s hand and read it. This news brings John to tears. Then one of the elders proclaims to him, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has conquered. He is worthy to open the scroll and break its seven seals” (Revelation 5:5 NLT). At that point John sees a Lamb standing between the throne and the 24 elders. Isn’t it interesting that the elder describes Jesus as the Lion of the tribe of Judah, but then He appears as the Lamb, standing as though it had been slain (Revelation 5:6). Jesus is the Lion and the Lamb. He is the conqueror, but only because He was slain. He defeated death and sin by dying a sacrificial, substitionary death on the cross for you and me. He is worthy because He was slain.

You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were killed, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become God’s Kingdom and his priests. And they will reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:9-10 NLT)

Jesus is worthy because He was faithful to do what He had been sent by the Father to do. He accomplished the Father’s will. He gave His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). His death resulted in victory. His death resulted in life for many (Romans 5:15). His death resulted in our becoming heirs of a kingdom of priests and citizens of a heaven (1 Peter 2:9). The whole emphasis of this chapter is on Jesus and His worthiness. He is the star of this scene and the central focus of the action. The angels join the celebration of His worthiness by singing, “The Lamb is worthy––the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12 NLT). Then every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, and in the sea sang with them, “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever” (Revelation 5:13 NLT).

The whole scene ends with the 24 elders falling at their feet in worship and adoration before God and the Lamb. He is worthy! He is deserving of our praise, honor, and adoration because of what He has done. He is the Lamb who was slain. He sacrificed His life so that I might live. He ransomed me from slavery to sin and death. And He deserves my praise.

Father, You sent Your Son to die in my place. And He did what He came to do. Because of that I have access before Your throne. I am Your Son and an heir to Your kingdom. All because of what Jesus, the Lamb of God did on the cross. Thank You for sending Him. Jesus, thank You for coming and being obedient, even to the point of dying on the cross in my place. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

Holy, Holy, Holy!

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.“ – Vs 8 NIV

What does heaven really look like? That’s a question we’ve all asked at one time or another. And in this chapter, John gets the opportunity to see it and describe it to us. Of course, he only gets to visit heaven in a vision, but there is no indication that what he saw was any less real. But in attempting to put what he saw into words that we could understand, John is stuck with similes, metaphors, and verbal analogies that paint a fantastic, but also somewhat confusing image for us. He describes God as “He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance” (Revelation 4:3 NASB). It’s hard to get a clear visual representation in my mind of just exactly what that would look like. For whatever reason, what John is seeing is so incredible that he is unable to use normal descriptive terms to tell us what he is looking at. The scene is indescribable. It is more than words can express. Even the sounds he hears can only be expressed in the form of a comparison. He says, “From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder” (Revelation 4:5 NIV). His description of the four living creatures (Revelation 4:4-8) who surround the throne sounds like something out of Greek mythology.

Yet in the middle of all this fantastic imagery, John hears clearly the words the creatures are saying. He says that these creatures surround the throne of God and that day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” There is no question as to what he was hearing. He didn’t have to describe their words as peals of thunder or like the roaring of a waterfall. No, he heard their words loud and clear. And he also heard the words of the 24 elders who respond to the cry of the creatures by bowing before the throne of God and crying out, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11 NLT). The scene John is witnessing is unbelievable and indescribable, yet the purpose behind it is quite clear: the worship and adoration of God. John may have had a hard time describing what he was seeing, but he was quite clear about what he was hearing. The point seems to be that while we may have a difficult time describing God, even if we got to see Him face to face, we should have no difficulty worshiping God. What the creatures and the 24 elders are doing in heaven, we should be doing right now – praising God as the only true God. We should be praising Him for His holiness, set-apartness, sinlessness, and perfect righteousness. We should be praising Him for His infinite power and eternal nature. We should be praising Him for His worthiness. We may not be able to describe Him, but we can praise Him.

