“Nor did they repent …”

The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood-idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
(Revelation 9:20-21; NIV. Please read Revelation 8-9.)

There are people who will suffer the judgment of God … and still refuse to repent. Please God do not let us live so long … or become so corrupt.

ON SECOND THOUGHT: When I was a boy, all my father had to do … to get me to “straighten up” was to give me one of his “looks”. (My daughter was that way too.) May my heart always be so sensitive to pleasing my Father that He never has to send the plagues of judgment to get my attention or to bring about my repentance.

“… spread His tent over them …”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.
16 Never again will they hunger;
never again will they thirst.
The sun will not beat upon them,
nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;
he will lead them to springs of living water.
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
(Revelation 7:14-17; NIV. Please read Revelation 6-7.)

There is a place … where there is no hunger – no thirst … where there is shade from the scorching heat and springs of living water … where there is comfort.

Some call it heaven … some insist it is church. I do not care what you call it – I just want to be there … now and forever.

It seems to me that the where is not what really matters … but the who. The Father is there to spread His tent over me … to wipe away my tears. The Lamb is there to wash me clean and to lead me beside “living waters”.

ON SECOND THOUGHT: If I read these words without interpreting them – just my heart responding to them, I feel a longing to be there. Especially today. 

“… the center of the throne …”

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
(Revelation 5:6-7; NIV. Please read Revelation 4-5.)

Look upon the throne of the Almighty God – the source of all power and authority. Look to the “center of the throne”. There stands the Lamb … the Lamb that was offered as a sacrifice for us. It was His blood that allowed God to passover us in judgment. It was His blood that paid the price for our ransom. It was His blood that washed our sins away.

When temptation entices … when sin is conceived … when any trouble comes … draw near to the throne. The One who stands at the center … loves us … to death.

ON SECOND THOUGHT: If you can … read these words from God again. Do not try to interpret them … just let your heart respond to them. Can you see the images … can you feel the awe … can you offer the praise?

“These are the words …”

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
(Revelation 2:1; NIV. Please read Revelation 2-3.)

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
(Revelation 2:8-9; NIV.)

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.
(Revelation 2:12; NIV.)

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
(Revelation 2:18; NIV.)

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
(Revelation 3:1; NIV.)

These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David.
(Revelation 3:7; NIV.)

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
(Revelation 3:14; NIV. Please read Revelation 2-3.)

Each Church … receives a message … a personal word … from the Head of that body … the Shepherd of that flock … the Groom of that bride … the King of that kingdom … the Savior of that Church. What else is there to do … but listen. He who has ears to hear … let him hear!

ON SECOND THOUGHT: Going through my mail everyday … I simply check the return address to determine whether I will stash or trash. If I get a letter from a travel agent – it’s trash! But if I get a letter from an IRS agent – it goes to the top of the stash. The difference? The importance of the one sending the letter. So …  what must it be like to get a letter from the “first and the last” … “the faithful and true witness” … “the Son of God”? We should know … we have a book full of them. Have you read any good books lately?

“… grace and peace …”

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father-to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
(Revelation 1:4-6; NIV. Please read Revelation 1.)

When you read this letter from Jesus through John … you will be tempted to “figure it out”. You will want to “interpret” every horn and head. That is a good study … and can be very enlightening.

But these words were written to bless those who read and obey … to give peace and comfort to those who believe. So … read it this time with your heart open to the promises … to the proofs … that our Savior and Lord … sits in the center of the throne of the Amighty and that He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

ON SECOND THOUGHT: I do not know who said it … but it applies to this word from God. “I do not know what the future holds … but I know who holds the future.”

“… that all may go well with you …”

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
(3 John 2-4; NIV. Please read 3 John.)

Please pray this for me … and that it will be an accurate and sincere prayer that reflects my life.

ON SECOND THOUGHT: On the wall of my office … in front of my desk … is a large wooden plaque with these words: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth”. It speaks the truth of my heart about my children …

“… walk in love …”

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
(2 John 4-6; NIV. Please read 2 John.)

The request is simple enough (not necessarily easy – but simple) … “I ask that we love one another”.

The first time John heard those words … he was reclining next to Jesus at the Passover supper in the upper room. 

I wonder if he could remember the smell of the unleavened bread … 

I wonder if he could remember the touch of the Teacher’s hands as Jesus washed his feet …   

But I know for sure that he remembered the new commandment. I should too.

ON SECOND THOUGHT: If Jesus says it, that should be enough. but when He gave this commandment a “new” status … and then backed it up with His own demo … HOW IN THE WORLD CAN WE TREAT IT AS IF IT IS ANYTHING LESS THAN THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE EVER HEARD? So … have you taken it to heart in your own life … have you shared it with your children … have you demonstrated it to your brothers or sisters?

“… set our hearts at rest …”

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
(1John 3:19-20; NIV. Please read 1John 1-5.)

The same Jesus that inspired these words said once before, “Do not let your hearts be troubled …”

He wants our hearts to “rest”.

So … how do we “set our hearts at rest” … especially, when “our hearts condemn us”?

Hear these words from God: “For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.”

These words were written – not to frighten us – not to “scare Hell out of us” … but help us “set our hearts at rest”. So … let them.

ON SECOND THOUGHT: To refuse this “rest” – His rest – would be like Peter – refusing the hand of Jesus and trying to swim back to the boat … like the woman “caught in the act” - refusing the pardon of Jesus and hitting herself in the head with a rock … like the thief on the cross – refusing the invitation to paradise and hanging on to damnation. I am NOT going to refuse this “rest”. I am going to find it … hold on to it … and pass it on!

“… many other things …”

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
(John 21:25; NIV. Please read John 21.)

“Jesus did many other things as well.”

Like what? I would love  to know. Is that one of the blessings of heaven … that we will get to see or know those things?

ON SECOND THOUGHT: If you could see just one more thing that Jesus did …  what would you like to see Jesus do? Another miracle? Another teaching? To hear Him laugh? To watch Him with children?

“… that you may believe …”

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
(John 20:30-31; NIV. Please read John 20.)

Jesus fed 5,000 men with 5 biscuits and 2 fish (a kosher Long John Silver’s happy meal) … to confirm that He was/is “the bread of life”.

Jesus healed a blind man (using mud made from his own saliva) … to confirm that He was/is “the light of the world”.

Jesus raised His friend, Lazarus, from the dead (in spite – I’m sure – of Lazarus’ objections) … to confirm that He was/is “the resurrection and the life”.

Jesus overcame death (ripping the gates off of Hell) … to confirm that He was/is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”.

He did even more … but these were written, so that I could believe in Him and have life.

I believe. 

ON SECOND THOUGHT: If I want my friends to believe in Jesus … would it not make sense for me to share with them these stories … to show them those things that can cause them to believe? Maybe more than our lists of verses to prove our point … maybe they need to hear of the “signs” that caused people to believe in Jesus then and now.