deeper still

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!

Psalm 130:1

Ironically, this is a “Psalm of Ascents” meant to be sung as pilgrims hiked up to Zion to the temple for festivals. While climbing up, they sang about being down!

The “depths” are places we feel overwhelmed or in need of rescue. Here are some examples I think of:

• Depths of sorrow — after loss.
  
• Depths of fear — an uncertain future
  
• Depths of loneliness — no one to understand
• Depths of suffering — pain that feels unbearable

Sometimes these depths are created by others with relational misunderstanding, disagreement, betrayal, rejection, injustice, or disappointment. In these places weakness strips away the false confidence of the illusion that we are in control. We must cry out: “Lord, hear my voice!” (Psalm 130:2) The depths call us to something and Someone deeper still.

The depths of Psalm 130 however are tied to sin and guilt. The text reminds us that no one could stand if God kept a record of sins (Psalm 130:3). These depths are not circumstances that happen to us, but rather are consequences of what is within us. Yet even these depths are not meant to drown the soul… “with you there is forgiveness” (Psalm 130:4).

Whether we sink in grief, fear, failure, or guilt, the “depths” can be the the place where we release the weight of self-reliance which drag us down and then find the deliverance of hope in God’s great salvation. At the bottom of the depths we find God’s mercy to be deeper still! Amen!

busting cultural pressure

​

Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

Daniel 6:5

This old strategy to remove the authority of scripture is still at work big time today. Culture replaces God’s authority with human authority. That’s what happened in Daniel’s day… unsuccessfully. God is Creator, King, and the Definer of truth, goodness, and human conduct (Genesis 1:1; Proverbs 14:12). Culture reverses this with mantras like: I decide what’s true for me. Instead we should submit our thoughts, desires, and actions to the authority of God’s Word as truth (Romans 12:1-2).

Culture demands we follow our desires rather than having God transform desires. Self-expression is now the highest good. If I feel it, I do it and you should support me. Yet Scripture insists our desires are warped by sin and need examination, repentance, and transformation rather than exploration (Jeremiah 17:9; Ephesians 4:22-24). Christians deny sinful desires and let the Spirit develop holy desires (Galatians 5:16-24).

Culture confuses identity that scripture clearly reveals. Society says to define ourselves by success, possessions, sexuality, politics, fame, achievement, or victimhood. “I gotta be me” is more than just an old song. Scripture locates a believer’s identity solidly in Christ (Colossians 3:1-4). The gospel challenges our culture’s pressure to deny God’s Word at every point of contention.

We do not define our own truth, follow our own desires, or create our own identities. Biblically we receive God’s truth, submit our desires to Christ, and find identity in Him.

Growing like Jesus

​

And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

Luke 2:52

Here we are given a wonderfully balanced and clear description of the maturity of Jesus. It serves as a kind of map of human growth as well. Jesus grew in wisdom — intellectually, learning and understanding. He grew in stature — physically, maturing from boyhood to manhood. He grew in favor with God — spiritually, living in perfect obedience and fellowship with His Father. And He grew in favor with man — socially, relating well and accepted by the people around Him. Like all of us, Jesus developed as a whole human being — a person in mind, body, spirit, and relationships.

We also, as people redeemed by Jesus, the perfect God and man, should know well-rounded development over our lifetimes. Mentally we learn truth in scripture and seek the wisdom of Christ. Physically we are called to steward our bodies for the glory of God. Spiritually we know God through His word, prayer, and obedience. We are indwelt and led by His Holy Spirit. Socially we learn to love, serve, forgive, and encourage others. We will not, however imitate Jesus under our own power. The perfect Son of God grew in these ways so that He could offer His perfect, righteous life in exchange for our broken imperfection and sin. Through faith in Christ, we are forgiven, and by His Spirit, enabled to become more like Jesus every day… in every important areas of our lives.

non-impossibilities

​

For nothing will be impossible with God.

Luke 1:37

A virgin

told she’d have a son

Savior of the world

Who would forever reign

no end to her son’s kingdom

It puzzled her.

“How will this be?”

It seemed impossible.

Impossible she’d conceive.

Impossible the Son of God would be hers as well.

Impossible her old cousin was pregnant.

Impossible that Israel would have a new King.

But she believed

“I am the servant of the Lord.”

“Let it be to me

according to your word.”

I too

have small impossibilities

facing me today

but He now reigns

and has me in His Kingdom

I lament pain.

“Why must this be?”

It seems impossible.

Impossible restoration.

Impossible to see things made right.

Impossible life provision.

Impossible for this world to submit to a King.

But I will believe.

“I will serve the Lord.”

“Your will be done,

Your kingdom come…

on earth as it is in heaven.”

the last verse

​

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Revelation 22:21

In the end

when we stand

no longer accursed

remember this last verse

we will see His face

be in His grace

no more night

for Jesus is our light

reigning forever

crying never

His grace with us all. Amen

We took a look

at prophecy in this book

we did not add

to what we read

nor take away

from what He would say

coming for us soon

now singing His tune

we have testified

and live sanctified

the grace of the Lord Jesus with all. Amen

this makes it heaven

​The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Revelation 21:7

What makes heaven… well… heaven? Will it be gold streets, a crystal river, walls built of solid gemstones? Will it be the sights and sounds of the redeemed in a glorious life beyond imagination, forever happy and free from the pain of living? All that certainly is worth looking forward to, but I think a powerful reality is what will make heaven truly paradise. It will be that finally “the dwelling pace of God is with man” (Revelation 21:3). We will be His people, free from sin and living as we were first created, and He will be our God. We will all live at peace with God in His beautiful presence.

