We were all hooked, (well, most of us), on Extreme Home Makeover, a television production that gifted a family going through hard times with a remodel of their home in such magnificent ways it was unbelievable until they actually SAW it revealed to them.  “MOVE THAT BUS!”  It took a lot of work with a lot of craftsmen to turn the old into new.  When it was complete, the designers tour bus blocked the view until the big reveal, timed perfectly, would happen—after a word from a ton of sponsors, of course! 

We all got to see it. Most of us shed tears, (okay, maybe just me), as we saw the heavenly ways in which the remodel was accomplished.  New windows, new paint, new everything replaced all that was old, worn out and unusable.  We who were watching were each family’s best cheerleaders!  “Oh, look how much better that will be for them!”  “Ooh, look how they met the needs of every family member and designed to their personality!”  We couldn’t wait to see what the designers would reveal each week!

John, the writer of the Revelation, gives us a glimpse, with imagery and truth, revealed by God through John to us.  Move that bus of doubt, wondering, faithless behaviors and worry!  Come, read, meditate, with eyes to see and ears to hear.  The Best is yet to come!  So, come with a heart, mind and soul ready to be filled with all God designed us to be!  Let’s read with joyous anticipation for the Biggest Reveal of all:  Jesus Christ, who was, is and is to come!  He’s coming back!  ALL will know it when He comes.  All truth will be revealed.  Who our first love, our first and final thought each day will be revealed in us! The good and the bad will be made known.  But those who believe will be saved—that’s the promise—and God always keeps His promises!

First, Who is the designer of our lives? 

Have we truly left the old for the new? 

Are we clinging to the worn out, unusable pieces of our lives that no longer fit in our new life? 

Are we moving toward Jesus as he moves toward us?

These are all questions of reflections as we read The Big Reveal over the next few days!

REVELATION—HE’S COMING BACK!

Revelation 1, The Message

^1-2 A revealing of Jesus, the Messiah. God gave it to make plain to his servants what is about to happen. He published and delivered it by Angel to his servant John. And John told everything he saw: God’s Word—the witness of Jesus Christ!

³ How blessed the reader! How blessed the hearers and keepers of these oracle words, all the words written in this book!

Time is just about up.

His Eyes Pouring Fire-Blaze

^4-7 I, John, am writing this to the seven churches in Asia province: All the best to you from The God Who Is, The God Who Was, and The God About to Arrive, and from the Seven Spirits assembled before his throne, and from Jesus Christ—Loyal Witness, Firstborn from the dead, Ruler of all earthly kings.

Glory and strength to Christ, who loves us,
    who blood-washed our sins from our lives,
Who made us a Kingdom, Priests for his Father,
    forever—and yes, he’s on his way!
Riding the clouds, he’ll be seen by every eye,
    those who mocked and killed him will see him,
People from all nations and all times
    will tear their clothes in lament.
        Oh, Yes.

⁸ The Master declares, “I’m A to Z. I’m The God Who Is, The God Who Was, and The God About to Arrive. I’m the Sovereign-Strong.”

^9-17 I, John, with you all the way in the trial and the Kingdom and the passion of patience in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of God’s Word, the witness of Jesus. It was Sunday and I was in the Spirit, praying. I heard a loud voice behind me, trumpet-clear and piercing: “Write what you see into a book. Send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea.” I turned and saw the voice.

I saw a gold menorah
    with seven branches,
And in the center, the Son of Man,
    in a robe and gold breastplate,
    hair a blizzard of white,
Eyes pouring fire-blaze,
    both feet furnace-fired bronze,
His voice a roar,
    right hand holding the Seven Stars,
His mouth a sharp-biting sword,
    his face a blinding sun.

I saw this and fainted dead at his feet. His right hand pulled me upright, his voice reassured me:

^17-20 “Don’t fear: I am First, I am Last, I’m Alive. I died, but I came to life, and my life is now forever. See these keys in my hand? They open and lock Death’s doors, they open and lock Hell’s gates. Now write down everything you see: things that are, things about to be. The Seven Stars you saw in my right hand and the seven-branched gold menorah—do you want to know what’s behind them? The Seven Stars are the Angels of the seven churches; the menorah’s seven branches are the seven churches.”

Lord,

Come, Lord Jesus, be Lord of my life today.  Forgive me of all that offends you.  Restore the joy of your salvation in me.  Renew Your Spirit that is right and good in me. Thank you, Lord.

In Jesus Name, Amen