Two Minutes in the Bible through Revelation

[Azriel]

82 Christ’s Second Coming

They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.
REVELATION 20:4-5

Jesus came the first time in a modest manger to save the people from their sin. He was not the king, but He threatened the king’s reign. Jesus is soon coming a second time with a grand entrance as King of kings to judge the people for their sin and dead works. He rode the first time on a humble donkey, but He will ride this second time on a brazen horse. This is the first resurrection.

Christ’s second coming must matter most to the church because we are His bride, the body of Christ. How can the church be ready to greet its godly groom, Jesus? Like any faithful wife whose husband is away traveling for work or waging war overseas, we want to greet Him with a holy kiss. A faithful church is not conformed to the culture; rather, it transforms the culture. The faithful bride of Christ is ready to rejoice at His glorious sight!

“May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (1 Thessalonians 3:13).

When Christ comes back He wants to catch the church evangelizing the lost and making disciples. He hungers for her disputes to be with the devil and not with each other. A humble church does not use finances to build man’s kingdom, but instead deploys resources to advance the kingdom of God. The church is ready for Christ’s return when she serves the poor, ministers to the community, prays for the sick, and preaches the gospel!

Christ’s coming is also compelling for individual Christians. We want to be about our Lord’s business and not preoccupied with activities and assets that will burn up one day. The judgment seat of Christ is for Christians—not to be judged for salvation, but to be judged for the quality of their works. You are wise when you invest in eternal matters with your time and money. Christlike character, missions, prayer, Bible teaching, corporate and individual worship, and service in the community all make Jesus smile. When Christ comes, make sure He catches you about your Father’s business.

“This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10).

How can my church and I personally get ready for the second coming of Christ?

Related Readings
Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 23:13; 1 Corinthians 3:9-15; 4:5


Boyd Bailey, Two Minutes in the Bible® through Revelation: A 90-Day Devotional

 

[Azriel]

83. Death with Dignity

I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.
REVELATION 20:12

Death is imminent, but for some it comes sooner rather than later. So, have I put my house in order? The Lord wants me to think through the needs of my family, the state of my soul, and the glory I’ve brought Him in the process. It is death with dignity. The process is not without pain, but thinking through the practical issues that affect my loved ones and me is responsible.
Death is a transition. It is the end of trusting the unseen and the beginning of resting in God.
Think about your relationships. Are they whole? Maybe you need to ask someone for their forgiveness, or maybe you need to forgive them. Moreover, love your spouse and children by allowing God’s Word to flow through you to them. Let them see your faith in action so that their faith becomes galvanized and grounded in Christ. Allow them to love you as you love them back—freely and passionately. Love like the Lord—always.

“ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

Talk about your funeral with those who care for you. What Scripture do you want read? What praise songs and hymns do you want sung? Death is a celebration of life on earth and a graduation to life eternal. Plan your funeral celebration as a graduation to glory. Prepare to die, and you are prepared to live. Use death as an excuse to point people to Jesus.
Most importantly, make right your relationship with God. Have you made peace with God? The foundation of your final preparation is your relationship with your heavenly Father. Let Him love and comfort you with His presence as you plan for the end. Put your house in order with your finances, family, friends, and faith. Die with dignity.


“Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1-2).

“This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover” (2 Kings 20:1).

Is my house in order? What preparations do I need to make before I go to heaven?

Related Readings
Genesis 27:1-3; 2 Samuel 1:23; John 21:19; Romans 8:37-39


Boyd Bailey, Two Minutes in the Bible® through Revelation: A 90-Day Devotional

 

[Azriel]

84. Eternal Rewards


The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
REVELATION 20:12

Those saved by grace and faith in Jesus are eternally secure, but eternal rewards are based on a disciple’s efforts on earth. Believers who ignore their spiritual opportunities and obligations will miss out on their heavenly Father’s affirmation and remuneration. Sober saints who take their Savior’s expectations seriously will enter into the joy of their Master. Christ rewards obedience to Him.

