Author Archive for: meiling

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Revelation 1:9-20.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Revelation 1:9-18 (NIV) 
9  I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 
10  On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 
11  which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” 

On verses 9-18:  John is in exile on the island of Patmos for preaching the Gospel (v9 – “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus”).  On Sunday (“the Lord’s Day”) he is praying deeply and sensing the presence of God (“in the Spirit” – v10) when he hears from behind him a voice like a trumpet telling him to write down on a scroll what he sees.  The voice behind John tells him to send what he writes down to the seven churches in the province of Asia (v11).  When John turns around to see who is speaking to him, he sees someone that he can only describe as “someone ‘like a son of man’” (v13).  One reason is because this person resembles a human being, yet his physical presence is unlike anything an ordinary human being has:  fully white head and hair, eyes like blazing fire, feet like bronze in a furnace, voice like rushing waters, his face like the sun in its brilliance.  He is wearing a robe with a golden sash across his chest (v13) and he stands among seven golden lampstands (v12). 

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Revelation.  It is easily one of the most intriguing, mysterious, powerful and controversial books in all the Bible.   Revelation was written by the apostle John in approximately 95 A.D. while he was in exile on the island of Patmos for preaching about Jesus.  While on Patmos, John receives multiple visions which he understands to be from Jesus Christ and is told to write them down.  The result is the book of Revelation, a highly significant book that describes what will happen before, during and after the return (second coming) of Jesus Christ.  This book also shows how many Old Testament prophecies will be fulfilled.

Today’s passage is Revelation 1:1-8.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Revelation 1:1-2 (NIV) 
1  The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 
2  who testifies to everything he saw–that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 14:1-11.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 14 has posed quite a challenge for scholars.  For example, Martin Luther once wrote two commentaries on Zechariah.  In the first one, Luther stopped at Zechariah 13 without explaining why.  Then in his second commentary, Luther begins his discussion on Zechariah 14 by saying, “Here, in this chapter, I give up.  For I am not sure what the prophet is talking about.” 1 I love Martin Luther’s honesty! 

So we must approach Zechariah 14 with special care and humility.  It seems quite clear that Zechariah 14 is talking about the end times.  Whereas Zechariah 9 to 11 focus on Jesus’ first appearance on earth, Zechariah 12 to 14 focus on Jesus’ second coming and the establishment of His kingdom.  

At the same time, I believe the Holy Spirit has some powerful lessons to encourage us today from this chapter.  Let’s go!  

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 13:1-9.  While not an easy passage, there are some powerful lessons to learn.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 13:1 (NIV) 
1 “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. 

On verse 1:  In Zechariah 13, Zechariah continues to describe the vision God has given him concerning the end times.  In chapter 12, Zechariah has just finished describing how God will protect Jerusalem and Judah against the attack of other nations (12:1-9), and how God’s people will weep bitterly upon realizing that they had pierced and killed the Messiah (12:10-14).