Revelation 22 Devotion

“We are the champions, my friends.And we’ll keep on fighting till the end. We are the champions, we are the champions. No time for losers, ’cause we are the champions of the world” (We are the Champions by Queen). Jesus wins! Jesus wins! Jesus wins! We have fought the good fight and have been rewarded with eternity in Heaven. There’s no more worry or anxiety. No pain or sorrow, and we’re in perfection with the Father. “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.” (Revelation‬ ‭22:1-2, 12-13, 20-21‬ ‭NLT‬‬). Jesus came as a baby, lived a perfect life, died for our sins, defeated death, lives in us, created Heaven for us, and is coming back soon! What a sweet victory! Jesus wins! Jesus wins! Jesus wins! Heaven will be glorious! Life with Jesus is incredible. Live your life for Christ and tell the world about what He’s done for you. Thank you Jesus for Your word! We love you! Amen!

Questions 1.) What is your favorite rock song? (If you don’t like rock, what’s your favorite song?)    2.) What has been your favorite part about reading through the New Testament?

Revelation 21 Devotion

It sounds too good to be true! Have you ever been offered something that sounded way to good to be true? We see this all the time on the internet. “Buy this brand new car for $12.”   “4 night beach vacation for $100.”  There’s always a catch. “If it sounds too good to be true, it’s truly too good to be true!” That car is a scam. That beach vacation is really a shack on the Mississippi River infested with snakes. However, when it comes to audacious promises, God always delivers. In Revelation 21, God throws out the most incredible offer. Check it out! “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” (Revelation‬ ‭21:1-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬). Take that offer! Take that offer 8 days a week! Jesus Christ wants to spend eternity with you in Heaven. A place of gold with no pain or suffering. A place where we will thirst no more. All of Jesus’ promises are yes and Amen! Say yes to Jesus now and forever.

Questions 1.) What is a crazy offer you’ve experienced that you knew was fake?    2.) What part of Revelation 21 excites you the most?

Revelation 20 Devotion

“DON’T MESS WITH HIM! I’m telling you… don’t mess with him.” In high school I had a friend that didn’t look incredibly intimidating. His name was Tyler. He was a nice kid and for the most part minded his own business. One day, some loudmouth started in on Tyler. We warned the loudmouth to stop or he’d regret what would happen next. Of course mr. loudmouth kept going and ignored our advice. He got in Tyler’s face and said something offensive. Tyler looked at him,  knocked him out cold on the ground, stepped over unconscious loudmouth, and walked out the door. It was awesome! Now, I’m not advocating for violence or fighting, but it felt so good to see ‘loudmouth the bully’ get what he deserved. In Revelation 20, we get to see Satan, the devil, our enemy get what he deserves. “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the dragon—that old serpent, who is the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years. The angel threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so Satan could not deceive the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterward he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” (Revelation‬ ‭20:1-4‬ ‭NLT‬‬). Know this… Just because Jesus is sometimes quiet, does not mean He is absent or weak. Just as loudmouth was no match for Tyler, Satan is no match at all for Jesus. One day Jesus will chain Satan up and throw him into the pit. Satan will have no power over us and Jesus will reverse the destruction the devil has made. Satan will enjoy the torment he has dished out to us. Not even death can hold back God’s reversibility powers. Jesus will conquer the enemy and raise the dead believers into His presence. Stand firm in your faith and trust in the timing, authority, grace, and power of Jesus Christ!

Questions 1.) Have you ever witnessed a fight? How did it go? If not… if you were to be in a fight, what’s the first thing you’d do?    2.)  When talking to others about Christ, how would you tell them about Jesus’ final victory of evil, sin, and death?

