Life is full of storms; some are avoidable, some are not. We experience them to varying degrees in our lives. They come in the form of tragedies, challenges, and trials. Not only that, but the book of Revelation shows us that there are storms ahead of us in the future for which we must be prepared. In Revelation 20, God shows John that the time leading immediately to the return of Jesus will be a stormy season in which the world will make one final rebellion against God and that immediately after we will all stand before Christ on judgment day. Where can we find safe harbor in a world (and even a future) full of storms? John points us to Christ - the one on the great white throne - as the one who breaks the waves for us so we can find true protection in Him.

BE FAITHFUL in your suffering, as Christ has already guaranteed your resurrection

BE AVAILABLE to proclaim the gospel, satan has been bound and cannot himself hinder the gospel so go with confidence to those who need Christ!

BE TEACHABLE in God's wisdom, God has and will give His church authority, steward it well by being humble in spirit to continuously learn from His word.

BE FAITHFUL in your suffering, as Christ has already guaranteed your resurrection

BE AVAILABLE to proclaim the gospel, satan has been bound and cannot himself hinder the gospel so go with confidence to those who need Christ!

BE TEACHABLE in God's wisdom, God has and will give His church authority, steward it well by being humble in spirit to continuously learn from His word.

There are few places in the Bible with the same kind of intensity and power as what we find in the description of Jesus in Revelation 19. John sees Heaven opened and witnesses Jesus as He truly is. On earth He may have been meek and mild, but in Heaven He is shown in all of His majesty. Everything about this vision communicates one important and undisputable fact: Jesus is King. His power is electrifying enough to strike fear into His enemies; but for those who hold to His testimony this picture is reassuring beyond words. This is OUR king, and He is with us.

There are few places in the Bible with the same kind of intensity and power as what we find in the description of Jesus in Revelation 19. John sees Heaven opened and witnesses Jesus as He truly is. On earth He may have been meek and mild, but in Heaven He is shown in all of His majesty. Everything about this vision communicates one important and undisputable fact: Jesus is King. His power is electrifying enough to strike fear into His enemies; but for those who hold to His testimony this picture is reassuring beyond words. This is OUR king, and He is with us.

Part 1

We've heard of high profile weddings before. They come with

lots of hype and planning, and of course they should! A wedding is a big

deal in God's eyes because it means two people becoming one in a lasting way. God described His relationship to the Church in the same way: through Jesus, He was making a way for His people to be united with Him in a permanent, lasting marriage. In Revelation 19, John has a vision of the wedding underway, and it's so glorious he's overwhelmed! The marriage of God to His people has come, and we're all invited to celebrate. In fact, God has invited anyone who will accept and come to His feast, so long as they come dressed for the occasion.

When the roots are healthy, trees can withstand a great

deal. In fact, they're remarkably resilient. If the roots are bad,

however, the tree is lost. Unhealthy roots can never produce a healthy

tree. That's essentially the reality John uncovers in Revelation 18. Like

a detective getting to the bottom of a case, John is given insight by

God into the root causes of Jerusalem's "many crimes." What he sees

is that the temple has become a bad root; the source of greed,

corruption, and excess. When the roots are bad, God isn't content to

trim the tree. The root needs to be removed and replaced. In the same

way, through Jesus, God makes it possible for the "roots" of sin in us to

be completely removed and replaced with the presence of Jesus

Himself, the faithful root who brings us renewal within.

We're all on a journey. The questions we have to answer are "from where?" and "where to?" In Revelation 18, John gets a vision that

helps us to answer both. He sees that just like God led the Israelites out of exile in Babylon back to Jerusalem, Jesus has come to deliver His people from this present world to a New Jerusalem. That's our story too, and if we will listen to His voice we have the promise of a future; that is, if we're willing to leave the comforts and trappings of Babylon behind.

We're all on a journey. The questions we have to answer are "from where?" and "where to?" In Revelation 18, John gets a vision that

helps us to answer both. He sees that just like God led the Israelites out of exile in Babylon back to Jerusalem, Jesus has come to deliver His people from this present world to a New Jerusalem. That's our story too, and if we will listen to His voice we have the promise of a future; that is, if we're willing to leave the comforts and trappings of Babylon behind.

Everyone loves the story of a dream wedding and the couple that lives happily ever after. That was supposed to be the story of Israel. Yet

their relationship with the Lord is a turbulent one. Their commitment is an on-again-off-again thing, and they often go astray to chase after other things. Here in Revelation 17, we read the dramatic conclusion to their story: they've divorced the Lord and gone after someone else. The result is disastrous, and the sobering thing is that we're not so different; we're often unfaithful and allured by other things. Through today's passage the Lord shows us why we should treasure what Jesus has done for us and forsake all others to follow Him.