What?!?!

Then, when the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, and he held a gold bowl for burning incense. He was given a large amount of incense, in order to offer it on behalf of the prayers of all the saints on the gold altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense offered for the prayers of the saints rose up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the incense container and filled it with fire from the altar. He threw it down to the earth, and there were thunder, voices, lightning, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:1-5, CEB)

The last seal on the scroll was opened and there was nothing. Silence for half an hour…

Then seven angels stood before God and the seven trumpets were distributed.

And an angel stood before the altar and took fire from the altar and filled an incense container and threw it down on the earth and there was thunder, voices, lightning, and an earthquake.

What does this mean?

It is a vision we try to make sense of to help us understand what is coming.

But really that is it, it is a vision. It could happen like this, and it might not. It might help us know what is coming and it might not.

Let us focus on what we know. The promises of God are always true and God is always with us.

So be about sharing God’s grace.

Loving People. Loving God.

washed and made white

9 After this I looked, and there was a great crowd that no one could number. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried out with a loud voice: “Victory belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 All the angels stood in a circle around the throne, and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell facedown before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and always. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders said to me, “Who are these people wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 I said to him, “Sir, you know.” Then he said to me, “These people have come out of great hardship. They have washed their robes and made them white in the Lamb’s blood. 15 This is the reason they are before God’s throne. They worship him day and night in his temple, and the one seated on the throne will shelter them. 16 They won’t hunger or thirst anymore. No sun or scorching heat will beat down on them, 17 because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them. He will lead them to the springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-17, CEB)

I have always been intrigued by the statement, “They have washed their robes and made them white in the Lamb’s blood.” If you have ever gotten anything stained by blood, it is not easy to get clean, let alone white again. And as I type that I think, wow I sound like I have had a lot of blood on white clothes, and I haven’t but the few times I have, it has not been easy to get clean. But here they wash their clothes in The Lamb’s blood and they are made white.

That is because the Lamb here is the messiah, the one who makes all things new.

We are made new in the Lamb.

Trust in the promise and know that no matter what you are going through here, in the fulfillment of the kingdom all will be made right.

Loving People. Loving God.

Good

17 As Jesus continued down the road, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?” 18 Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God. 19 You know the commandments: Don’t commit murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Don’t cheat. Honor your father and mother.” 20 “Teacher,” he responded, “I’ve kept all of these things since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him carefully and loved him. He said, “You are lacking one thing. Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.” 22 But the man was dismayed at this statement and went away saddened, because he had many possessions. 23 Looking around, Jesus said to his disciples, “It will be very hard for the wealthy to enter God’s kingdom!” 24 His words startled the disciples, so Jesus told them again, “Children, it’s difficult to enter God’s kingdom! 25 It’s easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom.” 26 They were shocked even more and said to each other, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus looked at them carefully and said, “It’s impossible with human beings, but not with God. All things are possible for God.” 28 Peter said to him, “Look, we’ve left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “I assure you that anyone who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or farms because of me and because of the good news 30 will receive one hundred times as much now in this life—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and farms (with harassment)—and in the coming age, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last. And many who are last will be first.” (Mark 10:17-31, CEB)

What is good?

Who is good?

Are any of us good all the time?

A person asked Jesus what they must do to obtain eternal life, and Jesus gave the person a run down of the commandments. Don’t commit murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Don’t cheat. Honor your father and mother. Notice the quote here is from the text above and all of the don’t are in italics except Don’t cheat. Because it is not one of the commandments from the tablets. But still have we all not done these? Even if we don’t take them as far as Jesus told us to. We can usually then if it isn’t to the Jesus level say we haven’t murdered, committed adultery, stolen, but then we might get hung up. False testimony, cheating, and honoring are really subjective. And would others say you haven’t done those. But this person says I’ve done all these. So Jesus says, sell all you have and give the money to the poor and follow me. And the person had many possessions so they were sad about this.

We want to be good as long as we don’t have to be uncomfortable. Which really means serving is about having things our way. We can’t follow God and have it our way.

Let go and follow where God is leading, and then you will be good.

