Revelation 1:9-11

The apostle John introduces himself as his readers’ brother and partner in tribulation. That was true for the original recipients of the book in the seven cities mentioned in verse 11, and it is also true for us, over 1900 years later. Quoting 1 Peter 4:12-13 about sharing in Christ’s suffering, Pastor Dave taught that we can share in something from an era not our own. That was a new idea for me; I think of myself as being carried along by, and bound by, the relentless, inexorable river Time. Before the Lord, consider how our faith transcends time. We belong to God and are united with Christ, and that means that we’re part of something bigger than and beyond the dimensions of our created world. Praise God for that!

John is also our partner in patient endurance, which is the bridge between tribulation now and a kingdom in the future. Endurance often has a negative connotation. You endure a painful injury or illness; you don’t endure your dream vacation. How often, though, we want to sidestep pain and problems, not endure them! We pray, asking God to make them go away. Before the Lord, think about the difficult circumstances you have been asking God to “fix,” to take away. Instead, try asking God to give you the patient endurance to walk through them.

The word of God and the testimony of Jesus were offensive in the first century; John’s commitment to them resulted in his exile. God’s word and any testimony about Jesus is offensive in our time, and increasingly so. They are our “ticket to Patmos” too, in Dave’s words. Pray for yourself as an individual, for your church, and for the Church worldwide, that we will be faithful to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus in the face of growing opposition. Pray that God will open our eyes to recognize the times and ways we hide or compromise our commitment to God’s word. Ask for courage and boldness for yourself and all your brothers and sisters.

Calvary Family

Neither the physical creation nor the ideas and opinions of man constrain the Almighty God.
Moreover, we finite and feeble beings cannot comprehend Him. A song we say on Sunday, “The Greatness of Our God,” makes these points well:
No sky contains, no doubt restrains, all You are … the greatness of our God.
I spend my life to know, and I'm far from close, to all You are… the greatness of our God.
Ask the Lord to use the lyrics of this song to develop in all of us the humility we need as we study the book of Revelation. (Did you know that the bulletin you receive via e-mail every Friday includes a link to the songs we’ll sing on Sunday?)

Calvary’s missionaries Jim and Lynette Hatcher spoke to about 30 junior high and high school students on Sunday morning about how they became Christ-followers and then missionaries. Jim also addressed the important question, “How can I know what God wants for me?” based on Romans 12:1-2. Take a few minutes to read that Scripture and then pray for these young people and their futures. Pray they will offer themselves as living sacrifices to the Lord so that they can know God’s good and perfect will for them.

Lent, the 40-day period of preparation for Good Friday and Easter, begins tomorrow. Some people associate Lent with the Roman Catholic church and giving up meat on Fridays. Others think of Lent as a time to give up something you enjoy (as long as it’s not too central to your life), like chocolate. A good friend challenges me every year to view Lent as an opportunity to take on something good and godly to prepare my soul for Passion Week. It might be daily reading and meditation in the final chapters of the gospels or focused prayer. Ask the Lord to show you some way to honor Him with purposeful preparation in these weeks of Lent.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert