Friday, April 30, 2010

This blog has moved


This blog is now located at http://meredevotion.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://meredevotion.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Read More ...

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Final Considerations



Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."

Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

Revelation 22:12-16


John details to us in the final portion of his revelation some promises and warnings from Jesus. These are not only some of the final words from John's book but also from the New Testament and the Bible itself.

Although all of Scripture is inspired by God, perhaps we should read these words as a closing statement -like something John wants to leave us with.

Suppose you had read the entire Bible and at the end you found this passage written on a sticky. Perhaps you could read the note (with whatever questions or uncertainty you had about it) as a bottom line.

Human beings travel many avenues of deception. One of the more common paths by which people go astray is through doubt concerning the payoff or the cost of a decision.

If the payoff of a decision is in question, the decision will be much harder to make. If a person believes a choice has absolutely nothing for him, he will not make that choice.

Jesus promises the right to eat at the tree of life and the possibility of entering in through the gates and going into the city. He describes the payoff he is carrying as being with him. The reward is very real to Jesus, but everyone who hears the gospel must ask themselves how real that reward is to them. Do they believe the rewards Jesus has to hand out are real? Real enough to change the way we live?

Costs affect a decision just like payoffs do. If a person wants to buy something and discovers it may cost more than he wanted to pay, the decision to purchase is brought into question.

Jesus reminds his disciples that following him will cost them something. They will have to give up their magic arts, their sexual immorality, their murder, idolatry, and their love and practice of falsehood.

Many people live as though the gospel does not require any change in the way they live. In some churches this false non-requirement is the gospel! Jesus wants you to understand that any real following of him will mean giving up certain ways of living.

Salvation is not a matter of personal achievement (it was purchased with the blood of Jesus), but we are told by Christ that some people who do certain things will not see the same reward as those who wash their robes.

As decision makers, we should remember the reward Christ has promised to those who believe and follow him. We must also remember to count the cost and remove all the evil practices from our lives that are involved in.

Christ is coming soon! Just as he left the earth, he will return to it.

May his chosen ones prepare their hearts, their souls, their minds, and their strength for his return.

Amen.

Read More ...