Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Wage War (2/19/26)

Recently, my kids were discussing war and wondered if they would have to fight if World War III were to start. I was able to reassure them that, as children, they wouldn’t be recruited to fight.

This conversation got me thinking - from my human perspective, war often seems evil. Can there be a righteous war? Let’s look at the war to take place at the end.

Revelation 19:11-21 ¹¹ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

king of kings and lord of lords.

¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, ¹⁸ so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

This Bible passage reveals that Jesus (the rider on the white horse) is the only one that can wage war rightly. His war is righteous because He judges with perfect justice. He knows all truth and accurately administers judgment.

In this passage, it doesn’t sound like there will be much of a battle. It appears one-sided. Jesus will single-handedly strike down nations, the beast, the false prophet and their followers. At that time, it seems the armies of heaven following Jesus will witness the victory without having to participate in the actual battle. Jesus, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Faithful, True, and Just Judge, righteously wages and wins the war for Himself and all His followers!

As we begin the Lent season, we can expand our focus beyond just anticipating Jesus’ resurrection. We can also look forward to Jesus’ ultimate victory over all sin and evil in the world. With the start of Lent yesterday, where will your focus be, considering all we’ve studied in Revelation this past year?  

Alice

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy as Lord of lords (11/13/25)

In a former job, I knew someone who buttered up a co-worker, manipulated them to bend over backwards for them, gave them rave reviews, promoted them, but then left them hanging out to dry. Ultimately, it led to the burnout of a great worker. On a grander scale, the beast will do the same with the woman (Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes from 17:5) and the ten horns.

Last week we saw how the woman delighted in the destruction of God’s people while luring everyone else astray. The beast will use the woman until he has no more use for her. Then, he will bring her to ruin as she brought people and nations to ruin. The ten horns (or rulers) will work for and submit to the beast, destroying people and nations, until they themselves will be destroyed.

Revelation 17:15-18 ¹⁵ Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. ¹⁶ The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. ¹⁷ For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. ¹⁸ The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Evil rulers exploit, abuse and destroy those who follow them. In stark contrast, Jesus does the opposite. He shares His victory, inheritance and royal status with His faithful followers. As we read last week…

Revelation 17:14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords and extends that privilege to His people! We don’t serve someone who will take advantage of us and then discard us. We serve the One who doesn’t need us, but chooses to work through us. He doesn’t use us to gain success; instead, He gives us the success He’s already accomplished. So, why wouldn’t we want to faithfully follow the One who has our best interests at heart? What or who can offer us a better promise than Jesus? I pray that in our daily choices, you and I remember that no one offers better promises than Jesus, the eternal Lord of lords.

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy as King of Kings (11/6/25)

Last week, we saw how “Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes” delighted in the destruction of God’s people and lured the rest of the world into abominable acts. She represents centuries of evil powers in the world. She and the beast will deceive many, but not those whose names have been written in the book of life – those who are faithful to Jesus, the true King of kings.

Revelation 17:6-14 ⁶ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. ⁷ Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. ⁸ The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹ “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹ The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹² “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³ They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

As believers, we are called to be wise and discerning, so we won’t be deceived by the woman (Babylon the Great) or the beast king. We gain this wisdom by daily studying and apply God’s truths from His Word.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

I want to have a mind with God’s wisdom so I can faithfully follow Jesus, the triumphant Lamb who is Lord of lords and King of kings! He will rule for all eternity, while the woman and beast will go to eternal destruction.

How are you preparing now to remain faithful to Jesus and not be deceived by the things of this world?

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Offer Eternal Rest (9/4/25)

Yesterday, Kent discussed how Jesus offers not only physical rest but also spiritual rest. As I read his devotional last night and re-read our next passage in Revelation, I was struck by the final verse, which mentions rest from labor. In the United States, many of us celebrated Labor Day this past Monday and enjoyed a day off from work - a temporary “rest from our labor.”

Jesus promises His followers a far greater blessing: eternal rest from the struggles of this life, including hardship, persecution, rejection for speaking truth, and even death. In contrast, those who reject Jesus and refuse to fear God or give Him glory will experience eternal torment with no rest.

Revelation 14:6-13 ⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. ⁷ He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

⁸ A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’ which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”

⁹ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, ¹⁰ they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” ¹² This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

¹³ Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

“Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

As verse 7 warns, God’s judgment will come on those who do not worship Him as Creator. However, as verse 6 indicates, everyone will have the opportunity to hear the eternal gospel and respond. Those who respond in faith and patiently endure will receive His blessing and eternal rest.

What encouragement do you find in these truths? How does it motivate you to persevere in sharing God’s truths with others so they too can enjoy eternal rest?

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Protect us from the Dragon’s Deception (8/7/25)

Deception is a serious issue in my book. I don’t tolerate it in my house. Lies, deception, hiding the truth, omission of details, twisting the truth all come with severe consequences. Joe and I regularly remind our kids that it damages relationships by breaking trust. While I detest deception, I know God abhors it the most. He stands in stark contrast to deceitful Satan.

Last week we discussed how we are to expect spiritual warfare from Satan (the dragon) and use the full armor of God to fight against him. This spiritual warfare will intensify as the end of this world nears. The dragon, Satan, will have the power to wage war against God’s people, but he won’t deceive them. Instead, he will deceive the whole rest of the world.

