We Will Rule All Things

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Revelation 3:21)

What does Jesus mean when he says this to the church in Laodicea?

Sit with Jesus on his throne? Really?

This is a promise to everyone who conquers, that is, who presses on in faith to the end (1 John 5:4), in spite of every threatening pain and luring, sinful pleasure. So if you are a true believer in Jesus, you will sit on the throne of the Son of God who sits on the throne of God the Father.

I take “throne of God” to signify the right and authority to rule the universe. That’s where Jesus sits. “He must reign,” Paul said, “until he has put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:25). So when Jesus says, “I will grant him to sit with me on my throne,” he promises us a share in the rule of all things.

Is this what Paul has in mind in Ephesians 1:22–23? “He put all things under [Christ’s] feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

We, the church, are “the fullness of him who fills all.” What does that mean? I take it to mean that the universe will be filled with the glory of the Lord (Numbers 14:21). And one dimension of that glory will be the complete and unopposed extension of his rule everywhere.

Therefore, Ephesians 1:23 would mean: Jesus fills the universe with his own glorious rule through us. Sharing in his rule, we are the fullness of his rule. We rule on his behalf, by his power, under his authority. In that sense, we sit with him on his throne.

None of us feels this as we should. It is too much — too good, too amazing. That’s why Paul prays for God’s help that “the eyes of your hearts [would be] enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you” (Ephesians 1:18).

Without omnipotent help now, we cannot feel the wonder of what we are destined to become. But if we are granted to feel it, as it really is, all our emotional reactions to this world will change. The strange and radical commands of the New Testament will not be as strange as they once seemed.

John Piper 

How do you handle suffering?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” 1 Peter 4:19

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

First Peter 4 has a lot to say to us when we find ourselves in the midst of suffering. When you encounter suffering, what’s your first reaction? Here’s what it ought to be:

First, you are to rejoice in what God is allowing to happen. “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:13).

Second, you need to review your life. Peter continues: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1 Peter 4:17).  If God is going to clean house, He will start first with those who are already His. Look within and ask: “Am I suffering because of something I’ve done?” If the Holy Spirit convicts you that your suffering is a result of your sin, then you need to repent.

Third, when you review your life and discover that your suffering is for the cause of Christ, then simply rely on Him. “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:19). It is not your problem. It is His problem.

ACTION POINT:

Peter uses the word “commit” (v. 19). That’s a banking term meaning to deposit something of value with someone else to keep it safe. Make your deposit to the One who can truly keep it safe. He will take care of you. You can bank on it.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Reasons for God's Judgement

Victory or defeat over sin.

You must accept that you are a sinner in need of a Savior.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. - Romans 1:18-23

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;

27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. - Romans 1:24-27

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,

30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,

31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. - Romans 1:28-32

1. Inversion of God's truth v 18-23

2. Perversion of God's gift v 24-27

3 Depravation of the mind v 28-32

The wrath of God

The wrath of God and love of God are a two sided coin.

If you try to separate the two, God's wrath is purposeless. 

God's love rescues from the wrath of God.

We are hopeless without it.

Man denies the wrath of God.

You shall surely die in your sin.

The wrath of God is against all evil.

The root of sin is to deny God or try to change the truth of His word to suit your sin.

Half truth is sin.

Share the word in truth, being careful not to deny it.

God will give you more of what you want.

Is it righteousness or sin?

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. - Matthew 5:6

God alone gives man moral, intellectual and reasoning power.

It will either be light or darkness.

The love for other comes from God.

The day of reckoning is coming.

Love those who are caught in sin.

Pray for them.

Fast for them, asking God to forgive them.

Sinner, repent, God will forgive you.

You can not stay in your sin or God's wrath will be your fate.

Jesus says:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. - John 3:36

Thank you Pastor Youssef!

The Anchor of Joy

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (Matthew 5:11)

“Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)

Jesus revealed a secret that protects our happiness from the threat of suffering and the threat of success. That secret is this: Great is your reward in heaven. And the sum of that reward is enjoying the fullness of the glory of Jesus Christ (John 17:24).

Jesus protects our happiness from suffering when he says,

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” (Matthew 5:11–12)

Our great reward in heaven rescues our joy from the threat of persecution and reviling.

