7/3/2023

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison, and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore.” (Revelation 20.7,8)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

As Christ followers and partakers of the Word of God, who is indeed Jesus the Messiah of Old and the Christ of the New, we know there is but one conclusion. It is inevitable that Satan and his followers will be consumed in a fire that never ends. It will forever be their torment for believing the lie as being the truth. The lie is the truth for them. Their desire is to dwell in a place where there is no God. In the moment of their demise that reality will be confirmed: God will no longer enter into Hell to preach to the captives via Jesus as the Christ and extend to them His mercy and grace to “come out.” Let us hear the echoing of the same command which Jesus issued to Lazarus upon the confirmation of His Heavenly Father, “Come out!” On that day Lazarus, wrapped in grave clothes four days dead and already beginning to rot, obeyed the command and did indeed “come out.” He was whole and restored. He was alive and empowered. He was blessed and highly favored. Until this “last day,” others would receive the same offer to “come out.” They would be able to step away and stand apart from the lie which is a lie and stay into and stand with the truth which is the truth.

What is that truth? The truth is Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Those who believe in Him and accept the truth as life for themselves shall live abundantly in the Kingdom and forever in the presence of God without the fear of eternal death as their consequence for being sinners. But, there is a consequence for the truth which is not accepted by those who prefer the poverty of sin over the richness of grace. That consequence is the eternal demise and the forever consuming which will not consume of those who refuse to win and choose to lose. There will only be two realities and no middle ground. There will only be the Kingdom of God on earth as if it were in Heaven. There will only be the Lake of Fire which is worse than Death and Hades because it will be their final “resting place.” But, that is not what I want to reflect upon with this look at Revelation, chapter 20. What I find is so tragic in the midst of this Jewish Apocalyptic and Greek Tragedy representation of “The End” is that after 1000 years of a reign of peace there will still be unbelievers.

Take a look at the refuse of creation which has lead us to this point in time which is yet to come. We are, as has been reflected upon, in a state of “already but not yet.” We are already experiencing the “birth pangs” of the end of the Age of the Church and the beginning of the end of the reign of terror which Satan has brought into the life of those created on earth. Since the calling to accountability of the Seven Churches in Asia Minor over two-thirds of the world population, population centers and the earth itself will have been destroyed. Global warming will seem like a tepid bath in comparison. Justice is served bringing to the righteous the blessing of life with God and to the unrighteous the curse of life without God. It will all be meted out at the command of God as if by God Himself. The carnage and collateral damage is evidence of God’s promise to rule and to reign over the just and the unjust. Through it “God can work all things together for good.” What some believe is intended for evil will be used to bring to light the will of God for those who are and will be His people. For one thousand years, those who remain on earth will be given the opportunity, literally, of a lifetime. It is theirs still to choose whom they will serve, that is- worship. As for the saints, the rewarded martyrs and the apostles, they will continue not only to choose God but bear witness without fail to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is the redeemer and the judge of all life. And in the witness of both perfect justice and perfect peace, when Satan is loosed from the Abyss and preaches his deception, there will be those who will choose death over life. Amazingly true and tragically true.

Does this mean that the Church should cease in its efforts today knowing that not all will be saved? No, by no means! We who are believers of and followers of Jesus as the Christ are still compelled to do as we have been comissioned to do until the close of the Age. We share this hope with Christ that all may have the opportunity to repent of their sins and receive the blessing of life in Him. We do not know who will say “yes” in the midst of those who are saying “no.” It is not up to us to determine the “yes” or “no.” It is not our choice to choose for them. Our choice is to remain faithful and true to the one who is the “Faithful and True.” (Revelation 19.11) In Him and Him alone do we have life and in whom we place our hope. We must continue to “run the race and keep our eyes on the prize.” We do so motivated by the love of God on the one hand and the unrelenting awareness that without our efforts some who may be convinced will never have the opportunity to be convinced. The only voice they would hear in the absence of our own is that of Satan himself. And we are held accountable for our own decision to “come out” so that we may “go and do.” It weighs heavily on me knowing that for some, we will “kick the dust off our feet and move on.” (Matthew 10.14) We are bound to them in the Spirit of truth but we are not tethered to them in their choice of being defeated. Mighty ones of God, we must press forward knowing we will rise up to dwell in the House of the Lord forever. “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and allow Him to provide all that is needed” 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.