Tag: God

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb AND The Great Supper of God

Old Testament: Ezekiel 31-32

Poetry: Psalm 104

New Testament: Revelation 19

     At the start of Revelation 19 heaven rejoices over God’s actions regarding Babylon the great. Soon we hear about the coming of the marriage supper of the lamb, and John is informed that the bride is clothed in fine linen which “is the righteous acts of the saints” (v. 8). He is also told to write that those who are invited to the wedding supper are blessed. This feels a bit like when Jesus commented in 16:15 “I am coming like a thief,” drawing our attention forward to coming attractions rather than remaining in sequence with events.

     The voice which spoke about the marriage supper came from God’s throne, and hearing it speak caused John to fall and want to offer worship. John is corrected for this and told that only God is to be worshipped (v. 10). But it seems like in this case he made an understandable error. Throughout Revelation voices come from a variety of exalted sources, among them angels, strong angels, mighty angels, an angel standing in the sun, the Temple, the altar, and the horns of the altar. For John it may have been like experiencing holy surround sound, never knowing where the next proclamation would emerge from. Maybe degrees of grandeur are indicated by who spoke from where, giving different impacts to their statements. It wasn’t always clear to John what the intention was.

     The message of the chapter proceeds, announcing the arrival of Christ, and of the armies of the world gathered for Armageddon. In fact, the word “Armageddon” is only named back in 16:16 where its origin is explained. Here the battle is previewed as “the great supper of God” – a supper for the birds, to eat the carrion it will provide, in contrast to the wedding supper of the lamb (v. 17‑18). With Jesus on the move there is no contest (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Jesus seems to be given credit for the entire victory: the gathered forces “were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse.” That is, except for the beast and the false prophet. Those two are removed from the scene and dropped into the lake of fire, receiving their punishment for serving the dragon and for deceiving the nations.

     The description of Christ includes having “a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself” (v. 12). Note that this mirrors part of Christ’s letter to the third church, Pergamum. There Christ said he would give overcomers a white stone with a new name written on it, which only the recipient would know (2:17). (That same letter identifies Christ with the sharp two-edged sword, shown in John’s opening vision sticking from Christ’s mouth, much as in chapter 19; 1:16; 2:12.) I like the idea of these names which are known only to oneself. I wonder if I am being fanciful in thinking this new name involves having a sense of your own identity. You won’t need to share that with anyone else. There will be no need to. There will no longer be self-doubt, rivalry, jealousy, any of the potential bitterness that plagues our current lives. It will be a wonderful time. I hope to see you then.

     Lord, I look forward to the day when your kingdom has come on earth as you now reign in heaven. You have been waiting for a long time, allowing more people to be saved through the grace of your son. May your glory and your majesty be shown in my life while I wait for that day. Let me be empowered and enthused to perform righteous actions that will please you. Let me set my mind on the things of the Spirit, live as your humble servant, and exalt you. Let my light so shine before men that they will glorify you. Let me present my body as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to you. Renew my mind, so I may prove what your will is. Thank you, my God. In Jesus’ name I pray these things, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you ever think about the fact that it is our opportunity, and honor, to clothe the bride of Christ in righteous acts?
  2. Who are some of the people you want to sit with at the wedding supper of the lamb? What do you think you will talk about there?
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She Falls

Old Testament: Ezekiel 29 & 30

Poetry: Psalm 103

New Testament: Revelation 18

     Revelation 18 pictures the shock of those who supported and gained from the success of Babylon the great, and then see it destroyed. As others have said, true wealth is found only in Christ, so those who tried to gain from corrupting themselves with Babylon did so at the cost of their lives (Matthew 16:26). When the voice from heaven warns to come out of Babylon it isn’t just about leaving before the city falls if you happen to be there, but to avoid contamination with its practices lest we fall as well (compare 2 Corinthians 6:17).

