Devo June 19: John 5:16-30, Revelation 16:1-9

John 5:16-30
What's being said?  The Jews persecuted Jesus for healing the disabled man on Sabbath.  Jesus claimed that he was doing what God had sent him to do.  He said that whoever hears his word and believes God who sent Jesus has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

How is this related to me? The religious and social elites persecute Christians for channelling healing to broken people.  I as a follower of Jesus Christ is to follow what Jesus Christ has done.  I am hearing Jesus' Words and believes God who sent Jesus and have eternal life.

How to apply this TODAY?  God is telling me to bring channel healing by witnessing for God.  There are oppositions to the work of God.  I am going to pray and go to where God ask me to bring His words of comfort and encouragement to whom he asked.


Revelation 16:1-9
1Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go,
pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” 2The first angel went
and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the
people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. 3The second
angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead
man, and every living thin,g in the sea died. 4The third angel poured out his bowl
on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5Then I heard the
angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, you who are
and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; 6for they have shed
the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink
as they deserve.” 7And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true
and just are your judgments.” 8The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun,
and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9They were seared by
the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these
plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

Meditation
1. In this scene, the seven angels leave heaven to pour out their bowls
filled with God’s wrath. The seven bowls, similar to the seven trumpets,
are reminiscent of the judgments plagues in Egypt. This reinforces John’s
emphasis on worship because the ten plagues on the Egyptians not because
they were extraordinarily evil but for their determination to prevent Israel
from worshipping God.
2. It has been said, “The greatest evil that people of faith face from the outside
is the obstruction of worship. The greatest evil that they face from the
inside is the subversion of worship.” Can I identify some these forces in our
contemporary society? How should the church counteract these external
and internal forces?
3. Have I noticed such forces in me - either hindering my worship of God or
corrupt my sense of significance of worship? Have I ever hindered others
from worshipping God by my behaviours or attitudes? How do I need to
repent, and claim victory in Christ?