Special Blessings

 Greetings to you all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,

     Revelation 1:3 says, “ Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”  

     There are times when I wonder just how many recipients of the email version of the devotional gets read by someone.  I do know that several primary names of the mailing list  have passed away but family members still use their email and so it gets read by more people than some of the others.  It  probably gets more coverage on Facebook than any other media form which is okay just  so it does get  read by someone.  Some things are important enough that you do need to read them such as recipes for complex meals and those instructions for little cabinets that come in a flat box.

     Harriet Grafton, the owner of Christian Book and Bible Store at Bailey’s Crossroads, VA was in the store one day and a customer came in and wanted a Bible that was “Red.”  Harriet replied, “Every Bible should be read.”  Yes, indeed, the Bible needs to be read by every person on earth which is one of the reasons that some mission groups are working diligently to bring the Bible to every tribe and nation upon the earth so that everyone can have a copy of God’s Word in their own language.  It is also interesting to notice that the Book of Revelation opens up with a special blessing for those that read it. The above verse has a three pronged message.  The blessing if for those that read it, those that hear it and those that keep it.  It goes on to give the reason, “For the time is at hand.”  Many people shy away from the Book of Revelation just saying that it is too difficult to understand and they are afraid of messing it up.  We should read it not once or twice but probably every month, or even every week.  It is the only prophetic book in the New Testament and has a much needed message for the people of the world today.  If you want to know what is going to take place, just look at the Book of Revelation as it gives you the details about the last days of planet earth.  I like the whole book, but especially chapters 2 and 3 and then chapters 4 and 5 which Handel used to write the “Messiah.”  I call those chapters the “Celestial Symphony”.  It begins with a theme, has several variations of the theme and finally a “coda” ending.  Then, of course, the description of the New City and heaven itself in the latter chapters.  I guess the whole book is really interesting and as with the Books of the Bible, is tied in with all of the teachings of both Old and New Testaments.  Don’t neglect the reading of this wonderful prophetic book.  Praise God for the fact that we know the ending of the story.