     It is again difficult to decide whether some details in the chapter were meant literally. Does Babylon engage in sorcery, or does that express its evil influence on those caught up with it? Which of the trade goods listed are we to think Babylon truly receives – the list wasn’t going to include modern luxury items, but is it just trying to give the feel of wealth based on first century items? Is it in the slave trade, or does it wreck people’s characters? Some will ask if Babylon is a port city at all, or a system with a global reach. Is Babylon destroyed and burned in a single hour, or does it just suffer a rapid fall? (In Revelation 17:12 we were told that the ten kings shared their power with the Beast for one hour, so we may have a reason to see this time reference as metaphorical. Contrast for example the effort taken in the text to show that three and a half years / 42 months / 1260 days is a precise figure.) That last point would be simple to explain in our modern society, however, as a collapse after a single hour which leaves fire behind could refer to a nuclear attack.

     You might hear part of this chapter and think you were in the Old Testament (for example you could compare Ezekiel 27). There is that feel to it. You could imagine Jonah saying these things about Nineveh. It’s all from the same God. Sometimes God gets to show mercy, but when judgment is called for God does not hold back. In fact, after recounting the despair of the kings and merchants and sailors who sinned with Babylon, the chapter calls on God’s servants to rejoice in what has come about. In Revelation 18:21 a strong angel announces Babylon’s permanent fall and punctuates the point by throwing “a stone like a great millstone” into the sea. Jeremiah never went to Babylon, but he sent a scroll there with Seraiah describing the fate of the city and told him to read it aloud, and then tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates (Jeremiah 51:63). The judgment of God was being left to sink to the bottom, like the city would sink. As I said, we are reading words in a familiar style.

     I’ve long been struck by cases where God set up instructions that don’t seem to have end conditions. How long was the Garden of Eden guarded by an angel with a flaming sword (Genesis 3:24)? Perhaps it was until the flood of Noah’s day destroyed it, or it could have all withered away first. And while the millennium brings grace across the world, will the former site of Babylon the great sit as a blighted patch reminding people of old evils? That may be its fate. As the angel said, no more will the sounds of music, work or happiness be found in her. But then “in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.” It seems like Babylon the great is worthy of the treatment it receives. We would do well to learn its lesson in advance and turn our backs on all its ways and put our hearts fully toward that other city (the one with foundations; Hebrews 11:10).

     Lord, thank you for sanctifying us by the Spirit and faith in the truth. Thank you for teaching us to take pleasure in righteousness. Thank you for disciplining us for our good, so that we may share in your holiness. Thank you for giving us sound words through your servants. Please help us to listen, and to reflect on what you have said. Help us to grow in your will. And in everything we do, in word or deed, may we do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Through him we give thanks to you, dear God. Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

1.  When you envision God, do you see God as preferring to show mercy or to give judgment?

2.  What do you find yourself most valuing about your life as a Christian?

3.  What do you most look forward to in your future as a Christian?

4.  What do you most appreciate being able to share with others as a Christian?

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One Bad Woman

Old Testament: Ezekiel 27 & 28

Poetry: Psalm 102

New Testament: Revelation 17

     Revelation 17 begins a section about “the great harlot,” or Babylon the great (17:1) which finishes in chapter 18. One of the seven angels from the seven bowls introduces the topic, and later John is shown the bride of Christ, meaning the new Jerusalem (21:9‑10, perhaps by the same angel). So, in these chapters John sees two cities portrayed as women, one a pure bride partnered with Christ, and the other an immoral prostitute partnered with the antichrist. God is making the sides in the conflict clear and wants us to be clear about our choice.

     Babylon’s fall had been announced in 14:8 and 16:19 – from those verses alone we know that it made nations drunk on the wine of its immorality and was given the wine of God’s wrath to drink. Revelation is picking up from Old Testament texts about Babylon with a somewhat different feel, there Babylon brought punishment on countries for God in war. Babylon was described as itself being the cup of God’s wrath which those nations drank from, maddening them. But after its work was done God turned against Babylon, and the city was also defeated (Jeremiah 25:15ff; 51:7, 11). With Revelation Babylon the great’s immorality is key, and it brings destruction to others by association; it is then destroyed for what it did to God’s servants, and the destruction comes at the hands of its allies.

