Heart Prep:
So after a year of reading through scripture chronologically and sharing these devotionals with one another, finally, here we are -– at the end!  …...but really, this is just the beginning. Every day is a new beginning, until the Lord is finished with our tenure here on earth. That being said…
My suggestion for a “heart prep” regarding Revelation is, as I’m sure you would before any scripture study, that you would pray intently for God’s wisdom (and certainly His guidance) as you read these chapters over the next four days. Look at chapter 1 vs 3, where he says, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.” 
So it stands to reason that as we are ‘reading’ this (and all of God’s Word), then as we read we should also be ‘hearing’ from God as well. 
​

This Week’s Study:

• Sunday, Dec 28th –  Revelation 1-5
• Monday, Dec 29th – Revelation 6-11
• Tuesday, Dec 30th – Revelation 12-18
• Wednesday, Dec 31st – Revelation 19-22

Some Things to Look For:
Letters to Seven Churches (Chapters 2-3): Messages of praise, warning, and encouragement to specific churches facing trials, symbolizing the whole Church.
Heavenly Throne Room & The Lamb (Chapters 4-5): John sees God on His throne and the worthy, slain Lamb (Jesus) who opens a scroll, signifying divine authority over history.
Cycles of Judgment (Chapters 6-16): Three series (Seals, Trumpets, Bowls) depict escalating judgments on the world for rejecting God, showing God's justice. 
The Beast & Babylon (Chapters 13-18): Visions of symbolic beasts representing evil empires (like Rome) and the corrupt city of Babylon, warring against God's people.
Christ's Return & Final Victory (Chapters 19-20): Jesus returns as a triumphant King (Armageddon), Satan is bound, and the final Great White Throne Judgment occurs.
New Heaven & New Earth (Chapters 21-22): God creates a new reality where evil is gone, the New Jerusalem descends, and believers live eternally with God. 


My Thoughts:
Countless books have been written concerning this one book in the Bible, not to mention the number of films that have been produced. Why? Because always and often incessantly there begs the question, “what really happens at the end of it all?’ And when are the end times?” Now then, this book ties together and confirms prophecies and visions from many other books in scripture. It would be impossible for some forty men, or forty-thousand, or even four-hundred thousand – many of them uneducated – to even attempt to write this and then try to tie it all together, were it not spiritually superimposed on them and in them supernaturally by God. Listen, if you do not already know this, and I believe you do, then know this: the revelation that was written to those early Christian believers was also meant for us as well. All of scripture is! And it has always been the Lord’s desire for mankind to seek redemption through Jesus. And despite intense suffering and evil, God will prevail, and His kingdom will be established. All of scripture is His story (history), and Christ is the grand subject, from Genesis to Revelation. 
Jesus won the victory not only on the cross, but by His subsequent resurrection and ascension. And through this book, His revelation, Jesus calls for all of us to resist idolatry and oppression. And this is not new; again, all through scripture we are called to be faithful to the Lord and to serve Him and, via the Holy Spirit, to be faithful to and serve one another. In the New Testament we read letters that were written by God, through man, to the early church. Jesus addresses some of the churches in Revelation, and He is still addressing His church today.
Behold, He comes!  Riding on the clouds!  Shining like the sun!  Hear the trumpet call!  
The Lion of the Tribe of Judah… He will return!
His first cry broke the silence.
His second cry tore the veil.
His final cry will tear open the skies, and shake the universe… forever.

Prayer:
Lord, As we read through this final leg, this final chapter(s) in scripture, we see how there are many wondrous and many very terrifying events that will take place in times ahead. Some of them appear to be on the cusp of occurring already. Yet through it all and because of our faith in You, we know that You are our strong tower, our ever-present help in time of need.
So give us a renewed hunger for Your Word, a renewed passion to serve You, and an intense desire to share with the world that their only hope – indeed, that the only hope – is found only in Jesus Christ.  


In Jesus’ Name,  
Amen.


studog 

Heart PreparationYou are nearing the end of our reading plan, just a couple of more weeks to go. Even if you haven’t been doing the reading, now is still a great time to jump back into the Word and seek God out. That’s the purpose of this time and this journey, to know the message of Scripture, so that we can know the God of the Scripture better and better. Finish strong, you’re almost there! 

Reading Plan

• Sunday, December 14 — Acts 27–28
• Monday, December 15 — Col 1–4, Philemon
• Tuesday, December 16 — Eph 1–6
• Wednesday, December 17 — Phil 1–4
• Thursday, December 18 — 1 Tim 1–6
• Friday, December 19 — Titus 1–3
• Saturday, December 20 — 1 Pet 1–5

What To Expect
The Bible passages you are about to read were written during hard times. There are storms, prison cells, unfair treatment, and suffering. Paul is quite honestly, suffering. He is locked up. Peter writes to people who feel pressure and pain because of their faith. Yet these letters are filled with hope, joy, and confidence in God.
As you read this week's devotion, don’t expect stories about things getting easier. Instead, expect to see how God works when life is hard for these guys. God’s plans are not stopped by all of these setbacks. In Acts, the storm does not cancel God’s promise to Paul. It actually leads to new opportunities to share the gospel. What looks like a tragedy becomes part of God’s plan to keep it in His hands.
One thing you will notice is that suffering does not destroy faith—it often makes it stronger. Paul and Peter do not pretend pain isn’t real, and in fact acknowledge it several times. They show believers how to trust God even in the midst of it. Hard times bring chances to grow and to depend on God in a very deep way..
You will also see that faith is meant to show up in everyday life. These books talk about how to treat others, how to live at home and work, how to speak, how to forgive, and how to keep going when things are tough. Although they acknowledge we will mess up! There are many examples of them doing the right thing for the gospel. Men of integrity.
Look for repeated reminders about joy, endurance, and hope. This joy does not come from good circumstances at all. It in fact comes from knowing that Jesus firmly in control and that God always finishes on top!

Personal InsightMy personal insight from these pages always makes me think of not only Jesus, but Paul himself! The fact this man lived through suffering for the gospel specifically is inspiring. We know that even in today’s world when people suffer for the gospel, it tends to spread more. Paul stood out because of what he was suffering for! It’s interesting to note that Paul is nowhere near a believer and killing Christians, and yet is willing to give his own life for it in the end. Paul shows us that we will stand out when we claim to be Christians because we have a different kind of hope, that is in Jesus Christ! We tend to WANT to live differently when we know this world is only temporary! Paul knew exactly the trials he would go through because he was one of these people at one point! But him mentioning that if he were to die it would be gain, but even on earth it’s gain to be able to spread the gospel more! However, knowing he couldn’t be around forever you can see the real son and father relationship between Paul and Timothy! I like to view this as a passing of the torch! Paul knows he’s getting old, and he uses this to raise Timothy to love the Lord, and share it with others! It’s inspiring for a person like myself who is just getting his adult life started and knowing there’s still plenty to come hopefully!


PrayerGod, thank you for all that you do for us. Thank you for the work that you have done through the apostles and continue to do through the church. Thank you for the transformative work that you show us in Scripture, so that we can see that you are able to redeem all lives. 

This week’s devotion was prepared by Hayden Collins