That is why comfort will be present, all tears gone as a former life is eclipsed with no regrets in the Almighty presence of God. All things new… forever… will be the experience our hearts have always longed to know. We will live as we truly have always hoped to live.

This is the heritage of the redeemed who are faithful in following Jesus. He is our God. We are His children. We are at home, finally! And knowing and loving an eternal God will be the thrilling joy of our lives forever in a New Heaven and a New Earth. It is right to long for that hope. It is really what I am living for!

truly blessed

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed

who fears the LORD.

Psalm 128:4

Here is the blessed life for one rooted in fearing God and walking in His ways. God blesses ordinary life: fruitful work, provision, marriage, family, generations, and the joy of home. The source of blessing is God Himself. It is not found in the gifts that are the blessings, but in the Giver of them. Blessing is not wealth, or an easy, painless life. Blessing is lived reverently before the Lord, receiving all His good gifts and presence with a grateful heart.

The psalm starts at home but then widens to the nation: “The LORD bless you from Zion!” It extends generationally: “your children’s children”. It rejoices in the flourishing of an entire community over time in covenant with God. The blessed life is God-centered, fruitful, relational, and generational. It comes as people fear the Lord, walk in His ways, enjoy His good gifts, and seek His blessing to spread to all who love the Lord.

All blessings point to Jesus Himself. In Christ we are brought into God’s family, given a deeper inheritance than any we can have now and are blessed in a vast community of His redeemed for eternity.

Sayonara Satan!

And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years…

Revelation 20:2

The devil has an end. He knows it because he reads the Bible. We know Satan reads scripture because he twists scripture in his temptations of people. He did so with Eve. He did so with Jesus. He will try to do so with us. But the devil has to cringe when he reads Revelation 20! He is bound in a bottomless pit, falling for a thousand years. Then he will be defeated after a brief release and thrown into eternal torment in the lake of fire. Goodbye Satan! Not nice knowing ya! Your doom is forever sealed.

Satan fights against the fate he knows is coming. And that is one reason why we see evil magnified as humanity expands across the earth. The dragon is roaming over more souls, destroying as much good as he possibly can, defiling God’s creation wherever possible, and lying about how evil is good and good is evil. He deceives billions daily now through false information, false religion, false science, false entertainment, and false philosophy. He manipulates with riches and wealth, with poverty and want, with contentment and apathy, with activism, and with war and ruin. He is an equal opportunity destroyer bent on ruining all that God has made that is good.

The devil however is doomed. Keep that in mind, Christian! Jesus has already won. Satan has limited options, on a limited scale, for a limited time, and will eventually be bound in a burning lake of fire forevermore. Jesus has defeated all evil by His death and resurrection. Trust in the One Who tosses Satan into the fire like the garbage that the devil truly is.

good to all

​The LORD is good to all,

and his mercy is over all that he has made.

Psalm 145:9

The Lord is good to all

He answers when we call

He blesses those who yield to Him

He cares for all in need of Him

The Lord is good to everyone

to this world He gave His Son

Who died so those who call may live

and forgiveness and eternal life He’ll give

The Lord’s mercy is over all He’s made

so we may find grace unafraid

We call to Him Who cares for us so

All His grace we now may know

God is good to rule us all

His mercy pours out to those who fall

Surrender to His Lordship and praise

His great name we will lift and raise

God is good… this we believe

We know His grace as we receive

the saving grace and rule of Jesus

His love and grace always will free us

enemies on a leash

​

So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 38:23

A terrifying coalition of hate rises up to threaten God’s people in Ezekiel 38 and 39. But a striking truth keeps perspective on God: The Lord is never for one second in panic over these fearsome circumstances. Even as Gog (the enemy here) gathers armies, the Lord calmly decrees: “I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws” (Ezekiel 38:4). The enemy threatens evil and destruction, but he cannot move beyond the sovereign boundaries that God has set. What appears to be the advance of unstoppable opposition is ultimately directed by God so that He displays His holiness, justice, and power.

This truth gives God’s people courage when the opposition seems overwhelming. Those who oppose God are limited. They are “powerful” only by His permission. God alone is sovereign. He restrains them, redirects them, and reduces them to rubble in His judgment. We are called away from fear to confident trust in the One Who declares “I will show my greatness and holiness.”

History is not moving toward the triumph of secularism over Christianity. No, quite the opposite! God, the Christian gospel, and Christians in community are all destined to triumph spectacularly. We need not cower when proclaiming this. Our enemies are on God’s tight leash. No enemy is operating outside God’s firm grip of control. No threat surprises Him. Nothing prevents His purposes from full accomplishment. All will know that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Amen!

the song, the triumph, and the wedding supper

​And from the throne came a voice saying,

“Praise our God,

all you his servants,

you who fear him,

small and great.”

Revelation 19:5

And what is the occasion for angels to call all the righteous in heaven and earth to cease what they are doing and bring unified praise to God? It is the invitation to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The vast throng that responds sounds like the roar of many waters or the thunder rolling in a storm. All the saints are primed to celebrate for “his Bride has made herself ready” clothed with “fine linen, bright and pure.”

