Disasters of Babylon Written on Scrolls

Here is a reminder of God’s dominion over all the nations of earth. This is the prophesy of the ultimate and final fall of Babylon in judgment, condemning her for the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. A written copy of this prophesy spoken was to be tied to a stone and cast in the Euphrates River to symbolize that Babylon will sink, to rise no more. The symbolic action would be repeated in John's vision of the Babylon of the Apocalypse (Revelation 18:20-21). As we proclaim, “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.”

STUDY THE SCRIPTURE

Click here to access the reading from Jeremiah 51:59-64

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REFLECTION

Disasters of Babylon Written on Scrolls

By Jeff Morlock

With these last and final words, Jeremiah hands the prophetic baton to a guy called Seraiah, whose name means, “Yahweh has prevailed.” Imagine if Christian parents today named their child, “Jesus Won!” Every time they would call him for dinner, or his teacher would say his name in class, or his friends would yell to him across the playground, it would be a testimony to anyone with ears to hear. Jesus Won! Won and done. Seraiah (with the cool name) picked up where Jeremiah left off, announcing God's ultimate victory over anyone or anything opposed to him and his kingdom. 

Seraiah carried Jeremiah's scroll to Babylon and declared it's message of obliteration to the people there. Then he tossed the papyrus into the Euphrates River, which was the basis of Babylon’s economy, and the thing they looked to for prosperity and security. Babylon's haughtiness and confidence in what she considered to be her absolute, untouchable power became a symbol of all evil forces that, to their destruction, would dare oppose the Lord. Revelation 18, written long after Jeremiah’s Babylon had been destroyed, describes the fall of another proud and wealthy Babylon at the end of the age.

Earlier this month, on All Saints Sunday, we had a roll call of sorts as we remembered believers the names of saints who have gone on to be with the Lord - believers who are not worried about what the future holds. Quite the opposite. But now they have passed the prophetic baton to ordinary believers like you and me, so that in these days of uncertainty, we  modern day Seraiahs may boldly testify that  “Jesus Won!”. This is the unshakable word of truth that calms every storm and declares God’s victory over every enemy.

Prayer:
God, we praise you because your kingdom is sure and your promises are unshakable. Keep us in true faith and empower us to proclaim in word and deed the resurrection triumph of Jesus, which this passage foreshadows.

 

UALC’S CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER - FRIDAY

FAITH - Pray for faith instead of fear, that many would come to faith in Jesus and that we would all trust God more deeply during this time.

The Thousand Years

Scholars have long debated this “thousand years” in our text today. You can do some further reading on different ways to interpret this difficult text. Something that isn’t controversial is the continuation of Revelation’s image of Jesus. During this thousand-year reign, Jesus rules with complete authority. There is no more struggle – God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. This is a picture of the all-powerful savior we worship, and of the hope we have for everlasting life that is not marked by suffering and struggle. As you read, pay attention to what the text has to say about believers and the benefits they receive at the victory of Jesus.

STUDY THE SCRIPTURE

Click here to access the reading from Revelation 20:1-6

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REFLECTION

The Thousand Years

By Jeff Morlock

Life is filled with uncertainty. That was as true for the first century church as it is today. Maybe more so. Persecution for the first generations of Christians came, not in the form of name calling, but of beheading and martyrdom. Yet John of Patmos, whose own persecution entailed forced exile - comforts believers of all times and places with the assurance that in Christ, we can have spiritual certainty in uncertain times.

In his vision, John describes an angelic messenger sent by God the Father to do battle with Satan. Back in Genesis 3, immediately after Adam and Eve traded God’s perfect love for the serpent’s lies, God promised a Savior, who would destroy the serpent’s power. Whether the thousand years of Satan’s powerlessness are to be understood literally or figuratively here, let’s not miss the main point that Jesus, by his death and resurrection, has triumphed over evil and all its representatives! He’s given his church authority over them, too (see Matthew 18:18 and James 4:7). Why then, do you and I live sometimes as though that’s not true?

In his powerlessness, the devil seeks to manipulate and destroy Christ’s followers, including you. So, when the evening news and your own trials make it seem as though evil is winning and that God’s plan is somehow faltering, how are you fighting back? In Genesis 3, the serpent asked, “Did God really say…?” That was all it took for our first parents to forget God’s good command and gracious gifts. And although Satan is now chained, he continues to lunge at us as far as that long chain will allow, whispering the same kind of deceit.

