“Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”‭‭Revelation‬ ‭8:6-7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/rev.8.6-7.esv

All, 
This stands out because John says, “And a third of the earth was burned up.” A third of the earth is disastrous. I can’t imagine the destruction that will happen during the time of Revelation. The Bible seems to indicate that people who trust Christ will be raptured up before this time so they will not live through Revelation. The world seems to be growing more chaotic everyday and people believing that “down is up and up is down”. Len Sykes likes to say, “the world is not falling apart, it’s falling into place.” Please pray that we and our friends have a true relationship with Jesus Christ today. Please pray for the men considering CLC. 
If you would like to read along with me as we finish the New Testament, today’s reading is Revelation 8. We will continue reading the rest of the NT and then start at the beginning after Revelation. 

“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.””‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5:2-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/rev.5.2-5.esv
All,
This stands out because the elder says, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered.” When things looks the worst, that’s when I truly realize who Jesus is. When everything is going smoothly, I think I can handle things and I begin to think that I actually am handing things in my power. It’s seems Jesus gives us glimpses of our powerlessness to remind us just who He is and what He has done for us. Please pray that we and our friends recall just who Jesus is and what He has done. Please pray for the men considering CLC. 

“the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.””‭‭Revelation‬ ‭4:10-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/rev.4.10-11.esv
All,
This stands out because John says, “the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever”. There is a lot of worshipping God in Heaven. Our past preacher Don Harp used to ask, “Why would a person who doesn’t worship God on earth want to be in Heaven?” I have also heard that Satan doesn’t care if you worship him, he just doesn’t want you to worship God. It seems that most people are tempted to worship themselves. Making themselves their own god. They get to disagree with God when convenient and also blame God when things on earth are not perfect. It’s a seemingly nice position to be in charge but not accountable, but its not real. Please pray that we and our friends spend time with the real God today and not be tempted to worship one we create. Please pray for the men considering CLC. 

“”And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”‭‭Revelation‬ ‭3:14-20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/rev.3.14-20.esv
All,
This stands out because John quotes Jesus as saying, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Everyone loves the word “love”, but few love the words “reprove, discipline, repent”. If God didn’t love us, he wouldn’t reprove us. Conversely, Satan would rather people live in sin and never repent and never know the peace that only God can give. Some in the world use “love your neighbor” as a excuse to let someone you love to live in sin without speaking the truth in love. Please pray that we and our friends speak the truth IN LOVE to our loved ones. Please pray for the men considering CLC. 

“”And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.”‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2:18-21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/rev.2.18-21.esv
All,
This stands out because John quotes Jesus as saying, “I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.” The church in Thyatira is commended for “your love and faith and service and patient endurance”, but they still have not repented for their toleration of sexual immorality. Sexual immorality is a huge issue in the Bible and seems to be the cause of so many problems now. Our society’s continual blind eye to sexual immorality has allowed us to fall further and further down a bad path. Porn damages lives, but yet is never discussed as a political issue. Sexual immorality breeds the sex trade industry that ruins lives every day and yet very little is spoken about it. Satan has done a good job of making a sex expected outside of marriage and then swepted under the rug when trying to cure basic problems. Please pray that we and our friends stop turning a blind eye to sexual immorality. Please pray for the women entrapped in sex trafficking.   

“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.””‭‭Revelation‬ ‭1:5-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/rev.1.5-8.esv
All,
This stands out because John says, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom”. Christ has freed us from our sins. We still sin, but He has given us the ability to not sin by relying on Him. He knows what abundant life is for us and He wants us to trust Him. Please pray that we and our friends trust Christ in every situation today. Please pray for the men considering CLC. 

“And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.”‭‭2 John‬ ‭1:5-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/2jn.1.5-8.esv
All,
This stands out because John describes a delicate balance here. He speaks of the commandment to love one another and, two verses later, warns of deceivers “who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh”. This speaks to the tension of loving our neighbor and using discernment in how we love them. If loving them is agreeing and condoning their behavior, then that seems impossible. However, we can love them and pray for them to know Christ without condoning their behavior. Please pray that we and our friends rely on the power of God today in all our relationships. Please pray for the men considering CLC. 

“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:1-3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/1jn.5.1-3.esv
All,
This stands out because John says, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God”. Believing that Jesus is the actual Son of God creates a desire to obey everything He says. It seems to be a different thing to “believe in” Christ as opposed to “believing” Christ. I can “believe in” Shakespeare, but “believing” him is an entirely different thing. Believing Christ lends to trusting and then to obeying. Please pray that we and our friends believe Christ today. Please pray for the men considering CLC. 

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”‭‭1 John‬ ‭4:18-21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/1jn.4.18-21.esv
All,
This stands out because John says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” What do we have to fear if God is in control? Things may not work out like we planned or we may get the bad side of a deal or we may have a thorn that God hasn’t taken away. Either way, since God is in control, we know He has a plan and we get to be a part of His plan. Even more so, when this life ends, we have eternity with God. God doesn’t wring His hands in anticipation of what will happen today as he has already seen today just as He has seen 1,000 years from now as clear as He sees 1,000 years ago. Please pray that we and our friends trust and have peace that God is in control. Please pray for the men considering CLC. 

“And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.”‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/1jn.3.23-24.esv
All,
This stands out because John says, “And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” The Holy Spirit enables us and empowers is to be a part of God’s will. I rely a great deal on the Holy Spirit to illuminate certain verses each day to write this commentary. Often times, the words of the commentary will come to my mind as its being written. There is a lot of peace that comes from “Trusting God, abiding in the Son and walking by the Holy Spirit”(Ken Boa). Please pray that we and our friends continually put our hope in Jesus today and abide in Him. Please pray for our Christian leaders.