Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Finish Judgment (10/23/25)

What’s the largest hail you’ve ever seen? I've witnessed some impressive hailstorms in my time, but the largest hail was about 4 inches in diameter. The 1995 Mayfest Storm in Ft. Worth, TX, with similarly sized hail, left a lasting impact on my car – literally. The hailstones, which weighed about 1 pound each, may not have seemed heavy, but they cratered plenty of dents with their force. In fact, I saw some of the damage to the rubber seals daily for the 17 years I had the Tempo.

The Bible, however, paints a far more intense picture of the end. In Revelation, we read about extreme earthquakes and hailstones that weigh 100 pounds for the final judgment on earth.

Revelation 16:17-21 ¹⁷ The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” ¹⁸ Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. ¹⁹ The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. ²⁰ Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. ²¹ From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

Again, I love how God is still gracious, even to the last moment. He doesn’t zap everyone, but as these plagues are unleashed, people have opportunities to repent, turn to God and submit to His will. However, most will use their last breath to curse God rather than humbly call out to Him.

This 7^th bowl of wrath from the seventh angel completes God’s wrath, as proclaimed in Revelation 15.1 (I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed.) The voice from heaven also announced “It is done!” (Rev 16:17). Jesus’s last words on the cross come to mind – “It is finished” (John 19:30). Jesus completed the work of paying for our sin. In contrast, the bowl judgments in Revelation bring about the end to earthly judgment.

In thinking about the end, how do you want to use your last breath? Cursing God or claiming Him? If you have accepted and value Jesus’s completed work on the cross to pay for your sins, then you can look forward to claiming Him and enjoying His blessings for all eternity!

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Give Access to God (10/9/25)

When my kids are caught doing something wrong, they usually respond in one of two ways – in anger towards us for catching them or in tearful grief over their sin. People respond similarly to God, as we will see in this week’s passage.

Last week, we explored the first 3 angels pour out their plagues from God’s bowls of wrath. This week, we’ll examine the next 2 angels and plagues. Once again, God offers opportunities for people to repent. Notice how they react.

Revelation 16:8-11   ⁸ The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. ⁹ They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

¹⁰ The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony ¹¹ and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

It surprises me to see people continue to rebel against God, curse him and fail to recognize their rightful place before a Holy God. The only right response is sincere repentance. How do you and I respond to conviction of sin? With grief that leads to repentance?

II Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Are you continuing in defiance against God, like the people in Revelation 16, or have you humbly submitted to the Holy God who has all authority? If the latter, then you have personal access to God through Jesus and eternal salvation!

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy as Holy in Judgment (10/2/25)

 Last night, James came home from gymnastics upset about the bullies who had called him names and pushed him around. It’s natural to want justice to be served immediately in situations like these! We often desire swift judgment for others while pleading for grace and mercy for ourselves.

God will bring perfect justice in His own time. As we saw last week, God’s glory and power completely filled the temple as He sent out the seven angels with the seven plagues in the seven golden bowls of His wrath to finish His judgment on the earth. He doesn’t dump all His judgment at once. One angel pours out a bowl of wrath, followed by another. God could certainly pour out His wrath all at once and be done with it, but He doesn’t. Instead, He continues to give people opportunities to repent and turn to Him.

Revelation 16:1-7    Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”

2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.

4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

“You are just in these judgments, O Holy One,
    you who are and who were;
6 for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,
    and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”

7 And I heard the altar respond:

“Yes, Lord God Almighty,
    true and just are your judgments.”

I find it interesting that in previous passages in Revelation, Jesus, the Holy One, was referred to as the one “who is, and who was, and who is to come” (Revelation 1:8, 4:8, etc.) However, in this passage, the last phrase is omitted, as Jesus has returned by this point. This change implies that there will be no more waiting on the part of His people when He brings final judgment.

We can trust in God’s Holy, true, just and complete judgment, knowing that it will come at the perfect time. With what situation do you and I need to leave to Jesus, for His holy justice? What areas of our lives require us to trust in His timing and judgment, rather than seeking immediate justice or resolution? 

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Await Meeting (9/25/25)

Monday, Matt’s devotional reflected on Jonah’s frustration with our compassionate God whom he knows is gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy. This merciful God gives numerous warnings, having provided over 2,000 years of warning about the final judgment. A day will come when He pours out all His wrath and completes judgment on sinful humanity.

Revelation 15:5-8    ⁵ After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened. ⁶ Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. ⁷ Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. ⁸ And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

As a holy and just God, He must punish sin. Yet, He is also compassionate and gracious, offering people ample opportunities to repent before it’s too late. The number seven, symbolizing completeness, appears here again in Revelation, signifying the thorough and complete judgment that will take place. This event is so significant that no one will be able to enter the temple until all seven plagues from the seven bowls of God’s wrath have been emptied.

In the chapters that follow, we will see God’s people rejoicing and feasting with Him at the wedding feast of Jesus. No more tears. Everything will be made new. Jesus awaits His followers on the other side.

Are you and I ready to meet Jesus face-to-face today? What about those around us? How can we be used to help those around us prepare to meet Jesus?