But in the midst of or our own failures, in the midst of so many global, racial, political, economic, and personal uncertainties, John says nothing can undo Satan’s defeat and Jesus’ victory. We have God’s promise that we will share in Christ’s reign of peace and justice that has already begun, but sure to be completed. Knowing that Jesus wins, how will you bring his victory to bear this week in your thoughts and decisions? In your family relationships? Your job? Your neighborhood? Your church?

Prayer:
God, please forgive us when our enemy deceives us to sin. Help us to believe your promises and recognize his lies. Teach us to make him flee at the name of Jesus. And inspire us each day to think and act in ways that reflect the victory of the cross. Amen.

UALC’S CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER - FRIDAY

FAITH - Pray for faith instead of fear, that many would come to faith in Jesus and that we would all trust God more deeply during this time.

To the Church in Laodicea

The church in Laodicea was marked by wealth. The letter mentions Laodicea’s infrastructure (water ways) and industry (medicine) in a warning against lukewarm complacency. This text has long been a helpful warning to churches in wealthy areas like our own. Let this text challenge and speak to you, today.

STUDY THE SCRIPTURE

Click here to access the reading from Revelation 3:14-22

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REFLECTION

The Church at Laodicea

By Jeff Morlock

Laodicea means “lukewarm.” The water of this ancient city was undrinkable, so they had hot water pumped in from the nearby city of Hierapolis, and cold water from Colossae. But by the time it reached Laodicea, it was lukewarm and hard to stomach—just like the faith of the Christian community there.

Compromise, conceit, and complacency are unflattering adjectives. But they accurately describe the church at Laodicea, which had lost its first love, and was in deep denial about their spiritual condition. Through John of Patmos, Jesus gives this congregation a reality check that serves as a warning for the entire body of Christ today. Churches can grow large in terms of members, programs, and buildings that serve their agenda, which can easily be mistaken for the agenda of Christ. How sad it would be if Jesus found himself outside of such churches - knocking on their door when he comes again!

Laodicea was famous for three things; their substantial wealth, the development of a unique eye balm containing healing properties, and popular tunics or outer garments called trimata, which were manufactured there. It’s likely that members of the Laodicean Christian community worked in these industries, and perhaps became affluent as a result. So when Jesus declares, “But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked,” it’s a painful rebuke that strikes at the heart of their identity. And that’s the problem. Their identity is in these things, instead of in Christ. Yet Jesus - lover that he is - pleads for repentance, returning, and change. And he does so in terms of five admonishments that offer a spiritual prescription for healing.

1. Seek riches from above, such as character and virtue - refined in the fire of suffering (3:18). The church that knows that its true treasures are eternal will use its wealth, not as a tool to build themselves up, but as a resource for loving God, blessing others, and bearing fruit for the kingdom. 
2. Seek the righteousness of Christ (not blaming, excusing, denying, hiding, or trying harder) to cover sin and shame (v. 18)
3. Seek divine healing to open spiritual eyes blinded by rebellion and deceit (v. 18). 
4. Seek repentance to overcome compromise and zeal to overcome complacency (3:19). 
5. Seek to conquer distractions and listen for the knock (voice, word, leading) of Jesus himself (v. 20).

Which of these admonishments might UALC need most right now? Because the church is made up of individual disciples, which part(s) of this prescription do you need to appropriate today?

Lord God, your love for us is never tepid. Please forgive our tendency to trend lukewarm and give us hearts that burn with holy zeal for you! Through the power of the Holy Spirit, give us victory over anything that would prevent us from being the sort of disciples your Son deserves, and the kind of community that is a foretaste of your eternal kingdom. In the name of Jesus, the King. Amen.

UALC’S CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER - FRIDAY

FAITH -  Pray for faith instead of fear, that many would come to faith in Jesus and that we would all trust God more deeply during this time.

Sanctified with Truth

Before his arrest, Jesus spends time praying for his disciples and for all those who would follow Him (including us, today!). John records a portion of this prayer, and here we see Jesus praying for His followers to be sanctified with truth. As you read pay careful attention to this sanctifying truth – where does it come from? What does it lead toward?  

