August 16 devotion - The War

Revelation 12:7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (NIV)

I think we all have this image of Heaven as a place of love, harmony, and peace. We picture beautiful landscapes and wonderful buildings, streets paved with gold, and angels on every corner. We look forward to being there eternally with Jesus, to look upon His face, to hear His voice, and listen to His stories. We create these wonderful pictures of Heaven in our minds because we want it to be a perfect paradise, where all our hopes are fulfilled and our fears are set aside. We want it to be a place like no other where we can joyfully spend the rest of Eternity with our Creator, Savior, and loved ones.

And then, when we are reading the Book of Revelation, we come across today’s verse, so we wonder if our images are naïve and largely unreal. How could there be a war in heaven? How could the most beautiful and peaceful place in existence be plagued with division and violence, separation and conflict? Surely there must be something wrong here. We can sadly see all those things going on in our sinful world, but Heaven? How could Heaven be penetrated by war?

According to the scriptures, Satan tried to overthrow God and ruin both Heaven and Earth. A third of the angels in Heaven was on his side, so Satan almost conquered the invincible God. The greatest angel of them all, Michael, fought against Satan and prevailed, hurling the devil and his demonic cohorts to Earth, where the war continues, which is why our world is so full of violence, hatred, racism, and injustice. Satan wants to spoil the Earth because God loves it. He wants to separate us from one another because Christ redeems us. He wants to destroy humanity, the environment, and this beautiful planet simply because the Holy Spirit sustains Christ’s Church here.

Like the worm He is, Satan will do everything to contaminate our congregations, communities, politics, and nations in order to divide and conquer us because Satan is full of embittered grudges and seeks vengeance for his downfall by creating havoc among us, especially with regard to what is good and true. If the devil can make us question, twist, or reject the Truth, then we will become his pawns which will harm our present days and cause us to forfeit our future. No wonder then that Jesus called Satan the ‘Father of lies.”

Perhaps you were expecting a different kind of devotional today. Maybe you were looking for something to comfort and sustain you, help and encourage you. I do write those kinds of devotionals, too, but today, I would be failing as a pastoral writer if I did not also write about the uncomfortable and inconvenient truth, or as the Apostle John reminds his readers at the end of today’s passage (Revelation 12:7-17): Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. (Revelation 12:17)

Point to ponder

Where do I see conflict and division in today’s world? Is this affecting my church and family? What does this tell me about its origin?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Prince of Peace and the Teacher of Truth. Help us to see that the things which separate and divide us may be part of the war that Satan still wages among us. Grant us the ability to discern what is actually and factually true, instead of blindly accepting what we want to be true. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings for Lent called ‘Battle Beneath the Stars.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Battle.

July 9 devotion - A 2000 Year War

Revelation 12:17         Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

            There’s a 2000-year-old war going on this planet which most people do not know about. It started when Christ came into the world to shake things up and give humanity one last opportunity to get right with God. When is happened historically, it appeared to be a minor event, but universally, it is a cataclysmic point where Heaven confronts Humanity in order to establish God’s Kingdom and let everyone know of His uncompromising sovereignty.

            The war exists between good and evil, faith and fantasy, orthodoxy and heresy. The Truth of God in the person of Christ is embattled with the temptation of sin, manifested by Satan. This constant struggle over the souls of men, women, and children has continued for almost 2000 years. In this war, we must take sides. Humanity has been given a crucial choice; if we fail to choose Christ, then we lose everything.

            The conflict is not dualism where both sides are equal in power, influence, and strength. The devil is fighting a losing battle - all that he wants to do is to take down as many confused, bitter, and unbelieving souls as he can in order to spoil God’s plan of salvation. The purpose of the Church is to be a shield against Satan’s displeasure. However, as we enter into what chess players call the ‘End Game,’ the devil’s works within the Church become more outrageous, more unorthodox, and more unrepentant. Sadly, good people are losing their hold on Christ’s testimony; church people are wavering in the apparent victory of wickedness over the world.

