Glory of Christ Fellowship

In last week’s devotional, I drew our attention to Revelation 15:3-4, and 16:5-7 where the people of God rejoice in the wrath of God poured out upon the nations of the earth. I then asked you to ponder why God’s people would rejoice in this, and I promised that I would share a few answers of my own. So, what causes joy to rise up in the hearts of those who love God when they contemplate and even see his great and terrible wrath poured out on others? First, the people of God rejoice in the wrath of God because his deeds are great and amazing (15:3). The essence of worship is delighting in the glory and greatness of God, and thus seeing a visible display of the same, even in terrible wrath, strikes awe and joy in the soul for those who love God, and it causes them to worship. Second, the people of God rejoice in the wrath of God because he is holy and his ways are just and true (15:3; 16:5-7). Indeed, as the Psalmist has written, “You are good and do good” (Psalm 119:68). Even in his wra...

This Sunday we resume our study of the book of Revelation and within the first eight verses of chapter 6 we will encounter the wrath of God being poured out upon the world. In one sense, being confronted with the reality of God’s wrath is uncomfortable at best, but in another sense, it fills the believing heart with joy.  One of the first essays I wrote in college was on the wrath and love of God, and probably the main effect it has had on my life is to cause joy to rise up in my heart whenever I contemplate God’s wrath. Sometime ago I shared this with a pastor friend of mine and though he said nothing in response, he looked at me as if to say, “If you knew anything about the wrath of God, you would not rejoice in it.” At the time, I wasn't sure how to respond, but I knew that the joy in my heart was not stemming from a belittling of the horror of the wrath of God. Then several years ago, as I was reading through Revelation, I came across a couple of passages in chapters 15 and 16 ...

For many, Leviticus is a dreaded book of the Bible. Filled with chapters of strange laws, it is often where aspirations of reading through the Bible in a year go to die. For my part, it’s usually the first few chapters of Numbers that seriously challenge my resolve to keep going. More than once, the census and the silver bowls in the first few chapters have upended my efforts to read through the Bible in one year. I hate to say that I find some of these passages boring, and yet, it’s true. So, what do we do when find the Bible boring?  First, remember that God’s word is important to God. Those silver bowls and that census are important to God. If they were not, he would not have included them in his Word, and because they are in his Word, they are “useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16) The “boring” books and passages of the Bible are there to equip us.  Second, desire eyes to see. God’s Word is not ju...