WHY?
Suggested Reading: Revelation 15
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
About 15 kilometres from ancient Laodicea is Pamukkale. Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year. The ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis was built on top of this white "castle" which is in total about 2,700 metres (8,860 ft) long, 600 m (1,970 ft) wide and 160 m (525 ft) high.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Revelation 15:4a
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
Jim and Kathy Cantelon write today’s 100 Words segment (originally published in Crossroads’ Day Unto Day devotional series)…
In chapters 15 and 16 we read about God’s wrath. This isn’t pleasant reading, and if we’ve thought of God only in terms of His love, these chapters can be disconcerting and even repellent. But we’ve got to understand something – Jesus didn’t come to earth merely to give us a good example, nor was His death at Calvary some sort of morality play. He didn’t come to make us better people. He came to make us new.
Why? Because God the Father is wholly pure, holy, and just. Sin offends Him – so much so that He has decreed that “the wages of sin is death.” All mankind have sinned, and all deserve death in His eyes – His justice demands it. But He is also love. He is not willing that any should perish; He loves the sinner and hates his sin. So what does He do?
God becomes one of us. His Son, Jesus, is born in Bethlehem, is raised in Nazareth, and for three years teaches all who will hear about the Kingdom of Heaven. He tells us what God is like, and He tells us to repent of sin. He takes the penalty of our sin upon Himself and dies on the Cross. Three days later He rises from the grave and issues in a whole new order of life that transcends death and enters the eternal. He becomes the “first fruits” of “them who shall also rise.”
He does all this to satisfy His justice so that man can have a second chance. But if we don’t accept His offer, we’ll suffer His anger. And “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). Revelation makes that very clear.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, Your creation of the natural world should be sufficient to cause me to fear You! May I give You at all times total respect! When I realize that You entered Your creation as a tiny life in the womb of the Virgin Mary, I am in complete awe of You. I am moved to pray the prayer of King David found in Psalm 51:1-13. Lord Jesus, You took upon Yourself my sin and the sins of the human family as the sacrificial Lamb. I confess my sin, and I ask for the assurance of forgiveness and cleansing from all sin. In Your Name I pray! Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
The Apostle John served as the Overseer, or Bishop, of the Roman province of Asia Minor. Today this land is called Turkey. Norma-Jean and I travelled across Turkey with 150 friends, otherwise known as tourists. Actually we called ourselves Pilgrims, visiting cities such as Antioch, where people were first called Christians. I remember well the city of Tarsus, birthplace of the Apostle Paul and his home until he left to study in Jerusalem. At each stop, I would read the Scriptures about the place. Rev. Dale Lang, of Tabor Alberta, would make an application to our lives today, and Dr. Paul Maier, Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, would give the historical background. On one occasion we were at the ruins of the first century synagogue in Tarsus. Dr. Maier pointed to a rose bush growing out of the ruins and said with a straight face, “This is where Paul got his thorn.” As Jim mentioned above about today’s reading, “This isn’t pleasant reading.” I thought I’d share a time of hilarious laughter from our group there in Tarsus. Paul wrote of his “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Yesterday I met with a Pastor who is constantly in pain and yet he soldiers on. In my judgment he is one of the finest Bible teachers and preachers I’ve ever met. His name is Jay, and I want to ask you to pray for his healing. He said that he drew strength from the knowledge that Paul persevered. He quoted Paul, “For when I am weak, then I am strong!” I said that the Corinthian letters were some of Paul’s first letters to the churches he had planted, and that I like to believe that by the time Paul was executed by beheading in Rome, God had said, “Yes” to his prayers; and if the thorn was a physical problem, he was healed! By the grace of God I expect to ask many questions of the Lord, His Apostles, and others. The thorn question is on my list!
Yours for the attitude in our lives of Paul to the thorn and John toward his imprisonment on Patmos,
David
Pamukkale's terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by water from the hot springs. In this area, there are 17 hot water springs in which the temperature ranges from 35 °C (95 °F) to 100 °C (212 °F).
It is difficult to live with pain. It affects everything you need to do. Pain meds have side affects. I hear from people who have to live with pain. We have heard pastors saying they believe Paul’s thorn was his eyesight. I guess we don’t need to know – it was some limiting disability. I pray that we will be strong & finish the race well. Looking to God for direction.
David
My internet connections have been down for about a week now I just
found out its up again trying to get help isn’t easy. Today I am going to be
in contact with my sister to see what is been going on. I am still reading
your blog . Today I will say the prayer in Psalm 51 as well I am looking
forward when we start up again in June. Keep me in prayer that this
computer will work I want to keep in touch with all my blog buddies
Lianne Hogg
Computers sure can sometimes be a thorn in our side, Leanne!
