Title: Revelation 01:2-3 Blessed are you
Contents Bless you
(Revelation 1:2-3)
The basic guideline for believers to lead a life of faith is the Bible. Without the Bible, without knowing the Bible, without keeping the Bible, you cannot lead a life of faith. Let's take a look at how to deal with the Bible on the occasion of Bible Sunday. Today's text teaches the saints what attitude they should have toward this by recording the Word of God, the testimony of Jesus, and what John saw. It should not be understood as a word limited to the book of Revelation. It contains the words of God and the words of Jesus as well as the revelations that John saw. It speaks of the entire Bible.
It boils down to three things. Read, listen, and obey. Then you will be blessed. Rather than reading, hearing, and keeping the Bible in order to receive blessings, God will bless those who read, hear, and keep. Is it true that the saints read, listen to, and keep the Bible? But it is not. This is today's reality. Nothing is more important than the Bible, and nothing is so neglected as the Bible. I hope that through the word of the Lord given today, we will restore the right attitude toward the Bible and become saints who go out on a blessed path.
read
“Hearer and keeper” are plural, whereas “reader” is singular. Of course, we pray for the worship service that reads the Bible in the synagogue or the early church. But that means reading alone. No one can do this for you. In order to read the Bible in the early church, it was necessary to gather at the church. The Bible is only in the temple as a scroll. Now you know that you are happy. Because Rome was a period of oppression where persecution was severe, gathering in the temple to read the Bible is a sacrifice of life. Such was the time of John. Therefore, those who read the Bible are true believers. Wouldn't this person be blessed?
Reading is more than just reading. The words of Philip when the Ethiopian eunuch was reading Isaiah support this. (Acts 8:30) “Philip ran and heard that the prophet Isaiah was reading, and he said, Do you understand what he is reading?” What is the use of reading if you do not understand? The Lord speaks in (Mark 13:14, Matthew 24:15). “He who reads shall understand!”
You must meditate on its meaning deeply. (Psalm 1:1-2) “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” It was said that you are blessed, but of course, reading aloud is not something anyone can do. However, when those who understand its meaning and read it keep it, they will be blessed. Meditation means that. Those who read for the sake of learning cannot be blessed. Those who read to criticize cannot be blessed. Those who “meditate day and night” in order to understand and keep the will of the Lord will be blessed.
Listening
Not everyone succeeds in listening. Those who are blessed are those who have succeeded in hearing the words of the Bible. I hope you will succeed in listening to the Word today. (Amos 8:11) “Behold, the days are coming, saith the Sovereign LORD, and I will send a famine on the land, not a hunger for bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord.” The chaos of politics is also a chaos, and the lack of leadership is also a problem, but this is a bigger problem.
In the old days, there were no preachers. Even now, there are no preachers in China, so there are many people who want to hear the sermon, but cannot hear it. But now you don't have a preacher so you can't hear it. It's not that there aren't any sermons to listen to. You don't know how much the famous sermons are churning like a flood. The problem is that I don't have ears to hear. (Ezekiel 12:2) “Son of man, you dwell among a rebellious house; they have eyes to see, but do not see; they have ears to hear, but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.” That's why the Bible says it countless times. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
He who hears right moves. When Paul heard the voice of the risen Lord on the road to Damascus, he followed the Lord's word. Those who were with me only heard the sound. I couldn't do anything because I only heard sounds. Voices and words are different. But Paul listened. (Acts 9:6) “Arise, go into the city, and someone will tell you what to do.” Naturally, he went to Ananias as he had said. Everyone! Aren't they just hearing people?
Those who listen only to voices cannot be blessed. Blessed are those who hear the words of the Lord in their voices even though they are not words. Peter denied the Lord three times, and at dawn he heard a rooster crowing. It's a simple crowing sound. But he heard the word of the Lord hidden in the sound. (Matthew 26:75) “Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ So he went outside and wept bitterly.” Everyone! Hear the voice of the Lord through all things in the universe. Succeed in listening to the sermon. Do not just listen to the sound, but listen to the voice of the Lord in the sound. So, I hope that you will become blessed saints.
keep
What are you reading for? The snow is fun. What are you listening to? I hope your ears are happy. no. 'Reader' and 'Hearer' fall under 'Keeper. The purpose of reading and listening is to keep. Today's lesson can be compared to our body. The sense organs, such as the eyes and ears, are likened to reading. Information read from the sense organs is collected by the brain. In other words, the brain is analogous to hearing. It is then passed on to an agency that acts immediately.
A crippled or paralyzed person is not good at this. I even listened to it, but my hands and feet don't hear it even though my brain transmits it. I'm sorry, but these people are disabled. Everyone, then, what would a believer say? I can't either read or listen. Or reading and listening. but can't keep it. does not keep He is none other than a spiritually disabled person. Are only physically disabled people disabled? Even more frightening is a disability in the mind or soul.
(Matthew 25) tells the story of distinguishing sheep from goats. (Matthew 25:34) “Come, you who are blessed by the Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Then he said, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to see me.” It is a reward for keeping the Word.
Conversely, to those on the left, “Cursed!” He said he didn't do everything. Blessings are related to actions. Keeping the Word has a relationship with blessings. Do you want to become a blessed saint? I hope that you will become saints who read and listen to the Word and keep it further. There is a reason to read, hear, and keep the Word of God. The Bible says “The hour is near.” Yes, yes. It implies that such people will be rare in the last days. So, I hope that even you alone will restore your right attitude toward the Bible in these last days.
Dear saints,
Reading or hearing the Word of God and then keeping it is a life that thoroughly applies the Word of God to your life. This is a life that acknowledges the sovereignty of God. But not applying it is an act of disregard for God's sovereignty. If they do not acknowledge the sovereignty of God, who will be blessed? Hear the word of blessing from the Lord! (1 John 2:17) “The world and its lusts pass away, but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Hallelujah!