Revelation 20 - 3.13.25

Revelation 20:11-15 

S -  11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

O – At the judgment, the books will be opened. The book of life contains the names of those who have put their trust in Christ to save them. These books also contain the recorded deeds of everyone, good or evil. Everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated. No one is saved by deeds, but deeds are seen as clear evidence of a person’s actual relationship with God. Jesus will look at how we have handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities. Gods gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience and service. Each of us must serve Christ in the best way we know how and live each day knowing the books will one day be opened and that the lake of fire is the final destination for everything wicked.

A - Revelations is intense and often over my head. But this portion stands out every time I read it and makes me take a closer look at my life and the lives of those around me. I want NO part of the destination for the wicked! I am confident in my salvation, as I have Accepted Him as my Savior, Believed that Christ died for me, and Confessed my sins to Him, and continue to do so. I still can’t help getting the picture of God standing there, holding the book open to my life, and wondering what He will see? Will He see a life fully devoted to Him, or one that just skimmed the Christian life, living mostly for my own fleshly desires and giving Him a bit of my time? Or will He see a woman fully devoted to the things of God and His people? How many of my friends and family still don’t know Him? Still don’t Accept, Believe or Confess in Him? I am filled with dread at the thought they would be thrown into the lake of fire! So what am I doing about it? Am I living the life of a true disciple?

Matthew 7:21-23 - 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Matthew 7:21-23 speaks of a truth that may seem uncomfortable. In these verses, Jesus reminds His listeners that saying the right words isn’t enough to secure a place in His kingdom; rather, it is about doing the will of the Father. Many might profess their allegiance verbally, even exhibiting impressive spiritual feats, yet might find themselves unrecognized by Christ because their lives contradict their professions. This passage packs a cautionary message: Genuine discipleship transcends outward expressions and rests in a heart aligned with God’s will. (biblestorieshub.com)

P – Lord Jesus, I pray that my heart is always aligned with Your will. I pray for myself and the many in my shoes, that we step out in BOLDNESS to share the love of Christ with others in our circles before You get to the judgement days. Help us to walk in the confidence of Your love and power as we share the Gospel with those we love, with those we meet on the streets, in the store, sitting on the bleachers at a sports event. May we not be the reason anyone is thrown into the lake of fire, and help us to save as many as we possibly can in the name of Jesus!

 - Crystal Flory

Psalm 40 - 3.12.25

Scripture: Psalm 40:1-3

I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
    out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
    and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
    and put their trust in him.

Observation

My God is mighty and he is faithful. If I share my stories of the things He has done for me, many will see and put their trust in Him!

Application

What better way to share about the goodness and faithfulness of God than through our personal experiences? God loves us. He hears our cry and answers our prayers. He works on our behalf. When that happens, we need to write it down, not only so we can remember and find encouragement in our future times of need, but so we can encourage others and tell them about Him.

It seems so silly that I am scared to share my stories with others. My God is great – why would I not want to share that?

Vs. 9-10

I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
    I do not seal my lips, Lord,
    as you know.
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.

Prayer

Lord, may I start each day with a song of praise in my heart, remembering and thanking You for Your goodness and the many ways You have proven Yourself to me. And as I walk in that thankfulness, please give me courage to share my stories with others so that they too can come to know You. I do not want to conceal your love and faithfulness.

- Debbie Dunn

Psalm 39 - 3.11.25

SCRIPTURE: PSALM 39:1-2

“I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.” So I remained utterly silent, not even saying anything good.”

OBSERVATION

David, the writer of this Psalm, begins with recounting his commitment to God to watch what he does and says to avoid sin. We’re reminded by David’s actions to recall our commitment, our resolve, and solemn promises made to God, yet sometimes we can take those commitments to the extreme. David recognized that avoiding sinful talk around the wicked also kept him from saying anything good. The bottom line is we need to be careful of what we do and say, to not sin with our words, but don’t stay quiet when it comes to good things.

APPLICATION

David shows one way he applied his commitment to not sin with his mouth – especially around wicked people who could use what is said against him - by putting a muzzle on his mouth. A muzzle is something that can force someone to not use the mouth in the wrong way - just like a muzzle on a violent dog. Although I doubt he actually wore a muzzle but the visual use of a muzzle sounds about right to control the mouth. Take note he’s the one who puts the muzzle on his mouth – not anyone else. It’s our own personal responsibility to do whatever it takes to control our mouth.

Controlling what is said, to avoid sin, and how we’re to use and not use our mouth or tongue is covered multiple times in the scriptures. There are 133 references in the Bible using the word “tongue” and 303 using the word “mouth.” Here are few:

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” Ephesians 4:29

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” James 1:26

“Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”  James 3:5

“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”  James 3:9 - 10

Let’s face it, we’ve all had instances in our life where we have not controlled what we’ve said. Those instances might be from yesterday, today or a long time ago. It could be a curse word said when someone does anything against you, or gossip about others, or a slanderous word about someone or an outright lie. Controlling our mouth / tongue is hard and it’s also easy to fall into sin. We need God’s muzzle on our mouth!

David used recalling his commitment to God to help muzzle his mouth. Being mindful of your position in Christ, your commitment to live a life that is pleasing to Him, being in prayer, and reading His scriptures are all ways to help control your actions and mouth from sin. Just be sure that doesn’t mean you’ll avoid saying the good things even around wicked people.

PRAYER

Lord, help me to be continually mindful of your ways to control my mouth. Forgive me when my words have been sinful. Help me, Lord, to always have words that are pleasing to you, that are an encouragement to others, to uplift and point everyone to you. In Jesus name, amen and amen!

- Mary Oberg