Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year OneНамуна

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near (Revelation 1:3).

Are you marked by God's favor?

Where were you on September 11, 2001? I was sitting in my office studying Revelation 1:1-3 to preach the following Sunday. How the words "for the time is near" leaped from the page on that fateful day. John gives the first of seven uses of this Greek term for "blessed," which means marked with God's favor. There exists a blessing to the individual who reads the Book of Revelation and those who employ its commands. Moreover, the apostle informs us that the prophecies of Revelation should be heeded with the added incentive "for the time is near," which conveys that they are within reach. John's expression shows that once the prophecies unfold, they will be enacted quickly.

Employment Point: Read, hear, and heed the Book of Revelation to be blessed.