Our news cycle tends to highlight and amplify the troubling, painful, and evil events of our day. I’ve heard of massive floods in Texas, New Mexico, Vietnam, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo that killed over 225 people and left over 50,000 without homes in the last month. Haiti continues to endure chaotic upheaval that has left over 1,000,000 internally displaced people searching for a new home. And, we continue to hear of wars and attacks in Ukraine, the West Bank, and Yemen. We are constantly made aware of the death and devastation in this world. In addition, our nation's immigration and economic support systems are changing rapidly, leaving many unsure about their safety and provision. These can be very unsettling times.

May we all continue in prayer for the 1000’s still missing from the floods, the 100,000’s facing war, and the 1,000,000,000+ without homes. Let those of us who are safe, strong, and housed recognize the gift of our safety and give thanks to God for protection while we petition the Lord for the rescue of the missing and provision for those who are facing such paralyzing loss.

Such devastation can be overwhelming to comprehend and emotionally challenging to handle. Thankfully, we have a valuable resource in the Scriptures to remind us that God is in control of this seemingly chaotic and uncontrollable world. Our brothers and sisters in Christ faced such a world in the first centuries of the church. They were caught up not only in natural disasters and wars, but in direct persecution. They faced lost jobs, imprisonment, and even death for following Jesus. They experienced a world fraught with threat and anguish.

The last book of the Bible, Revelation, shares God’s word of hope and security in times of great despair and fear. We will be reminded of the reality of evil in our world. God doesn’t sugarcoat the obvious pain we endure. However, God encourages us, as He encouraged the first-century church, that He has overcome the troubles of this world. God created the world, and one day soon, God will make all things right.

John writes Revelation to point us to Jesus’ victory on the cross and remind us of his ultimate return to renew and restore all of creation to its original beauty and glory. John emboldens us to stay focused on God’s power, to grow deeper in faith and hope, so that we will endure the hardships and opposition by celebrating the goodness of God. He cries out to us to celebrate the victory of Jesus over death and sin and to obey, even in the worst of times, the call of the Spirit by living in sacrificial love and deep faith.

This is the perfect time to explore this powerful vision of hope and resilience. I hope that you will be able to join us on this 8-week journey of Living for Jesus until the End. In preparation, I have included a link to a seven-minute video that describes the writing style of Revelation. John writes to us about the cosmic battle between good and evil, utilizing apocalyptic literature, which is highly symbolic and can be challenging to decipher.

May we all be strengthened as we study Revelation, so that we may stand firm amid chaos and sacrificially care for the needs of those who have experienced loss and pain. 

Grace and Peace,

Drew