the end

Good evening friends,

Today's reading wraps up Revelation with encouragement and a warning. Jesus speaks to the church and tells them (us) to stay faithful and honest. He promises to return soon. We pray for his return and the peaceful kingdom he brings.

God bless,

Sam

Revelation 22:13-20

¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” ¹⁴Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. ¹⁵Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. ¹⁶“It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 

¹⁷The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let everyone who hears say, “Come.” And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. ¹⁸I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; ¹⁹if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

²⁰The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! ²¹The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

coming soon

Good evening friends,

Today's reading continues the wrap up of Revelation. We've seen the great vision of the new heaven and new earth as God redeems creation. Now the angel of God promises that the end is soon. That's hard to believe, since it's been 2000 years. And yet, any day could be the last. 

God bless,
Sam

Revelation 22:6-12

⁶And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” ⁷“See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 

⁸I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me; ⁹but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” ¹⁰And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. ¹¹Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” ¹²“See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. 

lawlessness and the coming of Christ

Good morning sisters and brothers,
This passage is sort of a strange one and can confuse us with images of "the lawless one." The gist of the passage is a warning not to think the final day of Christ's return is already here. There was a movement of Christians who believed that in the early years of the church. The writer warns the people not to believe it. Beyond that, he also warns them that before the end there will be a powerful movement of evil led by Satan through "the lawless one." In other words, they should expect evil in the world to be powerful but at they shouldn't loose heart at that because it is actually a sign of God's coming triumph. The call is to persevere through hardship, knowing that God is victorious in the end.

Blessings on your perseverance and ministry today,
Sam

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here.

3Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. 4He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God. 5Do you not remember that I told you these things when I was still with you?

6And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed when his time comes. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now restrains it is removed. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of his coming.

9The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, 10and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false, 12so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.