STUDY THE SCRIPTURE

Click here to access the reading from John 17:13-26

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REFLECTION

Sanctified In Truth 

by Jeff Morlock

In the movie, “Beauty and the Beast”, Beast discovers that Beauty loves him in all his ugliness. Only then does he himself become beautiful. Only when we understand how much God loves us in all our unloveliness can we ourselves begin to become lovely… and godly. The biblical term for this process is called sanctification, and it has three “tenses”.

In the past, God declared you and me holy because of Jesus’ death on the cross. In this regard, we’re like a lump of clay that’s been purchased by a potter. In the future, all believers will be completely perfected by Christ when he comes again (someday we will become a flawless cup or pot). But in the meantime - in the present - Jesus asks his Father to conform us to his image (by molding us on his potters’ wheel).

We are shaped “by the truth”, Jesus says. Sadly, truth has fallen on hard times, so most people simply do what is right in their own eyes. Yet biblically, truth is not a concept you can agree or disagree with. Truth is a person that you must either accept or reject. Truth is Jesus, the incarnate Word of God. And we come to know Him through the written Truth of revelation, and the proclaimed Truth of preaching. According to Jesus, this is how God works sanctification in those who believe:

 "You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. (John 15:3)
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)

Sanctification is God’s work, by the truth of his Word, through the power of the Holy Spirit. So how is the Spirit convicting you of sin today? Are you yielding to the ongoing spirit of repentance and humility that God wants to work into your life? Or resisting?  As the Lord shapes and transforms you by his Word, what lies of the evil one are being exposed? What deceitfulness of heart? The Word of truth conforms our thoughts to God's thoughts, and our feelings to God’s feelings, empowering us to love him with engaged minds and soft hearts. About this ongoing process called sanctification, the reformer Martin Luther observed:

“This life, therefore, is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness, not health, but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it, the process is not yet finished, but it is going on, this is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.” 

Prayer:
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray;
Take all my guilt away;
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine.
(Hymn, “My Faith Looks Up To Thee,” Ray Palmer, 1830)

UALC’S CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER - FRIDAY    

FAITH - Pray for faith instead of fear, that many would come to faith in Jesus and that we would all trust God more deeply during this time.

Walking on the Water

July 3, 2020

Just as the people in the desert were called to look to the serpent, Peter is called to keep his eyes on Jesus as he walks on water. But the storm gets too big, and the waves too frightening, so he takes his focus off of the savior. As you study, identify with Peter in the story. What storms are drawing your eyes away from the Savior? 

STUDY THE SCRIPTURE

Click here to access the reading from Matthew 14:22-33

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REFLECTION

Walking on the Water

By Pastor Jeff Morlock

  

In ancient times, the sea came to symbolize evil, chaotic forces that were believed to cause sudden suffering and instantly claim human life. The disciples are right in the midst of such an experience. And though several of them are professional fishermen, they are clearly beyond their competency, struggling with the oars and unable to make headway against the wind.

Like Jesus’ first disciples, we have lots of professional know-how today. We’ve invented new and more efficient instruments of war but have been unable to develop one that will make peace. We can send astronauts into space for months at a time, but we can’t seem to put food in hungry bellies or find a cure for certain diseases that threaten us here on earth. At times, our lives and our world can seem as vulnerable as that little boat being tossed to and fro by the waves.

But into our chaos and fear, again today, comes Jesus. What does it mean that he walks on the water except that all things are possible with him? We want to proclaim this hope to a world in need. Yet like our elder brother, Peter, we inevitably let our eyes drop to the waves. And discouragement pulls us under.

Still, that which threatens us is no threat to Jesus. He is Lord even over the chaotic and the unpredictable. In the book of Revelation, the sea of glass before the throne of God is like crystal - perfectly calm, and under control in the presence of the Almighty. Until we arrive at that sea, we will need to fix our eyes on Jesus, who is its master, and ours. The sea would not defeat Peter that night. He was safer walking with Jesus on the water than he was in the boat. So it is with us.

Prayer: Holy Father, you are not surprised by the things that shock and scare us. In the face of our own storms, whatever they may be, empower us to look neither to lesser gods, nor to distractions, nor merely to our own expertise, but to the One, who overcame sin, death, and the grave for us, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

UALC’S CAMPAIGN OF PRAYER      

FRIDAY: FAITH

Pray for faith instead of fear. That many would come to faith in Jesus and that we would all trust God more deeply during this time.

