Reflexion, A Spiritual Community Chuck Smith, Jr

I’m going to begin with a quote by St. AugustineIn The City of God he traces two cities through world historyAugustine, “Accordingly, two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly [city] by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly [city] by the love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former, in a word, glories in itself, the latter in the Lord.”- John, the visionary, identifies the heavenly city as Jerusalem and the earthly city Babylon• Babylon is feat...

A few years ago, Barry Liesch, a professor at Biola-Talbot University,- wrote an article on worship in the book of Revelation• he suggested that by using its examples of form, content, and splendor,◦ we might enjoy a more meaningful, intense, and richer worship experience• worship here on earth is already a participation in heaven’s worship◦ our prayers are mixed with the incense that burns in heaven (Rev. 8:3)- it will not always be a feel-good worship (that’s for sure!)• but it would ...

I’ve been feeling that talking about the book of RevelationIs like trying to practice dream interpretation - how do I make sense out of all these foreign signs and symbols?- of course, the bigger question is: what is God’s Spirit trying to communicate to us?

I think most anyone reading Revelation sees that it takes a turn in chapter 13What stays the same: the dragon (Satan) is still here- at least at the start – and he’s continuing his fight against GodWhat changes: the dragon, after being defeated three times in the previous chapter- now scores a significant victory- also, prior to this, his battle has been in the religion arena• he tried to sabotage the life and ministry of Jesus• but now he changes the battlefield and his strategy

Yesterday Barb asked me, “Are you still in Revelation?”In answered with a weary, “Yes”She said, “Oh.” then added, “You’ll probably be in Revelation till the end of the world”One of the challenges of this mystical book is distraction- the shifting scenes, outrageous creatures, and sudden surprises pull my thoughts in different directions• if I blink, my mind turns a corner and I’m on the wrong street- John has left us with more than a book of visions• Revelation is a rich resource for our spir...

We have arrived at the heart of Revelation Not only the middle of the book, but its central message- I’m going to take you backstage and show you my work room• the Bible is many books and among them, different writing styles◦ there are books of history (written more or less like storytelling), poetry, legal codes, prophetic writings, wise sayings, and letters◦ each literary style has its own form, rules, and devices, and that style determines how it is to be read and interpreted• f...