6/8/2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?’ The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander His name and His dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war  against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.” (Revelation 13.4-7)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Before the resurrected Jesus departed for Heaven from where He had gathered with the disciples (some of whom still doubted) there on Mount Tabor, He commissioned them saying “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me; therefore I say to you ‘Go into all the world and make disciples of every nation [tribe, people, language] baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you for surely I AM with you always to the very end of this age.” (Matthew 28. 18-20) My question rising up out of this reflection on Revelation 13 is “Who has truly given authority?” I would call to mind what was previously presented from the very words of Jesus to Pilate, “You have only the authority over Me that is given to you.” Who gave Pilate authority over Jesus? It would first have to be Jesus in His submission to Pilate. Remember, He is the Son of God. At His command legions of angels could be called out of the realms of Heaven to “defend, protect and serve.” It was the hope of most, if not all, the citizens of Israel both foreign and domestic. The hope of the call to action by the Messiah in liberating them from the powers of this world was bound with the desire for the Christ of God to eliminate the oppressor and the enemy. I would dare say it was a bit short-sighted to say the least. Remember that day when Jesus and the disciples were shunned in a Samaritan village. James and John, more full of themselves than full of the Holy Spirit, believed that when Jesus had sent them out to preach good news, heal the blind, make the lame walk and the deaf to hear, they also had the authority to bring down “divine judgment” with their word. Jesus rebuked their belief and their desire. We do not know what He said (read the story in Luke 9) but there was no further talk about disciples calling down judgment. That authority was not given to them. We do hear that sketchy belief at the cross with the thief who “called out” Jesus saying “If you are the Son of God save yourself and us.” The voices of Jesus’ detractors taunted Him with a similar chant. Why did it not happen? Because salvation is from the Lord! Nehemiah prophesied, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” David had sung centuries before that, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation. and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Jesus did not have His Father’s permission to let Himself down from the cross. In His words, “I have come to serve and not be served.” If there was any hope of salvation, Jesus had to demonstrate “one being under submission, command and authority.” He did not do His own works but the work of the Father who sent Him. There before Pilate, Jesus gave permission to Pilate to have “authority over Him.” He was able to do so because “God had authority over them all.” God honors the choices made with the consequences of the choices made. He does so not so much with the short-term vision in mind but with the long-term and big picture vision in mind.

How short-sighted Lucifer was when he led his dark insurrection in Heaven against God. He desired his freedom. He had the gift and opportunity of freewill with which to make that choice for freedom. His choice of freedom was to be free “of God” and not to be under His authority. The problem was and continues to exist that nothing exists apart from God’s authority. Just saying so doesn’t make it so. God granted Lucifer his freedom. It was the freedom Lucifer desired to “be served instead of to serve.” The call and commissioning of Satan, the cast out Lucifer, was to “make disciples of all nations and to teach them how to believe there is no Godly authority in Heaven or on earth or under the earth which could constrain them.” Those who believe in him are drawn in to the promise of “on your own.” Little do they realize the consequence of that promise of freedom which the authority (granted a limited authority) of Satan offers. The consequence is that they, those who follow “The Beast and The Dragon,” will indeed be “on their own.” They will be without the protection, provision and promise of God’s mercy, grace and abundant love. They will live forever but only in the chaos and disorder of dark realities whose only ability and opportunity is to “steal, kill and destroy.” It is a death sentence because in it there is no life, the life which is the light of all believers. That life and light can only come from God and it is imparted through Jesus who is the Christ. He alone had the authority of God to represent the authentic freedom of those who would be God’s people. That authentic freedom is righteousness. In that righteousness is true love, real justice and eternal peace. You will not find those things in the realms of Satan because he does not have that authority. He cannot usurp it. He cannot manufacture it. He cannot be it.

And before John’s eyes, this truth was revealed. The Dragon and the Beast were granted “authority” by God to do His bidding. He made visible what was invisible. He allowed the revelation of the broken promise of the enemy to be known in all its consequence. But, it was a limited authority. It was only for a time. It was a short leash. The leash remained firmly in the grasp of God. Mighty ones of God, take heed as you read this chapter. In all of its interesting imagery (thank Greek mythology and Greek tragedy for that), the message is basic and without question. People are willing to exchange truth for a lie. People are willing to follow a false lead down a winding road headed to the promised land of unfulfilling hopes, dreams and visions. God gives signs, wonders, visions and words to allow them to consider turning back and away from their destruction. He invites them to repent and bear the name of the Lamb and have their name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. But, He will not force them nor coerce them into believing. He has already offered the greatest hope of salvation there can ever be. That hope is Jesus Christ alone. We must not only believe in Him but we must profess Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. We must profess Him at risk of earthly life and limb in word and in deed. We become the evidences, the signs, the wonders, the word of God preached to the world so that faith may come alive in others as it has in us. Remember, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes by the proclamation of the Word.” The only true authority we have is the authority given to us by Christ who has commissioned us to be His disciples, His friends, His family in the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY:

You are our God and we shall be Your people in spirit and in truth. Continue to dwell among us. Let the revelation by Your Holy Spirit inspire us to greater service in a more refined identity. We do not live as ourselves for ourselves. Rather, we live in Christ as He lives in us. We declare it with all the elders and angels in Heaven, saying “Holy, holy, holy is He who was and is and is to come.” In Jesus’ name we live, serve and pray. AMEN.