Revelation 5:2-5 – The Lion Hath Prevailed

Revelation 5:2-5
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
 
Notice the statement in verse 2 is given by a strong angel, conveying the idea that Angelic might is useless to open the book.  Likewise, the Bible’s next statement “no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth” tells us that no one nowhere could open the book.  It was, by all measures, impossible.  But what should be every Christian’s reaction to the word “impossible”?  “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)  So it was that The Lion of the Tribe of Judah did what only He could do.  Not just by His omnipotence, but by His righteousness, He alone is worthy to open the book, release the seals, and act as Judge for all of creation.

Philippians 2:14-15 – Blameless and Harmless

Philippians 2:14-15
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

–Verse 14 is a mouthful.  It can be difficult enough to simply do all things, much less do all those things without complaint or contention.  But consider the reason given in verse 15:  so we can be ‘blameless and harmless.‘  Blameless shows that a bad attitude will reflect poorly on both ourselves and our God, because if a Christian can’t take bad circumstances in stride, what does that say about the depth of our God and our Salvation?  But it’s the second qualifier that I want to focus on; harmless.  We are under constant observation by those around us and the things we say and do have a profound impact, whether we want to admit it or not.  Your behavior could be teaching a young person that it’s okay to be a dimly lit Christian or it could be convincing a non-believer that there is nothing really special about serving the Lord.  The Bible warns us not to be a stumbling block (Romans 10:32), so if you need a little extra motivation to obey Philippians 2:14, do it for the sake of all those you might trip up along the way.

1 Peter 5:8 – Your Adversary, the Devil

1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
 
James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
 
-The two greatest lies that Satan has perpetuated throughout human history are these:  1) God doesn’t exist and 2) Satan doesn’t exist.  If the Devil has you convinced that God doesn’t exist, then you won’t rush to the Lord for protection when the power of darkness and cares of this life weigh down on you.  Likewise, if Satan can convince you that he doesn’t exist, then you will not be prepared to resist his attacks. The greatest weapon against a lie is the truth and the truth is this:  1) The devil is a real enemy (1 Peter 5:8) and 2) “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

Philippians 1:6 – The Good Work of the Lord

Philippians 1:6
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
 
-Can you imagine the immense pressure of having to hold onto your salvation every minute of every day?  Living in fear that one wrong move at the wrong time could land you straight in Hell.  Despite any of our best efforts, none of us would ultimately succeed.  How reassuring to know that the Lord assumes responsibility for holding onto us once he has redeemed us.  The “good work” referenced here is not any work that we will do, but rather a good work “which He hath begun” and that He “will perform.”  “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).  He will be there every minute of every day steadying us as we walk, lifting us up when we fall, and most importantly, keeping a tight hold on us that nothing in the universe can break.  “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”  (John 10:28-29)

James 4:2 – Because Ye Ask Not

James 4:2
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

-We have not because we ask not.  The best-kept secret in the Christian life.  It is promised that we will have heartache and tribulation in the world (John 16:33), but how much of that heartache might we be spared if we simply asked the Heavenly Father for a reprieve?  We are likewise blessed beyond measure, but how many more blessings could be ours if we simply asked the One who “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”? (Ephesians 3:20) We all have jobs to do on this side of eternity, opportunities to bring glory to God in Heaven.  Having said that, remember that in any situation, the best thing you can do is not to worry, not to argue, not to strive in our own strength; the best thing we can do for ourselves and everyone around us is to pray.

Luke 19:5 – I Must

Luke 19:5
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.

-Scripture tells us that the Lord Jesus didn’t have a home or even a place to sleep at night (Luke 9:58).  Given that, it can be easy to take a verse like Luke 19:5 out of context; did Jesus come to Zacchaeus’ house just because He needed a place to stay?  Instead, consider this verse in the context of John 4:4, “and he must needs go through Samaria.”  Jesus didn’t go to Zacchaeus’ house to fulfill His own needs any more than He walked through Samaria for Himself; He went there because He was following a mission.  Jesus was always busy with the Father’s business (Luke 2:49); everything He said and did reflected a need to please the Father.  As He said in John 6:38, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.”  If Christ set an example that we are all compelled to follow, then where must we go and what must we do today to please the Father?

Matthew 6:10 – The Father’s Will

Matthew 6:10
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
 
The Lord teaches us to pray for the Father’s will to be done on Earth just as it’s done in Heaven.   How do you think His will is done in Heaven?  It would be done without question, without hesitation, and without fail.  It would be done with no fear of consequence or reprisal.  Those who perform His will in Heaven would not worry about what those around them would say or think.  They would worry only that the Father is pleased, and they would understand that His will trumps all because He is above all.  Pray that God’s will is done in this fashion and make sure that you do the Lord’s will in this fashion.

Psalm 64:1 – Fear of the Enemy

Psalm 64:1
1 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
 
-David’s prayer is very wise here; he asks to be preserved from the fear of the enemy.  There is coming a day when the Lord will put away all evil and every enemy will be cast into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20) Until that day comes, we must suffer the continued threat that our enemies represent.  Thankfully, even in the very presence of those who would do us harm, the Lord can provide us with a peace that will quiet our fears of the world, the devil, and anything else that opposes us.  In the 23rd Psalm, David expresses that the Lord “preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”  Psalm 127:2 states “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”  Our first instinct is to get caught up in worry, but a genuine dependence on the Lord means that we can still eat, sleep, and live in peace even when the enemy’s attacks are imminent.

Matthew 5:5 – The Blessed Meek

Matthew 5:5
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

 -The word “meek” used here in Matthew 5 is the Greek word “praus” and carries with it the idea of a wild horse that has been tamed.  This imagery is important because meekness in our modern society is often dismissed as a weakness, but that could not be further from the truth.  Consider how fearsome a wild horse can be; now realize that a tamed horse still possesses the same might and fearsomeness, but that horse has made a choice to obey the will of its master.  So, it is with those who are led by the Holy Spirit.  We still have the same angry, vengeful human nature, but we make a choice to act against that nature in favor of Christ’s Divine influence.  Meekness is the power to act coupled with the discipline not to.  A discipline that can only come from the Lord.  This duality is the reason the Bible calls us to be both bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1) and gentle as a dove (Matthew 10:16).  

2 Corinthians 3:17 – The Spirit of Liberty

James 3:16
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

2 Corinthians 3:17
17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

-Notice the different spirits that can be at work around us and the results of those spirits.  In the presence of carnal emotions such as envy and strife, there can only be confusion and ungodliness.  God doesn’t have the liberty to move in such an environment; not because He is limited, but rather because we have limited our ability to receive Him.  But, if the Lord is able to show up and work, He brings liberty in abundance.  God’s Word is made real, and the Holy Ghost can bring conviction.  Confusion and evil works will only keep people in bondage, but “if the [Lord Jesus Christ] shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)