Danny Panter

Witness

Revelation 10:1-9; 11:1-15 (day six)

What is astounding is the authority in which the two witnesses testify. They do incredible things for a season, and then they fall under the weight of evil,…at least that is what it seems. And then while the world gawks at their victory, God raises the two witnesses back to life. Ultimate victory was theirs.

We too have been given divine authority. Remember when Jesus said, “All authority has been given to me?” He gave us authority to “go and make disciples.” Will we go? Will we trust in the authority given to us? We must. Victory is assured.

Kindness

Re:Verse reading–Revelation 8 and 9 (day six)

The trumpets are a kindness, and so were the seals. Every seal, every trumpet blast is a call to repentance. We read death and destruction, but each day that God delays the “Day of the Lord” is a kindness, not just to the unbelieving but also the church. It is no coincidence that Revelation begins with letters to seven churches; the trumpets are as much for them as they are for those who remain in their sin. They serve as a reminder, a wakeup call, that all of creation is careening towards a final and eternal judgment; that the Father, through Jesus, will finish his work of salvation.

So you see, the trumpets are a kindness to us. Revelation was not intended for our varied speculations, but for action. Do you hear them?

Contrasts

Re:Verse reading–Revelation 7 (day six)

There is an amazing contrast between the voices in chapter 5 and chapter 6. The outcries of the martyrs, and the praises of the saints, both are the center pieces of each chapter. The martyrs inquire of God, “when?” The saints declare His praises. Together they summarize the message of Revelation, both the longing for God to complete His work of Salvation and the certainty of it.

Not only are these voices a summary, but also they model for us how we are to live this side of eternity. We pray and we praise; asking Jesus to come quickly, while also praising Him for the certainty of our salvation.

Forest

Re:Verse reading–Revelation 6 (day six)

It can be hard to see the forest from the trees, but it is a necessary endeavor, especially in Revelation. There are so many curiosities in Revelation, it is easy to get stuck amongst the tree limbs trying to figure out every detail, of which we will never fully understand this side of eternity. For instance, do the riders in chapter six have names, are they real entities? Could be I suppose; maybe, maybe not. We can get so intrigued or caught in the trees that we lose sight of the fuller picture, the forest. In this case Jesus reveals to us that judgement is not only coming, but it is an important part of completing his saving work in all creation, so much so, the martyrs ache for it to come to pass.

Do you see it? The trees are important for sure, and worthwhile to study, but not at the expense of seeing the forest.

The End of Missions

Re:Verse reading–Revelation 4:1-7, 5:1-14 (day six)

“And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,’To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and dominion forever and ever.” Revelation 5:13

There will come a time when the Great Commission becomes totally obsolete. The church will no longer do missions; Gospel proclamation will no longer be an act of missions, but an act of worship. This is a good reminder of the truest purpose of Christ’s bride, the church-worship! Pastor John Piper said it like this, “Missions happens because worship doesn’t.” We were made for worship, that eternal and sweet fellowship with God the Father, through the Son, and by the power of the Spirit.

When that days come there will no longer be brokenness, and sin, there will no longer be war and opposition, there will only be worship from every created thing.

I can’t wait! How about you? In the meantime worship…and be on mission. Oh, and by the way, worship and mission are never mutually exclusive; one flows out of the other.

Certainty

Re:Verse reading–Revelation 1 (day six)

Certainty is the last word some would associate with John’s Revelation. For most it is difficult to understand, with very little feeling certain about it, and yet that is exactly the tone that is set for us in chapter one. We can be uncertain all day about the exact play of the events described in Revelation, but its’ intent is the exact opposite. All of our hope, the church’s hope, rests in the certainty of Jesus the risen one, the Alpha and the Omega.

That is how Jesus wants us to feel when we read chapter one, indeed much more than that, that is how he wants us to feel as we live in this broken world waiting for His return. It is certain. Will the church suffer? Yes. Will Judgement come? Yes. And will he finally and completely make all things new? Yes, it is certain!

Change

Re:Verse reading–Acts 4:1-22 (day six)

Can we change? I mean really change; not just cosmetic, superficial changes, but deep-down-to-the-core change. That’s the kind of change that happened in Peter. What a difference between that night in the courtyard where he denied Jesus three times, and his confrontation with the Jewish council, the same ones who had condemned Jesus! Peter was a new man, not in his personality, he was still the same bold Peter; he was a new man because now he was losing his life for the sake of Jesus’ name, that he might find it.

That’s the kind of change that the Gospel promises. Repentance and belief in Jesus, his work, and his promises, not only frees us from sin, but frees us to live a new life in the power of the Spirit of God. Like Jesus (and later Peter) we begin to live out the Kingdom of God by laying down our life for others. The truth is, although hard, it’s the best possible life we can live, and it holds the greatest reward.

Can you change?

Hold On

Re:Verse reading–1 Corinthians 15 (day six)

Paul’s argument is clear, our bodily resurrection is certain because Jesus’ resurrection was certain. The Gospel is not mythology or fairytale, it is a spiritual and historical reality, and the resurrection is its cornerstone. So, never fear, hold on, “be steadfast, immovable;” there is no obstacle to great, not even death, that will not be undone by the power of the resurrection! That is also why we are not to be pitied, because the hardships (or “momentary light affliction”) we may face do not compare to the glory to come. So, hold on, our resurrection is coming!

Follow

Re: Verse reading–Luke 22:31-34, 54-62 (day six)

He was the only disciple who stuck around, following Jesus after all the others left to save their own skin. I have to imagine that Peter had the best intentions; he never walked into that courtyard intending to betray his loyalty to Jesus, in fact that was the reason he was there to begin with. That has to count for something, right? And yet even with the best intentions he was left with bitter tears, keenly aware of his betrayal. Sometimes we can be so set on doing the right thing that we can lose sight of who we are in the process. Jesus did not call Peter to be a crusader; he called him to follow him and become a fisher of men.

In the heat of the battle, when things get tough, don’t forget who you are; you belong to Jesus, which means you are called to love the people around you, even at great cost to yourself. Of course, Peter would learn this valuable lesson; he would give his life to it.

Purpose

Re:Verse reading–Matthew 26:36-46 (day six)

Often, the last thing we want to hear when we face any kind of suffering is “it must be God’s will.” Although it is meant to console, it often never does. Remember Job’s friends, they were far better off just listening or grieving with him, but they just had to try to make sense of his suffering by offering all the reasons God would allow it. Just listen is certainly good advice for us too when consoling a friend, but notice Jesus’ words leading up to his darkest hour, “not my will, but yours be done.” In his great distress (more than we can possibly imagine) it was confidence in His Father’s will that gave him hope; it sustained him. The writer of Hebrews would even declare, “For the joy set before him, he endured the cross.” That kind of joy, in the face of great suffering, could only come to Jesus if he could see through it to behold the purpose’s of his Father on the other side of it. His suffering wasn’t the result of faithlessness, nor was it arbitrary (for no reason at all); no, it was heavy with purpose.

We live in a world broken by the corruption of sin, and we feel it, some of us more than others, but we can be certain of this, that just as Jesus’ suffering (and resurrection) brought new life to the world, so our suffering can yield the same in lives around us. Purpose.