1 Corinthians 1: 18

Revelation 19 vs.10 - And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
For further study - Revelation 19:1-21
Our devotional reading for today, the extended reading, starts with the "Hallelujah Chorus", verses 1-6. As you read these six verses you will see the Hallelujah for the Lord's work of "redemption", given for those of us who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour in salvation, verse 1.
Then the Hallelujah of "retribution", verses 2-3, judgment of the "great whore", a false religion. The third Hallelujah, verses 4-5, is "realization", the reality of the truth of God on His Throne. The final Hallelujah, verse 6, is lifting our voices to "the Lord God omnipotent, Who reigneth".
Next in this great chapter is the prophecy of the "marriage" and the "marriage supper of the lamb". These are two different events. Right after the Rapture we stand before Jesus Christ at the "Judgment Seat of Christ"

to have our works judged to determine which were "righteous deeds" which we did while on earth.

This "righteousness", verse 8, our righteous deeds, make up our "wedding gown" that we wear at the "marriage ceremony". After the marriage we go with Jesus to the "marriage supper of the lamb", verse 9, for a seven year celebration in the heavens.
At this point in history we are engaged to "marry" Jesus Christ. He has gone back to His Father's house to prepare a place for us, the "New Jerusalem". At the Rapture we go to be with Him as the "bride of Christ".
This whole prophecy follows along the lines of a Jewish wedding, the engagement, the marriage ceremony and the marriage celebration. While we are in the heavenlies with Jesus Christ, on earth a seven year Tribulation Period will unfold with all the judgments, Revelation 6-18.
Then Jesus, "called Faithful and True", verse 11, will mount His white horse and we also get on white horses, verse 14, and we follow our Lord who we have "married", back to earth for the Battle of Armageddon, verses 11-19.
The "beast", the Antichrist, verse 20, and the "false prophet" will be cast into the "lake of fire" to await Satan who will be thrown into the "lake of fire" a thousand years later, Revelation 20:7-10.
This is an amazing chapter, and it gives us an overall "big picture" of the events in the heavens during the "Tribulation Period", culminating with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and His victory over evil.
I believe this literally describes the events as they will happen, which is what John wrote down almost two thousand years ago. By the way, the next event is the Rapture which could happen today, so let's keep looking up.

PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for the fact that I will marry You, help me to prepare my "wedding garment" as I do righteous acts for Your glory and in Your power.

Revelation 21 vs.10 - And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

For further study - Revelation 21 & 22

I have suggested for our extended devotional reading for today the last two chapters of the Bible, Revelation 21 & 22. These two chapters reveal the period known as "eternity future" and is about the "new heaven, new earth and new Jerusalem".

This is the period after "history", the record of the time between Creation, Genesis 1:1, and the end of the earth and the heavens. There will be new heavens and a new earth, Revelation 21:1.

The reason the heavens and the earth of today must be destroyed is because they are "sin cursed". This is not a "makeover job", the heavens and earth will not be "refurbished" but instead burned up and made fresh, II Peter 3:10.

The "new Jerusalem", is described in Revelation 21:10-22:5. What a city this is going to be, where we live in "eternity future". The measurements indicate there will be space for over 20 billion people, more than have ever lived upon the earth since Creation.

It will "hang in space", thus not on the earth where "Jerusalem" is located, because of Revelation 21:22. This passage says there is not a "Temple" in the new Jerusalem and Ezekiel 37:26 and 28 says that there will be a "Temple" in the "earthly Jerusalem" forever.

There is no contradiction in scripture so therefore, the heavenly, "new Jerusalem", will be suspended in space similar to how the moon of our galaxy is today. You can read the description of our new eternal home.

Notice that Revelation 22:2 says that there is a "tree of life" in the "new Jerusalem", which makes available to us the opportunity to pick and then eat the fruit from this tree, fruit that is for eternal physical enrichment, Revelation 22:2.

John the Revelator reveals that we will "serve" Him forever, verse 3, and "worship" Him, for when we see His face we worship Him. Thus we fellowship, eat from the tree of life, serve Him and worship Him, forever.

As John draws this prophecy to its conclusion, Jesus tells the writer, "Behold I come quickly", verse 7. And then tells us how to live, "keeping the sayings of prophecy of this book".

Again, Jesus says, "Behold I come quickly", verse 12, and He brings His reward "to give every man according to His works". There is one more "I come quickly", verse 20, to which John replies, "Even so come Lord Jesus."

That is also my prayer today, "Even so come Lord Jesus." Is that your prayer, is the Second Coming of Jesus the number one priority in your life and ministry? It should be, it must be.

PRAYER THOT: Dear Lord, I have just one simple request, one prayer, "even so come Lord Jesus".

Romans 1 vs20 

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.

For further study - Romans 1:19-32

The extended portion of the reading for today is very difficult to read and then apply to our understanding of the Lord's way for us during these days.

The first two verses of our reading for today, including or key verse, reveal to us that all of “mankind” is without excuse, if they reject Jesus Christ. You might say, what about those who have never heard the gospel, the un-reached peoples of this world.

My first response has to be what Paul wrote to the Romans and, in fact, to all of us. All of humankind has the "light of conscience" and the "light of creation". We are all born as sinners but until we sear our conscience we know right from wrong. Also, in God's creation we can see His glory made manifest, Psalm 19.

After these un-reached accept the "light of conscience" and the "light of creation" the Lord will get the message of salvation to them. By the way, this is a great passage for worldwide missions. There are people out there who need to hear, and how can they hear unless we go?

Verses 21-32 discus a lifestyle that is prevalent today, "man leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their flesh, one toward another, men with men", verse 27. This is referring to a sexual relationship. The passage tells us that woman would do the same, "change the natural use into that which is against nature", verse 26.

Paul explains why this happens in verse 25. It's because mankind "changes the truth of God into a lie and worships and serves the creation more than the Creator". Because of these activities against God and against nature, He will give those who do so over to a “reprobate mind”, verse 28.

Please notice also that Paul warns those who allow this to continue, they are actually sinning against God and nature, they are in a position of receiving judgment as well, verse 32.

Before we conclude our thoughts on this passage I am reminded of a passage of prophetic truth recorded by Dr Luke who wrote the record of the Lord's message, which refer to these days.

The passage in Luke, chapter 17:28-30, speaks of the coming of the Lord back to the earth. The passage describes a day when He comes that will be similar to the "days of Lot". Remember, Lot was one who lived in Sodom.

Remember, the sins of "Sodom", described in our extended reading for today, brought judgment upon the people and Sodom and Gomorrah, which were both destroyed, forever.

We must pay attention to society today, as we study God's prophetic word, ie: Luke's record of the words of Jesus. We must realize where we are in God's time. These days are as it was in the “days of Lot”. It seems that we are quickly approaching the day when Jesus will shout and call us to join Him in the heavenlies. Today could be that day.

PRAYER THOT: Lord, help me to discern the times and to realize that your coming is very close. Help me to live my life in light of this knowledge.

Romans 1 vs.4 - And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

For further study - Romans 1:1-18

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome, in fact, all of the Christians in Rome while he was traveling across some parts of Europe and Asia preaching and teaching. Paul had become an apostle to the Gentiles which made up the body of Christ in Rome. Though Paul had not been to Rome, many of those who had trusted Christ and then would have moved to Rome, Paul had led to the Lord during one of his mission trips.

Some believe that Peter started the church in Rome which is entirely incorrect. Peter never even visited Rome much less started a church there. If anyone was responsible for the church in Rome it was Paul and his converts who went to live in Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire.

Paul was a great man of prayer, verse 9, and he held up the body of Christ in Rome to the Lord, as he says, without ceasing. Paul so very much wanted to visit the church in Rome to teach them the greater truths that the Lord had revealed to him.

Our key verse, verse 4, is such a powerful verse as it tells us that God had declared Jesus, His Son, to have power and that was made manifest by His resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead guaranteed He was the Son of God who died to take away our sins and He was the one qualified to do that. The resurrection also was a display of power that is available to all believers by faith, Ephesians 1:19-20.