     The vision shows Babylon as a wealthy, richly dressed prostitute, drunk on the blood of God’s servants and offering her immorality from a valuable cup. She is sitting on “a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns,” which is a simple depiction of the Beast from Revelation 13:1. We may be meant to see Babylon as trying to use the Beast, in riding on it, but the Beast uses Babylon, gaining influence from it. In 17:18 we are told that Babylon is the “great city” that reigns (or “has a kingdom”) over the kings of the earth. The identity of the city remains in dispute, but like so much about Revelation it should become much clearer later. The city is presented like an imperial capital, though some authors want to treat it as a culturally unifying site important for its influence in other ways.

     People often question how ‘literally’ to take things in scripture, particularly if they don’t see how events favor a near-term fulfillment. The reestablishment of Israel in 1948, for example, was highly significant for earlier generations in the Church of God but many other groups doubted it would ever take place. As another example, when the two witnesses die their bodies are seen by “the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations” and “those who dwell on the earth rejoice over them” (11:9, 10). In 1962 the communications satellite Telestar I launched, and it was hailed as allowing live broadcasts to be relayed around the world. A few years earlier people would have thought in terms of the witnesses’ photos being published in newspapers. And technology keeps advancing, along with the speed at which changes increase. The iPhone was introduced in 2007, and it is thought that already over two‑thirds of the world’s population has a smartphone – a much simpler way for ‘everyone’ to be shown events happening anywhere in the world. I’ve begun to wonder if the fact that those devices permit use of translation services, which at least partially undo God’s choice to confuse the languages at Babel/Babylon (the name through Hebrew and Greek) could end up relevant to the fact of Babylon the great being the name given for the city, and an aspect of its influence. What is a global false religion without the ability to communicate globally, after all? It’s just a thought.

     I find it disturbing to think that the corruption pictured in Revelation 17 with Babylon the great could come to pass through human failings. But I think that may be part of what God wanted us to recognize, that even before any supernatural power got involved the situation was awful. And that could be why the end of the age comes when it does, because things reach the point that it is time for change.

     Lord, I do not feel endangered today, where I am, but I know you have servants who face risks in many countries around the world today. Please strengthen the hearts of your people, and protect them. They are faithful, help them to remain faithful. Let them trust you and stand firm. Keep them from the evil one, and sanctify them in the truth. And Lord, as I do not feel endangered, let me be bold for you. Let me not forget what your son has done for me. In his name I pray this, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you ever struggle over whether a scripture ought to be seen as literal or figurative? What helps you to make up your mind about that?
  2. Is there a Christian or a ministry that you regularly pray on behalf of? If so, consider writing them a note today to share your appreciation for them. If not, consider saying a prayer today for someone whose ministry matters to you who you haven’t seen in a while.
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7 Bowls

Old Testament: Ezekiel 25 & 26

Poetry: Psalm 101

New Testament: Revelation 16

     I tend to think of the seals, trumpets, and bowls of God’s wrath as a sequence, but when I’m away from reading Revelation for a while I can lose track of how late in the book the bowls appear. Way back at the sixth seal we are told of God’s wrath, and that people would try to hide from it in caves and beneath rocks (6:15-17). Now, in chapter 16, that wrath comes. Its targets, as Paul stated, are not Christ’s followers (1 Thessalonians 5:9); they are people who served the Beast, killed God’s servants, and would not repent. Considering the nature of some of the bowls, it may be hard to imagine how anyone is protected from their impact – but during years of drought God made sure that Elijah ate and drank.

     Several bowls seem to build on earlier parts of Revelation. While the second and third trumpets affected just a fraction of the sea and rivers, they are fully affected by the pouring of the second and third bowls. With the fifth seal a vision came to John of those who died for the word of God, crying out for judgment (6:9‑10), the angel of the third bowl declares that such judgment is happening and is fully justified (16:6). Those with only blood to drink had poured out the blood of the righteous. The comment “they are worthy” is ambiguous, it may describe the martyrs as worthy of being avenged, or their killers as worthy of this punishment. Either interpretation may feel different than how “worthiness” was discussed in chapters 3-5. There worthy believers were dressed in white. There also a great search took place for one worthy to open the seals on God’s scroll, and the lamb was found. But God does not just watch over the righteous, He also does not leave the guilty unpunished (Exodus 34:7).

