He Is Worthy

 Bible Reading:  Revelation 4
          

Key Verse: Verse 11 –“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
           

Key Words: Thou art worthy

John tells us in Revelation 4:11 that Jesus is worthy “to receive glory and honour and power.”  Let me give you three reasons why He is worthy.

First of all, He is worthy because of creation - “for thou hast created all things.”  Everything was created by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).  People talk about creating life in the laboratory, but life is not created that way.  Men can only take what God has created and synthesize that life-like substance in a laboratory.

I heard a story about a scientist arguing with God.  The scientist said, “You are not the only Creator, I can make man.”  So God said, “OK, let’s see you do it.”  The man walked over to pick up some dirt, but God stopped him and said, “Get your own dirt.”  There is only one Creator.  His name is Jesus and He is worthy because of creation.

Secondly, He is worthy because of Calvary.  Revelation 5:6 states, “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.”

Jesus is our sacrificial Lamb who died so we could live, not just on the earth, but live with Him for eternity.  He is worthy.

Last of all, He is worthy because of His conquests.  Revelation 5:5 says, “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.”  The word prevailed is the Greek word nike which speaks of “victory.”  Jesus is our victory!

You may have heard of the first U.S. Army air defense artillery guided missile system called Nike Ajax.  It is a system far superior to conventional anti-aircraft weapons.  No doubt, you have also heard of the sporting goods manufacturer called Nike.  Nike is a symbol of victory.

Jesus is our victory. He has won. He has prevailed.  Victory over the world, death, the anti-Christ, and Satan is assured.  I am glad that I am on the winning side.  Praise be to Jesus, He is worthy!!

                                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

      ✞Praise God everyday; for He is worthy

✞Let praise be your goal in life rather than gloom and doom.

✞Tell others about Jesus.

✞Teach praise of Jesus to your children.  “Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD.  Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalm 150:6).

 

Runaway Bride

Bible Reading: I Corinthians 9
 

Key Verse: Verse 24 – “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”
            

Key Words: So run, that ye may obtain

For years joggers have been a common sight on our streets and roads.  They are people who are running for health reasons.  Several executives who run each day were asked by UPI journalist, Barbara Miner, what they think about while they jog.  Their answers varied.  One said, “My thoughts are a stream of consciousness, mostly of the immediate problems I face.”  Another said, “When I have to hustle all day, it’s enriching to start off by looking at the sunrise, by watching a squirrel or falling acorn.”  Still another said, “I love seeing other joggers’ t-shirts, and I wonder what occupation they are in.”  Miner then referred to Tom Clark, a sports researcher, who observed that the difference between a jogger and a serious runner is mental discipline.  The jogger has a stronger tendency to disassociate himself from what he is doing, which is running.  Most joggers said that they use their running time to plan their business day.  Few concentrate on running.

As I read this article, I was reminded that each of us as believers are in a spiritual race; and in this race there seem to be many joggers, but few serious runners.  What are needed today are believers with the commitment and mental discipline required to win the prize.  Our service for the Lord will not be rewarded with a crown if we just go through the motions.  Let us give full concentration and dedication to the race.  Paul said, “So run, that ye may obtain” (verse 24).  We must run to win!!

                                                                                                   Dr. Mike Rouse                                                   What to do: 

✞Understand that as a born-again believer you are in a race.  Run to win.

✞Win souls – witness daily.

✞Be faithful in every aspect of life.

✞Honestly put your heart into God’s service.

 

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Times, They Areanging

Bible Reading: Revelation 11:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 9 - “And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.”

Key Words: and nations shall see

The two witnesses will appear on earth during the Tribulation.  We are told that the whole world will, at the same time, be able to see the two witnesses in the streets of Jerusalem.  My father’s generation could not explain that.  How could the whole world see two dead men lying in the streets of Jerusalem at one time?

This was not possible in 1900!  This was not even possible in 1960!  But it is today.  We live in a rapidly progressing society, which is indicative of the last days.  I read the following article, which gives a good description of how rapidly things have changed and are changing.

“One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events.  The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general. 

