Commissioned

Day 9 Meditation (Revelation 7:13-14). Why do you think this image is so jarring – being made white by washing in blood? I think this image is so jarring - being made white by washing in blood because in the natural we know that blood by itself, on a material will cause a stain. This image of blood cleansing and making white is not a norm it can only be supernatural. What are we supposed to see in this? In this we are supposed to see the omnipotence of the blood of Jesus that was shed for the cleasing of our sin stained soul. Only the power of the blood of Jesus can remove the stain of sin and make us righteous. Why do you think this imagery is embarrassing to some? The imagery is embarrassing to some who may associate the sheding of blood as nothing but barbaric and cannot see it resulting in anything good.

Day 8 Meditation (Revelation 7:9-12). Why do you think worship before the throne is such a theme of Revelation? Worship before the throne is such a theme of Revelation because it is the crown jewel of the saints, the culmination of our journey before we enter into eternity. It is worship in gratitude. What are the implications of this band of white-robed saints before the throne for our relationships with minority peoples in our own cities and countries? The implications of the band of white-robed saints before the throne for our relationships with minority people in our own cities and countries show us that in Heaven, before the throne of God, we are all equal. With God all are equal in status, there is no minority. How dare we no longer act? How must we act towards these who are different, but very much the same as we? It would be good practice to begin what we will be living for all eternity, accepting each other as God accepts us all.

Day 8 Meditation (Revelation 7:9-12). Why do you think worship before the throne is such a theme of Revelation? Worship before the throne is such a theme of Revelation because it is the crown jewel of the saints, the culmination of our journey before we enter into eternity. It is worship in gratitude. What are the implications of this band of white-robed saints before the throne for our relationships with minority peoples in our own cities and countries? The implications of the band of white-robed saints before the throne for our relationships with minority people in our own cities and countries show us that in Heaven, before the throne of God, we are all equal. With God all are equal in status, there is no minority. How dare we no longer act? How must we act towards these who are different, but very much the same as we? It would be good practice to begin what we will be living for all eternity, accepting each other as God accepts us all.

Day 8 Meditation (Revelation 7:9-12). Why do you think worship before the throne is such a theme of Revelation? Worship before the throne is such a theme of Revelation because it is the crown jewel of the saints, the culmination of our journey before we enter into eternity. It is worship in gratitude. What are the implications of this band of white-robed saints before the throne for our relationships with minority peoples in our own cities and countries? The implications of the band of white-robed saints before the throne for our relationships with minority people in our own cities and countries show us that in Heaven, before the throne of God, we are all equal. With God all are equal in status, there is no minority. How dare we no longer act? How must we act towards these who are different, but very much the same as we? It would be good practice to begin what we will be living for all eternity, accepting each other as God accepts us all.

Day 7 Meditation (Revelation 6:15-17; 14:9-11). What is the purpose of the punishment meted out by the Lamb? Retribution, rehabilitation, deterrence? The purpose of the punishment meted out by the Lamb is an extension of His attribute as a just God. He can do no less than to punish for sin. At the final judgment a just God cannot mete out an opportunity for retribution, rehabilitation or determent; no, it will be time for justice. Why is having a Lamb (Jesus) exacting justice more troubling to us than the idea of Almighty God acting justly? At judgment the Lamb will exact justice because it will be time for the consequences of disobedience (sin). The Almighty God will, at judgment, show Himself to be just, as the full measure of the penalty of sin is meted out to those who disregarded conscience, instruction, teaching and preaching to do things the way they wanted. How important to a rounded understanding of Christ is the Messiah of judgment? In understanding Christ and the Messiah of Judgment, it is important for us to appreciate the love that the Father and the Lamb have for man is so strong and it is not the will of God that any should perish at judgement. All man have been given the opportunity to accept Jesus as the Son of God and repent of their sins. The Apostle Peter reminds us, "The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent." (2 Peter 3:9, NLT). The Christ who gave His life, so that we can have eternal life will be the Messiah of Judgment.

Day 6 Meditation (Revelation 5:11-14). Why don’t you allow God to stretch you today by offering loud shouts of praise, praise that enumerates the Lamb’s attributes and worthiness. And as you speak these things, meditate on what you are saying. Have you done this yet today? Have done so and will take time out for the next few minutes to worship while asking to be stretched.

Day 5 Meditation (Revelation 5:7-10). You have been redeemed, purchased by payment of a price. In your own case, what kind of slavery have you been rescued from? Thank God, I have been redeemed, freed from the shackles of sin. Freed from addictions, from ****, from idol worship, from death. Christ purchased life for me. Amen! Does this inspire you to sing to the Lord, even while darkness still swirls around you? Even while darkness still swirls around me I can sing to the Lord because He has sealed my future in Him. Singing praises to Him, removes me from the present circumstances and I focus on Him. I can look to the day when I am at home with Him in Glory, never again to face life's troubles. Why do you think Jesus wants you to reign with him in the New Heavens and the New Earth? Jesus wants all the redeemed to reign with Him in the New Heavens and the New Earth as a reward for accepting His gift of redemption.

