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
The Identity of the Multitude.
When asked who these people in white robes were, John learned they were those who have come out of the great tribulation and had washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb, identifying them as faithful believers who endured suffering, Revelation 7.13-14
Invocation
Eternal God, the Sovereign Lord who has purposed that we enter your Kingdom through many tribulations, grant us the spiritual fortitude to endure faithfully whatever suffering we may face for the sake of your name. Deepen my own understanding of the cleansing power of the Lamb’s blood, that I might better learn to rest securely in your righteousness rather than in my own inadequate efforts to please you. Open my heart to receive the comfort and hope offered in John’s vision of the white-robed multitude, that I might see my present struggles in light of the glory that awaits those who persevere. 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.
Thursday: 2 Kings 2; 2 Kings 4
Psalms and Proverb for Today
These Scriptures allow us to read through the Psalms and Proverbs each month.
Thursday: Psalm 15, 45, 75, 105, 135 and Proverbs 15
The Identity of the Multitude.
When asked who these people in white robes were, John learned they were those who have come out of the great tribulation and had washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb, identifying them as faithful believers who endured suffering, Revelation 7.13-14
Reflection
John’s dialogue about the white-robed multitude in this vision reveals the profound truth that an expected aspect of the Christian journey is suffering for our faith. The image of robes made white in blood shows how teaches that only through the application of Christ’s atoning sacrifice to our lives can we be saved. The elder’s explanation shows that the eternal identity of the redeemed is not anchored on national, ethnic, or cultural background but through relationship to Christ and our faithful endurance through tribulation. In light of these truths, we must prepare spiritually for inevitable trials, finding our primary identity in Christ rather than in temporal affiliations. We can learn to rely completely on Christ’s righteousness rather than our own moral achievements for salvation and learn to persevere in our suffering with the assurance that God will sustain us in our tribulations. Amen.
Engaging God’s Word Today
In what specific ways are you currently experiencing tribulation in your faith journey today? How does the vision and image of robes washed in the blood of the Lamb transform your perspective on both your present suffering and your ultimate standing before God?
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
Almighty God, the God who brings his children through great tribulation, strengthen us with divine power to remain faithful in every trial we face. May the blood of the Lamb continually cleanse us from all unrighteousness, clothing us in the perfect purity that only Christ can provide. And may the vision of that countless multitude standing victorious before the throne sustain us strongly through our darkest hours, until the day when we join their ranks, holding our palm branches and lifting our voices in eternal praise to you alone. 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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