The Bride is clothed in her righteous deeds. But the Groom (Jesus) arrives dressed in royal robes and armed for one final battle. His description is fierce (Revelation 19:11-16). He takes the scene with flaming eyes, wearing many crowns. His royal robes are dipped in blood. And the armies of heaven mounted on horses follow Him into a final battle.

The Battle-Bridegroom slays His enemies merely by the word of His mouth. He speaks and all opposition is trodden in the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. The final opposition is captured and thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the last wedding gift that Jesus gives His Bride. And then in His peace, the joy of being forever with Him begins. That’s quite a wedding!

King, Priest, and Judge

​He will drink from the brook by the way;

therefore he will lift up his head.

Psalm 110:7

• The King Who Sits at God’s Right Hand
  

Psalm 110 begins with an invitation for David’s Lord to sit at God’s right hand until His enemies are destroyed. Jesus applies this royal imagery to Himself (Matthew 22:41-46), showing us that the Messiah is greater than David. His divine authority rules in the eventual defeat of all who oppose Him.

• The Priest Who Reigns Forever
  

The Messiah is not only King but also “a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4). His priesthood is superior to Aaron’s… it never ends. Jesus is identified as this eternal Priest Who offers the final, sufficient sacrifice for all sins (Hebrews 7:17-27).

• The Victor Over All the Nations
  

Psalm 110 ends with the Messiah triumphing over every enemy and judging all the nations. Jesus, Who presently reigns and intercedes will ultimately conquer and decide the fate of all people for all time forever (Revelation 19:15-16).

Psalm 110 presents Christ as our reigning king, eternal priest, and victorious judge — the only One in Whom we can confidently find salvation, grace, and refuge.

Restoration begins with God.

​And I will multiply on you man and beast, and they shall multiply and be fruitful. And I will cause you to be inhabited as in your former times, and will do more good to you than ever before. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 36:11

This hope comes in the middle of God’s promise to restore a land and a people once devastated by deserved judgment. Israel’s sin had rightly brought them ruin, scattering, and shame. Yet God declares firmly in restorative grace, “I will do more good to you than ever before.” Why? Not because they deserved it. Not because they were worthy. God’s motive: “Then you will know that I am the LORD.”

Their restoration would not come because they earned a second chance. God makes it clear: “It is not for your sakes that I will act” (Ezekiel 36:22). Restoration begins with God. It is HIS sovereign purpose to renew and restore. His holy name and gracious decisions make the ruined flourish anew. God justly disciplines and graciously replenishes.

God does for helpless sinners what they can never do for themselves. In Ezekiel 36 the promises reach beyond mere physical need with restored fields and cities. “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you” (Ezekiel 36:26). That grace finds its fullest expression in Christ’s redemption of sinners. God doesn’t merely improve sinners. In Jesus He forgives, cleanses, renews, makes holy, and fills them with His Spirit! Sin left wreckage that gave us all no hope of self-recovery. There is nothing we can do. But a sovereign God delights in doing the restoration! And in Christ’s salvation we also exclaim: “Then you will know that I am the LORD”!

Alas! Alas! Babylon.

They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,

“Alas! Alas! You great city,

you mighty city, Babylon!

For in a single hour your judgment has come.”​

Revelation 18:10

All who see God’s justice fall

Look at His power appalled

All those judged find no reprieve

Suffering for rejecting the One they refused to receive

A sentence revealed from God on high

Lightning and thunder, revulsion and fright

All who deserve wrath and pain

Sink beneath His pelting rain

Before such justice is served

A chance for mercy withholds what is deserved

Before death, a chance for life

Yearning for repentance to end sin’s strife

Look to the cross where penalty is paid

Only in Jesus is there any escape

No sin is unpunished: judgment falls either on sinner or substitute.

restoring Shepherd

And they shall know that I am the LORD their God with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, declares the Lord GOD.  Ezekiel 34:30

Ezekiel 34 is one of scripture’s great passages on God’s tender care. Read it now before reading on.

After exposing Israel’s unfaithful shepherds, the Lord promises that He Himself will seek His scattered sheep, rescue them, find them, and provide a new faithful Shepherd for them. He does it so that they may intimately know the Lord their God. This restoration is more than material blessing; it is about restoring the clear presence of God with His people. The greatest gift God gives His people is Himself. His promises assure weary hearts that they are not abandoned, forgotten, or beyond His love.

God’s restorative work usually unfolds gradually. Like a shepherd tending His wounded sheep, He binds up the broken, strengthens the weak (even carrying them), and patiently leads His flock back to safe green pastures. There are seasons when the scars of sin and suffering seem too deep to heal, yet God’s promises will be kept and He is stronger than our painful experiences. His faithfulness isn’t dependent on our strength to believe Him, but rather He is faithful because of His covenant love! His restoring grace is certain to accomplish His good purposes even when we are in the dark about the outcome.

This metaphor is fulfilled in Jesus, the Good Shepherd, Who laid down His life for His sheep. He restores people to fellowship with God forever! All broken things are restored in Him when He brings a new heavens and a new earth, the home of righteousness. The God Who promises “I am with them” had not changed. His restoring hand, unfailing presence, and everlasting promises will always be fulfilled as Jesus shepherds us right now!

Song of our Deliverer

I would soon subdue their enemies

and turn my hand against their foes.

Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him,

and their fate would last forever.​

Psalm 81:14-15

Raise joyful songs with grateful voice,

Let every thankful heart rejoice.

The God of Jacob still is near;

His mighty arm removes all fear.

“I broke your yoke and set you loose;

Why chase the chains that once bound you?

Open your mouth, I’ll fill it still —

Delight to trust my loving will.”

Yet stubborn hearts too often stray,

Preferring every lesser way.

They wouldn’t heed their Shepherd’s call,

And so they stumbled among idols all.

O turn again with faith renewed;

Our Savior offers the richest food.

He is the Rock, the Bread, the Vine —

The sweetest honey tasted in love divine.

humiliated pride

​

While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you…”

Daniel 4:31

Pride mistakes God’s gifts for our own greatness. Nebuchadnezzar surveyed his magnificent capital city and took personal credit for all of it. Before the words could completely exit his mouth, God humbled him. The man at the top of the greatest nation on earth became powerless, living like an animal in a zoo until he learned that “the Most High riles the kingdoms of men”.

We may never build such an empire, but our hearts want to claim ownership of our accomplishments, careers, families, ministries, or talents. Every good gift comes from God’s hand. He alone deserves the glory of it all. His sovereignty is in no way threatened by our pride. Instead, He opposes the proud so that all men, including the proud, would learn to trust Him.

Nebuchadnezzar’s bizarre fall ends in hope. He finally lifted his eyes to heaven in submission. His reason returned along with meaningful, heartfelt worship of God. His confession is one that all believers should sing: God’s dominion is everlasting, His purposes cannot be resisted, and no one can question what God has done (Daniel 4:34-35). Humble repentance opens the door to worship and fellowship with God. It abandons self-exaltation and bragging and embraces God’s rule. And in Jesus’ cross proud sinners are saved by a humble king. As we now bow in repentance and faith, our pride is forgiven and our joy is found in the gracious reign of Christ’s everlasting dominion.

awful circumstances / excellent spirit

And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs… Daniel 1:9

Daniel was probably a eunuch, meaning that given his noble lineage (probably a part of the royal family in Judah in some way) and competency in training (due to his position in society), he would have been put to service in the Babylonian court. This meant he was probably castrated and made a royal slave/official. Why else would the court official, Ashpenaz, “chief eunuch”, be given charge over Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego (see Daniel 1:3-7)? This sheds a whole new light on his story, his service, and his ministry to both the Jewish captives in exile and the court of the king of Babylon. Daniel could have chosen to be a bitter and broken young man. Instead, he found favor and compassion with his captors. 

Daniel would be known in Babylon for having “an excellent spirit” (Daniel 5:12; 6:3). His life was a powerful testimony to God’s grace. A young man who had lost his homeland, family, future descendants, and even the physical ability to enjoy marriage or family nevertheless focused on being useful for God’s purposes in less than wonderful circumstances. His identity and hope did not rest in earthly categories of happiness. He was dedicated with excellence to the service of the Lord. In this way another prophet’s predictions that royal children would be made eunuchs in captivity and would find a promise grow would take root in Daniel as he would receive “a name better than sons and daughters” (Isaiah 33:7; 56:3-5).

tears as prayers

​

My eyes will flow without ceasing,

without respite,

until the LORD from heaven

looks down and sees;

Lamentations 3:49-50

Jeremiah does not pretend that faith eliminates sorrows or silences our weeping tears. Instead, we see here that faithful suffering brings every cry into God’s presence. There will be seasons when our prayers seem to be more sighing than speaking, when the aching in our hearts squeezes out words and answers seem to never be coming. But in these verses we are reminded that our tears aren’t wasted. The Christian weeps with hope because the Lord sees perfectly, knows completely, and will act in His gracious wisdom and timing for our good and His glory.

Our greatest assurance is found in Jesus Christ, the Man of Sorrows, Who Himself wept, suffered, and cried out to the Father. At His cross, Jesus entered the deepest human grief so that those who trust Him would never suffer alone without purpose. Now that Jesus is risen and reigns, we can wait with confidence, knowing our Lord will certainly “look down and see” in the prefect sense, wiping away every tear and making all things new. Until that day, our tears can be prayers and our sorrow is an invitation to lean on God’s steadfast love. Our hope remains anchored in our Savior Who has promised to never leave or forsake His people!

the fire of His wrath

​

He has cut down in fierce anger

all the might of Israel;

he has withdrawn from them his right hand

in the face of the enemy;

he has burned like a flaming fire in Jacob,

consuming all around.

Lamentations 2:3

His mighty arm withdrew His shield,

the hope of mercy hidden away.

Like blazing fire His anger reeled,

consuming all before its sway.

No corner stood without His flame,

no fortress held, no refuge stayed;

The proud and low treated the same,

as all beneath His judgment paid.

Who then shall stand before His face?

His holy justice burns so bright.

Our only hope is sovereign grace —

the cross where wrath gives way to light.

carrying our condemnation

My transgressions were bound into a yoke;

by his hand they were fastened together;

they were set upon my neck;

he caused my strength to fail;

the Lord gave me into the hands

of those whom I cannot withstand.​

Lamentations 1:14

Sin is not merely a collection of isolated failures. It is a crushing burden we will never throw off by our own efforts. Every selfish word, every act of pride, any thoughts of unbelief are all woven into a yoke that weighs us down before a holy and just God. We have tried to carry this burden ourselves by excusing sin, self-improvement efforts, and religious exertions only to find our strength failing. We forget that the gospel announces an exchange we could never broker on our own. Jesus Christ stepped willingly beneath the yoke by which we were self-bound. He bore the full weight of the guilt of our sins on the cross, endured the judgement we earned, carrying our condemnation so that we who trust Him might be forgiven and set free.

