“I WAS IN THE SPIRIT ON THE LORD’S DAY"

THE FAITH OF CHRIST’S YOUNGEST APOSTLE

A year earlier all hell had broken loose when the tyrant emperor Caesar Nero had outlawed Christianity; and now, the last surviving apostle of Christ had been banished to Patmos Island. All looked bleak. The youngest of Christ’s apostles, John was just a teenager when he witnessed the brutal and protracted execution of Jesus. John, now in his fifties, had many reasons to feel disappointed and even disillusioned with God. His apostolic colleagues had each been martyred – having been put to death in often gruesome ways including: crucifixion, flaying, and beheading. On this barren rocky island, separated from the woman he had pledged to her crucified Son that he would look after, and away from the people that Christ had shed His blood for, John was alone. Ever since Jesus had risen bodily from dead, these life-time faithful sabbath-keeping Jews now recognised that Christ had sanctified the first day of the week, Sunday, as His day. It was also on this sanctified day that Christ poured out Holy Spirit on his gathered disciples. Ever since that day, no matter how he felt or the circumstances he was in, John had made it his custom to be in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. This is why the earliest Christians shifted the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday as their ‘Sabbath’.

John’s first Sunday on this island of banishment was no exception. He was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day. While some weak Christians (note Rom. 14:1; 15:1; 1Thess. 5:14) find disappointment with God an excuse to forsake God, John did not. While they may use their excuses for disappointment with God to walk away from their church family, John did not. John’s example has something to teach us.    

¶ I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation
and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus,
was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God
and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…
Revelation 1:9-10a

 

JOHN’S WORSHIPPED CHRIST
EVEN WHEN THINGS GOT DIFFICULT

Have you had a bad day? A bad week? A bad month? Have you prayed and God has not answered your prayers? The apostle John had been subjected to horrible violent persecution for month after month since Caesar Nero had commenced a State sponsored campaign of martyrdom against Christians. He had recently been publicly humiliated in Ephesus and it is believed that he was subjected to an attempt to martyr him (note Rev. 1:9). Rather than yelling at God about how unfair God had been, John continued to remember what his Lord and Saviour went through – especially after Jesus had entered Jerusalem days before He was to be crucified – and understood that God is still good even when things are bad. Shortly before the apostle Peter was martyred by order of Nero, Peter had written this to the Bithynian believers (take note of how he referred to Nero):

Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor…
But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious
thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ
also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow
in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered,
He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.
First Peter 2:17, 20-23

 

JOHN ALWAYS KNEW THAT GOD WAS GOOD
EVEN WHEN LIFE WAS SOMETIMES BAD

Each of the apostles of Christ, including John, had a resolute confidence in God’s goodness despite their often difficult circumstances. The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans before he was extradited there to stand trial before the Emperor, and stated in Romans 8, that all of creation was subject to futility as a result of the fall of mankind into the devil’s plot to destroy them.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,
but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
Romans 8:20

All of creation, says the apostle Paul, was subject futility as a result of mankind’s rebellion. But it was not subject to this futility – disease, sickness, viruses, accidents, pain, betrayal – by the devil. No, it was subject to the consequences of rejecting God by God who subjected it in hope! What is our hope? It is surely not that we will lives exempt from futility as much as we would prefer that. No, our hope extends beyond this life, beyond the grave, to the kingdom of God prepared for all ‘the children of God’.

 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption
and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Romans 8:21

This world is subject to the futility of cancer. This is world is subject to the futility of war. This world is subject to the futility of injustice. But the believer is not subjected to only dwell with God in a world of futility. In my previous Pastor’s Desk I cited the fourth century theologian, Athanasius, who said that followers of Christ now “despise” death and find it as nothing to be feared.

Death used to be strong and terrible, but now, since the sojourn of the Saviour and the death and resurrection of His body, it is despised; and obviously it is by the very Christ Who mounted on the cross that it has been destroyed and vanquished finally.
Athanasius, On The Incarnation, 5:29

HOW DID JOHN GET IN THE SPIRIT?

John tells us that it was “the Lord’s day”, so, he took steps to be in the Spirit (Rev. 1:10). He treated Sunday as a day different to every other day. This was the day when believers gathered to sing, pray together, heed God’s Word and Spirit, and fellowship together (“Communion”) over the Lord’s Table. It was a day to hear from God and be refilled with His Spirit. Even though John was alone and isolated from his brothers and sisters in Christ, and he prepared his soul to meet with God. Perhaps he spent time in prayer. Perhaps he spent time seeking God. Perhaps he worshiped by singing the songs that the early Church had developed to teach theology and gospel truths to their illiterate members. Then he waited to hear from God. And he did (which is how we came to have the Book of Revelation). How would our Sunday church’ experience be different if we each took time to prepare our souls to meet with God together? How might our collective witness be effected if we each regarded Sunday as a different day to every other day? 

¶ Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me,
and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands,
and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man,
clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around His chest.
Revelation 1:12-13

 

TWO LESSONS 

John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day. We have just considered these two important aspects of how the last of the original apostles remained faithful to Christ even when he was on his own. John’s example inspires us not to let our disappointments or unanswered prayers to be excuses to walk away from God. Secondly, John understood that Jesus ushered in the New Covenant and sanctified a new day of corporate worship, Sunday. This new day of worship would not need the old festivals and ceremonies that the Old Covenant demanded (Heb. 10:18). The New Covenant was commemorated by bread and wine. The Old Covenant involved effort, rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices, and a priesthood. The New Covenant was established by Christ and administered by the Holy Spirit. And it still is. And it this same Holy Spirit who invites each of us to prepare our souls to meet with God, especially as we prepare to meet together on the Lord’s day.