Revelation 13:1-10   The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. ² The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. ³ One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. ⁴ People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

⁵ The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. ⁶ It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. ⁷ It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.⁸ All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.

¹⁰ “If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.

What’s the distinction between Satan, through the beast, conquering and waging war against God’ people versus deceiving them? I think it relates to physical versus spiritual life and death. Satan is permitted to physically harm and even kill God’s people, but he can’t deceive them into worshiping him over worshiping God. If we genuinely belong to God, then we won’t be deceived by Satan and won’t succumb to his deception. We will patiently endure and remain faithful to God, even to the point of death, empowered by the Holy Spirit living in us and confident in the promise of eternal life.

How will you and I prepare to patiently endure and remain faithful to God, even in the face of the dragon’s war against us? As we discussed last week, we are to use all of God’s armor and resources, accompanied by continual prayer.  

Ephesians 6:10-11 and 18   ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes...

 ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.   

As we actively access Jesus's mighty power, we can be protected from Satan's deception.

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Remove Power (6/19/25)

James decided to bike home early on Tuesday from swim practice without talking to a parent. This decision led to a consequence: we took away the privilege to bike to and from swim practice for the foreseeable future. As his parents, we have the authority to give and take away freedoms.

This giving and taking away freedoms can be seen in our Heavenly Father. Sometimes it is a consequence for a decision we made, like in James’ situation, but other times it is Him sovereignly working His plans in the world. As we have authority over James, our Creator has authority over all of creation!

Last week, we discussed the amazing power given to the two witnesses at the end of the world. They were given power to spit fire and fend off their enemies! For 3½ years, they bore witness purposefully and powerfully under Jesus’ protection. But then…  

Revelation 11:7-10        ⁷ Now when they [the two witnesses] have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. ⁸ Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.¹⁰ The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

At first glance, this seems like a devastating conclusion to their ministry, especially after experiencing Jesus’s miraculous power for several years. Jesus will give them physical protection until they complete His work. He will then remove this physical protection for a few days, but it is all part of His sovereign plan.

As we reflect on the events described in Revelation 11, we may think the world is bad now, but it will be far worse at the end. We can find peace in Jesus, knowing He has already overcome the world (John 16:33). As the One with ultimate authority, Jesus may give or remove physical protection as part of His sovereign plan, but He won’t take away our spiritual protection and eternal blessings. What comfort does this give you today?

Let’s continue next week to see how spiritual protection unfolds for the two witnesses and what it means for us!

Thurs Devo: Call for Wisdom

Last week’s passage ended with a call for patient endurance and faithfulness. This week’s passage ends with a call for wisdom.

Revelation 13:11-18  ¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. ¹³ And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people.¹⁴ Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵ The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. ¹⁶ It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

Where do we get this wisdom? Perfect wisdom comes straight from God Himself! Reading His Word, talking with Him in prayer, and listening for His answers will help us gain wisdom.


Knowing God’s prophecy, like this passage in Revelation, will help us be prepared when these events happen. We will then be able to discern the deception of Satan and remain faithful to God.

Alice 

Thurs Devo: The Dragon's War, Part II

Last week we talked about how we are to expect war from Satan (the dragon), but use the full armor God has provided to fight against him! From studying the book of Revelation this year, God seems to warn us that these difficulties and battles will intensify as the end of this world nears. The dragon, Satan, will have the power to wage war against God’s people, but he won’t deceive them. He will deceive the whole rest of the world, though.

Revelation 13:1-10    The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. ² The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. ³ One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. ⁴ People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

⁵ The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. ⁶ It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. ⁷ It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation.⁸ All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.

¹⁰ “If anyone is to go into captivity,
    into captivity they will go.
If anyone is to be killed with the sword,
    with the sword they will be killed.”

This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.

What’s the difference between Satan, through the beast, conquering and waging war against God’ people versus deceiving them? I think it has to do with physical versus spiritual life and death. Satan is allowed to physically harm and even kill God’s people, but he can’t deceive them into worshiping him over worshiping God. If we truly belong to God, then we won’t be deceived by Satan and won’t give in to his deception. We will patiently endure and remain faithful to God, even to the point of death. We can do that through the strength of the Holy Spirit living in us, knowing we will gain eternal life!

How will you and I prepare now to patiently endure and remain faithful to God, even through the dragon’s war against us?

Alice

Thurs Devo: Evil Celebrated

Last week we saw how the two witnesses will be successful in God’s eyes for finishing the work God gives them to do. However, the world will hate them for it and the beast will kill them. That would be bad enough, but look what happens next.

Revelation 11:7-10    ⁷ Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. ⁸ Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.¹⁰ The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

Evil is celebrated as righteousness is detested. We see this happen today. God’s ways, His standards, and His people are hated, while all kinds of wickedness is supported, legalized, and celebrated. The Apostle Paul also warned us that this would happen.

Romans 1:28-32         ²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.


We shouldn’t be surprised when evil is celebrated. However, we aren’t to join in, condone, or quietly stand-by. How can we ensure we don’t also celebrate evil? We need to “retain the knowledge of God” as verse 28 says. We do that by having a growing personal relationship with our Creator. As we continue to learn and understand His attributes and character by reading and studying His entire Word, we won’t be deceived by the evil around us. As Kent talked about yesterday, we can’t do that by reading the Cliff’s Notes version of the Bible.

Alice