John was prolific because he was an eyewitness from day one. His gospel is unique in insight into who Jesus was and what He experienced. Jesus was close to Peter, James, and John.

John’s letters are deeply loving and filled with insight into what it means to believe with the entire fiber of our soul. His heart for God’s little children is heart-warming.

His vision on the island of Patmos (The Revelation of Jesus Christ) beautifully represents the culmination of the end of the age. This is one of the few remaining photos of John on the island. 

John – in his own words:

“This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.”  – John 21:24,25

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.”  
– Revelation 2:17

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”  – 1 John 5:4,5

As far as we can tell, John outlived the rest of the disciples. It may explain this:

“Peter, turning around, *saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 

So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?”
– John 21:20-23

Personally, I am planning on falling asleep.

Deeper in John’s letters
A great love song
Another great love song

Much has been written about Peter – some accurate, and some not so much. He certainly stands unique among the twelve, and his experiences hold us up before the mirror of faith in unique and substantive ways!

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
– James 1:22-25

Paul and Peter were counterparts in two different worlds: Gentile and Jewish. Galatians 2 describes the ups and downs of this. Two powerful figures as the Gospel spread. Both all-in from the beginning, all-in until the end!

“But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised (Gentiles), just as Peter had been to the circumcised (Jews) (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Peter and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and I the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They only asked us to remember the poor – the very thing I also was eager to do.”   – Galatians 2:7-10

Without Peter’s story we would be missing a huge component for understanding how God works through flawed individuals through His One true Spirit of Grace. The one who denied Christ was the rock (Cephas) who became not only a pillar in the early church, but to all people of faith who have emerged since Jesus went up into heaven.

Peter did not hold back. He was a water-walker, and his all-in heart fuels my soul!

Some deep time in Peter’s letters
A good fisherman song

The Bible has much to say about the future. What will occur has been explained over thousands of years (Genesis, Moses, the Prophets, the Psalms, Jesus the Promised One, as well as the Eyewitnesses) and offers a mosaic which: 1) gives many specifics about the end, 2) is very clear that no man knows the hour or the day, 3) and outlines aspects which can reasonably be organized to help us 4) be on the alert and ready.

“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.” “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” – Matthew 24:42,43 and 25:13  You may enjoy this ready review of Jesus’ words on this!

How can a Jesus-follower be informed, prepared, and ready for what unfolds around us? Here is a summary of principles to watch for:

The events of Daniel and Revelation (and the other prophets) will unfold quickly and decisively, with God’s children holding an amazingly specified place in this new beginning.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”                     – 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

However things occur you will want your heart and those of your loved-ones prepared. Nothing will stop what is coming, and self-preservation is the last thing you want to place at the forefront. Our destiny is to be His Bride – forever. (Revelation 21:2,9)
No fear! (1 John 4:18)

Also look for:

1) The 3rd Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem where the abomination of desolation will once again occur.
2) The rapture of living and dead saints will take place before or after the abomination of desolation spoken of in Matthew 24:15. Dive in and try to figure it out!
3) Matthew 24 will likely provide the elements of the time-table, and inasmuch as these are the words of Jesus, Creator of the world, should be the anchor for unfolding event observations. Note that wars, natural cataclysms, persecutions, the two witnesses, the 144,000 witnesses, anti-Christ, the mark of the beast, and the abomination of desolation, and tribulation must occur before:
4) Revelation 20:1-6 indicates there will be a physical 1000 year reign of Christ over the earth and Satan will be bound. 5) After theses 1000 years Satan will be released to deceive the nations for a final time.
6) Then the armies of the earth will gather in the plain of Megiddo (Armageddon) and turn to fight the Son Who comes in the clouds (Revelation 20:7-10) after which will occur
7) the judgment of all souls before the Throne of God. (Revelation 20:11-15)
8) Then comes the new (fresh) heaven and new (fresh) earth with the new (fresh) Jerusalem coming down from heaven (Revelation 21) and finally
9) Heaven forever! (Revelation 22). Wow.

2 Timothy 3:1-9 is one insightful account of what will occur in human hearts as the end of the age approaches. It is worth reading along with the post Doctrines of Demons.

We considered the books of Daniel and Revelation in tandem in posts #48 and #49. Type those numbers into the search box for a deeper look.

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Matthew 24:36)
But we are certainly not in the dark about all of this!

The future belongs to us. Here we go.

We considered Daniel and Revelation earlier. Type those books into the search box!
What does this mean to me?
Here is a great future song

 

 

“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are made new and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 

And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”  – Matthew 18:1-6

As we were taught by God from the account in the Garden and man (Genesis 1-11) as well as in the beginning and ending chapters of Job (the two oldest books in the Bible), there are events and interactions occurring of a cosmic nature – and we are right in the middle of them.

We have already considered Daniel and Revelation (Book by Book posts #48 and #49) regarding the time of the end, and the next several posts are about the end of days, including teachings about sorting out will happen in light of what is going on in our hearts as the process of the end unfolds.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”  – Ephesians 6:10-13

Jude continues this theme of how our story is a part of something much bigger, all tied to our significant role in the glory of God. As does Paul when speaking to Timothy:

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…”  – 1 Timothy 4:1

God’s Word (commandments) are given to set us free. Satan and his demons spit in God’s face and try to place us in bondage. This has been going on since the establishing of the earth.

“Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into impure sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”  – Jude 3,4

Jude provides the springboard for tying together the Law of God, grace in Christ, the demonic struggle between good and evil, and where we fit into the Story.

Type Solemn Charge into the search box and you will find three posts wrapping these themes together, and helping us to see the big picture on our spiritual purpose in the plan of Yahweh. Included are three full teachings about the implications for how we live our lives.

A Solemn Charge Song

 

The Gospel is invading the empire. No matter how hard the Jewish leaders or government officials in various places tried to stamp it out, the Word of God simply could not be imprisoned. It was spreading in an organic, supernatural way.

Paul and the other sent ones (apostles) were connected relationally. House to house. There were no buildings to meet in, so the communities of Christ-followers were everywhere, much as you can see them in China today. Simply supernatural.

Consequently there were people taking initiative and serving Jesus by serving the churches (house to house in cities and areas). Titus was, like Timothy, an overseer of one or more of these groupings.

Philemon bumps into this network and he and Paul interact over a young man named Onesimus. This shows how organically relational it all was. His letter from Paul was brief and to the point: you have counted on me, now I am counting on you. Forgive this man in this special circumstance: and put it on my account. No pressure. Check out the final relational verses of the book.

Humility was being brought about in the lives of these communities, because without humility there would be no true love. Paul and Timothy knew this. Titus did as well. And now Philemon is learning it too. Cool, right?

Titus is more structured and deals with how Titus, like Timothy, was to discharge his duties as a servant of Christ who was overseeing the spiritual welfare of others.

“I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.” – Philemon 10-14

Meanwhile Titus was on an island called Crete, surrounded by a culture of lazy gluttons. Lucky duck! But the standards for righteousness did not adapt from city to city – region to region. Love for God was still filled with reverential fear – love for people was the outcome of true faith. So it is in your city – in my city. God is pretty adaptable considering He never changes.

Paul’s message? Follow grown up leaders (of character) who teach others to grow up. This growing up involved: “Our people must also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, so that they will not be unfruitful.”  – Titus 3:14

Quite simple really 🙂

A good heart song
Deeper in Titus and Philemon