He also protects our joy from success when he says,

“Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)

The disciples were tempted to put their joy in ministry success. “Even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (Luke 10:17). But that would have severed their joy from its only sure anchor.

So Jesus protects their joy from the threat of success by promising the far greater reward of heaven. Rejoice in this: that your names are written in heaven. Your inheritance is infinite, eternal, sure.

Our joy is safe. Neither suffering nor success can destroy its anchor. Great is your reward in heaven. Your name is written there. It is secure.

Jesus anchored the happiness of suffering saints in the reward of heaven. And he anchored the happiness of successful saints in the same.

And thus he freed us from the tyranny of worldly pain and pleasure — worldly suffering and worldly success.

John Piper 

Do you hear hammers and chisels?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” John 15:1-2

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When Solomon built his temple, he employed eighty thousand stonecutters. They chipped and shaped those stones—but not at the temple site. They did that work way out in the stone quarry before bringing them to the temple mount. Why? Because Solomon didn’t want the sound of the hammers and chisels heard on the temple mount.

In the same way, you are part of the living stones of His temple and God is shaping you here—in the “quarry” of this earth.

Part of your shaping takes the form of persecution. So be prepared for that. Don’t see your persecutors as enemies, but as God’s stonecutters at work.

ACTION POINT:

Next time someone reviles you, say “Thank God, another stonecutter.” God is shaping you to be what you ought to be.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

It's Not Just About You, Wait For It

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. - Genesis 50:20

And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. - Genesis 45:5

God will show up.

Even if you are in the pit of despair.

The enemy will not win.

God is able!

Definition of a blessing:

The favor of God to you so that it may flow through you.

Rough patches allow you to minister to others.

You can be a blessing by sharing your "in the pit of despair" times.

Joseph's brothers were jealous of him.

He was his father's joy.

So they plotted against Joseph.

Joseph never lost faith in God and His purpose.

Everything is not always good, but God is and He will never leave or forsake you.

Coming through adversity causes great praise to God for His mercy.

In deep darkness, you see the Lord.

He walks with you.

At rock bottom, you will meet the Rock, Christ the Lord.

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has shown you all this, there is none so discerning and wise as you are.

40 You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command. Only as regards the throne will I be greater than you."

41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt."

42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain about his neck.

43 And he made him ride in his second chariot. And they called out before him, "Bow the knee!" Thus he set him over all the land of Egypt. - Genesis 41:39-43

You will be restored, if you wait.

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.  - Isaiah 40:31

The waiting is hard!

God has a plan!

Be still!

The pit is empty and dark.

God knows all about sin but never experienced it.

Through Christ being God/man, walking in human form, being tempted and still not sinning, He is able to sympathize with man regarding sin.

14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:14-16

Walking through it matters.

Empty and waterless is dark but Christ, the Master is able.

By His perfect righteousness, He will deliver you from the pit.

Thank you Pastor Jonathan Evans!

The Battle to Remind

“This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.” (Lamentations 3:21–22)

One of the great enemies of hope is forgetting God’s promises. Reminding is a great ministry. Peter and Paul both said that they wrote letters for this reason (2 Peter 1:13; Romans 15:15).

The main Helper in reminding us what we need to know is the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). But that doesn’t mean you should be passive. You are responsible only for your own ministry of reminding. And the first one in need of reminding by you is you.

The mind has this great power: It can talk to itself by way of reminder. The mind can “call to mind,” as the text says: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases” (Lamentations 3:21–22).

If we don’t “call to mind” what God has said about himself and about us, we languish. Oh, how I know this from painful experience! Don’t wallow in the mire of godless messages in your own head. Messages like: “I can’t . . .” “She won’t . . .” “They never . . .” “It has never worked . . .”

The point is not that these are true or false. Your mind will always find a way to make them true, unless you “call to mind” something greater. God is the God of the impossible. Reasoning your way out of an impossible situation is not as effective as reminding yourself that God does impossible things.

Without reminding ourselves of the greatness and grace and power and wisdom of God, we sink into brutish pessimism. “I was brutish and ignorant; I was like a beast toward you” (Psalm 73:22).

The great turn from despair to hope in Psalm 77 comes with these words: “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:11–12).

This is the great battle of my life. I assume yours too. The battle to remind! Myself. Then others.

John Piper