REVELATION

Thanks to my new found love in Beth Moore and her Bible Studies God has really been teaching me A lot. I love Beth Moore's approach to the scriptures and her passion for understanding them. (I especially look forward to seeing her choice of outfit and hairdo week after week! :) ) In the fall I finished my first study of hers through the book of Esther. It was, to say the least, life changing for me. Just a few weeks ago I gladly jumped in to a new study of hers through the book of Revelation. I don't particularly love this book of the bible, I have been through studies of it before and came away from them with nothing more than fear, but I was very curious as to what Beth Moore had to say about Revelation so I joined the study. After only three short weeks she has once again left me inspired and wanting more. Here is what I have learned so far.

The theme running through the book of Revelation is to OVERCOME!!! That was so eye opening to me and has allowed me to be able to come to this book with hope rather than fear! What a wonderful reminder that God's will for his people is to overcome! It is NOT his will for the ones that love him to be in bondage over addiction, depression, anger or rejection. We are more then conquers in Christ Jesus who loves us.

We have also been studying the person of John to see what we can learn about being able to receive a fresh revelation from God and so far the biggest thing that has stuck out to me is that he simply WANTED IT! In Revelation 1:12 John says "and I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me" He just turned around....he made the choice to turn toward Jesus. How often do I make the choice to turn away from Jesus and seek answers elsewhere and than wonder why I am not hearing form God? Some other things we can learn from John is first, he overcame and endured through his hardships (When he received his revelation he was in fact cast away from all that he knew and loved and put on an island to be persecuted.) second, he feared God! and third, he trusted God! If only we could apply these few things to our lives on a daily basis, think of the new Revelations we might receive!

And lastly (for today) I have learned that in order to receive a new revelation I must first come back to my "first love" JESUS. There are two distinct ways to turn from Jesus, one is to purposefully do so. To make that choice not to follow him and look for truth elsewhere. which is so easy to do these days with all the psychological mind games that the world can play with us it is easy to start believing the world rather than God. The other is to just to simply let him (our first love) slip away. I have to tell you that I was convicted this week to ask myself "is God my first love???" Have I (unknowingly) in the business of life, and kids, and day to day activities let Him slip away?

This I know to be true...It is impossible to receive a fresh revelation from God by accident, it has to be a choice. I encourage you to ask yourself some tough questions today. I don't know about you but I WANT to receive a fresh revelation from God and step by step I am making that choice.