Saturday, December 31, 2011

We took a day off from studying Revelation yesterday.  I did look again at verses 1-4 in chapter one.  Love the prologue! 

This Sunday I begin a mini-series (2 weeks) on the top 10 things to commit to for 2012.  This Sunday we are looking at just 5 of those.  They are:

1.  Read through the entire Bible
2.  Memorize new scriptures
3.  Become a member of our church
4.  Help 1 person become a follower of Jesus
5.  Invest your life in somone else's

I think these are some great things to commit to for the New Year!  For the first one, (read through the entire Bible) Olivet Nazarene University was gracious to give me 200 Bible reading plans that tuck nicely into a Bible.  Thanks Olivet!  We will pass these out to whoever would like to commit to reading through the Bible this coming year and wants a reading plan.  They are nice reading plans and mix things up a little so you aren't doing just a straight read through. 

I'll be back back next week with more thoughts on Revelation. 

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Revelation Study

Back to Revelation 1 again this morning with a good friend.  This book is certainly an amazing book and offers me a fresh vision of Jesus.  
Why does that matter? 

Because we need vision to drive us to live like Him.  Keeping a vision before, and in, one’s mind can drive the transformation process.  It’s what drives a person to run, run, and run for running a race.  Want to get in shape?  Set before yourself a vision of what your life and your body could look like in shape.  Want to become a great quarterback?  Watch last season’s Colts games when Peyton Manning was playing ;-).    Vision drives us.  Of course the Spirit does the transforming, but we certainly get to help and push the process forward to a certain degree.  

So, Revelation begins by telling us what this book is all about.  There are a couple of different ways to interpret the beginning words of this book.  

NIV 84:  1 The revelation of Jesus Christ

NIV 11:  1 The revelation from Jesus Christ

ESV:  1 The revelation of Jesus Christ

NLT:  1 This is a revelation from Jesus Christ

Obviously the words of/from are debatable to scholars and this is reflected in the different translations.  Is this a revelation of Jesus or is it from Jesus?  I’m not falling off the log for one or the other, but satisfied to say it’s both.  This book is certainly a revealing of Jesus and the Lamb slain since the foundation of the world.  It is also a revealing by Jesus.  He is the revealer of God’s plan.  The incarnation teaches us that.  Jesus tells us He has come to do the Father’s will and part of that will is to reveal the Father and His plan to us. 

Someone said we should read Revelation prayerfully.  So, I close with a prayer.         

Reveal to me Your word, Father.
Reveal to me Your Son and give me a fresh vision of Him.
My heart is open to obey and respond to You. 
Give me understanding and wisdom. 

Amen.   

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Studying the book of Revelation with a friend from church this morning.  Excited!  Great things in store.  Is Revelation an ignored book in your church?  Why is it that the only ones in churches talking about Revelation are the crazy ones who seem to be just concerned about the rapture and the global wars that are soon to take place?  Is this what Revelation is concerned with?    

This morning we hung out on verse 1 (really the first part of verse 1), "The revelation of/from Jesus Christ."  My reminder in this first part of Revelation is that this book is all about Jesus as the Lamb slain.  He is the central figure of the book.  The Christians in John's day needed an encouraging message.  They needed a fresh vision of God and His kingdom to keep them going and seeking Him amidst suffering and persecution.  Revelation gives them that.  It gives them/us a fresh vision of Jesus.  I'm excited and pray that God would give me a fresh vision of Jesus. 

More details to come...