Father,

We confess we daily add to the burden of our transgressions. Our sins deserve judgment. Thank You that Jesus does not leave us to stagger under this impossible load. Thank You, Lord, for carrying our yoke to Calvary, where You satisfied justice and secured forever our peace once-for-all by Your death and resurrection. Teach us to abandon self-trust and to rest in Your finished work. Having thrown off our sinful yoke, rest upon us Christ’s easy yoke, as grateful disciples now walk in obedience until the day we see you face to face!

Amen

a numbers game

​This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. Revelation 13:18

Avoid the temptation for speculation in Revelation. John calls us to exercise spiritual discernment. Scholars vary wildly on whether “666” is a real person or a representation of an empire or political force. I tend to lean toward the latter. What we do know is that the number has intense symbolism. Seven in Revelation often represents completeness, especially in God’s execution of judgment on the world. Six falls short, making “666” a picture of humanity’s futile repeated failures and rebellion against God — an attempt at imitating God’s power but never fully realizing it. This makes sense given the wonders the beast performs and the worship the beast demands in this chapter. The number is man’s attempt to do what only God can do.

We should not try to identify every new possibility to tag the identity of “666”. Instead, we focus on those who belong to Christ bearing His name (Revelation 14:1). The encouragement for us is to stay faithful, refusing to compromise with any human-devised demands for worship, allegiance, or trust. Those belong exclusively to Christ alone! Because Jesus has already conquered by His death and resurrection, believers can face any attempted deception or persecution with confidence. The Lamb has already overcome the beast. Amen!

God the F.O.R.T.R.E.S.S.

​Within her citadels God

has made himself known as a fortress.

Psalm 48:3

For thousands of years

From age to age

Foes kept at bay

Forever our fortress

Over all reigns

On Zion’s hill

Our king worshiped

Omnipotent great God

Ruining the enemy

Raised against Your people

Reaching the world

Radiant with Your glory

Trembling at Your power

Trusting in Your deliverance

Thinking on Your steadfast love

Telling the next generation

Right hand filled with goodness

Righteousness over us

Reaching to the ends of the earth

Ruling and reigning royally

Everyone should notice

Every act of Your mercy

Even in our failures

Eternity we see

Sons of the covenant

Sing of Your great love

Solemn vows are brought

Sacrifices offered

Son of David ruling

Son of God giving

Sacrifice sufficient

Satisfied the Father

dragon’s war

​Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.

Revelation 12:17

Three quick observations from Revelation 12:17:

1. Christians should expect spiritual opposition. We are at war with the dragon (Satan) himself. That is why even today Christians know suffering, persecution, temptation, deception, and opposition. These are not random actions. We have an active enemy. The devil’s domain (the world) hates us because it hated Jesus first (John 15:18-20). We live in the midst of a burning war zone.

2. The dragon rages because he has already lost. This may be our greatest encouragement as the fight goes on. Christ has already been caught up to God’s throne (Revelation 12:5). Satan has already been cast out of heaven (Revelation 12:7-9). Heaven has already announced victory (Revelation 12:10). Believers overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11). The dragon is enraged because he cannot win (Revelation 12:17). This war is a temper tantrum as the final minutes of the game tick down. The devil does not have a victory strategy at this point.

3. Christians are known for perseverance and faith in Christ. Faithful Christians throughout Revelation are those who continue trusting Christ despite pressure. Obedience flows from allegiance and faith. Jesus is clearly the Savior with the power. Our security rests in Christ’s victory because it is by the blood of the Lamb that we overcome!

they will know

and the land of Egypt shall be a desolation and a waste. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 29:9

The trumpet sounds where silent idols fell,

And every shattered wall has a story to tell.

Sword, famine, plague, and burning flame

Testify to the holy power of God’s name.

“Then they will know that I am the LORD”, He cries

Above the smoke darkening stubborn skies.

The mountains echo, the valleys feel His weight

There is justice that no person can evade.

Pride is humbled as kingdoms fade to dust,

Everyone must learn in Whom to trust.

His judgments are not mere chaos that is random,

But righteous decrees coming from His wisdom.

Mercy still shines beyond His chastening rod;

The Shepherd drives wanderers back to God.

The exiles hear a promise through their tears,

A faithful King Who overcomes all fears.

At Calvary the nations see the LORD,

Where wrath and grace unite in one accord.

The cross declares to every tribe and tongue

“Then they will know that I am the LORD — the Holy One!”

prince of Tyre / prince of darkness

therefore thus says the Lord GOD:

Because you make your heart

like the heart of a god,

therefore, behold, I will bring foreigners upon you,

the most ruthless of the nations;

and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom

and defile your splendor.

Ezekiel 28:6-7

The prince of Tyre was a ruler whose pride led him to claim godlike status while trusting in his wisdom, wealth, and political/commercial success. The Lord declares that such arrogance will end. He would be humiliated, defeated, and die at the hands of enemies. Ezekiel prophesies a lament over the king telling the story of his exalted position, extraordinary beauty, and tragic fall because of his proud and corrupt heart. No one, no matter how full of themselves, prosperous, or powerful can stand against the sovereign God.

