Read the Bible in One Year!

Scripture December 24—Revelation 4-6: Seven Seals Observation The Curious Act of Casting a Crown—the twenty-four elders who cast their crowns before God's throne (4:10) were showing their submission and surrender. In ancient times a king captured in battle would cast his crown at the feet of the victor as if to say, "I surrender completely to you." Later in chapter 4 John's attention is turned from seven local assembles on earth to one great assembly of saints in heaven. God is seated upon his throne, looking for someone who is worthy to unleash great judgment upon the earth—authority that only the Lamb of God and Lion of Judah possesses. As the Lamb receives the seven-sealed scroll of judgment, all the heavenly creatures bow in worship. The breaking of the first six seals releases war, famine, death, earthquake and cosmic upheaval, marking "the great day of their anger" (6:17). Application With a pencil in each hand, see if you can draw a circle...

Hear What the Spirit is Saying Revelation Introduction John, while exiled on the island of Patmos (1:9), receives the visions contained in the book of Revelation. As this book states, Jesus Christ is revealing to John—and to all subsequent readers—"what you have just seen, and what will soon be shown to you" (1:19). Through a dramatic series of pictures, signs and symbols, John depicts cataclysmic judgment upon the earth, the final conquest of satanic forces, and the beginning a new heaven and new earth. The Apostle John wrote about the message of life in three different kinds of Scripture: the gospel of John (biography), which speaks of eternal life; the epistles of John (letter), which speak of the Christian life; and the prophecies of Revelation (visions), which speaks of victorious life now and for eternity. Scripture December 23—Revelation 1-3: Seven Letters for Seven Churches Observation After greeting the seven churches in Asia Minor, John describes how ...

Jude Introduction Jude writes a fiery letter about the war the church must fight against destroyers in its own ranks. These corrupt teachers have a perverted view of God's grace and liberty, thinking salvation to be an opportunity to sin with safety. Preferring their own ideas to God's truths, their beliefs result in shocking immorality. Jude reminds his readers of God's severe judgment on such hypocrites. He tells true believers to do two things: keep themselves from such sin and rescue others roaming toward it. Scripture December 22—Jude: Fight for the Faith Observation Jude, the "brother of James" (v. 1) and therefore possibly the half-brother of Jesus Christ ( Matthew 13:55 , Mark 6:3 ), originally intended to write a treatise on the doctrine of salvation. But alarmed by the presence of false teachers in the church, he compelled instead to unmask them and their deadly ways, and to exhort the believers to stand firm for the way of truth. Contend...

He is Worthy of Our Praise! Weekly Devotional December 21— Psalm 146 : Praise for the Praiseworthy Lord Reflection James, Peter, John. Beloved followers of the Lord. Pillars of the early church. And yet they still minister today through their letters. They can bring us closer to the Lord and his will for us, if we'll let them. Today, as we pause in our year-long journey through the Bible, it's time once again to praise our worthy God. Why? Psalm 146 offers a number of excellent reasons. Praise the Lord! Psalm 146 begins with a ringing call to praise: "Praise the Lord. Yes, really praise him!" And verse 2 gives us the psalmist's commitment to praise the Lord: "I will praise him as long as I live, yes, even with my dying breath." The logical question is: "Why? What has he done to warrant my praise?" Notice the psalmist's ready reply: God is praiseworthy for what he has done in the past. He made "both earth and heaven, the ...

3 John Introduction Far from being problem-free, the church of John's day had its share of shortcomings, contentious saints and false teachers. In his third letter, John makes a special note of Diotrephes, "who loves to push himself forward as the leader" and seeks to interfere with commendable saints such as Gaius, a hospitable brother who brings great joy to John and has entertained missionaries he sent. Demetrius is another faithful servant in the church, one who has a good reputation within and without. John concludes by speaking of a future visit. Scripture December 20—3 John: Fellowship with Brothers Observation The shortest of John's epistles begins with the expressed desire for Gaius' prosperity (v. 2), and ends with a longing for Gaius presence (v. 14). In between, John holds up two shining examples of commendable saints, and makes note of one disruptive individual who "loves to push himself forward as the leader" (v. 9). Gaius is...

The Antidote for False Teaching! 2 John Introduction "Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." These words of Paul ( 1 Corinthians 10:12 ) could be a subtitle for 2 John, a brief letter from the Apostle John that stresses the importance of balance. The readers, a "dear woman" and her children, are standing, and John commends them for it. But he warns them not to aid the false teachers abroad who deny the true humanity of Christ. John exhorts the readers to love God and one another, obeying God's commandments, but warns that it is false charity to open the door to false teaching. Scripture December 19—2 John: Combating False Teaching Observation John addresses this brief letter to a dear woman and her children, commending them for walking in the truth and encouraging them to remain faithful in their obedience to God. John takes nothing for granted. Realizing that standing is just one step removed from falling, he issues them a reminder...

The God of Light, Love and Life! 1 John Introduction John, "the beloved apostle," has long known and enjoyed the Lord. He writes 1 John to help his spiritual brothers in their walk with the God who is light, love and life. He wants them to be grounded in assurance of their salvation, experiencing victory over sin and the full joys of the Christian life. He reminds them that all these gems can be dimmed by false teaching, so he reminds the reader that belief should be based on the facts about Christ's incarnation and that every believer has the responsibility to walk like Christ. Scripture December 18—1 John 1-5: Fellowship with God Observation Fellowship is a shared conviction, a shared commitment, a shared compassion. It is two people walking the same road, bearing the same load. Fellowship involves a vertical dimension (with the Father) and a horizontal dimension (with those who know the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ). John, who knows firsthand the...