     Part of the effect of the fourth trumpet was to bring darkness in a third of each day. The fourth and fifth bowls of wrath initially scorched with the sun those who defy God, and then plunged them into darkness. In both cases the people chose to blaspheme God, rather than repent. (I bypassed the first bowl, and the sores it brought; those sores remind me of Job. I see these people as anti-Jobs, beyond trust or accepting help, who simply lash out.)

     The sixth bowl involves the river Euphrates drying up, as preparation for eastern armies to reach the site of Armageddon (in the north of Israel). That is as opposed to the sixth trumpet when an army tied to the Euphrates killed a third of the population (9:15). Also, evil spirits come from the dragon and the two beasts to gather the kings of the world to Armageddon. When the seven seals and seven trumpets were listed there was a lengthy pause after each of the sixth entries, and there is also a pause after the sixth bowl, but this one is fairly short, just a brief comment from Jesus about his coming like a thief.

     With the seventh bowl the fall of Babylon begins (see chapter 18). The worst earthquake in history occurs, and Jerusalem splits in three. Language about the islands and mountains moving (Revelation 16:20; 6:14) suggests there is overlap between the seventh bowl and the sixth seal. Overlap of language also seems to link the seventh bowl with the seventh trumpet (16:18, 21; 11:19). Even if we can tie the timing together for those two moments we can’t say much about the overall chronology of the seals and trumpets. Some of those events are stated to take months or years, and God may just want us to know about all of them but not to understand interconnections.

     The famous four horsemen from the first four seals collectively tie to the devastation of humanity. Whatever it is the “victors” of such conflict may think they have gained, they do not possess the wisdom to avoid fighting the army of Christ. The battle of Armageddon will be massive and destructive, but it will at least be decisive, and it launches a time of peace and restoration on earth.

     Also mentioned with the seventh bowl is hail the weight of a talent (v. 21), which may mean it is a hundred pounds. The heaviest recorded hailstone so far is 2.25 pounds. A bit lighter case, 1.9375 pounds and the size of a softball, left a ten-inch pit where it struck. Why will God use such large hailstones? If the goal is to impress, why not just have a lot of hail? But that has been done. The hail accumulation record is from 1959, when a 54-square-mile section of Kansas received a 19-inch covering of hailstones. I find that much hail difficult to envision already. Amassing a hundred pounds of ice layer by layer in the clouds may only be feasible with a miracle of air pressure. Penny-sized hail requires 40-mile-per-hour updrafts. Grapefruit-sized hail requires 98-mile-per-hour updrafts. Tornadoes do achieve winds over 300-miles-per-hour, but anyway I think you see the issue. Just referring to the weight of the hail may lead us to underplay in our minds the significance of the storm itself.

     But still, why 100-pound hailstones? Perhaps because God will be dealing with people who would seek to hide from judgment beneath rocks, and in caves. And at least some portion of those refusing to acknowledge their sins will be the world’s most powerful and haughty, those who were content with their actions and amassed huge wealth in service of the Beast and Babylon. Some of them might even be sealed in bunkers when the bowls of God’s wrath are tipped out. Perhaps they will check in on events through video, and then just turn off the screens. But God does not intend for anyone to remain comfortably oblivious to the truth, or even comparatively so, in whatever hideaways they find for themselves. A hundred pounds of ice will put a hole in quite a lot of concrete, steel, and pretension. And God has excellent aim (Joshua 10:11).