The description of the king of Tyre moves beyond earthly rule and echoes the rebellion and ultimate end of Satan. References to Eden, the beautiful guardian cherub, and being cast away from God’s presence point us to a greater story than just the spectacular rise and fall of Tyre’s king and trade empire. The message is clear: Pride brings destruction. God will easily dismiss every rebellion against His throne and no one can claim to be like God. Through the victory of Christ, Satan’s final defeat is certain, while those who trust in Jesus are delivered into His everlasting kingdom.

A chart of chaos and judgment

​The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come. Revelation 9:12

Sometimes the facts themselves are what I need to think about. Nearly impossible to get application today so here’s a handy-dandy chart:

Woe’s End

​

Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow!”

Revelation 8:13

Eagle cries through heaven’s dome,

Three solemn woes upon our world home.

It’s piercing voice a doom declares

For justice falls on rebel heirs.

The Holy One in righteous reign;

Though rejected speaks not in vain.

The Judge of all the earth — always right

His judgments blaze in holy light.

The first woe sounds; hardened hearts still stand,

Clasping idols with a stubborn hand.

The second woes unveils a pit below

Where evil fruit still darkly grows.

The third woe comes, no refuge to claim,

Every deed must answer now to God’s name.

His patience waited through eons of grace;

His mercy offered to this wandering race.

Every trumpet warns before the end:

“Turn to Jesus — the sinner’s Faithful Friend.”

The Lamb once judged welcomes all who flee;

Accept His grace, bow, and be set free.

in the company of the congregation

Praise the LORD!

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,

in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

Psalm 111:1

Worship isn’t just a private exercise. While God should be praised when we are alone, He has also made it clear He is glorified when His people gather to publicly declare His greatness. The excuse “I can worship God on my own” is really a selfish disobedience to the command to gather. Congregational praise reminds us that we belong to a redeemed people whose voices unite to testify that the Lord is worthy of all honor and glory. Every scriptural vision of God’s throne shows Him surrounded by praise. We model that in congregational worship.

This wholehearted praise points to the One Who perfectly worships the Father. Jesus delighted to do His Father’s will and gathered with His people in worship, teaching in the gatherings. He did not just seek God alone in personal relationship. And through His death and resurrection Jesus accomplished what our divided hearts could not. We often come into worship distracted, life-weary, or burdened by sins and weights. Christ’s perfect righteousness is credited to all who trust Him so that we can rightly enter God’s presence. We are welcomed by God not by virtue of our performance but because Jesus made the way.

The church gathered rehearses this redemptive story together as we worship. Our songs proclaim God’s holiness, Christ’s sufficiency, our unworthiness, and the power of Christ’s transforming work in us. As we join with our whole hearts in song, prayer, and the proclamation of the Word of God and celebration of the ordinances, we get a taste of praise around God’s ruling us together. We foreshadow the glory of Christ’s kingdom in the “already but not yet”. We sample future glory by giving God the glory together. Congregational worship is a hope for the day we join the throne room crowd for an eternity of the worship we were created to enjoy.

3 reasons God judges

But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they lived, in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt.  Ezekiel 20:9

There are three reasons God judged Israel within their history. These reasons held true for the wilderness generation, for the Judges generations, and for the exiles. They are found in this verse. They point to the character of God and warn us of the danger of drifting from worshiping and serving the God Who saves us.

1. God judges for the sake of His name. His name is holy. He will not let His holiness be mocked by anyone, including in the case of His covenant people Israel, when they disregarded Him. God will act in judgment to protect the sanctity of His name and reputation.

2. God judges to make Himself known to a watching world. Israel profaned God “in the sight of the nations among whom they lived”. And their judgment would be seen by the world around them in testimony to God’s power and their own failure. The watching world will see justice come. He will act among His people first. Don’t pray for judgment unless you are willing to be judged yourself!

3. God judges to point to His role as deliverer. Israel was judged because they had been rescued from Egypt, made God’s covenant people, and given the Promised Land, only to rebel against and despise their Divine Deliverer. God wants to show Himself in saving power and the proper response of those whom He delivers is worship, humility, and praise. Today we show it in worship of Jesus. We recognize God’s right to judge and His grace in salvation when we submit in grateful surrender to Jesus Christ.

2 hearts, 2 paths, 1 Savior

Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.​  Ezekiel 18:4

Ezekiel 18 draws contrast between two ways of life. On one side stands a person living for self, disregarding God’s Word and pursuing idolatry, injustice, immortality, oppression, and greed. This reflects a heart that refuses to submit to God’s authority and it ends in death.

In contrast, the righteous person (Ezekiel 18:5-9) worships God alone, treats others with compassion, keeps promises, practices justice, cares for the poor, and walks faithfully in God’s statutes. Outwardly they show what is inwardly in their heart: One life rebels against God — the other life submits to Him.

God is perfectly just. He does not judge people by the merit of their family history, reputation, or associations, but by the reality of their personal relationship with Him. The righteous life described here is not a mere moral checklist of do’s and don’ts; it is instead the fruit of a heart loving the Lord. Our culture celebrates personal autonomy and excuses sin. God calls us to live submitted to His transformation leading to holiness, integrity, mercy, and justice. Reading all this in Ezekiel compels us to reflect on these two differing pathways.