  

Fear of People, Fear of God

June 26, 2020

Jesus is sending the disciples on a mission, and he points them to the same theme which began our week - to a holy fear of the LORD. As you read, consider this question: Why would Jesus emphasize fearing God instead of people when sending the disciples out on mission? 

STUDY THE SCRIPTURE

Click here to access the reading from Matthew 10:26-31

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REFLECTION

Fear of People, Fear of God

By Jeff Morlock

Polls show that the second greatest fear people have is the fear of death. The greatest fear, of course, is … public speaking. Yep, most people are more afraid of speaking words to an audience than of ceasing to breathe. Among Christians, though, the greatest fear may be doing what the twelve apostles were sent by Jesus to do in this passage –  lift up the name of Jesus and tell folks how they can come to know Him as Lord and Savior.

Why is this so hard? Like the twelve, we too, face opposition; many around the globe face persecution and death from a world that hates Christ. The gospel is bad news before it’s good news. So “Who are you to tell me that I need to repent and turn away from sin toward God?” Does fear of opposition, of saying the wrong thing, of feeling foolish, or being “left out” sometimes cause you to keep your faith hidden? When it comes to what others can say or do to us, Jesus admonishes, “Don’t be afraid.” But not in a “buck-up-and-be-more-brave” kind of way. The choice is not between courage and fear, but between whom we will fear more, God or the enemies of his gospel.

In that regard, we can rejoice that the One who has the power to destroy both body and soul in hell is also the one who has the hairs on our heads numbered! We are more valuable to him than many birds. So valuable that God sent his only Son to die on a cross, where he experienced the wrath for sin in our place! He rose again to remind us that the worst thing that can happen to us is never the last thing. And on Pentecost, he sent His Holy Spirit to fill us, so that, come what may, his presence and power would overcome our fear.

Prayer: Lord God, you not only free us from sin, but for the advancement of your kingdom. As we join you in your work of the gospel, let us fear nothing above you. Would you grant us a greater knowledge of your justice that vindicates all who follow you (v. 26-27), your sovereignty over all things (v. 28), and your love that holds us fast (v. 29-31). In Jesus’ name. Amen.

UALC’s Campaign of Prayer

March 27 - Parable of the Sower

Mark 4:1-20

Think of the parables like a filter. Some people are really interested in Jesus, some are pretending to be, and some aren’t interested at all. And the parables sort them out. The question Jesus is asking here is, “What kind of reception is my Word getting in your life?” 

The gospel reveals the condition of our hearts.

So how’s your heart these days? Is it hard and dry (v. 15), like the Pharisees, who resisted Jesus as their enemy rather than accepting him as their Lord? Religious as they were, the more Jesus spoke, healed, and taught, the harder their hearts became. Are Satan’s distractions, temptations, and lies closing your heart to the Word?

How’s your heart these days? Is it shallow and rocky (vv. 16-17), like the crowds that followed Jesus because he was “trending” in popularity? They sought what Jesus could give them in terms of some bread here, and a miracle there - but then left him when following became inconvenient, discouraging, or risky.

How’s your heart these days? Is it crowded and anxious (vv. 18-19), with too many “important” things all vying for your time and energy simultaneously? Are you preoccupied with so much that God has gotten lost in the shuffle? Perhaps it’s this heart of anxiety that is most prevalent in our culture right now. We worry about things we can’t control and allow them to control us.

How’s your heart these days? Is it soft and open (v. 20), like Jesus’ original disciples who welcomed his Word, and followed when it got hard, and stuck with him when they didn’t understand? They drew near and leaned in because they wanted more of him, and to them was given, not only the secrets of the kingdom, but the kingdom itself – the life that is truly life.

How’s your heart these days? If God’s Word has taken root, then there will be fruit. Okay, maybe not a hundredfold (yet)… but some growth in what St. Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit” – qualities like love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). As we live through the current pandemic, perhaps it is clearer than ever that these are the things that matter most.

But this fruit doesn’t come by trying harder to be better or to achieve more. We’ll never remove enough rocks or pull out enough weeds for that. But thankfully, Jesus has done all that is necessary. In John 12:24 he says, “Truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”. In this Lenten season, we remember that Jesus was speaking of himself, and the death he would die for us… for our forgiveness and salvation. He alone can make us new!