Loving People. Loving God.

doctrine

Then Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why are your disciples breaking the elders’ rules handed down to us? They don’t ritually purify their hands by washing before they eat.” 3 Jesus replied, “Why do you break the command of God by keeping the rules handed down to you? 4 For God said, Honor your father and your mother, and The person who speaks against father or mother will certainly be put to death. 5 But you say, ‘If you tell your father or mother, “Everything I’m expected to contribute to you I’m giving to God as a gift,” then you don’t have to honor your father.’ 6 So you do away with God’s Law for the sake of the rules that have been handed down to you. 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you, 8 This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. 9 Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human rules.” (Matthew 15:1-9, CEB)

This is a slippery slope, but doctrines are not God’s law.

When we focus on what we are told to do by the institution and not actually do what God has told us to do, we are not serving God but serving man and institution. We are supposed to follow God’s law and shine the light of God’s love in the world.

Do not let doctrine get in the way of your following God.

Loving People. Loving God.

Miss it…

Therefore, since the promise that we can enter into rest is still open, let’s be careful so that none of you will appear to miss it. 2 We also had the good news preached to us, just as the Israelites did. However, the message they heard didn’t help them because they weren’t united in faith with the ones who listened to it. 3 We who have faith are entering the rest. As God said, And because of my anger I swore: “They will never enter into my rest!” And yet God’s works were completed at the foundation of the world. 4 Then somewhere he said this about the seventh day of creation: God rested on the seventh day from all his works. 5 But again, in the passage above, God said, They will never enter my rest! 6 Therefore, it’s left open for some to enter it, and the ones who had the good news preached to them before didn’t enter because of disobedience. 7 Just as it says in the passage above, God designates a certain day as “today,” when he says through David much later, Today, if you hear his voice, don’t have stubborn hearts. 8 If Joshua gave the Israelites rest, God wouldn’t have spoken about another day later on. 9 So you see that a sabbath rest is left open for God’s people. 10 The one who entered God’s rest also rested from his works, just as God rested from his own. 11 Therefore, let’s make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by following the same example of disobedience, (Hebrews 4:1-11,CEB)

The promise of rest is still open, let us be sure we are open to it and do not miss it.

When we do not have faith and trust in God to uphold the promises we are given we are making it so we are like those who did not trust, believe or have faith in God in the wilderness, the ones who could not enter into God’s rest. Yet we still have time to not miss it.

Trust in the promises and know they are true for you.

Loving People. Loving God.

believe

7 So, as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you hear his voice, 8 don’t have stubborn hearts as they did in the rebellion, on the day when they tested me in the desert. 9 That is where your ancestors challenged and tested me, though they had seen my work for forty years. 10 So I was angry with them. I said, “Their hearts always go off course, and they don’t know my ways.” 11 Because of my anger I swore: “They will never enter my rest!” 12 Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that none of you have an evil, unfaithful heart that abandons the living God. 13 Instead, encourage each other every day, as long as it’s called “today,” so that none of you become insensitive to God because of sin’s deception. 14 We are partners with Christ, but only if we hold on to the confidence we had in the beginning until the end. 15 When it says, Today, if you hear his voice, don’t have stubborn hearts as they did in the rebellion. 16 Who was it who rebelled when they heard his voice? Wasn’t it all of those who were brought out of Egypt by Moses? 17 And with whom was God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it with the ones who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And against whom did he swear that they would never enter his rest, if not against the ones who were disobedient? 19 We see that they couldn’t enter because of their lack of faith. (Hebrews 3:7-19, CEB)

Do we find it hard to believe the promises we see God has done?

Sometimes it is really easy to say God will do that for others but not for me. God’s grace and promises are for every one else, but not me.

Know that you are not so powerful that you can stop God from fulfilling God’s promises in your life.

When you hear God’s voice and feel the moving of the Spirit, believe.

Loving People. Loving God.

Not just doing…

27 “You have heard that it was said, Don’t commit adultery. 28 But I say to you that every man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart. 29 And if your right eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off and throw it away. It’s better that you lose a part of your body than that your whole body go into hell. 31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a divorce certificate.’ 32 But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife except for sexual unfaithfulness forces her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. 33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago: Don’t make a false solemn pledge, but you should follow through on what you have pledged to the Lord. 34 But I say to you that you must not pledge at all. You must not pledge by heaven, because it’s God’s throne. 35 You must not pledge by the earth, because it’s God’s footstool. You must not pledge by Jerusalem, because it’s the city of the great king. 36 And you must not pledge by your head, because you can’t turn one hair white or black. (Matthew 5:27-36, CEB)

This passage basically makes all of us adulterers.

