THIS ISN'T THE END

Revelation is a book of encouragement. John was writing to persecuted Christians under Roman rule - under the oppressive political powers of the day. John writes in code, in a way that the original audience would know exactly what he was talking about, but that the political powers would wonder, and they wouldn’t quite understand it.  

​Revelation is a book of encouragement for early Christians, and in that light, it is encouragement for us today. The encouragement that we need to hear is that if everything hasn’t been put right, as it was created to be, then it isn’t the end.  

These past few weeks have been heavy for me. Maybe it’s the same with you, too. It has been heavy because of all the things in this world that seem to be so far from the way God intended them to be when God created this good world. It doesn’t take long when you look around the world today to see how the world is broken. People without food when the world can produce plenty to feed us all. A war in Ukraine. So much death and destruction in Israel and Palestine.  

This world, so broken. So far from the way things were intended to be. If you’re like me, you want to know when things will be put back into right order. Because the pain of this life is hard enough to bear the way it is. It would sure be nice if Jesus would come and make it all right, all perfect, as it was in the beginning.  

Revelation, not a book about destruction, but about Jesus making everything right. John the Revelator paints the picture for us. 

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”  
And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”  
And let everyone who is thirsty come.  
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.  
~ Revelation 22:17 

It is the Spirit that says come to the water. I want you to notice something else, it is the bride that is calling out to everyone come, the bride, the Church, calls out to the world, Come to the water. The whole church, the bride of Christ telling the world, we know where the living water is and that you can come and drink, freely and without cost.  

Without cost because you are loved. Jesus gives himself for us. To quench our thirst. Gives himself so that we are no longer held back from the tree of life like Adam and Eve were (Genesis 3), but to fully come back into the garden, eating the fruit of the tree of life. And quenching our thirst with the flowing living water that is Jesus.  

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you and with all the saints. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.  

Travis Segar 
Pastor for Care & Community