Post by Betty on Dec 10, 2007 4:48:23 GMT -5
Jesus FirstAuthor: Woodrow Kroll
Devotion: Woodrow Kroll
Scripture References: Revelation 22:1-21
Title: Jesus First
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you
these things in the churches. I am the root and
the offspring of David, and the bright and
morning star. Just as Genesis, the first book of the Bible, is
a book of beginnings, Revelation, the last book
of the Bible, is a book of new beginnings. Before
these new beginnings can occur, however, a series
of endings must transpire. Thus the book o
fRevelation represents numerous "finals" in the
Word of God. Genesis 3:9 is God's initial call to man: "And
the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him,Where art thou?" Revelation 22:17 is God's final
call to man: "And the Spirit and the bride say,come.
And let him that heareth say, Come. And let
him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let
him take the water of life freely." Somewhere
between Genesis 3:9 and Revelation 22:17 everyone
who would enjoy eternity in heaven with Christ
must answer one of God's calls. Perhaps you have
answered Jesus' call in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto
Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest." Or maybe it was the call of
Christ in John 4:14, "But whosoever drinketh of
the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall
be in him a well of water springing up into
everlasting life." But if you have not responded
to the call of Christ, if you have never received
Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you must respond to
His call in order to receive eternal life. Once we have responded positively to the Lord's
call to salvation, we have a whole new outlook on
the future. Our destiny is brighter. Our lives
are sunnier. The birds' songs are sweeter. We
look forward to serving Jesus every day and
anticipate the day we shall live with Him in
glory. Just before God's final call in Revelation 22:17,
Jesus verifies that He is indeed the one to whom
we are called in salvation. He says, "I am the
root and the offspring of David, and the bright
and morning star" (Revelation 22:16). These
titles are applied to Him elsewhere in Scripture(cf. Isaiah 11:1; Numbers 24:17), but nowhere do
they take on more meaning than just prior to the
final call in the Bible. When we come to God in
salvation, we come to the offspring of David.When we leave the darkness of sin, we enter thel
ight of the Bright and Morning Star. It is the
shining face of Jesus, the one who died for us,
that we will first want to see when we enter the
brightness of heaven. After all, being with our
Savior is what makes heaven heavenly.
When Fanny Crosby, the hymn writer who wrote more
than 8,000 gospel songs even though she was
blinded at the age of six weeks, was pitied by a
friend because she could not see, Miss Crosby
replied, "Do you know that if at birth I had been
able to make one petition, it would have beenthat I would have been born blind?" The friend
was puzzled by this answer and asked her for
further explanation. "Because when I get to
heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my
sight will be that of my Savior!" We too will
want to see our Savior first of all.
There is a story about Cyrus, the founder of the
Persian Empire, who once captured a prince and
his entire family. When they came before the
monarch, Cyrus asked the prisoner, "What will you
give me if I release you?" The prince replied,
"The half of my wealth." "And if I release your
children?" The prince replied, "Everything I
possess." Finally Cyrus said, "And what will you
give me if I will release your wife?" The prince
replied, "Your Majesty, I will give myself." So
moved was Cyrus by the devotion of this young
prince that he freed him and his entire family.
As the prince, his wife and children returned to
their home, the prince said to his wife, "Wasn't
Cyrus a handsome man!" With a tender look of love
in her eyes, the wife said to her husband, "I did
not notice. I could only keep my eyes on you the
one who was willing to give himself for me."
Morning by morning we arise to give praise to the
one who saved us. Day by day we serve the one who
saved us. Evening by evening we rejoice in the
one who saved us. Let's concentrate today on
loving the Lord Jesus and adoring no other face
than the one who loved us so much that He died
for us (John 3:16).
MORNING HYMN
All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all.____________________________________________________________
Devotion: Woodrow Kroll
Scripture References: Revelation 22:1-21
Title: Jesus First
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you
these things in the churches. I am the root and
the offspring of David, and the bright and
morning star. Just as Genesis, the first book of the Bible, is
a book of beginnings, Revelation, the last book
of the Bible, is a book of new beginnings. Before
these new beginnings can occur, however, a series
of endings must transpire. Thus the book o
fRevelation represents numerous "finals" in the
Word of God. Genesis 3:9 is God's initial call to man: "And
the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him,Where art thou?" Revelation 22:17 is God's final
call to man: "And the Spirit and the bride say,come.
And let him that heareth say, Come. And let
him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let
him take the water of life freely." Somewhere
between Genesis 3:9 and Revelation 22:17 everyone
who would enjoy eternity in heaven with Christ
must answer one of God's calls. Perhaps you have
answered Jesus' call in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto
Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest." Or maybe it was the call of
Christ in John 4:14, "But whosoever drinketh of
the water that I shall give him shall never
thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall
be in him a well of water springing up into
everlasting life." But if you have not responded
to the call of Christ, if you have never received
Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you must respond to
His call in order to receive eternal life. Once we have responded positively to the Lord's
call to salvation, we have a whole new outlook on
the future. Our destiny is brighter. Our lives
are sunnier. The birds' songs are sweeter. We
look forward to serving Jesus every day and
anticipate the day we shall live with Him in
glory. Just before God's final call in Revelation 22:17,
Jesus verifies that He is indeed the one to whom
we are called in salvation. He says, "I am the
root and the offspring of David, and the bright
and morning star" (Revelation 22:16). These
titles are applied to Him elsewhere in Scripture(cf. Isaiah 11:1; Numbers 24:17), but nowhere do
they take on more meaning than just prior to the
final call in the Bible. When we come to God in
salvation, we come to the offspring of David.When we leave the darkness of sin, we enter thel
ight of the Bright and Morning Star. It is the
shining face of Jesus, the one who died for us,
that we will first want to see when we enter the
brightness of heaven. After all, being with our
Savior is what makes heaven heavenly.
When Fanny Crosby, the hymn writer who wrote more
than 8,000 gospel songs even though she was
blinded at the age of six weeks, was pitied by a
friend because she could not see, Miss Crosby
replied, "Do you know that if at birth I had been
able to make one petition, it would have beenthat I would have been born blind?" The friend
was puzzled by this answer and asked her for
further explanation. "Because when I get to
heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my
sight will be that of my Savior!" We too will
want to see our Savior first of all.
There is a story about Cyrus, the founder of the
Persian Empire, who once captured a prince and
his entire family. When they came before the
monarch, Cyrus asked the prisoner, "What will you
give me if I release you?" The prince replied,
"The half of my wealth." "And if I release your
children?" The prince replied, "Everything I
possess." Finally Cyrus said, "And what will you
give me if I will release your wife?" The prince
replied, "Your Majesty, I will give myself." So
moved was Cyrus by the devotion of this young
prince that he freed him and his entire family.
As the prince, his wife and children returned to
their home, the prince said to his wife, "Wasn't
Cyrus a handsome man!" With a tender look of love
in her eyes, the wife said to her husband, "I did
not notice. I could only keep my eyes on you the
one who was willing to give himself for me."
Morning by morning we arise to give praise to the
one who saved us. Day by day we serve the one who
saved us. Evening by evening we rejoice in the
one who saved us. Let's concentrate today on
loving the Lord Jesus and adoring no other face
than the one who loved us so much that He died
for us (John 3:16).
MORNING HYMN
All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all.____________________________________________________________
