JMD Devotional 159 Revelation 10 Bitter Truth
Vs 1-3 THEN I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, robed in a cloud, with a [halo like a] rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, and his feet (legs) were like columns of fire. He had a little book (scroll) open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and he shouted with a loud voice like the roaring of a lion; and when he had shouted, the seven thunders gave voice and uttered their message in distinct words.
Vs 9-11 So I went up to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it and eat it. It will embitter your stomach, though in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.
So I took the little book from the angel's hand and ate and swallowed it; it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but once I had swallowed it, my stomach was embittered. Then they said to me, You are to make a fresh prophecy concerning many peoples and races and nations and languages and kings.
The Word of God, in its entirety, is bitter-sweet. The message of the Gospel that ushers in our salvation is sweet to our lips; but once we have digested the portrait God paints of the human race; of mankind's utter depravity and the certain and righteous damnation most people will suffer that makes us ill. Ray Comfort, a street evangelist, wrote a book, "All My Friends are Dying". As Solomon said, "with much knowledge is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow". How can I be happy when all of my friends (outside the Church) are dying? How can I be a 'care-free', 'happy-go-lucky' personality when I know that everything around me will melt from the fervent heat of God's divine wrath! (Maybe in my lifetime!) We have a message that is 'good news' to a select few who will receive it; most will respond with distain and disgust. It gives me indigestion, it sometimes results in sleepless nights, it makes me look like a fool. Brandishing a Bible puts me in the public perception of Jerry Falwell, Jim Jones and David Karesh; I am automatically a bigoted, unenlightened, naive relic of archaic fables, brain-washed, a Jehovah Witness, a hypocrite. I know 'Christians' who pick and choose which portions of scripture they will accept, they dismiss what contradicts their liberal bias. I have an aunt who has basically thrown out the entire Old Testament (without which the New Testament has no basis!)
Dear God,
You said, "eat the scroll, ALL OF IT", help your people to obey and accept your entire counsel to them. There is nothing between the covers that is not for me; not one Word is superfluous. Grant proper interpretation and understanding; may we take it to heart and respond appropriately. Make us faithful bearers of the Truth; give us winsome demeanors and boldness to warn the perishing.
May our lives be purified as we contemplate that even the angels that 'kept not their estate' were cast into everlasting darkness. Restore holy fear.
Amen
All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)
If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
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Vs 9-11 So I went up to the angel and asked him to give me the little book. And he said to me, Take it and eat it. It will embitter your stomach, though in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.
So I took the little book from the angel's hand and ate and swallowed it; it was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but once I had swallowed it, my stomach was embittered. Then they said to me, You are to make a fresh prophecy concerning many peoples and races and nations and languages and kings.
The Word of God, in its entirety, is bitter-sweet. The message of the Gospel that ushers in our salvation is sweet to our lips; but once we have digested the portrait God paints of the human race; of mankind's utter depravity and the certain and righteous damnation most people will suffer that makes us ill. Ray Comfort, a street evangelist, wrote a book, "All My Friends are Dying". As Solomon said, "with much knowledge is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow". How can I be happy when all of my friends (outside the Church) are dying? How can I be a 'care-free', 'happy-go-lucky' personality when I know that everything around me will melt from the fervent heat of God's divine wrath! (Maybe in my lifetime!) We have a message that is 'good news' to a select few who will receive it; most will respond with distain and disgust. It gives me indigestion, it sometimes results in sleepless nights, it makes me look like a fool. Brandishing a Bible puts me in the public perception of Jerry Falwell, Jim Jones and David Karesh; I am automatically a bigoted, unenlightened, naive relic of archaic fables, brain-washed, a Jehovah Witness, a hypocrite. I know 'Christians' who pick and choose which portions of scripture they will accept, they dismiss what contradicts their liberal bias. I have an aunt who has basically thrown out the entire Old Testament (without which the New Testament has no basis!)
Dear God,
You said, "eat the scroll, ALL OF IT", help your people to obey and accept your entire counsel to them. There is nothing between the covers that is not for me; not one Word is superfluous. Grant proper interpretation and understanding; may we take it to heart and respond appropriately. Make us faithful bearers of the Truth; give us winsome demeanors and boldness to warn the perishing.
May our lives be purified as we contemplate that even the angels that 'kept not their estate' were cast into everlasting darkness. Restore holy fear.
Amen
All (but*) quotes are from The Amplified Bible, published by
the Lockman Foundation. (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
*New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
**Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. (Eugene Peterson's easy-to-read, contemporary Scripture translation)
If you know of someone who would like to subscribe to
my daily devotional, please forward.
jamesdinsmore_32907@yahoo.com
Short, concise, thought-provoking.
More features:
http://SaintJamesPoetry.blogspot.com
http://recoverydevotional.blogspot.com/
http://jamesezadventures.blogspot.com/
posted by James M. Dinsmore at 6:11 AM
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