The LORD God is the Creator of the ends of the earth. He has established laws in nature which govern all the processes of life–planting, growth, cultivation and harvest. These principles give us insight on how to conduct our lives, families, churches, and societies (to continue reading this essay, click on image above).
A Great Multitude from Every Nation , Rev. 7.9-17
The transcendent truth of Revelation 7.9-17 is that God’s redemptive plan encompasses all peoples without distinction, demonstrating the universal scope of Christ’s atoning work on the Cross. The white-robed multitude reminds us that suffering and tribulation, while painful, are temporary conditions that give way to eternal joy for those whom God has called to life eternal, those who persevere in faith. God’s promise to dwell among his people and personally comfort them reveals his profound love and commitment to restore all that was broken in the Fall. God in Christ invites us to live with unwavering hope amid our present troubles and difficulties, to embrace the peoples of the nations as a reflection of his expansive redemptive plan, to persevere through tribulation knowing it is not the final word, and to anticipate with joy the day when God will personally wipe away every tear from our eyes.
Our Focus Today
A Diverse Multitude.
John sees a vast, innumerable crowd from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the throne and the Lamb, representing the universal scope of God’s redemptive work, Revelation 7.9
Invocation
Sovereign Lord, who has purposed from before the foundation of the world to redeem for yourself a people from every nation, tribe, people, and language, open my eyes to behold the glorious richness of your redemptive plan. Grant to me a heart that celebrates the beautiful mosaic of humanity you have created, each person bearing your image in unique and complementary ways. May John’s vision of that great multitude before your throne inspire me to break down any walls of division and to build bridges of understanding and reconciliation in my neighborhood, where I live. Make this real through me today. Amen.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning,
Is now, and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, amen.
Chronological Scripture Readings for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the entire Bible in one year in chronological order.
Monday: 1 Kings 20.23-22.9; 2 Chron. 18.1-8
Psalms and Proverb for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month.
Monday: Psalm 12, 42, 72, 102, 132 and Proverbs 12
A Diverse Multitude.
John sees a vast, innumerable crowd from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the throne and the Lamb, representing the universal scope of God’s redemptive work, Revelation 7.9.
Reflection
In John’s vision of a diverse multitude in heaven God affirms his intention from the beginning to create one new humanity in Christ that transcends all ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and social barriers. God’s intention challenges our tendency toward tribalism and ethnocentrism by revealing that heaven will be gloriously filled with peoples from all nations, enjoying the full spectrum of human cultures represented before God’s throne. All who stand in God’s presence share the same basis for their acceptance before him—not based on cultural identity or human achievement, but the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ alone. Considering this vision, God invites us to actively pursue reconciliation across human divisions now, and to celebrate cultural differences as God-ordained expressions of his creative design. We can now reject any form of prejudice or discrimination as contrary to God’s redemptive plan, and we should anticipate with joy the day when we will join this great multitude in service to the King of glory.
Engaging God’s Word Today
In what ways might your current attitudes toward people of different nationalities, ethnicities, or cultural backgrounds need to be changed in light of the reality that heaven will be filled with an innumerable multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language? In your life today, how can you begin to reflect this heavenly reality in your relationships and community engagement?
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, The Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God,
Begotten of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God,
Begotten not created, of the same essence as the Father,
through Whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary and became human.
Who for us too, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried.
The third day He rose again according to the Scriptures, ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and His kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and life-giver,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Who together with the Father and Son is worshiped and glorified.
Who spoke by the prophets.
We believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sin,
and we look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.
Doxology
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Benediction
May the God who delights in the diversity of his creation strengthen me to love across all human boundaries with the same love that has gathered an innumerable multitude from every nation, tribe, and tongue. Heavenly Father, the Lord who clothes your people in white robes of righteousness, empower me to see others not according to worldly distinctions but as fellow image-bearers worthy of dignity and respect. And may John’s vision of that great multitude standing before the throne inspire me to work for unity, justice, and reconciliation until that day when I join my voice with those millions who offer perfect praise to you and to the Lamb. Amen.
Scripture Memory for this season
Psalm 1.1-3 (ESV):
1 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.”
Scripture Engagement
As disciples of Jesus, the Churches of Christ the King strongly seek to engage the Scriptures to discover the centrality of Christ and his Kingdom in the prophetic and apostolic writings. You will find a rich treasure of resources on engaging Scripture at the Center for Scripture Engagement of Taylor University.
Book Reading and Reflection
“Similarly, a slight change in your daily habits can guide your life to a very different destination. Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be. Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.
That said, it doesn’t matter how successful or unsuccessful you are right now. What matters is whether your habits are putting you on the path toward success. You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results. If you’re a millionaire but you spend more than you earn each month, then you’re on a bad trajectory. If your spending habits don’t change, it’s not going to end well. Conversely, if you’re broke, but you save a little bit every month, then you’re on the path toward financial freedom—even if you’re moving slower than you’d like.
Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits. Your net worth is a lagging measure of your financial habits. Your weight is a lagging measure of your eating habits. Your knowledge is a lagging measure of your learning habits. Your clutter is a lagging measure of your cleaning habits. You get what you repeat. If you want to predict where you’ll end up in life, all you have to do is follow the curve of tiny gains or tiny losses, and see how your daily choices will compound ten or twenty years down the line.”
~ Clear, James, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Penguin Random House UK, 2018. Electronic Edition, Location 267.
Seedling Focus for the Season: The Tree Planted by Streams of Water
Description: A spiritually mature believer bears fruit in all circumstances and seasons of life, Psalm 1.1-3.
On Eagles Wings Prayer Focus: A Long Time Comin‘
Worthy Is the Lamb Who Was Slain, Revelation 5.11-14.
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