Read, Hear and Do "For The Time Is Near"

 Dear Saints:

Last week we learned that the Book of Revelation is all about Jesus and that’s why we have to study it. Today, as we begin our deeper dive, Jesus encounters us at the door to remind us of our covenant love relationship with Him.

No relationship is worth anything if the parties don’t recognize their love and responsibilities to each other. Knowing Jesus Christ is a love relationship and not a Rule-lationship. Christ loves us too much to leave us the way we are. He is transforming us to His image. Hear Jesus speak to the seven churches and to us:

“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” Revelation 1:3. 

Jesus is saying, stop and let’s not play games. You will be blessed/happy if you do what I am saying to you and will say to you.  You can read and not hear. You can hear and not keep or put into actions what you heard. Right at the start of our study of the book of Revelation, we must commit to doing what Jesus has said to us and is saying to us.

Apostle James echoing Jesus, said,  “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 

²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25.

Lord, I don’t want to be entertained any further with your words. Please help me to obey your words. There isn’t much time left to play and fool around. I need your grace to keep drawing me back to you and to love you back as you have loved me.

Right at the start of the book of Revelation, we are warned “for the time is near” and of “things which must shortly take place”. What time and whose time? The time is God’s time and timing.  God the Father is the One who gave Jesus the Revelation which Jesus is giving to Apostle John for us. The things that will happen will occur in rapid succession and will start as a surprise to all. 

This should cause us to sit up and pay close attention to how we live and pray. I am tired of playing church and answering a “Christian” mostly in words and not much in deeds. Please hear me out. This is who I am already: “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, ⁶ and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen”. Revelation 1:5-6. 

I am already saved and there is no questions about that. All that is required for salvation is already done on the Cross by Christ.  But am I producing the fruit of salvation? Are you and I keeping/doing what we hear? Can we be brutally honest with ourselves?

 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Luke 6:46.

We are in the days of clean up that must begin with me/you and in the church. Let’s stop pointing the fingers to the White House, the politicians, the Democrats and the Republicans, and to our neighbors and everyone else except us. You can castigate anyone all you want in a worldly analysis, you better look inwards to yourself and myself. Jesus further said:

 “⁴⁹ But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

There is a great shaking going on and more to come. Will you stand?

We are more interested in quoting the “blessing” but not interested in keeping the words of Jesus. The “blessed “ is repeated seven times in this book of Revelation and specific for keeping and obeying the words and commands of God; see Revelation 22:7 and 14. It’s that much important to Jesus that we obey His commands. Obedience is better than sacrifice. God’s grace is sufficient for our obedience. Jesus' command is for us to love our neighbors.

Obedience is the proof of our relationship with Christ and not the basis of our salvation. It comes down to hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit and doing as we hear; right on time and not later.

Lord, please save me from this hour and generation that only seeks blessings without consequences and alive just to acquire. What are you living for? Lord, please change my perspective as you speak to me in this day and these last days. Amen. Many are praying for revival. Revival is here and Jesus is here to clean us up and get us ready for His soon return. He will speak more about self/church cleaning in chapters 2-3 of Revelation.

Not everyone reading and hearing this is saved. Friend, there’s no time left to dance around and be on the fence. Those on the fence will be crushed by the forces coming from both sides of the fence.

Surrender your life to Christ today, repent and ask for forgiveness and for His grace to live for Christ. May be you know someone on the fence who is still playing with sin; please do him/her a favor and introduce them to Jesus. Please don’t regret for not telling them especially in these days of COVID-19 where people are dropping dead left and right. We are only still alive by His mercies and grace and for His glory.

Unrelated but related, I have been asking why Ananias and Sapphira had to die instantly for telling lies to the Holy Spirit? (see Acts 5). Most of us have probably told equal or greater lies. Why hasn’t God zapped us? The couple were for our example to fear God; they were “Christians”. We really don’t fear God these days. 

Lord, please plant in me a reverential fear of You that comes from my love for you. Please circumcise my heart and grant me a tender heart to love and obey you; and to love others who have not earned the rights to be loved by me. You did that for me; for while I was still a sinner, you loved me and died for me (Romans 5:8). Thank you Lord for your mercies and grace. Amen