I humbly come before You tonight, Father. I plead that You might find a use for this cracked pot. May Your life and strength and love flow through me. Use me. Amen.

Revelation 1:4-6 (<<click here to read the passage)

Here I am, Lord, at the beginning of the book that speaks of the end. For those who have had any exposure to teachings from this book we think of many horrific and terrifying things – and those will come as we move forward. Even our own culture paints the apocalypse as being that way, full of evil, death, and destruction.

Lord, You will be our judge, there is no doubt about it. But first and foremost, we have to get it in our heads that we were not created to be judged – we brought that upon ourselves – it was our choice, and it has been our actions that have brought judgment upon us. In all our existence from the beginning of time until the end of time, we have been created to be loved. Love is at the center of it all!

As we begin reading these verses, we don’t see anger or judgment, or condemnation. In the first words of John’s letter to the seven churches we see, “peace”, “grace”, and “love”.

John 3:17 tells us,

“God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” NLT

God, You love us…period. The hymn To God Be the Glory has a line that clearly states Your intentions towards us,

“The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.”

Peter in his second epistle addresses the question of scoffers who say, “What has happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again?” v4 NLT and he answers the question in verse 9,

The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. AMP

Lord, as I begin my journey into this book, help me to look at all that will transpire through Your eyes and with Your heart. May I be a man after your own heart as I interact with people of all races and creeds, for You love them all. Amen.

(June 7th, 2017, Wed, 8:23 am)
June 19th, 2023, Mon, 9:18 pm