“The grandfather replied, ‘Well, let me think a minute. I was born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees, the pill and the cell phone.  There were no credit cards, laser beams or ballpoint pens.  Man had not invented panty hose, air conditioners, dishwashers, or clothes dryers.  The clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air.  Man hadn’t yet walked on the moon.  Your grandmother and I got married first…and then lived together.  Every family had a father and a mother.  Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, ‘Sir.’  After I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, ‘Sir.’  We were born before gay rights, computer dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.  Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense.  We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.  Serving our country was a privilege, and living in this country was a bigger privilege.  Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.  Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breezes started.  Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends – not purchasing condominiums.  We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.  We listened to the big bands, Jack Benny, and the President’s speeches on our radios.  And I don’t ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.  If you saw anything with ‘Made in Japan’ on it, it was junk.  The term ‘making out’ referred to how you did on your school exam.  Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and instant coffee were unheard of.  We had 5 & 10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.  Ice cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.  And, if you didn’t want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail one letter and two postcards.  You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600…but who could afford one?  Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.  And in my day ‘grass’ was mowed, ‘coke’ was a cold drink, ‘pot’ was something your mother cooked in, and ‘rock music’ was your grandmother’s lullaby.  ‘Aids’ were helpers in the principal’s office; ‘chip’ meant a piece of wood; ‘hardware’ was found in a hardware store and ‘software’ wasn’t even a word.  Teenagers did not walk around with a cell phone in their ear and drivers paid attention to driving, not talking on the phone.  And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby.  No wonder people call us ‘old and confused’ and say there is a generation gap…and how old do you think I am?’” 

I bet you have this old man in mind – you are in for a shock!  This man would only be 59 years old.  Times, they are changing – rapidly!

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse                              

What to do: 

✞Since things are happening so rapidly, we must be rapid in our soul winning and service for the Lord. Procrastination is not an option.

✞Be keenly aware of opportunities for service.

✞Teach your children that, while we live in a modern world, we still live by the old, old Book!

A Knowledge Explosion

Bible Reading:  Daniel 1

Key Verse: Verse 4  - “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Key Words: and knowledge shall be increased 

There is a road sign pointing to the second coming of Jesus Christ, and that road sign is found in Daniel 12:4, “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”   The literal interpretation of this verse is that during the end time, or what many authors call the terminal generation, an explosion of knowledge will occur.

Such an explosion has occurred in the last century.  From the time of Adam and Eve until the early 1900’s, men walked or rode horses everywhere they went; but in a space of a few short years, man has invented the automobile, the jet plane, even the space shuttle.  You can fly from New York to Paris in three hours.  Now just think of all the marvelous knowledge involved in developing this modern technology.  Why, today you can sit in the quietness of your home and drown yourself in knowledge from the television or internet.

Medical science has the ability to keep a corpse breathing for months on life support.  Tiny babies weighing less than a pound can survive because of the knowledge involved in areas of high technology.

When I was growing up, only one out of every eight high school graduates went on to receive a college degree.  Today, six out of every eight high school graduates receive college degrees.  We are “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”  (II Timothy 3:7).

We are the terminal generation.  We have knowledge on every hand, but still this generation is searching for truth.  They fail to understand that truth is not found in humanistic knowledge; truth is only found in Jesus Christ.  John 8:32 says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

                                                                                           Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞Learn, but lean on Scripture (II Timothy 2:15).

✞Do not rely upon human wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6).

✞Understand that a lack of Godly knowledge leads to destruction (Hosea 4:6).

✞Ask yourself, “Do I really believe that we are living in the last of the last days?”  If yes, put God first in your life.  If your answer is no, ask God to reveal the truth to you.

 

No Peace - But War

Bible Reading:  Genesis 21:1-11

Key Verse: Verse 9 - “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.”

 Key Words: mocking

The hatred that existed in Abraham’s household still exists today.  The conflict between Arabs and Jews is much deeper than a dispute over land.  The dispute is theological.  It is Judaism versus Islam.  Islam’s theology insists that Islam triumphs over everything else.  That is why, when you visit an Arabic city, the Islamic prayer tower is the highest point of the city.  A follower of Islam is called a Muslim.  The word means “one who submits,” while the word Islam literally means “submission.”  The Arabs believe that, while Jesus, Moses, and several others were prophets, Mohammed was the greatest prophet.  Muslims respect the Bible, including the Torah (Genesis – Deuteronomy), the Psalms and even the Gospels (Matthew – John); they still hold that the Al-Quram (the Koran) is the only absolute true word of God.  Muslims believe that Allah is God, and that he has neither father nor mother, and he has no sons.