     Lord, let me not be complacent, comparing myself to those who will one day go far astray. Truly, without your grace, I would be quite different. But no one sets out to be deceived and destroyed. Please help me be observant of others’ needs, not inattentive. The world is a less distressing place than it will be, but even now there are issues I feel I can only bring to you in prayer. Let me pray, but also show me where I should act. Please help me to trust in you, and to keep my compassion and hope. You are a great God, and you continue to work powerfully. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

-Daniel Smead

Reflection Questions

  1. Revelation 16 describes the last plagues God enacts in this age, which finish His wrath (15:1). What do you think it shows us about how God views wickedness? How do you think it might have affected people over the centuries?
  2. Are you sometimes comforted by considering God’s promises to bring judgment on the wicked? Maybe, like you see a rainbow and remember God’s mercy, you can see hail and recognize that He won’t just let things go on forever.
  3. Revelation 6:16-17 refers to people who wished to hide from “the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come.” (Revelation 15 and 16 don’t refer to matters that way.) Do you find it jarring to think of Jesus expressing the wrath shown in the chapter?
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Good!

Old Testament: Ezekiel 23 & 24

Poetry: Psalm 100

New Testament: Revelation 15

I chose to write about Psalm 100 because of how much we can learn from it despite its shortness. This is a great chapter to read, and it only takes a minute of your whole day. The first thing I would like to point out is that in verse four it says, “Bless his name.” This verse is talking about God and how we should give thanks to him and bless his name. Now if you’re like me you might be thinking, why should we bless God’s name? Well, God blessing us and us blessing God are not the same thing at all. God does not profit from us blessing him. It’s not like he gets stronger or better anytime someone blesses him. On the other hand, when God blesses us, we benefit from it. In this verse, it is talking more about how we should praise him.

Throughout the whole Psalm, it talks about how we should praise God. As a church, I believe we should be more joyful, and excited. This Psalm is a great example of how we should praise God. It tells us we should serve God with gladness, shout joyfully, enter his gates with thanksgiving, and give thanks to God.

Usually when we think of ‘good’ we use it to mean something between ok and great. But in this passage, it is saying that he is righteous and about how great God is. This reminds me of the popular song below:

God is good, all the time

And all the time, God is good.

This Psalm is a great one to meditate on. Here are some points from Psalm 100 that you can meditate on.

God made us

We are the sheep in his pasture

The Lord himself is God

His lovingkindness is everlasting

The Lord is good

His faithfulness continues to all generations

Throughout the whole book of Psalms, it says, “His lovingkindness is everlasting”. In fact, it says it 34 times. Of those 34 times, 26 of them are all in Psalm 136. It even says it in every single verse.

Even in this short Psalm we can take so much from it.

-Makayla Railton

(Originally posted for SeekGrowLove on January 26, 2018)

Reflection Questions

  1. Do you believe the Lord God is good? Why?
  2. How can you work to bless His name today?
  3. Where can you post Psalm 100 to see and remember it often?

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A Difficult Climb

Old Testament: Ezekiel 19 & 20

Poetry: Psalm 98

New Testament: Revelation 13

Have you ever been hiking in the mountains? Have you heard the crisp cool breeze filtering through the branches of the towering evergreens? The sweet melodies of birds and the rushing mountain stream?

I appreciate that in this Psalm the beauty of God’s creation is intertwined with praising the creator. The psalmist paints a picture for us of the mountains and the rivers singing together for joy. From the creation we can observe the majesty and power of its creator.

This past spring I had the opportunity to hike in the Carpathian mountains of Romania. I did not know that this grueling 12 hour hike was something I was embarking on until the morning of. It was cold, the hike was steep and in some places slick from the packed snow melt. I didn’t know when this hike was going to end as that was a secret my group’s leaders kept a mystery. And all we had to drink was warm sparkling water. At times it felt as though my legs would give out and that I was going to lose strength. But I had to just keep trusting my leaders and asking God for the strength to keep going. It was difficult.

But then we reached the summit. The snow capped peaks and majestic towering mountains surrounded us on almost every side. It was beautiful. From the heights I saw a new perspective than what I had seen prior to the hike. I could see new parts of God’s creation and praise him for the opportunity to explore it.