Prayer:
“Lord, let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your Word. Lord, let my heart be good soil, where love can grow and peace is understood. When my heart is hard, break the stone away. When my heart is cold, warm it with the day. When my heart is lost, lead me on your way. Lord, let my heart, Lord let my heart, Lord let my heart be good soil” (song lyrics by Handt Hansen, 1985, Prince of Peace Publishing).

Too Content to Repent?

Please welcome Pastor Jeff Morlock to the Daily Bible Blast team of devotion writers. 

Read Matthew 3:1-11

Here’s that word again - “repent”. Just as we’re about to start a new year with a clean slate, it shows up to ruin our mood. This word we won’t hear anywhere else but in Scripture or at church. This word that John the Baptist screams at the top of his lungs. This word that calls us out and makes us feel guilty. Any chance we can rescue this word from all the negative baggage associated with it, and reclaim its value for ourselves and our world in 2020? 

I think for most of us repentance means saying you’re sorry. Or better, that you’re really, really, sorry and will never do it again – whatever “it” is. And of course, that’s part of what repentance entails. But only a very small part. To repent primarily means to turn around, to start over, to take another direction, to chart a different course. when one’s current course of behavior has caused pain to self, others, or God. 

So, as we reclaim this word for ourselves in the coming year, in what one aspect of your life do you need to repent (change direction) right now? Is there some practice or habit you could begin that might produce more abundant life for you or those around you?

Is there an element of our life together that needs repentance? How might you use your time and energy in the coming year to help bring about change?

Prayer:
Lord, don’t allow me to be too content to repent. Would you give me a soft heart to recognize where and how my actions have caused you sorrow? Would you fill me with your Holy Spirit so that my repentance is empowered by more than weak willpower and quickly broken resolutions? In Jesus' name. Amen.

Jesus was resurrected for us

19 ApriL                               

Read Romans 4:16-26 and reflect on the passage.

What do you think of when you hear the word “impossible?” Meeting that payment? Being reconciled with that person? Overcoming that habit? Ridding yourself of those thoughts? What seemed impossible for Abraham was becoming the father of many nations. God had promised that this would happen, but now in the twilight of life, with his body wasting away, and Sarah’s womb unfruitful, all evidence seemed to point to a perpetually empty crib.

Yet Abraham refused to allow the pain of past experience or present circumstances to determine his future. He believed that God was bigger than the obstacles, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham discovered that God’s Word does what it says. He learned that God is faithful to His promises. In their old age, Abraham and Sarah did indeed have a son, and from his descendants came Jesus Christ, the Messiah!

We can have the faith of Abraham, too. Through the resurrection of Jesus, the greatest obstacles in our lives have been overcome. Because Jesus lives, sin, death, and the devil have been defeated! The future is open! And all things are possible for those who believe.

Questions

1. What are two facts about God which will strengthen your trust in Him?

2. Do you need more faith, or is your vision of God “too small?”

Prayer

Father, help us to put our hope in Your power and love; strengthen our faith to embrace Your promises. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

—Jeff Morlock

The Holy Spirit comes to the Church

 11 January

Scripture Reading

Read Acts 2:1-12 and reflect on the passage.

When our kids were toddlers one of their favorite phrases was, “Do it again!” “It” may have been reading a book, singing a song, or having Dad twirl them around the living room. But they couldn’t get enough. They wanted more.

On Pentecost, Jesus’ disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time, releasing more of God’s kingdom, power, and gifts into their lives. Luke says that, as a result, 3,000 people called on the name of the Lord and were saved. I long to see that kind of power in the church today. And the good news is that God gives refills!

All believers have the Holy Spirit by virtue of baptism, but to be saturated with the Spirit is our ongoing need, because it’s so easy to become filled with other things like fear, and doubt, and anger, and guilt, and temptation. Like a sponge, I need the Holy Spirit to wring out of me those things that hinder my relationship with Him, and soak me again in His presence and power. Not just once, but over and over. The Spirit wants to give us more of what Jesus offers. So “Do it again, Lord!”

Questions

1.      When you think of Jesus, what characteristic comes to mind first and foremost? Wise teaching? Love for others? Power to heal? Holiness of life? Mission?

2.      In what ways might your view of Jesus influence your understanding of the Holy Spirit?

a

Prayer

Holy Spirit, fill me today, so that with all the saints, I will be prepared to glorify You and join You in Your work. Amen.

—Jeff Morlock