Welcome to the next week on Revelation! Thank you for the emails you have sent, I am thrilled that Revelation has been an inspiration in your journey and I pray that our reading of the scriptures will continue to awaken our spirits to God’s message of love to us and this world.
Below are some thoughts for your personal use, or for discussion in small groups.
Who or what do you think the woman in Chapter 17 represents?
How do you respond to the description of the fall of Babylon?
How extraordinary to discover in these Chapters that people will think they can war against Christ and win! The take home message from these Chapters is embedded in Chapter 17:14 “The Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings”
Chapter 19 is all about the Return of our King! I think it is great to look at the other scriptures that talk about Christ’s second coming. Even Christ spoke of his second coming. Perhaps you would like to look at some verses, here are a few suggestions: Daniel 7, Mathew 24, Acts 1, 2 Peter 3, 1 Cor 15 [just a few to get you started]

May your lives be blessed as you continue to welcome the presence of God!
Kath

Well its late at night and I want to write a quick something! First thanks for all the encouragement. It is an amazing privledge to have the opportunity to speak on a Sunday morning with you all. You know, I think I learn the most when I need to try and then speak it out to others! So this has been a journey for me too!
I have to admit I felt tired today after speaking. To some degree Revelation has become a theolgically opinionated minefield and I felt the pressure of navigating that landscape in a way that would highlight God’s love for us and not just add to the complexities.
There is never enough time to say all that one would like to on a Sunday morning but my prayer has been answered as many of you have told me you have been reading for yourselves and looking anew at Revelation.
I love that Scripture sheds light on itself, in a sense, and so we can read in other places things that echo within us because we have heard them before.
The book of Ruth has a resonance for me as I read Revelation. I think it is the thing about the kinsman redeemer and Christ redeeming us in the same way. That we can go to the threshing floor and tuck ourselves under the corner of Christ’s robe and know that he will choose to redeem us.

I wanted to tell you too about a young man we had staying with us a few years ago - we had known him as a young boy who loved the Lord but in the middle of his youth his friends mum had died of cancer even when he had prayed harder than he had ever prayed that she would be healed. He became disillusioned and medicated the pain. Now a young man he realized he was far from God and needed to get a long way away to come off the drugs and find God. So half way through that process he came to stay with us. Still having some withdrawal symptoms he arrived dressed in black with skulls on almost every bit of clothing. He asked me one day why I had quilts on my wall and I told him they spoke to me of the beauty of lives held together with love [pieces of fabric from my friends lives stitched together as a gift]. We talked about what we wear and what we surround ourselves with and how that can influence or reflect our heart and where our heart lies. I said that I wondered whether his heart was still given over to death because everything he wore represented death. I guess in that way we can also mark ourselves for Satan. I guess he thought about it and gradually he took all the skulls off. As far as I know he is still tracking with God, so that is cool.

I wonder what you think about the Kingdom of God? What is it? Where is it? How are we a part of God’s Kingdom?

Anyway my friends enough for now. Have Heavenly dreams!
Kath

Revelation Week 1
October the 12th 2008

Well having launched into an introduction on Revelation, I would like to remind you that the main point is that this prophecy is a revelation of Jesus Christ. So with our eyes on the Lord let’s take a deep breath and dive in.

Revelation Chapter 1
What resonates with you in this Chapter?
How would you describe your relationship with God and Jesus right now?
Why do you think Revelation is controversial?
Was the Introduction on Sunday thought provoking for you? In what ways?

What do you think about this quote from AW Tozer. [Tozer was a Protestant Pastor who wrote lots of books about the importance of finding a deeper relationship with God …some of his books are considered Christian Classics]
“An ocean liner leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Its destination has been determined by the authorities. Nothing can change it. This is at least a faint picture of the sovereignty. On board the liner are several scores of passengers. They are not in chains, neither are their activities determined for them by decree. They are completely free to move as they will. They eat, sleep, play, lounge about on the deck ,read, talk altogether as they please; but all the while the great liner is carrying them steadily onward toward a predetermined port …The mighty liner of God’s sovereign design keeps its steady course over the sea of history. God moves undisturbed and unhindered toward the fulfilment of those eternal purposes which he purposed in Jesus Christ before the world began.”
What do you think about this description of Gods sovereignty?

Revelation Chapter 2 and 3

There is some thought that the churches were listed in the order that a messenger would travel to take the letter to the churches.

The 7 churches listed were in cities that are now in modern day Turkey. It is interesting that this area is sometimes known as the second Holy Land .2/3 of the New Testament was written to or from the churches in this area.
Turkey came under Islamic rule in 1453 and an estimate published this year by “Christianity Today” states that Turkey is 98% Muslim with a Christian minority of approximately .3%.

At this point we have to ask ourselves whether Revelation is simply Historical, or is it a Parable [a story with one moral point to make], perhaps it is Allegorical [using symbolism that has a literal meaning] . Is it Prophecy that has already been fulfilled, or is it prophecy yet to be fulfilled? Was Gods intent to give John insights for the Christians of that time only? How do we reasonably apply anything from Revelation to our own lives? How do we apply information given from any biblical prophecy to our lives?
OK! Let’s take a breather – Can you live with letting those Questions rumble around in your head and heart and prayers for a while as we continue on!

What stands out to you personally or for our church? It would be great to pray about those things!
There is a pattern in the letters to each Church [remembering that all the churches would have read all the letters] maybe you would like to summarise the issues/warnings, the encouragements and the promises.
I don’t know how you went finding out about the Nicolatians, I didn’t find much. I think because they seem to be associated with the worship of other idols that perhaps they were teaching it was fine to believe in Jesus and still worship other idols too. I have been most confronted by that thought when we were in South Africa, I remember meeting Christians who still sometimes sought out the witch doctors magic. It is less obvious perhaps for us in our western culture but maybe it is a challenge to consider what our false idols are.

Revelation Chapter 4 and 5

Some brief thoughts here for now. Chapter 4 shows God the creator who is worshipped. Chapter 5 shows Jesus Christ the redeemer who is worshipped. The next part of the revelation has some close similarities to words spoken by Christ and recorded in Mark13:7-27.

Hoping you are engaging in the journey of Revelation thus far. I am continuing to pray that each of us will receive the blessing God intends for us to receive as we read this part of Gods scripture.

Kath