What John heard was far more significant than what he saw. He heard the heavenly occupants who surround God’s throne acknowledging the one-of-a-kind nature of God. He alone is God. He is the creator of all things. He is the sustainer of all things. He alone is worthy of our honor and praise. What these creatures and elders do ceaselessly, we should do willingly as well. Their cries are a reminder of who God is and why we should worship Him. He is the indescribable, unbelievable, indisputable, unapproachable, unforgettable, undeniable, immutable, unquestionable Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!

Father, You are worthy of our praise. I may not be able to see You, describe You, or even understand You, but I can praise You. Like these creatures and the 24 elders, may I never cease to say, day and night, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org

I know your works.

“You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless..” – Vs 17 MSG

Jesus confronts three different churches in this one chapter and He begins with a single phrase each time: “I know your works.” He is speaking to churches, not individuals. He is addressing the community of professing believers at a specific geographic location. He’s talking to a local body of believers. Not to me as a single, solitary Christian. Why is this important? Because we tend to take so many of these passages and make them personal, and when we do we miss the whole point. While there are applications we can glean from these verses that we can apply to ourselves as individuals, the real message is for the church. And He is telling these churches that He is watching them. As a result, He says He knows their works. He knows what they have produced. The Greek word means “any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind.” These churches are not lazy. They have been busy. And their efforts have been producing fruit. The problem is, Christ is not pleased with their fruit. In each case, He has found something wrong. The church in Sardis is in a spiritual coma. They have a reputation for being alive, but in reality they are dead. They may have those around them fooled, but Christ knows the truth.

The church in Philadelphia is a slightly different story. They actually get a commendation from the Lord. He tells them, “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world” (Vs 10 NLT). This church is under persecution, yet in spite of its difficult circumstances it has remained faithful to the Word of God and has not denied His name. He encourages them to hold fast and to remember that He is coming again soon.

The message to the church in Laodicea is the most striking one to me. And it is probably the most familiar one. He tells them, “You’re not cold, you’re not hot–far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit” (Vs 15 MSG). This church was spiritually flat-lined. They were addicted to the status quo. It was business-as-usual all the time for these people. They were indifferent and complacent. They were stuck in the middle. They weren’t cold. This probably has nothing to do with spiritual coldness or carnality. Being Christ says, “I will spit you out of my mouth” (NASB), He is probably making a reference to water. Cold water refreshes and quenches thirst. Hot water warms the body when cold. Both are positive attributes, not negative. Yet this church is neither. They are tepid when it comes to their spirituality. And they literally make Christ sick.

Their problem? They are self-sufficient, overly confident, and spiritually prideful. Listen to Christ’s description: “You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless” (Vs 18 MSG). They were blind to their true spiritual condition. They looked at themselves and saw success. They were oblivious to their true spiritual condition. They had come to a point as a church where they didn’t really need Christ any more. They could accomplish everything they needed to do in their own strength. But Christ reminds them that they were really pitiful. From His perspective they were like a blind beggar, a homeless person totally dependent on the goodwill of others to survive. So Christ calls them to return to Him as the source of all their needs. But first they have to admit and confess their condition. That’s where it always begins. Then He says that He will meet their needs. He will restore their spiritual vitality and usefulness. He will restore the fellowship and intimacy with Him that is missing in their church. That is why He pleads, “Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends” (Vs 20 NLT). This is one of the most misquoted passages in the Bible. It has little to do with salvation, but has everything to do with the kind of relationship Christ wants to have with His church. He wants to dine with us. He wants to spend time with us. He wants to have intimate, close fellowship with us. But He is standing outside a closed door waiting to be let into our midst. It is as if Christ is saying to the church today, “Please let Me be a part of what You are doing! Let Me in. I want to contribute!” Do we hear Him? Do we need Him? Or like the church at Laodicea, have we become so self-sufficient that we don’t need Him anymore?

Father, we need Your Son more than ever. The church needs to open the door and let in the One who can help us survive and make a difference in this world. We can not be the salt and light You have called us to be apart from the influence of Your Son. Forgive us for thinking we are need of nothing. Open our eyes and let us see our true condition if we attempt to do Your work without Your Son. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org