This is what this Psalm reminds me of. Sometimes after we go through those difficult times in life, we see why we had to climb steep mountain sides. For, without the difficult climb we would not now see the beauty of God’s handiwork. Because of this blessing to see the wonderful things that God has done, we can, as the psalmist writes, “sing to the LORD a new song”.

-Hannah Deane

Reflection Questions

  1. What do you love about God’s creation?
  2. What helps keep you going through the difficult “climbs” and times?
  3. What difficult “climbs” have you gone through that now allow you to “Sing a new song”? How was the new song different from the old song?
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A Carrot and A Stick – REPENT!

Old Testament: Ezekiel 13 & 14

Poetry: Psalm 95

New Testament: Revelation 10

In Ezekiel 14, we’re told that some of the elders of Israel came to Ezekiel.  God told Ezekiel in 14:3-6, “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?  Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry.  I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’

“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!’”

I see two attributes of God at work here:  justice and mercy.  For those claiming to follow God, but not really following Him, there will be justice (i.e. punishment).  They will be made an example so others will see and turn to God.  This is a scary concept, and should cause us to repent and turn completely back to God so this doesn’t happen to us.

We see God’s mercy as he says to those not following him, “Repent!” and “Renounce all your detestable practices!”.  This too should cause us to repent and turn completely to God.

It doesn’t matter whether we respond better to a carrot or to a stick, since we’re given both.  The simple fact remains that we need to repent, renounce all our detestable practices, and turn completely to God.

And once that happens, we’re told in 14:11, “Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins.  They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

May this be said of us too.  But it is conditional upon repenting and turning completely to God.  The choice is yours.

Steve Mattison

Reflection Questions

  1. What idols and abominations (many of which the world says are okay – or even championed) are in front of you? What will it look like to turn away from them and turn completely to God?
  2. What is God waiting for you to repent of? How long do you think He will wait? What is dangerous about waiting to repent?
  3. What do we learn about God in the Bible passages today? What do you think of his justice and mercy?
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The Throne of Him who Lives Forever and Ever

Old Testament: Lamentations 3-5

Poetry: Proverbs 31

New Testament: Revelation 4


When I was a little girl, I thought God looked something like the pictures I had seen of Jesus but with short hair. So the first time I met Greg Demmitt, I might have stared at him a little longer than socially acceptable. Obviously, I was a bit silly, but Greg was definitely a godly man and a faithful representative of Christ. I was so blessed to have known him and shared a few waffles at Waffle House with him and my family. My heart hurts that he and my uncle, Dan Kizer, both
great, godly men, both died of pancreatic cancer within four months of each other. In my earthly perspective, it was way too soon. Not because it’s from our reading, but because I need it;


Revelation 21: 1-5
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”


What a balm for the grieving soul! I can’t get through reading without tearing up with joy…every.single.time.


As far as today’s reading…I got a little emotional whiplash! Lamentations was hard and gruesome to read… One of the commentaries I read said it was a book of sorrow and hope..I must have missed the hope part…except that it does seem God’s people FINALLY realize that they were being punished for their disobedience. But we aren’t told about their deliverance quite
yet. That is a story for another book of the Bible.


After all that sorrow, I read Proverbs 31….which contains the story of so many women I have been blessed to know throughout my life. I alway feel convicted that I don’t quite live up to this description. I alway feel like I can only be good at about a verse or two at a time 😀If you are a girl or woman, look to the women around you to find someone who emulates Proverbs 31. If you’ve been to FUEL you know quite a few! As I have talked about before, we all need good mentors who love the Lord, no matter what our age.


And finally, Revelation 4, our first peak at the throne of God! There is no description of God here (though I’m sure my perception is close) but a splendid description of the throne room and all those worshiping there. I used to think all that singing would be so boring, but then I heard Carrie Underwood sing All Is Well and decided if God gave us that kind of emotion stirring song now, imagine what the Kingdom will be like! But as beautiful as the Kingdom will be, and I am looking forward to seeing it, I really can’t wait to see God’s face, Jesus’s arms and all of those who will be resurrected, my mom, my grandparents, Dan, and Greg.

