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I answered, “You know, sir.” And the elder said to me, “These are the people who have come out of the great distress. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14 (NCV)
A commercial going around on TV lately shows a man named ‘mayhem’ that causes all sorts of destruction and pain to people. Property is damaged. Cars are destroyed. Lives are changed. While the commercials are humorous, the reality it, mayhem is coming. A mayhem that has never before been seen in our world.
We see the rumblings on the horizon. Nations once thought strong and invincible have crumbled through political unrest. Natural disasters are happening in places once thought paradise. Secure economies are no longer secure. Careers that once seemed safe are gone. The family, as we once knew it and God ordained it, is under huge attack. Sounds like mayhem to me.
There are many theories about how the end times will shake out. I’m not going to go there. But it’s what happens after the mayhem, the tribulation, the time of distress, which excites me.
In the book of revelation John sees a vision of that happens afterwards. Those of us that have gone through the mayhem will one day wear robes of white. White, the symbol of purity. White, by definition is free of color. Pure. Nothing there. That’s the description of our robes. Once we were filthy rags (Paul’s writing to the Ephesians), but now we are made new, white pure. All because of the blood of Jesus.
I love the word picture from Zechariah 3, “Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” Zechariah 3:1-3 (NLT)
So it will be for us. We are washed in the blood. When we get to heaven our clothes will be spotless, cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We will be without fault. The accusations of the enemy will have no basis. New clothes. New life. Grace!
There, in the midst of all of us one will stand with clothes stained with blood. Revelation 19:13 says Jesus will be among us with clothes stained with blood. The stains Jesus wears are the stains of my sin and yours. Stains we should be wearing because of our guilt, stains he took on himself to declare our innocence.
PRAYER: Jesus, Son of the Living God. My Lord. My Savior. In the midst of the trials I face help me to remember that because of you I am free to live in the grace given through your blood. Amen.
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT)
He spoke in generalities. He didn’t give dates and times. He certainly didn’t rescue us from it. He gave us a promise though…peace during it and victory after it!
Try to imagine the emotion as the disciples listened to Jesus’ teaching on the future. He didn’t mince words. He told us there would be natural catastrophe’s that would boggle our minds. We warned us that relationships would fail. We’d have to endure the pain of being let down by people we thought loved us. We’d be misunderstood, falsely accused, mocked, and even physically harmed. We’d endure the agony of waiting in the doctors office as they worked on a loved on in the next room. We’d pace the floor at home waiting for the phone to ring with the doctor’s test results. We’d stand helplessly by the graveside of a child who ‘died far too early in life’.
When you think about it, sometimes life just sucks! Sure there’s the beauty of the sunrise or sunset. There’s the majesty of mountain grandeur and fall colors. The silence and purity of new fallen snow; the awesome miracle of a new life. But even with all the good of life there’s just so much pain. Sometimes all the tragedy and pain in life makes one wonder if God really does know what’s going on.
Whatever you are going through right now. Whether it is financial disaster, worry, suffering the consequences of your own stupid decisions, the pain of relationships gone bad or watching a loved one be destroyed by the effects of cancer, or whatever else is pulling you down. Remember this. Jesus told us there’d be trouble ahead. While we are in this world we can really expect no less than that. None of this should really be a surprise. We were warned over 2000 years ago. But don’t miss the ‘pearl in the slime’. “I have told you so you will have peace…I have overcome the world.”
That’s it! That’s the nugget we can hold on to, the life preserver in the midst of the ocean, the high ground in the midst of the flood. Jesus knows…He’s overcome the world. Peace of mind will never come to us in life if we base our peace of mind on world events and our own accomplishments. Peace of mind will only come when we base all we have on the overcoming power of Jesus Christ in our lives. He alone is our stronghold.
PRAYER: Father God. I’m in awe at the amount of relational, natural and political pain I see in this world. Somehow it’s a little easier to bear when I remember you warned us about all this. Empower me with your spirit to rest in the peace I can have in you. Protect me from worry and fear. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 