Revelation 19 Devotion

A few years ago, my best friends father was killed in a car accident. I flew to Atlanta to attend the funeral. I walked in expecting to see people crying and mourning the loss of a family member and friend. Instead, I walked into a church packed to max capacity. There were 6 pastors from the community along with a band and full choir. The time came for the service to begin and worship erupted from everyone in attendance. Everyone was singing! Some were even dancing! It was as if someone hit a worship switch and everyone let lose. No one cared what anyone else thought, they simply worshipped. If it weren’t for the casket, you wouldn’t know it was a funeral. This was the first funeral I had attended where there was intense joy and worship. They had figured out that this believer was now in Heaven and they wanted to worship with Him and thank God for how good He is. They knew what a lot of believers have forgotten. Through righteous life, and even death, real victory and praise is declared. In Revelation 19 we see what real victory and praise looks like in Jesus’ final victory! “After this, I heard what sounded like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, “Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. And again their voices rang out: “Praise the Lord! The smoke from that city ascends forever and ever!” Then the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting on the throne. They cried out, “Amen! Praise the Lord!” And from the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all his servants, all who fear him, from the least to the greatest.” Then I heard again what sounded like the shout of a vast crowd or the roar of mighty ocean waves or the crash of loud thunder: “Praise the Lord! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse. And the vultures all gorged themselves on the dead bodies.” (Revelation‬ ‭19:1, 3-6, 11, 20-21‬ ‭NLT‬‬). Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Amen! Praise the Lord! Heaven is worshipping in such a way that it sounds like waves and thunder crashing. Jesus is coming to claim final victory over Satan and his army. What a glorious day it will be and what a glorious God we serve. The day of final judgement will not be sad for believers! It will be a day of worship and praise! Just like a funeral of a believer! Thank You Jesus for Your comfort! Thank You for your victory! You are worthy to be praised!

Questions 1.) If you were to plan your funeral, what are 3 things you’d want?    2.) In your own words, describe what you see when you think of worship in Heaven.

Revelation 18 Devotion

“That’s Karma!” How many times have you seen someone do something rude or ignorant and almost immediately pay the consequences for it? Naturally, someone is bound to yell, “THAT’S KARMA!” Now, I don’t believe in Karma, but I do believe that sometimes we get exactly what we deserve. When someone flies past you on the highway and you see them 60 seconds later pulled over by a cop on the side of the road. When someone’s annoyingly trying to show off and gets hurt. There are times where we get exactly what we deserve and other times that our decisions have delayed consequences. If you ate McDonald’s for breakfast, Chic-Fil-A for lunch, Starbucks for snack/coffee time, and Dominos for dinner, you might not immediately see the weight gain, but it will come, especially if you do that consistently for a week.  In our walk with Christ, our decisions don’t always result in someone yelling, “THAT’S KARMA!” Here’s the scoop, there will come a day when our decisions will come to a conclusion. In Revelation 18 we see that God is no longer allowing Satan to get away with sin and no consequence. “Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds. Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her. She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow. She boasted in her heart, ‘I am queen on my throne. I am no helpless widow, and I have no reason to mourn.’” (Revelation‬ ‭18:4-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬). For every action there is a reaction,  and for a life without Jesus is eternity away from Jesus. Luckily for us, Christ in His glorious grace is warning us and asking us to live for Him. Today, take a moment and look in the mirror. Ask yourself if you’re living your life in step with God’s leadings. Don’t bank on Karma to bring you what you want. Bank on Jesus! Bank on His mercy and grace. Show the world who Jesus is by how you live with Him. Thank You Jesus for Your warnings! Thank You Jesus for Your love! Today, we turn to You and praise You!

Questions 1.) What is an example of “Karma” that you’ve experienced?    2.) What is something that we as the American church need to morph to better reach the unchurched? 

Revelation 17 Devotion

Did you have a sibling or a friend that never seemed to get caught for the bad things they did? It seemed like you got caught for everything and they got caught for absolutely nothing. Your parents or teachers would punish you but somehow they got away with murder. Revelation 17 has a lot going on, but there is one thing for sure. Evil is exposed for what it is and John is told again in his vision that the Lamb, the Lord of Lords, is coming soon to triumph over evil forever. “So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement. Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.” (Revelation 3,6,14 NLT). As a kid I remember I would get so frustrated that my brothers or friends wouldn’t get busted for the bad they did. It sure was sweet when they would finally get caught! It sure is sweet to see the beast, the evil, Satan, and all of his followers thrown into Hell. It’s sad to see people turn from God, but sweet to finally see Satan put in his place. No more pain! No more suffering! The war isn’t over, but the end is near! God will win! Thank You Jesus for fighting for me! 