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together
was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:31

Your pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 17

Day 17

Revelation 11:1-14

[Rev. 11:1] ¶ Then a measuring rod like a staff was given to me, and I was told, “Get up and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and the ones who worship there. [Rev. 11:2] But do not measure the outer courtyard of the temple; leave it out, because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample on the holy city for forty-two months. [Rev. 11:3] And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth. [Rev. 11:4] (These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.) [Rev. 11:5] If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and completely consumes their enemies. If anyone wants to harm them, they must be killed this way. [Rev. 11:6] These two have the power to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the time they are prophesying. They have power to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want. [Rev. 11:7] When they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer them and kill them. [Rev. 11:8] Their corpses will lie in the street of the great city that is symbolically called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified. [Rev. 11:9] For three and a half days those from every people, tribe, nation, and language will look at their corpses, because they will not permit them to be placed in a tomb. [Rev. 11:10] And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. [Rev. 11:11] But after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and tremendous fear seized those who were watching them. [Rev. 11:12] Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them: “Come up here!” So the two prophets went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies stared at them. [Rev. 11:13] Just then a major earthquake took place and a tenth of the city collapsed; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. [Rev. 11:14] ¶ The second woe has come and gone; the third is coming quickly.

The world rejoices at all the wrong things and despises the things that are worthy of rejoicing. The Lord reigns, the Psalmist declared (Ps. 97:1) so the earth should rejoice. But it’s precisely because the Lord reigns that the wicked don’t rejoice! Instead, they rejoice in doing what God has forbidden (Prov. 2:14). 

Believers are told to rejoice with those rejoice (Rom.12:15) but all too often we find it difficult to rejoice for those who are doing better than us. Rejoicing with and for others takes humility and humility is one of the crowning virtues of a mature believer. This is perhaps why the New Testament stresses rejoicing as a Christian discipline to be developed. “Rejoice! Again I say, rejoice!” wrote Paul to the Philippians (Phil. 4:4).

The world rejoices when it seems like the Church has failed. But we shouldn’t. When a brother in Christ publicly fails it should cause us heart-ache, not to rejoice. 

What are you rejoicing about at this point in your life and walk with Christ? Do you rejoice that the Lord reigns? Do you rejoice when a brother in Christ whom you don’t like, fails? Knowing what to rejoice over and what not to rejoice over may well be one the clearest indications to others of what is truly in your heart when they see you rejoicing based on what you know to be right and good.

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net

Revelation Daily Devotional - Day 16

Day 16

Revelation 10:1-11

[Rev. 10:1] ¶ Then I saw another powerful angel descending from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun and his legs were like pillars of fire. [Rev. 10:2] He held in his hand a little scroll that was open, and he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. [Rev. 10:3] Then he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices. [Rev. 10:4] When the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but just then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders spoke and do not write it down.” [Rev. 10:5] Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven [Rev. 10:6] and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, and the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, “There will be no more delay! [Rev. 10:7] But in the days when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God is completed, just as he has proclaimed to his servants the prophets.” [Rev. 10:8] Then the voice I had heard from heaven began to speak to me again, “Go and take the open scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.”  [Rev. 10:9] So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take the scroll and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.”  [Rev. 10:10] So I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and it did taste as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. [Rev. 10:11] Then they told me: “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

“Peoples and nations and languages.” The Bible is not like other so-called Holy Books. It is designed to be translated into every language for every people and still make sense. But more than just make sense, it is a God-breathed book designed to be translated into any language. The wonder of God’s Word to mankind is that connects with all people of all languages over every period of time. Words are only a small part of language. The conveying of thoughts and ideas are also major roles of a language. This is done with word pictures (metaphors), humour (often using hyperbole), but especially the real stories of real people. And this is exactly how God  has comprised the Bible. 

I often think that reading the Bible is like peeling an onion. You become acquainted with the outer layer of its message (what it says) so that you can begin to discover some of the gems that can only be seen once you’ve gone to the trouble of getting familiar with the outer layers first.

As we read the Bible we will very soon read prophecies. This book of Revelation is almost cover-to-cover prophecies.This passage of Revelation reinforces the Bible’s emphatic claim that what the prophets had foretold about “the mystery of God” would soon be fulfilled. The Apostle Paul tells us that God’s plan to unite all people under one New Covenant was the unfolding mystery of God (Eph. 3:9). 

Reading Revelation 10:7, the original readers would have had good reason to draw tremendous confidence for remaining steadfast in their faith in Christ and that Christ would fulfil His Word through His prophets to establish a New Covenant people, the Church. 

The Bible’s claim to be inspired by God stands or falls on whether its prophecies, which include clear time-frame references, have been fulfilled within their forecasted time-frames. I am convinced that they have and this gives me great confidence to trust the rest of Scripture as the inspired, inerrant Word of God. No matter what your nationality or language, I hope that you too find increased confidence in the Bible as God’s inspired Word for you.

Andrew Corbett

www.andrewcorbett.net