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This Week’s Devotional Topic
SUPER BOWL REPLAY
I heard the following analogy on a Christian radio station recently. Unfortunately, I do not remember which station but it is important and valuable for all of us to think about this.
Imagine yourself watching the Super Bowl Game, rooting for your favorite team. You had missed it live and you’re watching the ‘replay’ that night. You’re a little bummed as it is the fourth quarter and your team is down quite a bit. It’s looking pretty hopeless at that point. Just then, you get a call from a close friend who would be rooting for the same team. As you explain your disappointment, he shares in excitement that he saw the game earlier when it was “live”. Be encouraged, the game turns around in the last few minutes and our team wins! I saw it myself; we win!
Now as that story is in your mind, consider the application to how that our eternal, all knowing God is looking at eternity future right now, as if He is seeing things unfold this moment, many years from now but as if it is happening as He watches. When you read the accounts in the book of Revelation, that was God speaking to His servants as they wrote down what he was looking at in real time. He spoke these things to Godly men who wrote them down for us to read today! We read it as if it will happen in the future. As you look at the future events in scripture, you can bank on it. You will be in heaven, you will see Christ seated on the throne, you will walk the streets fellowshipping with friends and relatives who have gone before. You will drink water from the river of life. In one sense, reading your Bible is like reading tomorrow’s headlines today.
God is eternal and knows all things.
Psalms 90:1-4 Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours.
I Timothy 1:17 All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.
Revelation 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia;
Revelation 22:12,13 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
God gave His word to men which was written as what He wants us to know about Himself and what to expect.
II Timothy 3:16, 17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
II Peter 1:20,21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
II Peter 3:1-13 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
As God describes what He has already seen for our future, it is not the end. It is not the beginning of the end. It will be the end of the beginning!
This week’s Scripture:
Psalms 90:1-4; I Timothy 1:17; Revelation 1:11; 22:12,13; II Timothy 3:16,17 and II Peter 1:20,21; 3:1-13
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