Day 4 Meditation (Revelation 5:1-8; 6:1). What does it say about you that Jesus, the Most Worthy One, died for you. That Jesus Christ the Anointed One died for me says that God loves me and that I have worth in this present world and in the world to come. Eternity. How does he value your worth? God values my worth by poritioning me in the Kingdom of God and uses me in ministry to be His witness on earth and to bring edification to His Church. How casual should you be before the Lamb who is Most Worthy? Before the Lamb who is Most Worthy, I would be fearful to give Him the highest honor. Never casual, as we know casual, but with grave respect to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. What is the appropriate relationship with him? My relationship with jesus is to recognize that He is and will always be my Sovereign, Most Holy God. In what ways has he humbled himself to reveal himself to you? Jesus has humbled Himself to reveal Himself to me by permitting me to be in His presence. Insignificant me, He tells me He will never leave me nor forsake me. He is with me always. Hallelujah!!!

Day 3 Meditation (Revelation 5:6). How is the Lamb described in verse 6? The Lamb is described as alive, standing triumphant, conquering beside the throne of God, all-powerful, all-seeing, exercising the full power of the Holy Spirit. What does that tell you about his ability to help you now, in your present circumstances? Christ position in Heaven as the Conquering Lamb, triumphant and all-powerful tells me in that He completed the work at Calvary and stands in Heaven victorious over the enemy. As heir to the promises of God I too am victorious in preent-day circumstances. Considering the standing Lamb that was slain, how do the wounds you have experienced become your strengths? Compared to the wounds that Jesus the Lamb bore for the sin of the word, the wounds that I receive here on earth cannot be compared to His suffering. I can take encouragement, walk in faith and be strengthened, knowing that one day I will be with Him arounf His throne.

Day 2 Meditation (Revelation 5:5). How do humility and victory go together? Jesus shows us that we can gain victory through humility. Jesus ministry on earth brought Him to a place where He was beaten, bruised, a crown of thorns pushed down on His head, crucified, a sword plunged into His side and yet in humility He did not utter a scathing word to His enemies. In humility he was led as a lamb to be slaughtered. But victory would come and oh, yes, it came on the third day He arose Victor, Champion; our Redeemer. Victorious Champion, defeating the enemy. How do the Lion and the Lamb fit together? The Lion and the Lamb fit together because they fully describe the role of Jesus at a different stage of His rolership. How did Jesus humble himself? Jesus humbled Himself by submitting to the destiny God had for Him in the reconcilation of man to God. The path to get there was treacherous, but Jesus did not utter a word. In humility He suffered, bled and died for the sin of the world. Why is it necessary to humble ourselves before God will exalt us? As servants of God we too must humble ourselves before God to accomplish the destiny He has ordained for us. When we do, regardless of what we suffered, He will exalt us in due time.

Day 1 Meditation (Revelation 4; 5:6). Why is everyone around the throne worshipping? Everyone around the throne is worshipping God because they are, first of ll, worshippers and they are eternlly grateful to God for His awesomeness. They remembers all that God has done for them and not oly for them as an individual, but as a husbans, father, sibling, citizen; what God has don in the lives of his parents, relatives etc. They worship God for His sovereignty. They worshi God for everything that he is. They worship because theu are grateful and will let no one or nothing offer worship on their behalf. Why are they chanting and singing? They are chanting and singing because of the joy that is in their heart. It pours out in praise. Why do you think that we get bored with worship after a few minutes? We get bored with orship when we re doing so in the flesh. If we enter into worship with our spirit and our spirit connects with the Holy Spirit, we would not want to stop our worship. We'd be in an atmosphere that is divine, where the presence of the Lord is. What does that indicate about our hearts? This indicates that the heart is still clinging to the fleshly desires of the natural world. What can we do to change this? We can begin with intentional exercise of entering into the presence of the Lord daily and gradually build our time to the point where we do not care how long we've been there.

As Mary's firstborn, Jesus is legally responsible for her welfare, to ensure that she has a place to live and food to eat during her widowhood. Jesus entrusts his mother to John's care because He knew that John would take the responsibility of caring for Mary. This tells us that Jesus loved His mother and wanted to provide for her when He was gone. In our own lives we too should provide for the care of our parents.

How does the Holy Spirit make “the mind of Christ” available to us? The mind of Christ has been revealed to the Holy Spirit. This He makes known to us. How does this make you dependent upon the Holy Spirit? How does this relate to listening for God’s voice? Only through what has been revealed to The Holy Spirit can we know what God has revealed for us to know. To know what God is saying we must have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. If we're listening for God's voice, we'll hear Him by The Holy Spirit.

What promises concerning the Paraclete – Comforter – Counselor – Helper – Holy Spirit does Jesus give in John chapters 14-16? Jesus saith that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will be to us Paraclete, Counselor, Helper, and Guide. All this He will be to us. The Holy Spirit guides us in hearing God's voice because, like Jesus, He declares only what He hears from The Father. How do these relate to guidance? To “hearing” God? Jesus also said that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. This truth is God's will as He speaks.

God’s compassion is emphasized so strongly in Israel’s history because He never failed to show them, to reveal to them just how much He loves them. God’s compassion is present even in times of tough discipline (Hebrews 12:7-11) because He chastises with love. The compassionate God of the Old Testament relate to Jesus giving himself as a ransom for sinners (Mark 10:45) as He prepared a body for the Son of God to be ransomed for the people that He loves.