-Maria Knowlton

Reflection Questions

  1. Who has been a godly mentor for you? What have you learned from them? If no one comes to mind – pray and find one. And even if you don’t know everything and do everything right – you can be a mentor to someone who could use a good example, encouragement and accountability. Pray for an opportunity. And seize it.
  2. How does Proverbs 31 challenge you?
  3. What do you like most about the description of God’s throne room in heaven in Revelation 4? What do you look forward to in God’s Coming Kingdom?
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What Tomorrow Brings

Old Testament: Jeremiah 49-50
Poetry: Proverbs 27
New Testament: Revelation intro – found below


As I was leaving an elderly patient’s room, I told him I’d see him tomorrow. He replied, “God willing and the creek don’t rise!” I whipped back around, “What did you say?” I had never heard that saying before, but I immediately decided this line was going in my personal repertoire of phrases. It aligns very well with Proverbs 27:1 and James 4:13-15. We can make all sorts of plans, but we do not know exactly what God has planned for us tomorrow.


I don’t think anyone in Israel saw the events of October 7, 2023 coming. While there have been skirmishes between Israel and the Palestinians for decades, people were just going about their day. Some were shopping, eating out, or attending a music festival. No one was prepared for the Hamas ground and air attacks that took the lives of over 1,400 with 200 more kidnapped. My first thought when I heard this was – could this possibly be the wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24-6) that could spark the end of this age? That thought led me to the book we are about to enter into: Revelation. I’m gonna be honest, the book of Revelation is scary. The first time I heard a sermon about Revelation, I cried all the way home. Parenting tip: don’t let 1st graders listen to a sermon about the end times, even if it’s their father preaching! But God, through Christ, did not give that Revelation to John to scare us, but rather to prepare us. Even as young as I was, my biggest fear about the end times was if my grandparents had heard about this! I don’t remember all she said to comfort me, but my mom assured me that they knew.


There have been other times when God has given his people warnings and instructions for preparations for His people. In Jeremiah 49-50, God instructs Jeremiah to let Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, Elam and last but not least, Babylon know of their upcoming destruction. He also delivers hope for Israel and Judah to be restored as His holy nation. And all of those events happened.


Both in the past and the end-time prophecies, God has given us these messages so that we can be prepared, and part of that preparation includes letting those we meet know about what is to come. Tomorrow I plan on doing some laundry, dishes, and painting the stairwell and the bathroom, God willing and the creek don’t rise. But if God has something else planned for me, I pray I will be found prepared for what HE wants of me.

-Maria Knowlton

Revelation Introduction

The apostle John wrote the book of Revelation (along with the gospel of John, and 1, 2, and 3 John) to the 7 churches in Asia, while in exile on the Isle of Patmos, “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus”.  Our word revelation is translated from the Greek word “apokalypsis”, which means ”revealing” or “unveiling”, but because of the contents of Revelation, the word apocalypse is often thought of as “catastrophe” generally, and “the end of the world” specifically.

Revelation shows the fight between God and his Son Jesus on the one hand, and Satan and his evil followers on the other hand, and shows God’s ultimate complete victory via Jesus over Satan, sin, and death.  Much of this is shown by a series of symbolic visions, with many allusions to Old Testament prophecies – making this probably the most complicated and most misunderstood book in the Bible.

Revelation includes successively more intense punishment on the world, starting with 7 seals, progressing to 7 trumpet judgments, and then moving to 7 bowls of God’s wrath.  (For those of you worrying, 1 Thes 5:9 reminds us that Christians will not endure God’s wrath, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”)

Jesus is shown returning in glory in chapter 19, where he will make war against the beast, false prophet, and their armies. He destroys the armies with the sword that comes out of His mouth.  Chapter 20 then tells about the future 1000-year reign of Christ on the earth before the final great white throne judgment.  Chapters 21 and 22 then tell of the eternal Kingdom of God.

