“And one of the elders said to me, ‘Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’” – Revelation 5:5

King Jesus once again enters the vision of Revelation. Here, the ultimate reality of who He is is expressed in terms of ancient promises from God the Father. Jesus fulfills them all! Jesus is the Lion of Judah, the ruling king descended from Judah that was prophesied by Jacob on his deathbed in Genesis 49. Jesus is the eternal king descended from King David promised in Isaiah 11. All God’s promises are yes and amen in Jesus!

Jesus has conquered sin, death, and the devil, living a perfect life free of all sin despite every temptation. He voluntarily died and on the third day, physically rose from the dead before later ascending to Heaven. He alone is worthy to break open the scroll with its seals to begin God’s final judgment on this fallen world and usher in its renewal. Jesus is worthy and because He is, God’s plan will be fulfilled in His perfect timing.

As the celebration of the birth of Jesus draws near, remember that He didn’t stay a tiny baby in a manger. Today, He is the king over all things. Jesus, the Lion of Judah, the Lamb of God rules and reigns from Heaven. Rejoice and celebrate in His victory. Eagerly anticipate His glorious return and the Second Advent. #FollowJesus

“And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” – Revelation 4:3

John was given a glimpse of God on His throne. Here you can feel his struggle to describe what he saw in human words! God is so majestic, so beautiful, so infinitely awesome that we simply don’t have language that can describe Him as He truly is. And yet, John had to try. He was inspired to use words about radiantly beautiful, sparkling gemstones rich in vivid color. He combines these with the iridescent beauty of a rainbow.

Do we know exactly what these words actually mean as a description of God? No, and that isn’t important. Don’t puzzle over the meaning. FEEL what John is describing. Feel God’s beauty! That’s the gift given to us through John, an opportunity to imagine and feel the infinite, overwhelming, and indescribable awesomeness and beauty of our Creator as we will one day see Him for ourselves!

Take time right now to imagine this scene. In your mind’s eye, kneel before God’s throne and try to feel and imagine God as you will see Him if Jesus is your Lord. Let the things of your daily life fade into insignificance as you dwell on the unlimited awesomeness of your Father in Heaven! #FollowJesus

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” – Revelation 3:20

Take a moment to think about this verse. This is the extraordinary offer of the Gospel! Jesus Christ, the Lord and sustainer of the universe, knocks on our door. He doesn’t sit back and wait for us to come to Him the way most people in power do. He comes to us. He comes to us. Jesus comes to us personally. He knocks on our door. If we invite Him in, He sits down with us and eats with us. Jesus eats with us as a peer and friend! He shares the intimacy of table fellowship. He listens to our stories of the day, our worries and fears, our victories and defeats. He laughs with us, cries with us, and wipes away our tears.

That’s what it is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. It means enjoying a relationship of friendship, love, and intimacy that never ends. That’s what it is to invite others to believe in Jesus. When you tell someone about Jesus, you aren’t burdening them. You’re inviting them to friendship with Jesus. You’re hoping that they’ll open the door and enjoy eating with God in the flesh just like you do. You’re blessing them by helping them hear and respond to the knock on their door by Jesus.

In the busyness of your daily life, be sure to make time to simply enjoy being with Jesus. Then be sure you are actively inviting others to experience that same joy. #FollowJesus

“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

What does Jesus mean by conquering? What does that look like for us? It has nothing to do with gaining power, authority, wealth, or status here on earth. A follower of Jesus conquers by living a holy life of obedience to Jesus until he or she passes away or Jesus returns. We conquer by taking up our cross each and every day, making sacrifices to serve, honor, and represent the Lord. We conquer by denying ourselves and obeying the commands of Jesus. We conquer by battling the sin that tempts us in the power of the Holy Spirit. We conquer by loving God and loving our neighbors when the world, the flesh, and the devil encourage us to do otherwise.

We’re called to conquer our own hearts, minds, and temptations. If you conquer, Jesus promises you will be blessed beyond measure. The great point of Revelation isn’t to give us a detailed timeline of these last days in which we live. The great point of Revelation is to encourage Christians to understand why the world is they way it is and to encourage us to hold firmly to our faith. We are encouraged to love Jesus no matter what it may cost us here on earth.

The message of Jesus in Revelation is that for those who conquer – who cling firmly to Jesus – there is unending blessing and reward waiting in Jesus Christ. If we hold to Jesus, then we will endure every trial and tribulation in, and with, Him. We will live forever and enjoy His presence forever. We will have an all-access pass to the new creation where there is no sin, no sorrow, no suffering, no pain, and no death. It’s worth it to conquer! #FollowJesus

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” – Revelation 2:4

In many ways, the Christians in Ephesus were in good shape. They were DOING all the right things. Working hard… Enduring some opposition… Rejecting false teachers… Their theology and practice were both sound. But their hearts weren’t really in it. They checked the boxes of Christianity regularly but they’d lost the essence of the faith – love for Jesus and for one another. They were going through the activities of religion but had lost the transformational core of the Christians faith. LOVE!

This can happen to any follower of Jesus, which means it’s worth checking your own heart from time to time. Are you doing good things for the Lord? Excellent! Are you growing and practicing discernment to reject the many false teachers, preachers, and “prophets” at work in our world today? Wonderful! Are you madly, passionately in love with Jesus??? Do you love His people and spending time with them???

If so, then you’re in a great place spiritually! If not, find ways to regain that love for Jesus and for His people. Sit down and read one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) from beginning to end. Stream a high quality depiction of the life, love, and work of Jesus. Choose a book about Jesus that’s intended to build your love for Him. Meditate on what Jesus has saved you from. Consider all the ways He’s changed you. Spend an hour or two singing along to your favorite worship songs online. Let His goodness, gentleness, kindness, mercy, grace, patience, and love soak into your soul. Then turn those qualities toward your brothers and sisters in Christ (especially the difficult ones). Always be careful not to lose your love! #FollowJesus