Rv22

"Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done....The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price."

This is a powerful invitation to close our bibles! Jesus is coming back. He will bring judgement on the earth. Anyone who has not embraced the gospel will be eternally damned. Yet...the final words of revelation are not judgement, but grace. Grace in a word..."Come."

The Holy Spirit is calling out to everyone. The Bride (Christ's church) is calling out to everyone. And we, those who believe, should be calling out to everyone. Until Jesus returns we should be offering the invitation to come to Jesus.

And these final words of grace, "let the one who desires take the water of life without price." Come.

Rv21

"Behold, I am making all things new." - God

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! A day is soon coming when God will fix every broken thing, take away every pain, heal every disease, and wipe away every tear of sadness. He will make everything perfect. He will be the centerpiece and the focus of our heavenly community. It will all be "very good".

Today is a day of thanksgiving. It is to be a day of remembrance and a day of gratitude. Choose today to be grateful to God for all He has done. Choose an attitude of gratitude. Choose to speak words of kindness and grace. Be a blessing to others as you interact with them.

Today is also a day to remember those who are less blessed than we are. Many in our country will go hungry on this day of feasting. Much of the world still lives in hunger and poverty. Remember to give thanks for them also. Remember to pray that God will pour out his love on those who are less blessed in this world.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Rv20

"If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." V.15

How much do we actually know about God's word? Many of us "think we know", but most have never really taken the time to examine the scriptures for ourselves to see what God has truly said. These are alarming verses, and if true, matter more than anything else in life! What will happen to us when we die?

There is a book. It is called the "book of life". There are names written in this book. If our name is not written in this book, we will be eternally judged by God and will not see heaven. Our destination will be a "lake of fire." If our name is written in this book, we will escape God's judgement and heaven will be our eternal home.

Do not let these things escape our time, energy and effort. It is what truly matters. Jesus said, "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? What can a man give in exchange for his soul?"

See what God says for yourself. Get help. Don't leave this question to chance.

Rv19

"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war."

Do we believe that Jesus will return to earth in this way? Do our lives reflect that we believe it could happen any day? There is no question that the early believers believe Jesus would return in their lifetime. How much more so would it be true of us!

Jesus is coming back to judge the earth. A time is coming, and soon will be, when we all will stand before God. My plan is to live today in the light of that reality. I want my life to matter. I want to be ready for Christ return.

Let's do something today that suggests that we believe these things.

Rv18

Sexual immorality and wealth are the most common themes which describe a godless Babylon! These two things would also be key descriptors of our nation! Where has purity gone? Does a person's faithfulness to God and a spouse still have value in this culture? Does wealth give me permission to do whatever I want?

A time is coming, and soon will be, when every wrong will be made right. A time for judgement. A time when truth will prevail and God's rule and reign will be absolute. Are we keeping ourselves pure? Are we using the wealth God has entrusted to us to advance His purposes?

God help us all.

Rv17

There is no sin like sexual sin! It has devastated men and women from the beginning of time and it will continue to destroy lives until Jesus returns and makes everything new.

"The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality."

Purity is a precious gift from God. We gain it through God's grace and we maintain it through his strength. None of us is exempt from the temptation of sexual sin. Few of us pursue purity the way God would desire.

Commit today to keep yourself free from sexual sin. Turn your eyes, heart and bodies to bringing glory to Jesus. This moment is not what matters. Eternity is what matters. It is in the moments of life that eternity is forged!

Rv15

What will be the phrase that will describe our lives when we are gone? For Moses it was, "the servant of God". We will all leave a legacy. I pray that mine will be related to my faith and obedience.

Listen to the song that flowed from Moses' heart:
"Great and amazing are you deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed "

Live today for what matters. Let's live our lives for the things that matter for ever. Let's consider what will be said about us when we are gone. Both our reputation and legacy will be established on the pattern of our lives. One day at a time.

Rv14

"Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus."

The overwhelming call of christianity is to obey and endure. Obey God in the midst of difficulty. This has been christianity from the beginning and it is STILL true today. If you are embracing an "easy christianity", you might be holding on to a false gospel.

Following Jesus has never been easy. Don't hear me wrong, it is the blessed path, but it is also not the easy one. Jesus declared, "Enter by the narrow gate!" It is not easy, it is right.

Anyone who calls you to follow Jesus for "your best life now" is calling you to follow a false gospel. Live strong today. Make the hard choice of sacrifice and endurance.

Rv12

As I read Rev. 12, my mind keeps drifting to the events of these days! Unprecedented struggles in our nation and it seems the divisions are getting greater. NO human leader or institutions will bring unity or peace into these things. Only Jesus.

He is the King. Our job as His servants is to serve Him and bring Him glory. We will overcome through Christ. We will be those who "hold to the testimony of Jesus and keep the commandments of God."

We cannot control the events of these days any more than we could have changed the great war in heaven between Michael and Satan. Yet, we do determine our own actions, activities and words.

It's good that we pray! It is also good for us to obey.

Rv11

"We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth." v. 17-18

God is not out of control today. He never has been and He never will be. Today is yet another day that is firmly in His grasp. We trust in you God. We will follow your ways today. Make us a people who long for your reign today. We are your servants. Help us to fear your name and follow hard after you.

Rv8-10

I don't know what to feel this morning. A new president has been elected. A new era has begun. We didn't have a good option. Thank God He is still King of the Universe and he is returning soon.

God's plan has never been shaken. God's plan will never be shaken. We are not the center of the universe. Let's live our lives today in light of this reality. God is in control and He will continue to reign regardless of the events of our day.

Choose to obey Him today with our words and actions.

Rv7

Imagine a place where there will be "no more tears". No pain. No sorrow. No disappointment. No shame. No sin. No death. No grief. No evil. Only good.

That place actually exists. It is unbelievable but not unimaginable. We all long for that place. It is the place of peace. It is the place of rest. It is the reality of the presence of the rule of God. Today we have tears. In heaven that will all be gone.

Yesterday two officers were brutally murdered in DesMoines! So many tears. So much sorry. So much grief. The pain of death. It's unbelievable to think about the brokenness that surrounds us every day. Our souls are so broken. Our culture is desperately in need of Christ.

We long for heaven. The place of "no more tears".

Rv6

"The great day of wrath has come, and who can stand?" The voices of the martyrs has been heard and God is turned from his mercy and poured out his wrath on the earth! This will be a horrible and violent day. The stage is set.

When I was a child I used to fear the coming of Jesus. Every time I heard about Christ's return, I would tremble in fear. And I should have. I had no regard for God, his word or his commands. I was pursuing my own way.

Even today I tremble at the thought of God's wrath being poured out! If it was not for his mercy, no one would have a prayer. Yet, God, rich in mercy has been pouring out his kindness on us from the beginning. The cross was the ultimate act of mercy. Wow.

The days of God's mercy will soon end. Will we be among those who responded to his grace and mercy? I pray so.

Rv5

Jesus "was slain, and by his blood he ransomed people for God, and they shall reign on earth." V. 9

Jesus paid our ransom and has freed us from the wrath of God. Only he can save. Only he can rescue. Imagine how we would live if we truly thought about this daily and lived in its reality!

We were slaves to sin! We were under God's wrath and judgement! We were hell bound! Jesus changed all that through his sacrifice on the cross. Now we are free from sin's power. We are subjects of God's mercy. Heaven is our destination.

There is nothing better than this! These facts should change the way we live today.