““I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”” (Revelation 1:8, NLT)
The scripture for today comes from a book written by a man who saw heaven! John, the author of Revelation, was exiled to the prison island of Patmos. He was condemned to spend his days isolated from the world because of his faith. Instead, John was transported to Heaven by God. John got to see God’s vision of the present, and God’s hope for the future. In the opening verse of Revelation chosen for the meditation today, Jesus claims he is “the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end…” (Revelation 1:8a). Let’s focus on what Jesus is saying today. I think it will bring you some interesting insights!
When John of Patmos heard these words of Jesus, John knew that Jesus was the resurrected Lord. John also knew that God had a plan to save as many souls as possible by Jesus’ blood (Revelation 1:5). John also knew that from the beginning of creation, God had a plan to save humanity from sin. Jesus was part of that plan of salvation. God’s work to save you came at the beginning of creation. God’s hope is for you to not only be saved from sin by the blood of Jesus but to be with the Almighty One forever in His Kingdom.
From beginning to end, God has plans to save you and all those you know. In the verse for today, Jesus is called “the alpha and omega”, which in Greek form the first and last letters of the alphabet. As these two letters begin and end the Greek alphabet, Jesus is part of God’s plan from the beginning of creation to the end of time. You also are part of that plan.
Like creation, your life will have beginnings and endings. These important events will shape your life. They will help form who you are and what you believe. 2 Corinthians 5:17 explains that when you take your steps toward obeying Christ, things must change in your heart, soul, and mind. “Old things will pass away, and all things will become new.” If you truly believe, you will have to jettison old ways of thinking or bad attitudes learned by adopting wrong thinking or selfish understanding. You will have to stop acting as if you are the center of the universe and focus on God in Christ, who IS the center of the universe! This change in your way of thinking, in your attitudes and beliefs, must come in order to prepare you for eternal life. All who come to Christ have a before and after, a life of beginnings and endings. Even your physical body will succumb to this truth. You were born in the beginning. Your body is destined to die at the end of your physical life.
What you do with all the beginnings and endings in your life will exhibit your level of faith in God, expose your sin and insecurities, and uncover your needs in the moment. All areas of your life will face these beginnings and endings. You may welcome some beginnings. You may dread some endings. You might find hope in a new beginning. You might be glad dark days are ending. Throughout it all, you will learn important lessons about who God is and what God desires from you. You will figure out the dangers of temptations and sin, while discovering the need for confession, repentance, and salvation.
“For the believer, there is a constant change going on. Life is being re-shaped. It begins in a new-birth experience and as we grow in the Lord, this new life constantly changes, as we are reshaped into the image of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.” (The Best Sermon Illustrations, p 184).
“ONE of the most notoriously bad characters that ever lived in New York was Orville Gardner. He was the trainer of prize-fighters and companion of all sorts of hard characters. His reputation was so thoroughly bad that he was called “Awful Gardner.” He had a little boy, whom he dearly loved, and this boy died. A short time after his boy’s death, he was standing at the bar in a New York saloon, surrounded by a number of his boozing companions. The night was sweltering, and he stepped outside the saloon to get a little fresh air. As he stood out there and looked up between the high buildings at the sky above his head, a bright star was shining down upon him, and as he stood looking at the star, he said to himself, “I wonder where my little boy is to-night?” Then the thought came to him quick as a flash, “Wherever he is, you will never see him again unless you change your life.”
Touched by the Spirit of God, he hurried from the saloon to the room where he knew his godly mother was. He went in and asked his mother to pray for him. They spent the whole night in prayer and towards morning “Awful Gardner” had found peace and gained the victory. He was the victim of an overwhelming appetite for drink and had in his house a jug of whiskey at the time. He did not dare to keep it and did not know what to do with it. Finally, he took it down to the river, got into a boat and rowed over to an island. He set the liquor on a rock and knelt down, and as he afterwards said, “Fought that jug of whiskey for a long time,” and God gave him perfect deliverance. But what should he do with the jug? He did not dare break it, lest the fumes set him wild. He did not dare leave it, lest someone else get it. Finally, he dug a hole in the ground with his heel and buried it. He left the island a free man.” (R.A Torrey, Anecdotes and Illustrations, pp. 77-78)
Orville Gardner’s life had to change, otherwise he would never see heaven. He could never hope to be reunited with his son in heaven if he continued to live in sin and despair. On that night in New York long ago, “Awful Gardner” became a man of God. To do so, he had to begin a new life in Christ and end his life of drinking and bitterness. He vowed to make the change. It changed everything for Orville Gardner. In truth, he began to preach and teach in New York. Several famous people came to Christ due to Gardner’s preaching and influence and the work of the Holy Spirit through him.