The truth is that none of us stands a chance of living the righteous life described here under our own power. We’ve all sinned and deserve death. Yet the good news of the gospel is that in the perfect life of Christ, in His willing death on our behalf and resurrection, we can in repentance and faith be forgiven and made perfectly righteous in Jesus before God. We are given new hearts and the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of a new life pleasing to the Lord. Our hope is in Christ’s perfection credited to us as His grace transforms us.

the Lamb Who opens seals

And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.  Revelation 6:8

The Lamb (Jesus) opens the seals and four horsemen ride across the globe spreading conquest, war, famine, and death. These judgments show how a guilty world is broken horribly by sin so that no human intervention can bring lasting peace. These terrors are the direct result of God’s judgment on deliberate disobedience and sinful cultures.

People cry out in fear because the Day of God’s Wrath has come. Revelation 6 confronts us with sobering truth: every person will answer to a holy God. The picture of those left to themselves to answer… who cannot escape judgment, no matter what their human power, wealth, or influence may be, is emotionally unsettling. Everybody answers to God.

Thank God the gospel is bright compared to this dark picture! The Lamb Who opens the seals to unleash God’s judgment is also the Lamb slain for sinners. Those who have trusted in His death and resurrection need not fear the wrath to come, for our safe rest is found in Christ! When a fallen world trembles in judgment of evil, we look to the Lamb and find grace, forgiveness, peace, safety, and the confidence of eternal life.

desperate believer

O LORD, Do Not Delay

TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF DAVID, FOR THE MEMORIAL OFFERING.

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!

O LORD, make haste to help me!

Psalm 70:1

This psalm was written “to cause to remember”. It perhaps had a liturgical connection to the memorial portion of the grain offering. Psalm 38 has a similar superscription. In this way, Psalm 70 functions as a prayer asking God to remember and act in favor. The psalm brings need before God with urgency. It is clearly a prayer and as it functions as a “memorial” it would follow that it was a prayer that was clearly answered. In this way it is a celebration. It isn’t reminding God because He forgets; it is instead clear covenant language knowing that God always acts according to His promises.

As we read it today we can take heart: God is ready to act for us in our deepest need. It could be physical, emotional, or spiritual distress… our very first response should be to cry out to God! And for Christians, we already have in Christ our sorrows borne and our sins atoned! What more can we do, but ask the God Who has done all for us in Christ to hear us and continue to be for us? Desperate believers bring needs before God, pleading the promises of God Who always saves His own!

a sampling of consequences

Again the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations…” Ezekiel 16:1-2

God exposes Jerusalem’s sin and consequences through Ezekiel’s prophecies. A sampling:

ABOMINATION / CONSEQUENCE

• Spiritual adultery via idolatry (Ezekiel 16:15-34) / Shame exposed before the nations (Ezekiel 16:32-41)
  
• Worship of foreign gods (Ezekiel 6:1-7; 8:5-18) / Destruction of places of idolatry (Ezekiel 6:3-12)
• Sacrificing children / Severe judgment (Ezekiel 16:38; 23:39)
• Temple defiled with idols (Ezekiel 8:3-18) / God’s glory departed from the temple (Ezekiel 10:18-19; 11:22-23)
• Worship of images, creeping things, beasts (Ezekiel 8:10-12) / “My eyes will not spare” (Ezekiel 8:18)
• Pride (Ezekiel 16:49) / Jerusalem humiliated (Ezekiel 18:52-59)
• Neglect of needy (Ezekiel 16:49) / Removal of God’s favor (Ezekiel 16:50-52)
• Violence; bloodshed (Ezekiel 7:23; 22:3-4) / delivered to enemies (Ezekiel 22:2-5)
• Sexual immorality (Ezekiel 22:10-11; 23:1-49) / Public shame (Ezekiel 23:46-49)

God will act on disobedience and sin. All sin is judged by God, either on His Day or at the cross where Jesus drank God’s cup of wrath. It is sobering to see prophets point this out over and over again. It is comforting to know God will indeed judge evil. It is a relief to find eternal salvation in Christ. Even Ezekiel’s final vision is one of hope where a restored people enjoy God’s presence in a new city named “The LORD is There” (Ezekiel 48:35).

Worship the Worthy

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

The Lion of Judah roars with might,

He conquers through the darkest fight;

The promised King from David’s line,

Whose sovereign rule is vast… divine.

The Root of David, ancient Source,

directs all history’s winding course;

Before all kings His throne was laid,

by Him the universe was made.

Behold the Lamb once slain for sin,

Whose precious blood can cleanse within;

His wounds have purchased rebels lost,

redeemed by grace through Calvary’s cost.

The Lamb now stands in glory bright.

alive beyond the grave’s grim night,

with seven horns and eyes that see,

He rules in perfect majesty.

The Worthy One receives the scroll.

the Lord Who guides creation’s goal;

All wisdom, riches, strength, and praise

belong to Him — Ancient of Days!

So saints, behold the gospel’s grace,

and worship Christ with joyous praise!

The Lion-Lamb has set us free —

all glory, Lord, for eternity!

Defiant, blind, and deaf

Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house.  Ezekiel 12:2

The rebellion of Jerusalem is described with two metaphors: blindness and deafness. An overview of Ezekiel’s message shows how judgment came to a rebellious people who were blind and deaf to God’s attempts to call them to repentance.

