The UnSafe Bible

Do you ever take for granted the fact that you live in the 21st century? Electricity, plumbing, cars, internet, and heating are all things that weren't enjoyed by our ancestors. Spiritually speaking, you shouldn't take for granted that you live in the church age. Today Pastor Ken reminds us that we have an incredible advantage that those in the Old Testament did not have: access to God. Whenever and wherever we find ourselves, we can commune directly with God. The blood of Jesus makes it possible.

How would you describe color to someone who was born blind? Could you show a deaf person what the sound of the wind in the trees is like? How could you describe the glory of God to someone who has never seen it? This was the situation John found himself in. He was tasked to write down his experience in a way that those who had never seen it would understand. As Pastor Ken teaches us today, digging into both the Old and New Testaments and the original languages helps us have an accurate picture.

The Old and New Testaments are both needed to get the full picture of God's story of redemption. To ignore one in favor of the other is to miss out on insights and revelations about God and his love. As Pastor Ken looks at the book of Revelation today, there are many similarities to the Old Testament prophets and the visions that God gave them. John sees the same things that they saw but in more detail. Because John knew the prophecies, he was able to report accurately and fully in his account.

What is the most awe-inspiring sight you have ever seen? An epic sunset? An amazing mountain view? Your spouse on your wedding day? As beautiful as all of those things are, they won't compare to the sight of God on his throne. Today Pastor Ken teaches that it won't just be an amazing sight, it's also a picture of his sovereignty and deity. This throne carries all the dominion and power of the entire universe. The only one with the right to sit on this throne is the one who created everything. He is so worthy!

Can you wrap your head around the concept that God has always existed? Probably not, and that's because God doesn't exist on our timeline. The way God sees time is altogether different from how we perceive it. Here in the book of Revelation, Pastor Ken shows us the mind-boggling time travel that John went through to receive his revelation from Jesus. We may think this is only possible in science fiction and movies, but God is not like us. He operates on an entirely different level than humans.

Have you ever seen a football player almost make it to the end zone, but they start celebrating too soon and get tackled? Or a marathon runner that ran an incredible time, but slowed at the finish line and took second instead? You can play a great game and run a great race and blow it all in the last few feet. We can do the same spiritually. Pastor Ken reminds us today that it's important to finish well. If this life is a race, we have to run all the way to the finish line. We have to get the ball into the end zone.

Nature takes the path of least resistance, and that path is always toward destruction. If you leave a piece of fruit on the counter too long, it becomes rotten. The longer a house stands, the more dilapidated it becomes. When left to their own devices, things don't get better, they slowly decay. Human beings are no different. Today Pastor Ken shows us this pattern is evident in the church as well. When the church goes without guidance and influence from God, it will decay and spiral into destruction.

When you're planning a road trip, you often have a few choices on how to get to your destination. Do you choose the shortest time, the shortest distance, or the route without tolls? Or do you pick the scenic route? Ultimately, it doesn't really matter, you will still arrive at the same destination. But as Pastor Ken teaches today, you can't have the same approach to eternal life. Spiritually speaking, the route you take to get to eternity will determine your destination. Only one route leads to life: Jesus.

Things often seem backward in the kingdom of God. Jesus said that the last would be first and the first would be last. Those who lose their lives are the ones who live. He also made it clear that those who were ahead financially were not necessarily ahead spiritually. The church at Laodicea didn't understand this concept. They were a rich congregation, able to afford whatever they wanted. They thought wealth meant that they were blessed by God, but as Pastor Ken points out today, that was not the case.

You don't have to be a college graduate to be used by God. You don't have to earn a certain amount or have a minimum number of Instagram followers. You don't have to look trendy or come from a background of religious influence. The world might look to those things to measure your success, but God looks at the heart. In some cases, like the church in Laodicea, those worldly advantages might actually make it harder to follow Jesus. As Pastor Ken shows us today, God is looking for someone with the right heart.