Rewards in heaven are meant to be godly motivation. Yes, our first response is to serve Jesus out of love and our overflowing gratitude for His goodness and grace. Wise Christians fear the Lord and allow their holy awe of the Almighty to be foundational for their lives of faith and good works. But there is an end in mind: Jesus wants His children to be devoted and compelled by anticipating His generous gifts.

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

The process of renewing your mind with an eternal decision-making filter facilitates biblical thinking and doing. Ask the Lord in prayer how He wants you to invest your life in others. How does God want you to use your experience, your assets, your time, your money, and your influence for His purposes? In other words, how can you make eternal investments on earth that will bear fruit for God’s glory—forever?

What you do does not get you to heaven; salvation comes only by faith in Christ and God’s amazing grace. But what you do after becoming a follower of Jesus does determine the quality of your eternal experience. The persecuted and martyred in this life have a great reward waiting in the next life. Those who initiate resources and influence on behalf of the poor and needy bring great satisfaction to Jesus, which He expresses through bountiful blessings. Indeed, He rewards all those who diligently seek Him by faith.

Love God and your reward will be great. Be a faithful witness who plants or waters the gospel of Jesus Christ, and you will be rewarded by spending forever with eternally grateful souls. Send your investments ahead to heaven by aggressively giving yourself away on earth. Reject rewards from the culture so you are positioned to receive Christ’s rewards. Remain faithful to God’s call and look forward to His reward.



“[Moses] regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward” (Hebrews 11:26).
How can I live my life in a way that honors the Lord and looks forward to His rewards?

Related Readings
Amos 6:1-7; Matthew 16:27; Revelation 2:7-10; 22:12


Boyd Bailey, Two Minutes in the Bible® through Revelation: A 90-Day Devotional

 

[Azriel]

Mystery of God Solved

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
REVELATION 21:1

Rita and I like to create fun and interesting family gatherings, so our children and grandchildren can’t wait to get together. Easter is one of the best times of the year because our family celebrates Jesus’s resurrection at church in worshipful celebration and at our home with a feast and activities. One tradition is an Easter egg hunt using plastic eggs with money inside. One golden egg holds $50! The coined eggs are within eyesight, but the dollar-filled pastel ovals are hidden. After many hints from Pop (me), the golden-egg mystery is solved.

The apostle John describes a new heaven and a new earth devoid of any sea. What does he mean by “there was no longer any sea”? The sea may be a symbol of the unknown, a mystery on earth that struck fear in mostly land-hugging Jews who saw the sea as an untamed, raging force that could destroy. Like the distant horizon, we only see the mystery of God through dimmed, human limitations. But a new, grander elevation of wisdom accompanies those who go to be with the Lord. In heaven the mystery of God is solved by being with God.


“I am going to tell you a mystery—something you may have trouble understanding: we will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be transformed!” 1 Corinthians 15:51

Some mysterious questions will remain unanswered until we get to heaven. Why did my godly friend die so young with such a large, loving family left behind? What exactly are eternal rewards? How does the Trinity love one another? Why must Jesus come to earth twice? Why did Jesus and why do Christians suffer deep pain?

We must be comfortable with the unknown because we are the creatures, not the Creator. The mystery of the Lord, the church, and the gospel has already been solved, though we still wait for eternal understanding. The Holy Spirit shows us just what we need to know, just in time. If we knew too much too soon, we might become proud or lazy in our faith. In the meantime, we investigate and trust Christ—God’s best clue to divine mystery.

“He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ” (Ephesians 1:9).
What about God do I need to leave in His hands? How can I develop my trust in Him, believing He knows what’s best for me and others?

Related Readings
Isaiah 48:6; Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:3-6; Colossians 1:26; 1 Timothy 3:16


Boyd Bailey, Two Minutes in the Bible® through Revelation: A 90-Day Devotional