There is one other authority that was given to Jesus as a result of His resurrection and that is to foretell the future. Revelation 1:18 is the testimony of the resurrected Jesus Christ. In Revelation 1:19, this resurrected Jesus Christ tells John the past, the present and the future.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ also is the power of God for salvation to the Jew first and to the Gentile, verse 16. Notice the last verse of our extended reading, verse 18. The wrath of God is and will be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.

This is a prophecy which says that when Jesus comes from heaven, He will come as the judge to judge ungodliness and unrighteousness, that which is spoken of not only in Romans 1:19-32 but the first 3 chapters of the book of Romans as well.

Romans 1:24-28 reveals the lifestyle of a growing number of people in our world and sets the stage for the time of the return of the Messiah Jesus Christ.

PRAYER THOT: Help me to live in and by the resurrected power of God made manifest in the resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Romans 9 vs13 - As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
For further study - Romans 9:6-14
Tucked into the doctrinal teaching of Paul in this prophetic eleventh chapter of Romans we find an example of the sovereignty of God as well as a very significant prophetic truth that will be played out in the end times.
Our key verse is a quote from an Old Testament prophet, the last of the prophets, Malachi. The quote is taken from the first chapter of Malachi where the Lord is speaking through "His messenger Malachi" to the Jews and the Palestinian people of today. I'll get into more on that in just a moment.
Malachi had told Jacob and the descendants of Jacob, the Jews, that he loved them, Malachi 1:2. Then in verse 3, Malachi records the words of the Lord that He "hated" Esau. This is the quote that Paul wrote to the Romans and in particular the Jews in the church in Rome.
Remember, Romans 9, 10 & 11 are a message to the Jews about Israel past, Romans 9; Israel present, Romans 10; and Israel prophetic, Romans 11.
Verse 14 of our extended reading for today is an answer to anyone who might question the Lord as to whether He was unrighteous in His statement that He "hated" Esau. This word "hate" is not expressing an "emotional experience" of the Lord.
Reading verses 10-12 will help us to understand that this is an example of the "sovereignty" of God, not a "hatred" of Esau and his descendants.

Notice in verse 11 how that before the twin boys of Isaac and Rebbecca were even born, "neither having done any good or evil", that the Lord "sovereignty selected" the younger twin to be born Jacob, to be served by the elder brother, Esau.

That was contrary to tradition, the eldest son was to receive the birthright and the blessing given to him by his Father so that he would continue the heritage of his Father. God changed that and while the boys were still in their mother's womb God determined that the elder would serve the younger.
This act of "hatred" had nothing to do with salvation, but selection, selecting the elder son to serve the younger son. This is a significant selection by the Lord. It put in place a 4,000 year long conflict that will only be settled when Jesus returns to earth.

A study of a number of passages will reveal that Jacob, the second born, "selected seed," would become the nation of the Jewish people, Israel. The elder son, Esau. would be the father of the Edomites, the Palestinian people of today. (See my audio series, "Esau and the Palestinians.")

Ezekiel 35, Malachi 1 and the little Old Testament book of Obediah reveal that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict started over 4.000 years ago and will only be resolved when Jesus Christ returns to Jerusalem, Obediah 15-18.

All the efforts of world leaders today will not completely the resolve Israeli-Palestinian (Jacob-Esau) conflict. Only Jesus can do that when he comes back.

By the way, the prophecies of this conflict between the Jews and the Palestinians have never been as intense as they are now, or at any other time in history. The prophetic resolution of the conflict could be very near to fulfillment.

The stage is set, all the actors are in place and the curtain is about to go up on the final act of this prophetic drama, keep looking up!

PRAYER THOT: Dear Lord, please help me to recognize Your prophetic scenario, playing out in current events, and help me to live my Christian life in light of Your soon return to settle all conflicts.

Romans 10 vs.12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

For further study - Romans 10:9-21

Today as I was getting ready to write the devotions, I all of a sudden realized I had missed Romans for our devotions two days ago. Therefore, I return to one of the great New Testament Epistles, written by the Apostle Paul, to do the devotions for today. Please forgive me for being absent-minded, it comes with the age.

