Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Revelation 19
Set – Ezekiel 36; Revelation 19
Go! – Ezekiel 36-37; Psalms 110; Revelation 19
Revelation 19
1 The scene changed. After this, I heard the great sound of a multitude echoing in heaven.
Multitude: Praise the Lord!
Salvation and glory and power truly belong to our God,
2 for true and just are His judgments.
He has judged the great whore
who polluted the entire earth with her sexual immorality,
And He has vindicated the blood of His servants, which she shed.
3 Again praise spilled from heaven.
Multitude: Praise the Lord!
The smoke rises up from her ruins forever and ever.
4 And the twenty-four elders and four living creatures fell on their faces and worshiped God who reigns on the throne.
Four Living Creatures and 24 Elders: Amen, Praise the Lord!
5 A Voice from the Throne: Give praise to our God,
all of you, God’s servants,
All who reverence Him,
small and great.
6 And I heard what seemed to be an immense crowd speaking with one voice—it was like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like the sound of clashing thunder.
Multitude (in unison): Praise the Lord!
For the Lord our God,
the All Powerful, reigns supreme.
7 Now is the time for joy and happiness.
He deserves all the glory we can give Him.
For the wedding feast has begun; the marriage of the Lamb to His bride has commenced,
and His bride has prepared herself for this glorious day.
8 She had been given the finest linens to wear,
linens bright and pure,
woven from the righteous deeds of the saints.
Guide: 9 Write this down: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb.” What I am telling you are the true words of God.
10 At that, I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he refused my praise.
Guide: Stop it. Don’t you see? I am a servant like you and your brothers and sisters, all who hold fast to the testimony of Jesus. Address your worship to God, not to me! For the testimony about Jesus is essentially the prophetic spirit.
11 I looked up and saw that heaven had opened. Suddenly, a white horse appeared. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with righteousness He exercises judgment and wages war. 12 His eyes burn like a flaming fire, and on His head are many crowns. His name was written before the creation of the world, and no one knew it except He Himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name He was known by is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, outfitted in fine linen, white and pure, were following behind Him on white steeds. 15 From His mouth darts a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule over them with a scepter made of iron. He will trample the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the All Powerful. 16 And there on His robe and on His thigh was written His name: King of kings and Lord of lords.
17 Then I looked up and saw a messenger standing in the sun; and with a loud voice, he called to all the birds that fly through midheaven.
Heavenly Messenger: Come. Gather for the great feast God is preparing for you 18 where you will feast on the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the rich and powerful, the flesh of horses and their riders—all flesh—both free and slave, both small and great.
19 I looked down, and I saw the beast I had seen earlier and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered together to wage war against the One riding the white horse and His heavenly army. 20 The beast was soon captured along with the false prophet, the earth-beast I had seen earlier who performed signs to deceive those who had agreed to receive the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its detestable image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And all who remained met death at the blade of the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One riding on the white horse. All the birds feasted fully on their flesh.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Which part of what you just heard did you focus on? Was the first thing that came to your mind the rider on the white horse that would come to slay the beast and the kings of the earth? Did you focus on the blade that proceeded from his mouth and the blood that runs in the street at his coming? Or did you focus on the multitude singing praises to Me in heaven? Did you think first about “Praise the Lord! Salvation and glory and power truly belong to our God.”? Did you remember the praise or the in My throne room or the slaughter on the earth? Does that say anything about your focus? Do you want to praise Me more than you want to see Me avenge those who wrong you? Do you want to see salvation for the worst people you can think of? Do you really love your enemies?
I commanded you to love your enemies and do good to those who wrong you, remember? Love like I love, then you’ll focus on the praise instead of the avenger. It’s much more fun and much more productive.
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