“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” – Revelation 14:12

Christians often have mixed feelings about the book of Revelation. There’s so much dramatic, vivid, and strange imagery that can be hard to understand. Many Christians say that Revelation frightens them. Perhaps it frightens you. That is certainly not God’s intent in giving it to us. This verse is arguably the key point of the entire book! The Revelation was given so that we would understand the deeper spiritual realities behind the often terrifying and discouraging headlines we read about the world. That we would understand that no matter what we see, the unseen reality is that God is on His throne, the Lamb is the Lord of the universe, and the devil is a loser who will soon suffer an eternity in the lake of fire. So will those who persecute Christians for their faith!

The Book of Revelation isn’t a detailed chronology of future history. It’s a call for followers of Jesus to faithfully endure the hardships of life on earth, confident in their salvation in Christ. Confident in God’s sovereign power, justice, and ultimate victory. Confident that their sufferings for the Lord will end and be rewarded. Confident that no matter how bad things get on earth, it will all get infinitely better in the presence of the Lord. Confident that all the terrible things begun in Genesis 3 with mankind’s fall into sin will be reversed with the renewal of Creation in Revelation 21.

Whether you understand a lot or a little from Revelation, understand this point! Hold firmly to your faith in Jesus. Obey the commands of Scripture. Proclaim the goodness of God in Christ with urgency. Love God and your neighbors with wholehearted zeal, regardless of the cost. Endure any and all opposition and persecution for your faith with a joyful heart. You are loved by the Lord and will spend eternity with Him. #FollowJesus

“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord,
‘and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.’”
– Isaiah 43:10-11

This is the testimony of Scripture, from beginning to end. There aren’t many gods. There is only one True and Living God. There aren’t many ways to reach Him. There is only one Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are saved through knowing and believing the good news of Jesus Christ. Scripture is focused on presenting and demonstrating the truth of this from beginning to end. It is freely given to all who would receive it.

The Bible describes how God has been graciously choosing witnesses and servants for thousands of years. Witnesses who get to taste and see that the Lord is good. To see the miracles, hear the words, and bear witness to Jesus, the Lamb Who was slain for the sins of the world. God wants you to be one of them. To know and believe that He is the One. If you believe, then He has equipped and empowered you to bear witness to these truths to those whom you know or meet on the journey of life.

If you know and believe in Jesus, are you serving and bearing witness? Are you inviting people to explore the testimony of history and Scripture, that Jesus is Lord of all? Are you offering the words of life and hope to those who desperately need them? There is no other god. There is no other way. God wants everyone everywhere to know this and you are part of His plan for telling them. Know it. Believe it. Understand it. Do it! #FollowJesus

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” – Revelation 12:11

Revelation 12 celebrates the coming of Jesus and the defeat of Satan. It commemorates the casting out of the devil from God’s presence. He can no longer make accusations about God’s people before the throne of God. Think carefully about the implications of this… The devil can never speak lies and accusations against you to God! However, he can certainly make trouble on earth, whispering lies and accusations against you to yourself. That’s exactly what he does. He lies to the followers of Jesus, trying to get us to believe things about ourselves that aren’t true. Trying to stir up feelings of guilt and shame in our minds that would cause us to draw away from the Lord.

Don’t believe those lies about yourself! Remember what this verse says defeated the devil… The blood of the Lamb and the testimony of your life as a follower of Jesus. Satan’s defeat was sealed at the cross. When Jesus, the eternal Son of God, gave Himself over to die on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins, Satan was defeated. Why? Because now God’s people are forgiven, made holy, adopted into God’s family, and united with Christ living in them. The death and resurrection of Jesus guaranteed the devil’s defeat. Though he can certainly do scary things, he has no power compared to the infinite power of Jesus, the Lamb of God. He has been conquered by the blood of the Lamb.

The devil is further humiliated by the testimony of those who devote themselves to Jesus. Those who live lives of faithful obedience. Those who choose the Lord over comfort, convenience, or safety. The devil is a loser. He certainly can be effective in whispering lies to people, but God doesn’t listen to him at all and neither should you. The devil is a loser. He was crushed by Jesus at the cross. The devil is a loser. He can tempt and he can frighten, but he can’t overcome or erase the testimony of those who hold firmly to Lord Jesus. Be wary of the devil’s lies and tricks, but trust the infinitely greater power of Christ Who lives in you! #FollowJesus

“The nations raged,
but your wrath came,
and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
and those who fear your name,
both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
– Revelation 11:18

For God’s people, the images and prophecies of Revelation should not be something to fear. Rather, we should be looking forward to the day when God’s final judgment will begin to unfold on the earth. The seventh trumpet will usher in God’s wrath upon all those opposed to the coming of God’s Kingdom in Jesus Christ. That wrath will be awful to witness and worse to experience. Those who aren’t in Christ are absolutely right to be afraid of it, for it will be terrible and there will be no escape for them.

However, it will also usher in God’s reward of those who have embraced Jesus as Lord throughout all of history. Our bodies will rise in glory and our souls will be reunited with them. Christ’s judgment of His flock will be beautiful and joyous to experience. Unending rewards will be given to everyone who loves and follows Jesus. It doesn’t matter how famous or anonymous they were in the eyes of the world. How famous or anonymous you are in the eyes of the world. All God’s children are known and loved by Him. All Christ’s followers are precious to Him. All will be praised for their faithfulness and rewarded for their service to King Jesus.

And then…. all creation will be renewed. The destruction, disaster, and devastation that we’re so used to will no longer exist. The earth will once again be the way God made it to be. Perfect. Free of disease, chaos, drought, famine, contamination, pollution, cruelty, and pain. The earth will no longer be cursed for our sins but will be the temple of God’s presence as Jesus and the Father live on the earth, lighting up the new Jerusalem for all believers to enjoy forever. In Christ, the future is not something to fear but to celebrate. #FollowJesus

“When I thought, “My foot slips,”
your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.”
– Psalm 94:18-19

The question isn’t whether you will experience difficulties, doubts, fears, and worries in your life. The question is whether you’ll face them alone or with God as your ever-present strength and comfort. We live in a fallen world that is thoroughly infected and affected by human sin and its consequences. And so, every person who lives for any meaningful amount of time will experience ups and downs, highs and lows, cares and concerns, struggles and successes, failures and triumphs.

However, we don’t have to face them in our own limited strength and abilities. When we unite ourselves with Christ by putting our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive not only forgiveness and eternal life. We receive the wonderful promises that God will neither leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). That Jesus will certainly be with us all of the days until He returns (Matthew 28:20). That we are in Him and He is in us (John 17:21-23). That the Holy Spirit of God seals us and lives in us (Ephesians 1:13-14).

When you think you can go no further and can endure nothing else, God’s steadfast love will strengthen you. God’s grace will sustain you. God’s love will renew you. When worry, fear, and doubt overwhelm your heart and mind, God invites you to cast your burdens on Him (Psalm 55:22), to lay your anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7), and to give every fear, every worry, and every doubt to Him in prayer with thanksgiving because He is listening with love (Philippians 4:6-7). May God’s supernatural peace, love, and strength fill you in every situation you face, no matter how difficult! #FollowJesus