The First Resurrection Today’s passage: Revelation 20 Focus verse: Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. (Revelation 20:6) With the beast and the false prophet thrown into the lake of fire, only the dragon remains. An angel comes down from heaven. He holds the key to the Abyss and carries a huge chain. […]
Hallelujah Today’s passage: Revelation 19:1–10 Focus verse: “For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” (Revelation 19:7) How many times do you think the word hallelujah appears in the Bible? Like me, you may have guessed many times, even hundreds. Yet hallelujah only shows up four times throughout all […]
Two Witnesses Today’s passage: Revelation 11:1–14 Focus verse: “And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days.” (Revelation 11:3) As we work our way through the second of three woes, we come across two witnesses. God appoints them to prophesy for 1,260 days, almost three and a half years. In a […]
The Mark of God Today’s passage: Revelation 7:1–8 Focus verse: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” (Revelation 7:3) Many people are familiar with the mark of the beast as revealed later in the book of Revelation, […]
Breaking the Seven Seals Today’s passage: Revelation 6 Focus verse: I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. (Revelation 6:1) Jesus has just been declared worthy to open God’s scroll, that is, to access the words on the sealed document. One by one, Jesus will break each of the seven seals that […]
The Church in Pergamum: Repent Today’s passage: Revelation 2:12–17 Focus verse: “Nevertheless, I have a few things against you.” (Revelation 2:14) As with the church in Smyrna, the Bible tells us nothing more about the church in Pergamum. But like the church in Ephesus, Jesus’s message to them offers both affirmation and correction. Despite living […]
Today’s passage: John 15:18–John 16:5 Focus verse: “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.” (John 16:2) Too many people do not see God at work and instead oppose those who follow him in fresh […]
Learn More about Stephen The third sermon in the book of Acts: Acts 6:8-7:60 (specifically Acts 7:1-53). Setting: Jerusalem, before the Sanhedrin (the ruling Jewish council) Speaker: Stephen Audience: Jewish leaders (members of the Sanhedrin) Preceding Events: Stephen supernaturally does many miracles and amazing things. The opposition stirs up trouble, has him arrested, and persuades […]
The Holy Spirit Gives Jesus’s Followers Special Abilities In the Bible, Paul talks about spiritual gifts, special abilities given to us by the Holy Spirit. These aren’t for our personal use but for the common good of Jesus’s followers, that is, his church. Some of these supernatural abilities enhance our existing capabilities, while others are […]
The Son of Man Stands to Welcome Stephen Into Heaven Stephen stands before the Sanhedrin. His testimony becomes a sermon, which smartly recaps the story arc of the Old Testament, starting with father Abraham and spilling over into the New Testament, ending with a sacrificial death of Jesus. Though I would never suggest someone skip […]