            The Book of Revelation was given to the Church in order to help Christians recoil from their folly and recover their faith. The trouble is this: so many people never read it, or instead reject it, or casually treat it as biblical science fiction which will never come to pass. That’s exactly what the devil wants; that’s exactly his intention. The more that people are actually ignorant of the Word of God and the testimony of Christ, which is plainly revealed in Revelation, the more lost souls the devil can take to be doomed along with him. In warfare, this is called a scorched earth campaign; biblically speaking, this is an Armageddon of the damned.

            I make no apology for the severity of today’s message. I’ve tried to be conciliatory, positive, and nice for years, but it’s made no difference. People do what they want to do, and believe what they want to believe. Ultimately, all of our choices will have eternal consequences. Heaven is not meant for those who refuse to repent; or as CS Lewis once wrote, “There is no one in Hell who did not choose to be there.”

If we let go of the testimony of Jesus, then know this: we let go of everything that is eternal.

Question for personal reflection

Have I honestly read the Book of Revelation? Do I understand the consequences of its message for me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, faith is a serious commitment because it constantly challenges who we are and what we do. The world is caught up in its own wickedness and the Church is constantly being challenged from within and without, about what is true, faithful, and Christian. Keep us from letting go of Your testimony, and help us to endure the turbulence that is coming. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s message, please contact him by email at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest religious drawings called “Passion Flower.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: Passion Flower.

The War - Revelation 12:7

Revelation 12:7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (NIV)

I think we all have this image of Heaven being a place of love, harmony, and peace. We picture beautiful landscapes and wonderful buildings, streets paved with gold, and angels on every corner. We look forward to being there eternally with Jesus, to look upon His face, to hear His voice, and listen to His stories. We create these wonderful pictures of Heaven in our minds because we want it to be a perfect paradise, where all our hopes are fulfilled and our fears are set aside. We want it to be a place like no other where we can joyfully spend the rest of Eternity with our Creator, Savior, and loved ones.

And then, when we are reading the Book of Revelation, we come across today’s verse, so we wonder if our images are naïve and largely unreal. How could there be a war in heaven? How could the most beautiful and peaceful place in existence be plagued with division and violence, separation and conflict? Surely there must be something wrong here. We can sadly see all those things going on in our sinful world, but Heaven? How could Heaven be penetrated by war?

According to the scriptures, Satan tried to overthrow God and ruin both Heaven and Earth. A third of the angels in Heaven was on his side, so Satan almost conquered the invincible God. The greatest angel of them all, Michael, fought against Satan and prevailed, hurling the devil and his demonic cohorts to Earth, where the war continues, which is why our world is so full of violence, hatred, racism, and injustice. Satan wants to spoil the Earth because God loves it. He wants to separate us from one another because Christ redeems us. He wants to destroy humanity, the environment, and this beautiful planet simply because the Holy Spirit sustains Christ’s Church here.

Like the worm He is, Satan will do everything to contaminate our congregations, communities, politics, and nations in order to divide and conquer us because Satan is full of embittered grudges and seeks vengeance for his downfall by creating havoc among us, especially with regard to what is good and true. If the devil can make us question, twist, or reject the Truth, then we will become his pawns which will harm our present days and cause us to forfeit our future. No wonder then that Jesus called Satan the ‘Father of lies.”

Perhaps you were expecting a different kind of devotional today. Maybe you were looking for something to comfort and sustain you, help and encourage you. I do write those kinds of devotionals, too, but today, I would be failing as a pastoral writer if I did not also write about the uncomfortable and inconvenient truth, or as the Apostle John reminds his readers at the end of today’s passage (Revelation 12:7-17): Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. (Revelation 12:17)

Point to ponder

Where do I see conflict and division in today’s world? Is this affecting my church and family? What does this tell me about its origin?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Prince of Peace and the Teacher of Truth. Help us to see that the things which separate and divide us may be part of the war that Satan still wages among us. Grant us the ability to discern what is actually and factually true, instead of blindly accepting what we want to be true. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings for Lent called ‘Battle Beneath the Stars.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Battle.