To the Muslims, Israel is as troublesome as a cornered snake.  If the Arabs do not eventually defeat Israel in combat, then Mohammed has lied, the Koran is in error, and Allah is not the true God.  These things are absolutely unthinkable to the Muslims.  The existence and survival of Israel flies in the face of Muslim theology.  As long as Israel survives, Muslim theology cannot be affirmed.  It is for that reason that the Muslims are bent on seeing Israel destroyed.

Yassir Arafat, the former leader of the PLO, once said, “Our objective is the destruction of Israel.  There is to be no compromise and no moderation.  No, we do not want peace.  We want war and victory.  Peace for us means the destruction of Israel and nothing else. …We shall fight together as one Muslim nation under one flag.  We are all zealots of the Muslim faith.  We shall all stand together under the Muslim flag.”

This should not discourage us but encourage us that the Lord’s return is soon.  So hold up your head; hold up your standard; hold up your faith in these last days.

                                                                            Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

✞Pray for Israel.

✞Pray for your lost loved ones.

✞Be vigilant as Satan is working overtime in these last days.

Savior or Judge

Bible Reading: John 5:19-30

Key Verse: Verse 27 - “ And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”

Key Words: hath given him authority to execute judgment

Today the Lord Jesus still graciously extends His offer of salvation.  He came, died, was buried, and rose again so we could have everlasting life.  This everlasting life is offered freely to all (Romans 10:13).  But the day is coming when the offer of salvation will “end.”  The slain Lamb, our sacrifice for sin, will become the Lion, bringing judgment upon all who rejected Him (Revelation 5:5-6).

In his book, Discover Yourself in the Psalms, Warren Wiersbe recalls the story told by an evangelist years ago.  It went like this-

“In a frontier town a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon that had a little child in it.  Seeing that the child was in danger, a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop it.  The child who was rescued grew up to be a lawless man, and one day he stood before the judge to be sentenced for his serious crime.  The prisoner recognized the judge as the man who years before had saved his life, so he pleaded for mercy on the basis of that experience.  But the words from the bench silenced all his pleas, “Young man, then I was your savior - today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged.”

I am sure you see the parallel.  Today Jesus stands before this world as its Savior, but one day He will stand before the world as its Judge.

Dear friend, if you are not saved, you do not have to face the Lion in judgment. Today the Lamb is waiting and wanting to be your Savior.  Trust Him today!

                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

✞Accept Christ as your Savior today if you are not saved.

             ✞If you do not know, make it sure.

 ✞Pray for your unsaved loved ones and friends – and even your unsaved enemies.

           

Stay Awake

Bible Reading:  Revelation 3:1-6

Key Verse: Verse 2  - “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.”

Key Words: Be watchful 

I read sometime back about a device called “drive alert.”  Its purpose is to keep you awake while you are driving.  It is a small one-ounce waking aid that fits over the ear like a hearing aid.  When your head nods, a buzzer sounds, jolting you from oncoming sleep.  It is safer, of course, to pull off the road and catch some sleep before you enter into the twilight zone.  But the trouble with sleep is that it often catches you unaware; it creeps up on you.  You do not know exactly when you might slip into unconsciousness and thus out of control.

In some ways, the same can be said in regard to our spiritual journey through this world.  We have not reached our destination yet, so to fall asleep into a spiritual slumber poses a great danger to others and ourselves.  For that reason the Lord sounded the alarm at the end of the first century.  In the third chapter of Revelation we have the stay-awake message to the church at Sardis, and for the church today.  The Lord in essence said, “Don’t go to sleep!  Be alert!  Your work is not yet complete.”  The believers at Sardis had a good testimony, yet they were about to lapse into spiritual unconsciousness.  Therefore, they had to be jolted by the Lord into seeing that there was still much to be done.  It was not time to sleep.

This is a message that we, as believers, need to hear and heed every day.  We can easily rest on our testimony and past accomplishments; but that is spiritually dangerous.  So in these last days let me encourage you to stay awake and get to serving until the Lord does return.

                                                                                                     Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:  

✞Evaluate your spiritual alertness.

-          Is Matthew 6:33 a priority in your life?

-          Are you craving the sincere milk of the Word of God (I Peter 2:2)?

-          Do you count it a joy to pray and have your devotions?

-          Do the things of God thrill your soul?