Questions 1.) Did you have someone in your life that never got caught for anything?    2.) How would you briefly describe the final battle between God and Satan?

Revelation 16 Devotion

Do you lay your clothes out at night for the next day? Experts say that those who take time each night to pick out their clothes for the next day are more organized, less stressed, and generally more successful in the mornings. Each morning you wake up prepared and ready to go. Others wake up, search through their closet, drawers, and sometimes their hamper. Life is much easier when we are prepared. Our life with Jesus is the same. Our daily time with him, our prayer life, and most importantly our salvation. We must be ready. Revelation 16 teaches us to be ready for judgement and to be ready for Jesus’ second coming. “And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, “You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments. Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. His subjects ground their teeth in anguish, “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.” Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air. And a mighty shout came from the throne in the Temple, saying, “It is finished!” (Revelation‬ ‭16:5, 10, 15, 17‬ ‭NLT‬‬). It is finished! There is a since of accomplishment and peace when we prepare for the future. From retirement planning all the way to picking out our clothes for the next day. Just before Jesus died on the cross, He yelled “It is finished.” When He comes back, Christ will judge the world and all will be finished. Now is the time to get right with Jesus. Now is the time to prepare your heart for eternity. Now is the time to spread the gospel. Let’s spend less time frantically looking for matching socks and more time looking for Jesus.

Questions 1.) Do you lay out your clothes the night before?   2.) Have you ever thought about your judgement with Christ?

Revelation 15 Devotion

I couldn’t believe James was about to let me play his guitar. When I was in high school there was a family friend that was a fantastic musician. His name was James and he owned a 1964 Epiphone acoustic guitar. James would sit on the front porch of our friends house and sing rock, gospel, and country music. I was fascinated by the way he could play and sing that incredible guitar. James had this captivating personality and could always cheer you up. I wasn’t sure how much his guitar was worth, but I knew it was worth a lot more than mine and I never dared to ask to play it. James knew I was learning to play and we both loved the same music. One day we were sitting on the porch and he held out his guitar and said, play that new country song we both like. I accepted and started playing Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker. I dug the pick into the strings as we started belting “Heyyyyyy Heyyyyyy Mamma Rock Me.” I love music! I love playing music and singing even more. In Revelation 15, John sees a vision of God handing harps to the people who had been victorious over Satan. Can you imagine how incredible it would be to have God himself craft you and hand you a harp? “Then I saw in heaven another marvelous event of great significance. Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God’s wrath to completion. I saw before me what seemed to be a glass sea mixed with fire. And on it stood all the people who had been victorious over the beast and his statue and the number representing his name. They were all holding harps that God had given them. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God, the Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous deeds have been revealed.” (Revelation‬ ‭15:1-4‬ ‭NLT‬‬). In the midst of all of the chaos of the 7 angels and the plagues, the people of Christ gather together with their harps from God and worship the Almighty. They start praising God for how incredible and how holy He is. Let this be a great reminder that God is sovereign and worthy to be praised. He deserves our worship when things are going well. He wants our worship when things are going poorly. He should get our worship when things are going crazy. Sing to the Lord! Worship Him with gladness and thanksgiving. James and I would worship Jesus with that old Epiphone guitar. I think we were just practicing for what we get to do for eternity in Heaven….. worshipping our Savior. Thank You Jesus for your goodness and grace.

Questions 1.) If you could inherit any musical instrument from anyone in the world, who would it be and what would the instrument be?    2.). In your own words, describe what you think the worship area will look like in Heaven?

