Thursday, December
19, 2013, 7:11 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “The Letters” playing in my mind. Speak,
Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation
5 (NIV).
Then
I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on
both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in
a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no
one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look
inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the
scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See,
the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to
open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Then
I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the
throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had
seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into
all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat
on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the
twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were
holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
And they sang a new song, saying:
“You
are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because
you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and
people and nation.
You
have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
Then
I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon
thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and
the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy
is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and
strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
Then
I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the
sea, and all that is in them, saying:
“To
him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for
ever and ever!”
The
four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Who is Worthy?
From what I understand, the scroll spoken of here is
concerning the coming judgments of God upon the earth, and upon the people of
the earth, as well as it is about the saints’ inheritance of God’s eternal
kingdom. It announced what was yet to come, and it told about the end of time
and what kinds of things we can expect to take place before the return of
Christ Jesus, at which time we, the saints of God, will be with our Lord
forever. Perhaps the scroll contained the remainder of what was written in the
book of Revelation, as the book itself described in detail all that is going to
take place, the way in which God will judge, the persecution of the saints,
their reward in heaven, and the ultimate eternal punishment for all those who
do not put their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives.
Jesus Christ was the only one worthy to open the scroll,
because he had been crucified on a cross, taking upon himself the sins of the
entire world so that everyone would have the opportunity of salvation, by God’s
grace, and the hope of eternity with God in heaven, through faith in Jesus
Christ. Jesus was worthy because he had triumphed over hell, Satan, death and
sin via his death and resurrection. He was our perfect Lamb sacrifice for our
sins, and yet he is the King of kings and Lord of lords over all creation. He
was worthy because he shed his own blood on the cross to buy us back (redeem
us) for himself, i.e. to save us, not only from eternity in hell, but to free
us from slavery to sin day-to-day, and to deliver us up to walk daily in his
righteousness and holiness living within us. He is worthy because he made us to
be a kingdom of people of the one and only true God, and because he called us
to be priests (God’s servants; ministers of his covenant of grace; and intercessors
in prayer for ourselves and others) to serve our God, and we will reign with
him on the earth.
Kingdom and Priests
The kingdom of God (of heaven) has its embodiment in the
person of Jesus Christ. The kingdom comprises Jesus’ life, death, resurrection,
his ascension into heaven, his sending of his Holy Spirit to indwell his
followers, the salvation of souls via his shed blood on the cross, his divine
character and will; his love, mercy, grace, compassion and judgments, the
sanctification and holiness of the follower of Christ wrought in his or her
life by the Spirit of God, the true church (the body of Christ), Jesus’ soon
return, and our eternal life with him in glory, and so much more. When we come
to faith in Jesus Christ by his grace, we become kingdom people, and our
purpose in life is transformed from living for self, sin and this earthly
kingdom to a new heart with a desire to live for our Lord, to walk in his truth
and in fellowship with him, to do what pleases him, and to serve him for the
advancement of God’s eternal kingdom in other people’s lives, as well as in our
own lives as we grow in his grace.
Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,”
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of his
Father in heaven (see Matt. 7:21). He also said that unless we have the humble,
simple trust and faith of children who put feet to their faith, we will never
enter the kingdom of heaven (see Matt. 18:3). As well, he said that no one can
see the kingdom of God unless they are born again; born of water (natural
birth) and the Spirit (spiritual birth – new life in Christ) – see John 3:3-5. Those
who choose to continue to live sinful lifestyles, and thus reject the transformation
of the Spirit of God in their lives, by God’s grace, will not inherit eternal
life in God’s eternal kingdom (see 1 Co. 6; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5). In other
words, not everyone who says he is saved is truly saved. Jesus said that if we
would want to come after him, we must deny ourselves (our self life), take up
our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if
we hold on to the way we used to live when we walked in the flesh, we will lose
our lives for eternity, but if we put to death our former way of living in sin,
we will gain eternal life (see Lu. 9:23-25; cf. Eph. 4:17-24; Rom. 6; Gal.
2:20; 1 John 1-5; and Titus 2:11-14).
So, if we want to have eternal life with God in heaven, and
if we want to participate in his kingdom while we still live on the face of
this earth, we need to die to our old lives of living to please self and for
sinful pleasure, we must be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God,
via God’s saving grace, and we must put on our new lives in Christ Jesus, “created
to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (see Eph. 4:17-24). Jesus Christ
paid much too high a price so that we could be free of bondage to sin for us to
continue in sin and living for self pleasure. He is worthy of our worship and
our praise, but the kind of worship he desires is not lip service only or in
form only, but in submitting our lives to him and to the cross of Christ,
surrendering our all to him, and truly allowing him to crucify within us our
fleshly appetites and desires, and allowing him to live his life of love,
grace, mercy, holiness, righteousness and obedience in us and out through us.
Have you truly given him your all today? If not, please do it. Time is running
out. Serve him now!
The Letters / An
Original Work / December 17, 2013
Based off Revelation 2-3
To the angels of all
the churches write:
These are the words of
your Lord and your God.
I know all your deeds,
and your witness, too,
And who holds to My
words and tells what’s true.
I know all your hard
work and your perseverance,
Yet I hold against
you: you’ve forsaken Me.
Listen to what I say
to you.
You have people there
who deny My name,
And who put the cross
of Christ up to shame.
They entice the people
to Me, profane,
And their worship of
Me is all in vain.
They are so adult’rous
as they chase their idols,
And you put up with
them easily enough.
Listen to what I say
to you.
You give off an image
of godliness,
But what you present
is so fraudulent,
Or else you lack
passion for Jesus Christ,
So you look to others
to tell what’s right.
I say turn from your
sin, or you will face judgment.
He who overcomes will
have eternal life.
Listen to what I say
to you.
I know your
afflictions and poverty;
How you suffer for
your Lord patiently.
Do not fear the devil and
company.
You be faithful to
your Lord endlessly.
I know all your
weakness and your dedication.
You have kept My Word
and not denied your Lord.
I will write on you My
new name.
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