What kinds of beginnings and endings have you experienced in your walk with Christ? Are there some changes God is urging you to make? Are there some doors God wants you to close? Are there some steps God needs you to take? Your Lord Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, took your sin to the cross. What might you need to begin or end in response to His saving grace?
When John of Patmos heard these words of Jesus, John knew that Jesus was the resurrected Lord. John also knew that God had a plan to save as many souls as possible by Jesus’ blood (Revelation 1:5). John also knew that from the beginning of creation, God had a plan to save humanity from sin. Jesus was part of that plan of salvation. God’s work to save you came at the beginning of creation. God’s hope is for you to not only be saved from sin by the blood of Jesus but to be with the Almighty One forever in His Kingdom.
From beginning to end, God has plans to save you and all those you know. In the verse for today, Jesus is called “the alpha and omega”, which in Greek form the first and last letters of the alphabet. As these two letters begin and end the Greek alphabet, Jesus is part of God’s plan from the beginning of creation to the end of time. You also are part of that plan.
Like creation, your life will have beginnings and endings. These important events will shape your life. They will help form who you are and what you believe. 2 Corinthians 5:17 explains that when you take your steps toward obeying Christ, things must change in your heart, soul, and mind. “Old things will pass away, and all things will become new.” If you truly believe, you will have to jettison old ways of thinking or bad attitudes learned by adopting wrong thinking or selfish understanding. You will have to stop acting as if you are the center of the universe and focus on God in Christ, who IS the center of the universe! This change in your way of thinking, in your attitudes and beliefs, must come in order to prepare you for eternal life. All who come to Christ have a before and after, a life of beginnings and endings. Even your physical body will succumb to this truth. You were born in the beginning. Your body is destined to die at the end of your physical life.
What you do with all the beginnings and endings in your life will exhibit your level of faith in God, expose your sin and insecurities, and uncover your needs in the moment. All areas of your life will face these beginnings and endings. You may welcome some beginnings. You may dread some endings. You might find hope in a new beginning. You might be glad dark days are ending. Throughout it all, you will learn important lessons about who God is and what God desires from you. You will figure out the dangers of temptations and sin, while discovering the need for confession, repentance, and salvation.
“For the believer, there is a constant change going on. Life is being re-shaped. It begins in a new-birth experience and as we grow in the Lord, this new life constantly changes, as we are reshaped into the image of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.” (The Best Sermon Illustrations, p 184).
“ONE of the most notoriously bad characters that ever lived in New York was Orville Gardner. He was the trainer of prize-fighters and companion of all sorts of hard characters. His reputation was so thoroughly bad that he was called “Awful Gardner.” He had a little boy, whom he dearly loved, and this boy died. A short time after his boy’s death, he was standing at the bar in a New York saloon, surrounded by a number of his boozing companions. The night was sweltering, and he stepped outside the saloon to get a little fresh air. As he stood out there and looked up between the high buildings at the sky above his head, a bright star was shining down upon him, and as he stood looking at the star, he said to himself, “I wonder where my little boy is to-night?” Then the thought came to him quick as a flash, “Wherever he is, you will never see him again unless you change your life.”
Touched by the Spirit of God, he hurried from the saloon to the room where he knew his godly mother was. He went in and asked his mother to pray for him. They spent the whole night in prayer and towards morning “Awful Gardner” had found peace and gained the victory. He was the victim of an overwhelming appetite for drink and had in his house a jug of whiskey at the time. He did not dare to keep it and did not know what to do with it. Finally, he took it down to the river, got into a boat and rowed over to an island. He set the liquor on a rock and knelt down, and as he afterwards said, “Fought that jug of whiskey for a long time,” and God gave him perfect deliverance. But what should he do with the jug? He did not dare break it, lest the fumes set him wild. He did not dare leave it, lest someone else get it. Finally, he dug a hole in the ground with his heel and buried it. He left the island a free man.” (R.A Torrey, Anecdotes and Illustrations, pp. 77-78)
Orville Gardner’s life had to change, otherwise he would never see heaven. He could never hope to be reunited with his son in heaven if he continued to live in sin and despair. On that night in New York long ago, “Awful Gardner” became a man of God. To do so, he had to begin a new life in Christ and end his life of drinking and bitterness. He vowed to make the change. It changed everything for Orville Gardner. In truth, he began to preach and teach in New York. Several famous people came to Christ due to Gardner’s preaching and influence and the work of the Holy Spirit through him.
What kinds of beginnings and endings have you experienced in your walk with Christ? Are there some changes God is urging you to make? Are there some doors God wants you to close? Are there some steps God needs you to take? Your Lord Jesus, the Alpha and Omega, took your sin to the cross. What might you need to begin or end in response to His saving grace?