November 24, 2020
Do you struggle with putting a good book down? The end of a story can leave you feeling absolutely amazing or a bit disappointed. This final chapter of not only the book of Revelation, but the entire Bible, is like the headline of a newspaper after a spectacular event, but yet, I find it so difficult to put down in words just how wonderful life will be. John MacArthur says is rather well...
The Apocalypse reveals a great many truths. It warns the Church of the danger of sin and instructs us about the need for holiness. It reveals the strength of Christ and believers have to overcome Satan. It reveals the majesty of God and depicts the reverent worship that is constantly at His throne.
The book of Revelation reveals the end of human history, including the final set up of the world, the career of the Antichrist, and the climactic Battle of Armageddon. It reveals the coming glory of Christ’s earthly reign during the millennial kingdom, the Great White Throne judgment, and depicts the eternal bliss of the new heaven and the new earth. It reveals the ultimate victory of Jesus Christ over all human and demonic opposition. The book of Revelation describes the ultimate defeat of Satan and sin, and the final state of the wicked, (eternal torment in hell) and the righteous, (eternal joy in heaven). In short, it is the headline story of the future world written by someone who has seen it all!
A very long time ago, I bought Billy Graham’s book, Till Armageddon, and he writes at the end, “Let us live for Christ. Let us trust Him. Let us turn to Him in our time of need. And let us joyfully walk hand and hand with our Lord Jesus Christ - regardless of our circumstances - until we personally and physically join Him throughout eternity.”
We often see the picture below when we’ve been struggling.
I don’t know how we all have gotten to this week of Thanksgiving this year, but we have so much to be thankful for. This year has been quite different than most years we have ever experienced. This ache that we all are feeling can be summed up as C.S. Lewis puts it,
“At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendours we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Some day, God willing, we shall get in!”
Until the gates of Paradise are opened and the curse of Eden is broken, and as C.S. Lewis says, “The door on which we have been knocking all our lives will open at last”, let us all say:
Come, Lord Jesus, Come!
Blessings,
Lisa