Revelation 14 Devotion

Today I had a Walmart wake up call. I ran into Walmart to grab a handful of essentials. I was in a hurry and made sure to get everything in the cart and to the checkout lane as fast and efficient as possible. Have you ever wondered why Walmart has 16 checkout lanes and a dozen self checkout lanes but yet there are never more than three lanes open? All of the self checkout lanes were closed and they had two lanes open. Yay! Did I mention I was in a hurry? After about 26 minutes of standing in a line that wasn’t moving, I started getting pretty irritated. Just as I was about to audibly express my frustration to the entire store an older gentlemen walked by me and changed my perspective. He was talking to himself and he said, “Praise God, it’s a beautiful day to praise the Lord.” I’m pretty sure he was trying to calm himself down, but he was 100% right. Sometimes I read the Bible and think, how could those idiots fall into sin so easily? Who cares if everyone else turned from God! Come on bible people! Get your act together! Then God sends a reminder for me to get my act together. We are called to live a life for Jesus and point others to Jesus even at Walmart. Even when we’re frustrated. Even when everyone else is throwing a fit. That’s when people need Jesus the most. In Revelation, 14 we see that Satan does not win over the entire earth. There are Christians that have stayed pure and they are rewarded for it. “Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. They have told no lies; they are without blame. And I saw another angel flying through the sky, carrying the eternal Good News to proclaim to the people who belong to this world—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. “Fear God,” he shouted. “Give glory to him. For the time has come when he will sit as judge. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all the springs of water.” This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently, obeying his commands and maintaining their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!” )Revelation‬ ‭14:1, 5-7, 12-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬). Satan will always act like he is bigger than he is. However, in reality he’s like an angry chihuahua. The Devi’s bark is much bigger than his bite. In the end God will prevail. Jesus has asked us to endure our persecution and maintain our faith. If we do this we are blessed indeed. It doesn’t matter if we are at church, the gym, or Walmart. Our Lord and Savior has given us a new life and He wants us to tell the world about it. Go today and tell the world about Jesus!

Questions 1.) What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about Walmart?    2.) Where should Christians consider going to tell people about Jesus? (Popular store, hang spot, etc)

Revelation 13 Devotion

Did your parents or life leaders ever tell you “cheaters never win?” Did it ever confuse you that adults would say that, and yet you would see cheaters “winning” all the time. You would see classmates cheat on tests and not get caught. You’d see kids on the playground cheat during kickball and nothing would happen. You’d see spouses cheat on their significant others and carry on. You’d see politicians cheat and lie their way into office and no one seemed to care. How could these so called wise adults be so wrong? Clearly, cheaters do win…. a lot! So were our parents right? Yes! Cheaters may win the battle, but they will never win the war! In the end, you will not last on top for long as a cheater. From a Christian worldview, you can live of the world and seem like you’re winning until the final buzzer and you’ll realize that all of your worldly winnings mean nothing in the eyes of God. In Revelation 13 we see a time where it seems like the main cheater and deceiver of all time is victorious forever. “Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. And all the people who belong to this world worshiped the beast. They are the ones whose names were not written in the Book of Life that belongs to the Lamb who was slaughtered before the world was made. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword. This means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful.” (Revelation‬ ‭13:1, 8-10‬ ‭NLT). We see that the beast from the enemy is in control of many people in the world. Fortunately, there are still some left that ‬‬are living for God. We are told that those destined for prison will go to prison and those destined to die will die. This is a great reminder that cheaters will be found out and disqualified. They may get away with it once, twice, or maybe even for years. However, there is no doubt that this is temporary and cheaters are only cheating themselves from truly winning. Satan loves to deceive us. Here we see him using everything he can think of to win us over. Then, he resorts to scare tactics and marking his followers. Pay close attention to how Satan lures you and how Christ loves you. Trust in the Lord and endure! Remain faithful and your reward is eternity with Jesus! 

Questions 1.) Do you have an example of a time that you cheated to get what you wanted or were cheated by someone else?    2.) In times of intense persecution, what can we do as Christians to hold steady?