Category Archives: Revelation

Workplace Acclimatization

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How would a friend describe your behavior compared to a year ago? Would they say you have become more Christ like, or would they say that the negative attitudes and behaviors of your co-workers have rubbed off on you?

Being a Christian, doesn’t make us immune from becoming acclimatized to the culture of our workplace. Sometimes when we look at the behavior successful people have adopted, we tend to stifle the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit so that we can fit in. Slowly, without realizing what is happening we suppress our awareness of God and negative behaviors and attitudes insidiously sneaks into our lives. Just as each workplace is different, the sinful behavior that we pick up from our workplace is different for each of us.

God saw how some people living in the faith communities at the end of the first century had assimilated the culture of the cities where they lived and worked. In the letters John wrote to these churches in Revelation 2 and 3, God establishes that that he is fully aware, and more than sufficient to meet every need in their current situation. He longs for their relationship with him to be restored. God invites them to repent from abandoning their first love for Christ; or from being lured away by sexual impurity; or from being lulled to sleep by apathy; or from allowing luxury and riches to become substitutes for life in the Spirit.

With great love and compassion, the Good Shepherd searches our hearts and minds to see if there be any wicked way in us. He invites us to repent so that we can stand righteously in his Holy presence. He makes a salve to put on our eyes so that we can see the truth and see his love and grace. He offers us gold refined in the fire so that we can become rich spiritually. These are priceless treasures that the culture of our workplace can never compete with.

People are looking today for men and women who are totally comfortable living and relating with all members of society, while being graciously unwavering in their convictions and faith in God. To be this kind of person, we need to embrace the love and acceptance of Christ in every situation, so that we are totally comfortable in our own skin. When we are not looking for anything from our workplace, except to be God’s humble servant, we become shining beacons of God’s love.

Look No Further

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Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Rom 11:33a NIV)
You do not need to look any further! You are known! You are loved! You are secure!

 

Jesus knows your name. Jesus knows where you live and work. He is fully aware of your social, economic, cultural and political situation. He knows what people are saying about you. He knows exactly how you feel about your work.

 

This knowledge that Jesus has about you, and your workplace is not information that he gleaned from Google or Facebook or Twitter or watching the news. God’s has intimate, first-hand knowledge because he is present, and his light shines right where you are.

 

Jesus is aware of your deeds, your hard work, your perseverance. He knows that you have not grown weary when enduring hardship for your faith. In the midst of your afflictions Jesus has blessed you with heavenly riches. Jesus sees your faithfulness even when you are surrounded by people whose lifestyles do not reflect Christ’s character. Jesus knows you are maturing in your love, faith, courage and service. He sees that your clothes are unsoiled by sin. Jesus is fully aware of how your life bravely and steadfastly points to the name of Jesus.

 

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God (Rom 11:33a NIV)

 

Jesus celebrates you distinctiveness from the fads and fashions of this world. Jesus rejoices over your contributions to society, your workplace, and your neighborhood. Continue to be shaped and sustained by the living truths of Christ. Continue to walk with Jesus! Rest in the security of God’s love! Eagerly continue to seek God for sustenance and strength – for it is only in God’s strength and the power of the Holy Spirit that you will continue to persevere.

 

With the Apostle Paul in faith declare I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day (2 Tim 1:12b)

 

What Do You Need

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Taste and See That the Lord is Good

I was having breakfast with a friend a few weeks ago, and he asked me “what do you need?” His question caught me off guard. Living in an affluent society, with everything going well, there isn’t much that I need right now. I named a few trivial things that would make life more convenient. I am sure that if health, or finances, or shelter or relationships were a burning issue, I would have said that I needed those issues resolved. Our conversation moved on to other topics, but his question remained in the back of my mind.

Having thought about this some more, I believe what I need, is something that we all need.

We need to see God at home in the ordinary, everyday moments of our life. We need God to infuse these moments with His grace. Only when we listen to God will we hear his invitation to put our hope in the Lord, not ourselves or our works. When have a clear vision of God at the center of the universe orchestrating the minutest details perfectly, we are set free from controlling or manipulating. Fortunately a clear vision of God is easy to find, for God has taken the initiative to reveal himself.

Too begin to comprehend who God is spend time studying the Bible. Become familiar with the myriad images of God, and the diverse ways God works that are revealed throughout Scripture. As we walk through the various stages of our life new truths will leap off the pages of Scripture and speak to our changing circumstances.

Taste and see that the Lord is Good (Ps 34:8 NLT)

Aha moments will come as we are able to correlate stories and pictures of God between different passages. The Apostle John, having lived a life saturated in God’s word describes vivid images of God in Revelation that one can only start to comprehend by relating them to other passage in Scripture where those images are more fully developed.

Beyond a vision of God, more than an academic understanding of God, we need to experience God. Not an emotional experience, but a spiritual experience between our soul and God’s Spirit. This requires faith. Faith is a gift that God freely gives to those who ask for it. Faith in God gives an eternal perspective to our lives, to our career, and what is happening in our workplace. Faith in God may not change our circumstances. Faith in God does allow God to transform us into his likeness.

Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy (PS 34:5 NLT)

All that we need is God, the Alpha and the Omega; who is, who was and who is to come, the Almighty (Rev 1:8). God is sufficient for everything that you or I need today.

Read Revelation 1:9-20 on BibleGateway

Grace and Peace To You

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Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come (Rev 1:4) Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come (Rev 1:4)

When the apostle John, was exiled to the Island of Patmos because of the word of God, God did not offer him platitudes, or explanations. God reveals himself to John in all his glory. God desired that John’s mind would be saturated with thoughts of God, not dwelling on his circumstances. God wanted John to be blown away by his concept of God, not by what he could or couldn’t see. God gave John the opportunity to live by faith not by works, with hope not despair, filled with love not hatred.

In the midst of life God reveals himself to you so that you can understand the real forces at work in this world. God’s revelation helps you see that history is not just a haphazard sequence of unrelated events but a divinely orchestrated mysterious masterpiece.

God, the Alpha and Omega, who is complete in himself, has revealed all that he has intended for you to know. And that is more than sufficient. God is an infinity that you will never be able to fully explore or comprehend during our finite lives.

God desires that you move away from an intellectual, rational understanding of life, to a fresh, intimate, rich, imaginative relational experience with the Creator. Hear with your mind and emotions what God is saying to you.

Treasure the stabilizing center of peace and grace for your life that the God who is, who was and who is to come offers you. Embrace the love and freedom from your sins that Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of this earth offers you by his blood.

You have freedom from what can’t be explained so that you can contemplate and adore God. To him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Read Revelation 1:1-8 on BibleGateway