I pray you get all your computer problems settled Lianne. God bless, amen.
Paul’s referrence to a thorn given to him by Satan may have been a physical infirmary or could have been a reminder of his sin (Psalm 51:3 I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.) In either case, Paul was grieved. I too will be asking this question – the list is long! When I die, I will certainly be asking for a tour of the universe! Amazing landscape pictures today, thanks Reynold! Have a great day, everyone!
Today’s revelation is all Greek to me but with Jim and Kathy’s great interpretations it makes better sense. Thank you Jesus for these saints and their knowledge.
I pray for our felllow saint and acquaintence of Rev. David Mainse named Jay who needs healing of his constant pain. Please bring healing to Jay dear Lord, amen.
Pics are awesome of Turkey. Makes me appreciate Alberta even more.
God’s blessings on us all today and always.
Elvis Presley seemed to be such a sincere fellow. I believe he’s in heaven now doing some serious entertaining:
http://youtu.be/ulI8xWuV8ic
Pastor David, I pray for your friend Jay. I pray that he will be healed of his pain in the name of Jesus. Thank you Lord for giving us such faithful teachers. Amen
Interesting read and comments. Beautiful day in the Maritimes! God bless you everyone!
Pain does wear us down to the point if it is long enough, constant and unbearable many sufferers claim they want to die. Society thinks mercy killing or assisted suicide is a kindness, but most folks who are suffering constant pain, physical or emotional, do not want to die, they want the pain to go away and for some death seems like the only escape.
Therefore as a society should be insisting government money and research should be going into pain management– finding new and more effective means of dealing with chronic pain.
Lord today we pray all those in constant pain that you sustain them in your compassion and give them the strength to endure as long as they need to endure. Amen
I agree Donna. Thanks for your thoughts. I believe, as a Christian, our lives are not our own to take.
Revelation is so hard to comprehend. Thank you Jim & Kathy for your insights. I have also looked up some other commentaries on Revelation and below is the link to a commentary by John Wesley. It breaks it down verse by verse.
http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=wes&b=66&c=15
I pray for Jay today that You would heal him of this constant pain in Jesus Name, AMEN
Have a great day blog-buddies!!! God bless one and all!!
Ruby….I have long enjoyed John Wesley’s commentaries, as well as Matthew Henry’s. Thanks for posting this link here. (M. Henry’s is also included in this link when you go to J.Wesley’s page.)
Having to deal with the difficulties that come with a chronic pain condition, I personally understand how you feel Pastor Jay. My heart goes out to you. I pray for God’s grace to give you strength to keep fighting through, living for the love and glory of Jesus, and bringing others to know and love Him as we do. I have done a bit of reading on Paul’s thorn. Pain is the way Satan keeps needling us but it is not something that is always miraculously healed. There is a deeper reason behind each and everything that God knows. When we have the blessing of a thorn in our side, it keep us constantly connected to our God. Paul understood and accepted that. He was struck by lightning by the power bolt of God when he was blinded by His glory on the Damascus Road and had his conversion experience.
I have a special prayer request to all saints for my dear friend, Eliza Jane James, who has cancer. Lord, you know what Eliza Jane’s specific needs are and that there is a treatment possible to help sustain her. We lift her up to You and pray for Your almighty healing upon her so that she has more good years left, dear Lord. We know You are a miracle-maker Father, and we bring Eliza Jane before you that she be cured in the mighty name of Your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ! Amen, amen, and amen!! Thank you saints for your prayers for her and God bless each and every one of you, today.
Amen and agreeing with you in your prayer for Eliza today Beverlee.
Dear Rev. David M.
The Lord has brought me by His Grace to the actual realisation that my 35 years of chronic pain with rheumatoid arthritis , made me ,shaped me , moulded me into the lover, follower of our Precious Lamb , our Saviour , our Healer. And today I can say that through my infirmities , my limitations , my daily challenges , my relationship with Jesus is becoming stronger and that is what I pray for Rev. Jay , Eliza Jane James and all those that are suffering . Thank you Lord. Thank you Jesus , Amen.
Have a blessed day everyone.
xoxoxo Carole.
Since the Revelation blog…my computer has been having all kinds of interruptions…blocking the program in various ways…however God is greater than the enemy and eventually I’m able to read the scriptures as well as the comments and responses:) Thank you Jesus!!! and thank you David Mainse for this blog!!!
God is faithful and true and His judgements are right…Praise His Holy Name..AMEN!!