REBELLION

Idolatry: They worshiped false gods (Ezekiel 8:5-19).

Covenant-breaking: They violated the covenant (Ezekiel 16; 20).

Refusal to repent: Rejected warnings (Ezekiel 3:7; 28:13).

Political alliance: Looking to Egypt and the nations (Ezekiel 17:15; 23:27).

Injustice: Violence, oppression, exploitation (Ezekiel 22:6-12).

Profaned worship: temple corruption (Ezekiel 8; 22:26).

BLINDNESS

to God’s holiness: underestimating sin (Ezekiel 8).

to judgment: Jerusalem falsely believe it would be spared (Ezekiel 12:27-28).

to guilt: blamed circumstances (Ezekiel 18:25).

to God’s presence: “The LORD does not see..” (Ezekiel 8:12).

to false confidence: trust in temple, walls, leaders (Ezekiel 11:3).

DEAFNESS

Ignored prophets: rejecting messengers (Ezekiel 3:2).

Rejected law: failed to listen to statutes (Ezekiel 20:13).

Refused correction: discipline didn’t lead to repentance (Ezekiel 24:13).

Listened to false prophets: this was their preference (Ezekiel 13:1-16).

Hard-heartedness: heard by refused to obey (Ezekiel 33:21-22).

The only way out of this rebellious house was removal, discipline, and God’s provision of a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27). The ultimate cure to rebellion, blindness, and deafness is the transforming grace of God, fully realized in the work of Jesus Christ.

complementary visions

​“Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”. Revelation 4:1b

It just so happens that my current Bible reading plan recently changed to have me reading both Ezekiel and Revelation. That’s a lot of intense imagery! And there is a striking juxtaposition found with Ezekiel 1 and Revelation 4. Both are heavenly visions of God’s throne and can be summarized:

These visions complement one another. Ezekiel teaches that God is not confined to a temple, nation, or land. Revelation shows this same God reigns eternally from heaven over all creation. The God Who rode forth to judge and save His people in Ezekiel is the same God worshiped while executing fearful judgments in Revelation. And in Revelation 5, we find that access to this throne comes only through the victorious Lamb, Jesus Christ, Who in perfection accomplished the redemption Ezekiel’s exiles longed for and every person needs today.

bad rebound

But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.  Ezekiel 11:21

People can choose

to live in disobedience

mock God with insolence

flaunt their arrogance

blind in their ignorance

…but God sees

They can go full speed in sin

live so reprehensible

do things so detestable

seem to be untouchable

but they will be accountable

…God clearly knows.

And when judgment comes

their own sin will return

to them God’s justice will burn

against them the boomerang turns

with the wages they earn

…sin brings death

Gross consequences fall

as sinners in doom

cry out in their gloom

for God to make room

but only judgment resumes

…sin falls back on them

Only one way out:

Jesus dies for our sin

we put our faith in Him

and any empty tomb lets light in

so new life can begin

…His rebound from judgment saves us

celebrated saints

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

The words that Jesus has to say to the church of Philadelphia are comforting and commending. They protect the soul, provide perspective, and promise relief. These are good words full of the presence of Jesus. Look at how they help suffering saints stay faithful:

1. Jesus knows their faithfulness. He knew their works. Jesus sees and takes note of when His followers get it right (as well as wrong) and longs to commend the faithful. It is comforting to know Jesus knows.

2. Jesus creates opportunity. He sets before the church of Philadelphia “an open door which no one is able to shut.” He rewards faithfulness with increased ways for fruitfulness. It is His way to grow the gospel into the world.

3. Jesus is aware of challenges and wins. They may have had “little power” but they were faithful. They were challenged to turn from Christ, yet they refused to deny Him. They suffered, survived, stayed true, and were rewarded. Jesus knows how His saints suffer.

Lord,

You know. You know our works. You create opportunity, You see faithfulness when the tide of the world wants to roll over us. You help us stand firm and You reward us. We only need the little power of Philadelphia to be Your celebrated saints.

Amen

The Siege!

​And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. And they shall know that I am the LORD. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them. Ezekiel 6:9b-10

God’s judgment is not pretty. Judah had been passionately called back to God multiple times through several prophets. Jerusalem had been warned. And yet the people persisted in idolatry, neglect of the covenant, and the pursuit of their own desires and the desires of the nations around them. So when the wrath of God fell upon the city, unleashed by pagan powers, they felt an unrelenting evil rush upon them that was their own doing and the result of Babylon’s siege.

The list of experiences that enveloped Jerusalem was horrifying: starvation and famine, water shortages, sanitation nightmares, disease, and cannibalism. It was the stuff of horror movies! One third of the captive city would die by starvation, another third as casualties of warfare, and the surviving third would be humiliated by being deported to Babylon. Judah would be decimated. Jerusalem would be rubble. Wrath would let evil flow unchecked in judgment.

We don’t often think of God’s sovereignty working with His wrath in this way. We need scenes like this to jar us. God can bring the awful results of our depravity in judgment. He will judge sin by letting it go unchecked. As rough as it is to read about Jerusalem’s fall, hell is described by Jesus Himself as even worse! And that’s why Jesus bearing God’s judgment for us on the cross is such good news. Jesus delivers us from hell’s evil, from the deserved consequences of our own fallen natures. Sin cannot lay siege to the souls Christ has saved!