David CM Bell Leadership Blog

 Revelation 7 - Jesus’ Parable of the Farmers There's a lot to be said of a good farmer - that is who we are called to be.  Several questions are  posed and answered in chapters seven through eleven, but the first is crucial.  That is, to whom is God bringing the judgment that John sees?  And why is God bringing it?  Furthermore, who will not be harmed, but rather preserved through the tribulation (7:2-8).           Let’s step back for context and then move forward.  Every Christian knows that we are to never ever give up.  But don’t give up doing what, exactly?  As C.S. Lewis famously illustrated in Mere Christianity, if you find yourself on a wrong, dead, or dangerous road the wisest course of action is to turn around and get on the right one.  We know that each person will be judged according to what we do.  But how do we know just what we shall do?  The early church knew the answers to these ...

  Revelation 6 - God the Father, the Avenger and Defender We first aim to understand Scripture.  Through the Holy Spirit, we seek to apply Scripture to our lives to guide us and instruct us.  In that regard, Revelation is no different than Genesis or John. Christians know it is essential to remain in the Vine.  God prunes dead branches.  We are to abide in Christ.  The Apostle John tells us that the person who loves his brother abides in the Light.  Do not hate your brothers and sisters today.  Instead, love deeply and genuinely. (1 John 2:10-11).  The proof is in the pudding: they will know we are Christians by what we do, by how we love people (John 13:35). The Bible teaches us to be like our King Jesus.  We are not to emulate the world or the ruler of the world, Satan.  We shall never turn a blind eye to abuse or those oppressing others.  We are peacemakers - that means taking action against injustice.  The Devil ...

 Revelation 6 - Breaking Seals - Thy Will Be Done The whole point of the Bible is being prepared - abiding in Christ - so that at Jesus’ appearance, His final return to this earth we will have confidence (not shame) before God (1 John 2:28).  In this sixth chapter of Revelation we hear a familiar message.  That is, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over all the kingdoms of earth.  Christ is King.  He who created the heavens and the earth has the power and authority to govern, judge, protect, punish, and bless whomsoever He pleases (Isaiah 37:16). False teachers claim there are various ways to eternal life with God.  They claim God has various peoples and paths.  These modern-day prosperity preachers are quite confident they are especially anointed.  They are gluttons, hungry men with no end to their appetites.  They have no shame.  Venezuelan dictators have nothing on them.  Like Narcos, they lack nothing and don’t lose a wink ...

 Revelation 5 - The Lamb’s Men - A Kingdom of Priests Men, we are called to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision to gratify the lusts of the flesh” (Romans 13:14).  We “walk properly” and live above reproach because we are on a mission with God as He builds His Kingdom (His way and in His timing). God paid for our sins on the Cross for a reason.  We heard in Jesus’ message to the church in Thyatira that to all who hold tightly to faith in Christ and who persevere Jesus will give them authority over all the nations (Rev. 2:25-26).  And we hear the same thing in this marvelous chapter about the worthiness of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Lamb of God.           God’s people are called to godliness.  Proper living is at the core of who Christians are.  Kingly power and authority may only be delegated by a real King.  The Apostles, after experiencing the resurrected Son of God had no doubt of His power ...

 Revelation 4 - A Glimpse at God’s Throne           Today we often hear, “Christ is King,” and that’s true.  But what does it mean?  How does it impact our lives, now and for eternity?  If we had even a glimpse of heaven - God’s throne - we too would lay our crowns at Jesus’ feet and fear the LORD.  Fear of the LORD is the beginning of understanding.  In chapter four Jesus is showing John so that John in turn can write down what is revealed in the spiritual realm.  It’s a message to the church in the first century.  And it is a message to the church for all time.  It is a message on the one hand to remind us not to worry - we can be confident in Christ.  But it is also a stern warning that the spiritual battle is real and that we must not only have faith in Christ but put it into action as faithful servants of the King.           John was told that he must trust in the Father (t...

 Revelation 3:14-22 - The Church in Laodicea - Doors Wide Open God will, if we humbly and sincerely ask Him, give us ears to hear what He was and is saying to the churches.  But be prepared to put in some work.  You gotta be an active listener as they say.  We must know something about the history of Israel, Judah, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome (the more you study that history, you are richly rewarded; it is a marvelous joy and fascinating story - read not just the biblical passages but also historical books).  And we must listen through the word of God including, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea.   God will bless anyone with a heart open and reverently willing before Almighty God to hear. As growing Christians, we understand that our opinions and the teachings of man mean nothing if they are not congruent with the truth of the Risen King.  We must be careful what and who we stand for and what we believe.  Being part of God’s eter...

 Revelation 3:7-13 - The Church in Philadelphia - A Door Wide Open By the grace of God, Jesus tasted death for all people.  Now Jesus reigns from above - He is crowned with glory and honor because He is God and because of what He suffered on the Cross.  The Bible tells us that Jesus seeks today to bring each of us to salvation (Hebrews 2:9-10).  Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16).  We often say that but what does it mean in practice?  As the King warned and encouraged the Philadelphians so too He warns and encourages the Church today to be courageous and bold. There is a compelling passage in 2 Corinthians 6 where Paul explains vividly that we must not accept the marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.  But, objectively, how do we do today (speaking just to myself and my fellow Southern Baptists)?  Do we ignore it?  If we are honest we can see that some pressure people to “convert” with emotio...