Romans 10 is a very important passage as it relates to someone coming to faith in Jesus Christ, and in fact, the passage also reveals how each of us develop faith. As you read through the extended reading I am sure you will recognize the verses that are used when leading someone to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

In verse 9 we see the gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the power of God to all that believe, the Jews first, and also Gentiles, Romans 1:16, which is confirmation of verse 9.

Verse 13 is used by those who want to be saved as the statement made, inviting Christ into their heart. I can remember the day I quoted Romans 10:13 and asked Jesus into my heart. The verse is not only an invitation for Him to save us, but a guarantee that He will do so if we call upon Him. What a blessed promise.

By the way verse 12 says that this is the method of salvation, confessing and believing that Jesus rose from the dead, verse 9, and calling upon Him to save us, it is the method of salvation to the Greek, the Gentile and to the Jews.

Some today say that Jews do not have to come by the way of the cross and through Jesus Christ to be saved. That is heresy. All come to salvation, only through Jesus Christ.

There is so much I could share with you from this passage, let me notice with you two more great truths.

Verse 17 says that we are able to obtain faith by the Word of God and our hearing of the Word of God. We can help others have faith by speaking the Word of God so that they hear it and attain faith. We must go and speak the Word to those who need Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour.

Romans 10 is a message that is technically focusing on the Jewish people, as is Romans 9 & 11. Notice that we who come form a Gentile background, instead of a Jewish background, God has given us salvation so that we might be able to provoke Jews to jealousy, that they might want what we have in Jesus.

Even though God has a plan for the Jews in the future, we can be used by the Lord today to bring the message of salvation to His chosen people, as we watch the Lord preparing the Jews for His future program for them.

PRAYER THOT: Lord, please use me to speak Your Word of salvation to those who need it, both Gentiles and Jews.

Romans 11 vs25

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

For further study - Romans 11:7-25

Romans 9, 10 and 11 are very prophetic in their nature and they speak of Israel Past, Present and Prophetic. Romans 9 is “Israel past”, Romans 10 is “Israel present” and Romans 11 is “Israel prophetic”.

The phrase in our key verse, verse 25, is an accurate description of Israel today. They are a people that are blinded to the truths of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ.

This description of the Jewish people, however, sets the playing field even for those who are not Jewish to be a part of the end time scenario that will unfold leading up to the returning Messiah. By that, I mean that both Jews and Gentiles are able to come to Jesus Christ as the Messiah and their Saviour.

The phrase "fullness of the Gentiles" is referring to those Gentiles who have been saved since that first Gentile came to Christ, Cornelius, in Acts 10. God at that time set in motion the opportunity for all Gentiles to get saved.

Jewish people will have an opportunity to be saved today, because there are some Jews that will understand the gospel and get saved since it is only "blindness in part". However, the mass majority of the Jewish people are, by choice, blinded to the truth of the gospel.

The good news for the Gentile is that now the gospel message will be focused on them "until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." That "fullness of the Gentiles" is a term that is defined as the time when the last Gentile gets saved to make it the "fullness".

When is the "fullness" completed, I do not know, only the Lord knows that number. However, when it happens, the Lord will return and Jewish people, all of them, will hear the Gospel and have an opportunity to respond to the gospel and get saved.

Can Jews get saved before the "fullness?" The answer is yes. In fact, in our reading is the way to lead a Jew to Jesus Christ, verse 11. It tells us that we can provoke a Jew to turn to Jesus because he or she is jealous for what we have in Jesus.

That is the reason that God turned to the Gentiles, so He could use the Gentiles to provoke the Jews to jealousy and then bring them to Himself. In fact, leading Gentiles to the Lord actually helps hasten the return of the Lord.

PRAYER THOT: Make my life in Christ that which provokes others to jealousy so that they might come to Jesus Christ and thus bring the Lord back sooner.

Romans 14 vs10 - But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

For further study - Romans 14:1-13

Paul is writing to the church in Rome, in chapter 14, at least the first part of the chapter, about a problem among the people of the church.

There are those who are saying, "We can eat this or that but we must not eat the other." Then there are those who say, "We esteem this day more important than any other and you don't do that." Paul addresses these issues in several ways.

Paul says whatever we eat, if we are Christians, it's unto the Lord, verse 6. Also, what day we esteem, that will be done unto the Lord as well. In fact, Paul says, if we are alive we are living unto the Lord, or we should be doing so, verse 8.

