Hello Sweet friends,
Today’s Reading … Revelation 1-22
I. In “The Beginning,” God calls out to us, “Trust Me!” He repeatedly proves Himself to be trustworthy.
Genesis: “Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised” (21:1).
Exodus: “But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left”(14:29).
Leviticus: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high” (26:13).
Numbers: “God is not human that he should lie, not a human being that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (23:19).
Deuteronomy: “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (32:4).
II. God is always by our side when we have “Doubts” and are “Facing Adversity.”
Job: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (42:2).
Psalms: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” (56:3).
Ruth: “The women said to Naomi: ‘Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel” (4:14).
III. Throughout the “The Conquests,” we learned that God never give up on us and so we can “Never Give Up” on God.
Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (1:9).
Judges: “But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a delivered, Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them” (3:9).
1 Samuel: “For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own” (12:22).
IV. “The Monarchs,” along with the rest of the Israelites heard the cry of the Lord, “Stop Running and Return to Me.” We still hear this call in our hearts today.
2 Samuel: “Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die” (12:13).
1 Kings: “Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen” (11:13).
2 Kings: “The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River in towns of the Medes. This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant – all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out” (18:11-12).
1 Chronicles: “Cry out, ‘Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise’” (16:35).
2 Chronicles: “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turn back and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication before you in this temple, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors” (6:24-25).
Proverbs: “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (28:13).
Ecclesiastes: “It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools” (7:5).
Song of Solomon: “I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sand at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer” (5:6).
Esther: “he sent back this answer: ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to this royal position for such a time as this?’” (4:13-14).
Ezra: “With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: ‘He is good; His love toward Israel endures forever.’ And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid” (3:11).
Nehemiah: “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying; ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for My Name” (1:8-9).
V. The Prophetical Books bring us “The Predictions” and consistently remind us to “Keep God First.”
Isaiah: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here I am! Send me!’” (6:8).
Jeremiah: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart” (29:12).
Lamentations: “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord” (3:40).
Ezekiel: “I am the Lord your God; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (20:19).
Daniel: “But even if he does not, we want you to know, your majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (3:18).
Hosea: “She will chase after her lovers but not catch them; she will look for them but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my husband as at first, for then I was better off than I am now” (2:7).
Joel: “Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again shall my people be shamed” (2:27).
Amos: “’You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god-which you made for yourselves. Therefore, I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,’ says the Lord whose name is God Almighty” (5:26-27).
Obadiah: “But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy, and Jacob will possess his inheritance” (1:17).
Jonah: “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them” (2:8).
Micah: “All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever” (4:5).
Nahum: “The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The Lord takes vengeance on his foes and vents his wrath against his enemies” (1:2).
Habakuk: “For what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak” (2:18).
Zephaniah: “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger” (2:3).
Haggai: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways” (1:7).
Zechariah: “The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name” (14:9).
Malachi: “’My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations.’ says the Lord God Almighty” (1:11).
VI. Praise the Lord for “Christ: God’s Greatest Gift” to us!
Matthew: “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (1:21).
Mark: “Just as Jesus was coming up from the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’” (1:10-11).
Luke: “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun had stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said that, he breathed his last” (23:44-46).
John: “Then He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe’” (20:27-29).
VII. In response to the gift of Jesus, “The Church” must accept “A New Mission.” We are now called to spread the good news of the Gospel throughout the world, throughout our lives.
Acts: “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, his is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel’” (9:15).
Romans: “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (15:5-6).
1 Corinthians: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit is in your midst?” (3:16).
2 Corinthians: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10).
Galatians: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (5:22).
Ephesians: “As a prisoner for the Lord, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (4:1).
Philippians: “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near” (4:5).
Colossians: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (3:23).
1 Thessalonians: “On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts” (2:4).
2 Thessalonians: “So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word or mouth or by letter” (2:15).
1 Timothy: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity” (4:12).
2 Timothy: “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels” (2:23).
Titus: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy message that has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it”( 1:9).
Philemon: “Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people” (1:7).
Hebrews: “Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (12:1).
James: “Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (1:22).
1 Peter: “Be shepherds of the flock that is under your care, watching over them-not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve” (5:2).
2 Peter: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever! Amen” (2:18).
1 John: “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (4:11).
2 John: “And now, dear lady, I am writing to you a new command but one that we have had form the beginning. I ask that we love one another” (1:5).
3 John: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (1:4).
Jude: “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life” (1:20-21).
VIII. Finally, we rejoice in the “The Final Piece.” A time when we will find “Paradise Restored” by the creator of the Universe.
Revelation: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (22:20).
For our last day and our last theme here is your final printable “Paradise Restored”. I hope that these printables help remind you of the big picture story of the Bible and what it can teach us from beginning to end.
One Creator, One God, One Spirit, One Savior.
One Story, One Truth.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen” (Revelation 22:21).
Love you all,
Kinsee
“so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return empty, but accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”(Isaiah 55:11).