I’ll close with my favorite verse in the Bible, Rev 21:4, “He [God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

-Steve Mattison

Reflection Questions

  1. What is the difference between being prepared for tomorrow and boasting about tomorrow? Where does God want us to be?
  2. What are your feelings about the book of Revelation? What are your feelings about the book of Jeremiah? Why do you think God gave each of these books to the original audiences – and also to you and I?
  3. What is the benefit to knowing a storm is coming? How does this relate to the book of Revelation? What is the benefit to knowing a storm won’t last forever? How does this also relate to the book of Revelation?
  4. What specifically will you do today to be better prepared for tomorrow and for God’s plans for the future? How will you help others be better prepared?
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In Need of a Home Inspector

Old Testament: Jeremiah 43, 44, 45
Poetry: Proverbs 25
New Testament: Intro to Jude – see below


“REXBURG, Idaho – The five-bedroom house sits on pastoral acreage in the rural U.S. countryside. At a price less than $180,000, it seemed a steal.


But a bargain it wasn’t. Ben and Amber Sessions soon realized the dream home they’d purchased in Idaho for their growing family in 2009 was infested with hundreds upon hundreds of garter snakes.


The ground surrounding the home appeared to move at times, it was so thick with snakes. Throngs of snakes crawled beneath the home’s siding. At night, the young couple said they would lie awake and listen to slithering inside the walls.


“It was like living in one of those horror movies,” said Ben Sessions, 31.”


I wonder if this nightmare could have been avoided with a house inspection before this young couple purchased this home. I imagine in the excitement of buying a home for a great price and naively trusting their realtor that the stories about snakes in the area were a myth, a home inspector probably didn’t seem necessary.


In Jeremiah 43-45, God is the home inspector. Through Jeremiah, God warns the Judeans not to go to Egypt. Though this warning was not due to snakes, but worse, false gods. Depending on what Wikipedia article you read, the Egyptians of the time had between 1500 to 2000 false gods. While the gods did not actually exist, the people who worshiped them certainly did and were the “influencers” of their time. God knew that if the Judeans went to Egypt, they would quickly fall in step with the practices of the Egyptian culture. In fact, many of the women were already worshiping the “Queen of Heaven,” the goddess of sex and war. God does not accept practicing sexual immorality (which He reminds us again through Jude, which just HAPPENS to be our New Testament reading for the day. Coincidence? I think not!). Even more so, God is a jealous
God and does not accept worshiping other gods. Besides all that, we were already told that God told the people NO. And that should have been that.


While it’s highly unlikely you will find yourself in a house overrun with snakes or a culture overrun with false gods, are there things in your life you are heading into without the benefit of a “home inspector?” Is it safe and wise to go where you are heading? Be wise and design your plans with the help of the Lord and a Christ-following mentor. I am not just writing to just the teens here. All of us, of any age, need the wisdom only God can provide, often through a mentor.


The young people in the snake story and the Judeans in Jeremiah had their own plans and didn’t let things like lack of a home inspection or God’s blessing get in the way of their plans. Sadly, the young couple had to go into bankruptcy to get out of the house and the people who went to Egypt were destroyed. Do not follow in their paths.

-Maria Knowlton

Reflection Questions

  1. Can you think of a time when you chose to do it your way instead of God’s way? What was the result? What might have happened instead if you would have done it God’s way?
  2. If you ask God to inspect your home/life, what might He point out as red flags to be cautious of or totally remove for your safety and the safety of others? What reinforcements would He recommend you add in order to create a stronger home?
  3. In the end, whose word will stand – God’s or yours? How do you know? Knowing that, how should you life today?

Jude Introduction

The book of Jude was written by Jude, the brother of James and believed to also be the half-brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55 and 1 Corinthians 9:5).

The book of Jude is very similar to 2 Peter 2, urgently warning against false teachers who have slipped in among the believers.  It warns against falling away from the faith, giving as examples the Israelites who were delivered from Egypt but were later destroyed, and angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home.  Jude wanted to not only make people aware of false teachers, but also to encourage believers to fight for the truth.

I’ll close with Jude 1:22, “Be merciful to those who doubt, snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”

-Steve Mattison

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