Then Paul exhorts the Romans, as well as each of us today, to stop judging one another any more. Paul says what must be judged is that we must not put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in our brothers way, verse 13.

Paul then asks the question, "Why doest thou judge your brother, verse 10, especially in light of the fact that we are all going to stand before the "Judgment Seat of Christ" one day.

This is not a judgment to determine whether we are saved or lost, that will be determined before we ever get to the "Judgment Seat of Christ". There will be only "saved" people at the "Judgment Seat of Christ".

Verse 12 states that "Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God." The "Judgment Seat of Christ" takes place right after the Rapture of the Church. When we leave this earth at the time that Jesus shouts to call us up to join Him in the "air", I Thessalonians 4:13-18, we stand before the Lord right at that moment, in the "twinkling of an eye", I Corinthians 15:52.

After departing earth we are face to face with Jesus, in order that we can give an account of ourselves. It's at the "Judgment Seat" that we are judged to determine that our works are those which qualify as our "righteous acts", Revelation 19:8. These "righteous acts" make up our "wedding garment" for the "marriage ceremony" and the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb".

Also at the "Judgment Seat" we will be given "crowns" as rewards, crowns for bringing our bodies under subjection, I Corinthians 9:27; for being soul-winners, I Thessalonians 2:19; for not yielding to temptation, James 1:12; for helping young believers grow in the Lord, I Peter 5:1-14; and for eagerly looking for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, II Timothy 4:8.

We will then take these crowns to the throne, where Jesus is seated, and we cast them at the feet of Jesus in thanksgiving for what He has, is, and will do for us, Revelation 4:10.

Paul has a great question for each of us as we close our time in the Word for this devotional, why do we judge our brothers and sisters?

PRAYER THOT: Help me to live today, Lord, knowing I will stand at the "Judgment Seat of Christ", to receive crowns to cast at Your feet in thanksgiving. Help me not to judge others, but to make sure I am not a stumbling block.

Ruth 1 vs.16 - And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
For further study - Ruth 1:1-16
The book of Ruth is one of the greatest love stories ever written.

It is also the story of the "Kinsman Redeemer" which is a type of Christ as it relates to our salvation. We'll have more on that subject in another devotional. With these two themes there is also the record of Gentiles and Jews both in the line to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The Lord will use the love that Ruth had for her mother-in-law and the love that Boaz, the Kinsman, would develop for Ruth to teach us some very important concepts. The integration of Jews and Gentiles in the genealogy to Jesus is one. The other is how two peoples will become one people, through the person Jesus Christ.

I need to develop these thoughts for you by looking at the story line here in the first chapter of Ruth. The scene is a time of famine in Israel about 1300 years before the birth of Jesus. The location is the little town of Bethlehem and the scene, a Jewish family which includes two boys. Elimelech will take his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion across the Jordan River, to the east, into the country of Moab, a Gentile nation. This Jewish family will be assimilated into the Gentile culture as the two boys find and marry Gentile girls, Orpah and Ruth.

With the death of Naomi's husband and their two sons, there is a situation that Naomi must deal with as it relates to her daughters-in- law. Naomi offers them their freedom to return to their own families in Moab, the Gentile world from which they had come. The one daughter-in-law, Orpah, did depart to return home but Ruth told Naomi, "where thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest I will lodge."

Ruth then made a statement that has great prophetic significance.

"Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God." The prophetic impact is two-fold. The ancestral line from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, which also includes King David is set in place and it includes a Gentile woman, Ruth. Ruth is the great grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:13-22) and in the genealogy to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5).

We also see how God will take two people who were at enmity with each other with a "Wall of Partition" between them, Gentile and Jew, and make one new man, a Christian, out of this union. The Bible teaches that God has a plan in the future for each of the three members of the human family, Gentile, Jew, and Christian.

The prophetic plan for each family member is now being played out. As we watch that plan unfold, we can recognize where we are in God's timeline for the end times.

PRAYER THOT: Help me to see my part in God's plans for the future even as Ruth did.

Ruth 2 vs16 - And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.