OCTOBER
1. Genesis 1
2. Genesis 2
3. Genesis 3
4. Genesis 4
5. Genesis 5
6. Genesis 6
7. Genesis 7
8. Genesis 8
9. Genesis 9
10. Genesis 10-11
11. Genesis 12
12. Genesis 13
13. Genesis 14
14. Genesis 15
15. Genesis 16
16. Genesis 17
17. Genesis 18
18. Genesis 19
19. Genesis 20
20. Genesis 21
21. Genesis 22
22. Genesis 23
23. Genesis 24
24. Genesis 25
25. Genesis 26
26. Genesis 27
27. Genesis 28
28. Genesis 29
29. Genesis 30
30. Genesis 31
31. Genesis 32

Click HERE to get to the new site

You can still get there by typing www.jesusfollower.ca!

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Norm Sennema

OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
When it comes to interpreting the details of this book, I get bogged down and confused by the details (if you are looking for clarity from the Pastor, I will disappoint you). When people talk about the end-times, about the rapture and the millennium and the 144,000 and the beast and the dragon, etc., I find myself hesitant to get into it. Not that I don’t believe the vision, it’s just that I am not sure that the discussion is helpful.

As for the basic points, that God is in control, that Jesus is fulfilling God’s plan and will one day come and totally defeat evil and establish God’s kingdom on earth, that those who follow Jesus will go through increasing hardship before the end, and that all people will stand before Him at the final judgment… these things I hold on to closely.

So when it comes to explaining the vision of the 1000 years, namely when it fits into human history (some say we are in the 1000 year reign, some say it is still coming, some say it is literal, some say it is symbolic), I don’t want to get into it. That Jesus is reigning now, there is no question; that Jesus will reign in the future, no question either. What gets me in this vision is the scene of the final judgment.

Two books are described here: the book of my life (the record of all that I have done), and the Book of Life. I wonder whether the Book of Life is my book, but rewritten by Jesus? Those who surrender to Jesus give their ‘book’ to Him (with all its ugly chapters and its sad ending), and He rewrites it with Him in the middle of it, changing the ending to the happy ending?

Those who dare to present their own books to Jesus on judgment day as if they were good enough without Him, will be shocked. Their whole life will flash before their eyes, and they will see for real the true ugliness and shame that was in us, and came out of us. Better to allow Him to look in the book now (be honest, humble, repent) and allow Him now to rewrite the story of our lives, with Him as the main character.

Which book will I be holding when I finally meet Jesus?

PRAYER:
Lord, help me not to trust in my own goodness or accomplishments, help me to surrender my life (book) to You, that You may write me into the Story of Life.

OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Ever since we saw the vision of Jesus (the Lamb) opening the scroll (God’s plan of kingdom restoration), we have seen how Jesus will accomplish the victory against Satan, sin, death and hell. The many visions contain striking and frightening images and symbols that represent very real events. But the punch line throughout is the same: VICTORY!

This victory is found in the person of Jesus, God with us, God for us. He is the only hope for everyone and everything. To experience this victory, every person must surrender to Him as Lord and Saviour. As long as we remain slaves to selfishness and pride, we will remain closed to all that God has in mind for us.

This vision portrays Jesus as the Victorious King, and the outcome of those who receive Him and those who reject Him. On that day evil will be seen for what it is, and He will banish it from His kingdom. The vision describes a war scene, where the beast and false prophet and their armies are finally, ultimately destroyed.

I agree with this in my mind, but if I am honest, I do not feel the weight or wonder of this. If I think about it experientially, it seems so distant from my day-to-day experience. I imagine that for believers in John’s day – facing violence, persecution, death, torture, the victorious presence of Rome, etc. – these visions were much more experientially true.

In my experience, I find it hard to get passionate about a day when vultures feast on the bodies of God’s enemies. I expect that when these visions unfold, I will understand it better. But I can appreciate how non-Christians would cringe at reading this.

PRAYER:
Lord, I do not live in a world of violence, injustice or bloodshed, and so I find these visions hard. But I do take comfort in the fact that evil and misery are not forever, and that one day good and truth with triumph on earth, just like it does in heaven.

OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Will the political, economic systems of the world as we know them today last forever? Can we assume that the U.S. will always remain the leading super-power, that English will always remain the main language, that whites will always remain the privileged group in society, that democratic freedoms as we know them will remain, that Christianity will remain the largest world religion? No doubt Rome expected to thrive forever, but eventually things changed. What will the world look like in 50 years? Maybe very different from today.

This vision shows us that the mighty nations never last forever, the kingdoms of this world, no matter how strong and successful, will eventually come to ruin. The only kingdom that will last forever is Jesus’ and every other kingdom (system, government, army, as well as individual heart) must surrender to, or perish.

God’s kingdom is the only legitimate kingdom. Sometimes Christians get so mixed up in the worldly kingdoms (putting their hope in a political or economic system, or party, or movement, trusting in certain leaders as the hope of the nation) that they lose sight of the fact that no human system can succeed – ever – apart from complete surrender to King Jesus.

In this time of elections in Canada and the U.S., we would do well to remember this vision of the great fall of ‘Babylon’. The experience of 9/11 (and everyone knows what that means) should remind us as well that the world as we know it can change any time.

Where should our confidence be? No matter how the winds of history and circumstance blow, for us or against us, our only confidence can be in Jesus and His kingdom. This is who we should get mixed up with, Who we should devote the bulk of our energy. Long live King Jesus!

PRAYER:
Lord, I am more a part of the system than I realize or care to admit. My confidence is that this system as I know it will always be there. Shake me up and show me the truth, not to scare me but to redirect my confidence in You.