Jesus here says it is not just about the act of committing adultery, but you commit adultery if you think about it. Thinking about doing something is the same as doing it. And probably all of us have thought about doing something we shouldn’t with some one who isn’t our partner.

And we can not pledge on anything either. We are all basically sinners. Oh wait we are.

We are all sinners, made saints by Christ.

So in everything you do, try to think pure thoughts and always share God’s love in the world.

Loving People. Loving God.

reason

10 I’m passing on the Lord’s command to those who are married: A wife shouldn’t leave her husband, 11 but if she does leave him, then she should stay single or be reconciled to her husband. And a man shouldn’t divorce his wife. 12 I’m telling everyone else (the Lord didn’t say this specifically): If a believer has a wife who doesn’t believe, and she agrees to live with him, then he shouldn’t divorce her. 13 If a woman has a husband who doesn’t believe and he agrees to live with her, then she shouldn’t divorce him. 14 The husband who doesn’t believe belongs to God because of his wife, and the wife who doesn’t believe belongs to God because of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be contaminated by the world, but now they are spiritually set apart. 15 But if a spouse who doesn’t believe chooses to leave, then let them leave. The brother or sister isn’t tied down in these circumstances. God has called you to peace. 16 How do you know as a wife if you will save your husband? Or how do you know as a husband if you will save your wife? (1 Corinthians 7:10-16, CEB)

Simply because you don’t believe the same things is not a reason to divorce.

You do not have to agree on everything to be married. That is a shocker!

And if your partner doesn’t believe, you may just be giving them a hand up. If you can love and care for each other than you can stay married. Now if one spouse is abusing the other, then you need to end the relationship. God doesn’t want us to stay in abusive relationships.

We need to know though that everyone will not always agree with us. and that is ok. We still need to be about sharing God’s love in everything we do.

Loving People. Loving God.

Sex

Now, about what you wrote: “It’s good for a man not to have sex with a woman.” 2 Each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband because of sexual immorality. 3 The husband should meet his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should do the same for her husband. 4 The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Don’t refuse to meet each other’s needs unless you both agree for a short period of time to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come back together again so that Satan might not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I’m saying this to give you permission; it’s not a command. 7 I wish all people were like me, but each has a particular gift from God: one has this gift, and another has that one. 8 I’m telling those who are single and widows that it’s good for them to stay single like me. 9 But if they can’t control themselves, they should get married, because it’s better to marry than to burn with passion. (1 Corinthians 7:1-9, CEB)

Wow. Straight forward and eye opening.

It’s good for a man not to have sex with a woman…

But if you are married then you body belongs to your partner. And you need to fulfill their needs, unless you have agreed to a time of focusing on prayer.

Paul here tells the Corinthians he wishes everyone was like him and able to not be married, but if your sexual urges are too strong then get married so you can take care of those desires and live a life that shows God’s love.

So be married and take care of your partners needs, and show God’s love to the world.

Loving People. Loving God.

forbid

2 Some Pharisees came and, trying to test him, they asked, “Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife?” 3 Jesus answered, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a divorce certificate and to divorce his wife.” 5 Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your unyielding hearts. 6 At the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 7 Because of this, a man should leave his father and mother and be joined together with his wife, 8 and the two will be one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 Therefore, humans must not pull apart what God has put together.” 10 Inside the house, the disciples asked him again about this. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12 and if a wife divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” 13 People were bringing children to Jesus so that he would bless them. But the disciples scolded them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he grew angry and said to them, “Allow the children to come to me. Don’t forbid them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people like these children. 15 I assure you that whoever doesn’t welcome God’s kingdom like a child will never enter it.” 16 Then he hugged the children and blessed them. (Mark 10:2-16, CEB)

Here again we see that if you divorce and remarry you commit adultery. I have a friend who is divorced and she refuses to get married again because she doesn’t want to make the man an adulterer. I applaud her tenacity. Because it clearly says here that if you are divorced and get remarried that you are an adulterer. Now as I said in yesterdays devotion, own that. That is a sin you are committing and don’t have to hide from the world. Not that we need to hide any of our sins because why does it matter what someone, who isn’t God, thinks about our sins.

But here we also have the disciples forbidding children to come to Jesus. How can we forbid anyone to come to Jesus? We need to actively help everyone come to Jesus and believe like a child. Where we believe because we have been told, and not because we have seen.

Let us all share love and grace and not forbid anyone.

Love People. Love God.