Author: Brian Burdett

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” – Revelation 7:9-10

What a glorious picture of the family of God, gathered together in heaven before God and Jesus! Can you imagine it? Try, right now. Picture countless millions or billions of people from every nation, every race, every ethnic group, every language gathered together to praise and worship!

It’s a glorious image reminding us of one of the wondrous truths of the Christian faith: that we are united by Christ in us. In Christ, all the labels and categories the world would use to divide us become irrelevant. We are new creation in Christ, one family, one people, one Spirit in us. In Christ, what unites us is infinitely greater than what divides us! We are the body of Christ in all the beauty of our many God-given colors.

So how do we live like this here on earth? How do we bring this aspect of heaven into our lives today? Christians have often done a very poor job at this but we need to do it. How do we earnestly live like every single person of every single skin color is beautifully and wonderfully made in God’s image?

How do we live in a manner that isn’t blind to the many colors God has given us and that doesn’t disparage, diminish, or mistreat others or ourselves because of skin color. How do we genuinely celebrate God’s diverse creation while whole-heartedly embracing our brothers and sisters of every color, every language, every citizenship, and every heritage? What step will you take to live this wondrous aspect of God’s Kingdom here today and every day?

“Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” – Revelation 6:11

Our faith in Christ often requires us to hold several things in tension. This naturally makes us uncomfortable and in our human weakness, we want to simplify our faith by oversteering toward one side or the other of the tension. We must resist that temptation. This verse is an excellent example of the tension we must carefully navigate as we follow Jesus.

As Christians, we’re called to do everything possible to live peaceably with EVERYONE (Romans 12:18). We’re called to pray for ALL leaders so that the church might enjoy peace (1 Timothy 2:1-2). This is God’s will for each of us. Yet it’s also His will that at certain times, Christians will suffer for our faith. Some will die for it. We must simultaneously seek, make, and pray for peace and be willing and prepared to suffer or die for Christ.

We must prepare ourselves mentally and spiritually for both. Some Christians focus so much on living peacefully that we aren’t prepared if persecution should come to us. If we aren’t prepared, we won’t endure. We’ll renounce or compromise Christ for comfort, safety, or social standing. Other Christians focus so militantly on their willingness to die gloriously that they refuse to seek or make peace. We must do all these.

Take time to reflect on which side of this tension is your preference and which is your weak area. Reflect on God’s call to do both. In the days to come, study, meditate, pray, and prepare yourself deep within your soul to be both an agent of peace and a bold witness for Christ, whatever the cost!

“I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” – Revelation 3:8

It’s easy to get stuck thinking about what we can’t do. That’s true for individuals and for entire churches. We view the possibilities of the world in terms of our abilities and resources, convincing ourselves that we’re stuck with the status quo. That isn’t how God’s universe works!

Christ asks His church and His followers to be faithful. He asks us to obey His instructions and confess our faith in Him no matter the cost. It isn’t easy, but it’s something we are all capable of doing. When we do that, Christ takes care of creating the opportunities. Christ takes care of giving the power. Christ takes care of providing the people and resources.

In a year characterized by things we can’t do, we mustn’t let that discourage us from doing what we’re called to do. 2020 was a revelation of our own weakness as people, as churches, as nations. That isn’t a bad thing! Let’s use this wake up call to draw nearer to Christ and commit to something we can control: being increasingly faithful to Christ this Christmas (and beyond).

Christ doesn’t ask us to be extraordinary for Him. He asks us to be faithful to Him, then He does the extraordinary. That’s His specialty!

“The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” – Revelation 3:5

This sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? Spending eternity clothed in white garments symbolizing our purity, seeing our name permanently written into the book of life, and hearing our name proclaimed by Jesus Himself before God and the angels.

So what does it mean to conquer? Probably not what you’re thinking! This conquering isn’t about a muscular and militant Christianity that defeats all opponents. Jesus actually means conquering the everyday challenges and temptations of our lives to truly follow Him every hour of every day.

Conquering is about resisting the temptations of suburban life and pursuing personal holiness and a life of faithful obedience to Jesus. Conquering means resisting the many temptations in our ordinary lives: sexual temptations, financial temptations, ethical temptations. Temptations to indulge our anger, greed, lust, ambition, pride.

Our most fundamental calling as Christians is to actually follow Jesus – doing what He did, caring about what He cares about, and seeking, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to become like Him in personal holiness, righteousness, kindness, wisdom, mercy, and grace. We conquer when we commit and live our lives like that. Of course, we’ll make mistakes along the way, but we conquer those when we confess them to God, ask forgiveness, and pursue increasing holiness and Christlikeness.

Conquering isn’t easy, but there is joy, now and forever, in seeking to conquer – not the world, but the world’s influence on our hearts and minds. Go forth and conquer today. Then do it again tomorrow.

“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” – Revelation 2:10

We don’t know why Christ decrees for some churches to suffer persecution while others live in peace for long periods of time. What we do know is that when faced with persecution, we are given a wonderful opportunity to glorify God! While we should never seek suffering or try to provoke persecution (that would be ungodly), we should never shy away from it either.

There is enormous persecution of Christians in the world today. We should be praying for persecuted Christians and also preparing ourselves should our own comfortable situation begin to change. If our King decrees that we should suffer for our faith, then may we each be found faithful in that time!

Choose now, while things are pleasant, what’s more important to you: Christ or comfort, life on this earth or the crown of eternal life in heaven. Reflect now on what compromises you will refuse to make to hold on to your popularity, social status, finances, freedom, family, or life.

While persecution isn’t good and we’re called to pray that we would live in peace, greater good for God’s Kingdom can come out of persecution. We should understand that Christ rewards us for faithfulness in the face of whatever persecution we may encounter. He will place the crown of life on the heads of those who are faithful to their death. Commit yourselves now to always choose faithfulness over any personal benefit on earth.