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Reign Forever (7/3/25)

Continuing our journey through Revelation, we come to another pivotal moment. Remember the 7 sealed scroll Jesus was worthy to open back in Revelation 5? He opened the first 6 seals in Revelation 6 and the 7^th seal in Revelation 8. The 7^th seal revealed 7 angels with 7 trumpet judgments. We examined the first 6 angels and 6 trumpet judgments in chapters 8 and 9. Then, chapters 10 and 11 gave an interlude (including details about the two witnesses) before the final 7^th angel and trumpet judgment. As we continue our journey through Revelation, we peak into heaven before the rest of the judgment unfolds.

Revelation 11:15-19 ¹⁵ The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:

“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
    and he will reign for ever and ever.”

¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,¹⁷ saying:

“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
    the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
    and have begun to reign.
¹⁸ The nations were angry,
    and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
    and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
    both great and small—
and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

¹⁹ Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.

It is easy to lose sight of the bigger picture that Jesus is on His throne when we see evil prevailing. However, this peak into heaven reminds us that Jesus will return, triumph over evil, judge the ungodly, reward believers, and righteously reign for all eternity!

As we reflect on these events, let's remember that our perspective on life is best shaped by the reality of Jesus' reign. How will we let that change our perspective on life today? Let’s trust Jesus’s sovereign reign, even when it seems like evil prevails.

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy and Doesn’t Yo-Yo Us (5/29/25)

Have you ever been on a flight that had one delay after another? On one flight, I received over a dozen notifications about changes to the departure time. The estimated departure was often moved later, but some of the notifications indicated an earlier departure. I understand weather delays can’t be avoided and estimated maintenance times are hard to predict. It was stressful waiting, though, with the yo-yo time changes.

Jesus’s final judgment on all evil may seem delayed to us, but it will happen at the exact time and in the detailed way God prescribed. He won’t yo-yo on us. When the 7^th angel sounds the trumpet, He will finish the job.

Revelation 10:5-7   ⁵ Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay! ⁷ But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

God’s given us the Bible which is full of His plans. We don’t have to be in the dark about the future. We can know the “mystery” of God as we read and study His Word. He’s given us exactly what He knows we need to be adequately prepared.

Do you and I truly believe God created everything, cares for everything, and has a master plan? If so, how are we taking advantage of the resources He’s given to us to know His plans? We don’t need to be stressed out like on a delayed flight. The better we know God’s truths, the more we will experience peace while we wait. 

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Unleash the 5th Trumpet Judgment (5/8/25)

Now back to where we were in Revelation! We are in the middle of the 7 trumpet judgments. After Jesus opened the 7^th seal of the scroll and heaven stopped in silence for half an hour, then we saw the first 4 trumpet judgments unleashed on the earth. The next three are even more severe.

Rev 8:13-9:12 ¹³ As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. ² When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. ³ And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. ⁴ They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. ⁶ During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

⁷ The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. ⁸ Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. ⁹ They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. ¹⁰ They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. ¹¹ They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

¹² The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.

This 5^th judgment is so severe that people seek death (vs 6). However, in God’s sovereignty, they will not be able to escape their pain through death. I think that is His grace. The people experiencing the pain might not think so, but He is giving them yet another chance to turn and respond to Him before they do die and it is too late.

God will also graciously spare those who have His seal on their forehead (see chapter 7 and the devotional from 3/20/25). Those with God’s seal will not experience this judgment like the people around them (vs. 4). What a gracious, detailed and Sovereign God we serve!

Jesus is not only worthy to open the scroll and unleash judgment, but He is worthy to withhold judgment from His sealed children! Are you one of His children? If so, how will you praise Him for His grace today?   

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Unleash the 7 Trumpets (4/24/25)

 I was on a short trip part of this week, so sorry this is a day late. Normally I write the devotional Wednesday night and post it Thursday morning, but this week I didn’t get to write it until yesterday.

Remember the complete silence in Heaven when the 7^th Seal was opened by the Lamb a couple weeks ago? Well, that 7^th seal ushered in 7 more judgments via 7 angels with 7 trumpets.

Revelation 8:6-12    ⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.

⁷ The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

⁸ The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, ⁹ a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— ¹¹ the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

Jesus unleashes numerous catastrophic judgments on the earth in these first 4 “trumpet judgments.” A third of the ground, water and sky will all be affected. However, intentionally 2/3 will not be affected. Jesus’s judgments aren’t rash or impulsive. They are intentional and gracious. It isn’t random or coincidental. The orderliness in the judgment shows WHO is in charge. Jesus continues to give people a stark warning and additional opportunities to repent and turn to Him before it is too late.

As the Creator of all, His judgments point back to Him as the One in charge of all Creation. He is the One worthy of all worship. I have an easy reminder of that as I look outside. In Michigan this week, the spring colors suddenly popped. The daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, Magnolia trees, and Dogwood trees are all in bloom with yellow, red, purple, pink, and white scattered all over. Let’s praise Jesus as the Creator and sustainer of all! He is worthy of our worship as both Creator and Judge.