As Proverbs 10:11 tells us, “From a wicked heart the mouth wreaks violence and death.” The quality of your words depends on the quality of your heart. That’s because your words come out of your heart. If you want your words to do good, then you have to ensure that the source is good.

In the 1970s a professor by the name of Albert Mehrabian proposed his famous 7-38-55 rule of communication. When we communicate our likes and dislikes, the listener’s acceptance of our communication will depend 7 percent on our words, 38 percent on our tone of voice, and 55 percent on our facial expressions and body language.
If I say, “I love pickled herring,” and my voice is slow and monotone and my face looks like a pickled herring, then, despite my words, you won’t put pickled herring out on the table next time we have breakfast together—unless you have a mischievous streak. And if I hear you tell me that you “have no problem with me” with an upbeat voice, but your arms are crossed and you are making overly intense eye contact, then I won’t be convinced.
Texting is less demanding than face-to-face communication. 
This means that face-to-face communication is costly, because I know that you are weighing not just my words but also the tone of my voice and my body language. I am going to get an immediate—possibly uncomfortable—response from you. Is this why we prefer less demanding forms of communication? Like a phone call—or even a text?
On the flip side, with face-to-face communication there is far less room for misunderstanding. Even if I don’t get my words exactly right, my tone of voice and expressions will fill in the gap, clarify, or even correct my inadequate or poorly chosen words. Then again, maybe I don’t want you to hear my tone of voice or to see my body language. Perhaps it would say too much…
Texting is especially open to causing misunderstanding. 
So although communicating by telephone may be less costly—because you are not seeing and weighing my expressions—it is also more open to misunderstanding. And communicating by email or text is the least costly form of communication: I don’t have to open up my expressions or even my tone of voice to your scrutiny. But I am now 93 percent open to being misunderstood. You have only my bare words, unqualified, unenhanced, and uncorrected by my non-verbal communication.
Now how is this going to work out in a society that is increasingly isolationist and wary of face-to-face contact and where even phoning someone is becoming rare? Research shows that phone apps are only the fifth most used app on smartphones, and I am told that Millennials dislike being called and prefer only text. In fact, they consider it a little rude to be called without prior warning via text!
The LORD has something to say about speaking in the book of Proverbs. His words, written some three thousand years ago, still apply whether we are speaking, writing letters, writing emails or texts, or posting on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
The Bible has a lot to say about the power of speech. 
First, consider the Bible’s teaching on the power of speech.
And God said, “Light be.”And light was (Gen 1:3).
When God speaks, light and galaxies and teaming life burst into existence. His words are that powerful. And a word from Jesus could kill a fig tree, calm a storm, and raise a rotting corpse to life.
And our words, like those of our heavenly Father whose image we bear, have power to them. They can’t create ex nihilo, but they can build up and tear down. They can create and destroy. They can bring a torrent of good or evil. James tells us that just as a tiny spark can set ablaze a great forest, so too can the tongue set the whole course of a person’s life on fire.
Our words can do tremendous good or harm.
Very powerful things can do tremendous good or tremendous harm, and so they need to be tamed and controlled and directed in the right way. Proverbs addresses the tongue in the same way it addresses everything, by looking first at the heart.
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked” (Prov. 10:11).
“When a person has a righteous heart, then their mouth is a “fountain of life.” Their words transform what is saline and dead into something fresh and teaming with life. This makes me think of Ezekiel’s river, flowing east out of God’s Temple, and raising abundant life wherever it goes:
And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing” (Ezek. 47:12).
If you want your words to do good, then you have to ensure that the source is good.
Yet, as Proverbs 10:11 tells us, from a wicked heart the mouth wreaks violence and death. The quality of your words depends on the quality of your heart. That’s because your words come out of your heart. If you want your words to do good, then you have to ensure that the source is good. That’s why Jesus said to the Pharisees,
“You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him” (Matt. 12:34-35).
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For far too long, the Church has been standing around like a gaggle of state-paid road workers, watching one or two men wield a shovel. We have been far too docile and lethargic and have spent too much time trying to stay out of everyone’s way. This needs to stop.

As the murky shadow of evil grew like kudzu in the forrests of Mirkwood, Gandalf passionately addressed the white council. His suggestion was to swiftly attack the rising dark Lord Sauron while he could still be easily defeated. Yet, his guidance was rejected because a nefarious little fox named Saruman had worked his way into Middle Earth’s hen house. Had the council banded together under Gandalf’s advice, the entire saga of the Lord of the Rings would have never occurred, at least not with such panache. And while the books and movies are markedly better due to the treachery of Saruman, we can see the simplest of points: doing nothing in the face of rising evil almost always makes things worse.
This brings us to the very heart and center of Biblical eschatology. While Mordor’s shadow darkens daily across the waning empire of America, our goal mustn’t be to hide all knobby kneed in an evangelical version of Helm’s Deep. We must not bury our heads like a herd of ostriches, wet our pants like terrified turtles, or blend in like chameleons until the danger has subsided. As the end draws near, no matter how long that drawing draws on, we are called to take up our weapons of warfare and do four things as we wait on our savior to return.
These four things show up in today’s passage that we will examine below.

Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his Master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his Master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, “My master is not coming for a long time,” and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the Master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.—Matthew 24:45-51

Be Faithful Where You Are
No matter your eschatological position, these words could not be any clearer. Instead of wasting our time trying to identify the next candidate for Antichrist, or which shade of red the next blood moon will be, or living in total ignorance as if eschatology doesn’t matter, we are called to be faithful. Scripture tells us not to look back while we are plowing (Luke 9:62) and not to look up while we are supposed to be working (Acts 1:11). Instead, we are to look forward with hope as we labor faithfully wherever we are at.
And where are we? We are in the household of the King of kings and Lord of lords (Matthew 28:18). He is the one who purchased this down-and-out dilapidated mess called earth with His most precious and holy blood. All of it now belongs to Him! And through His Church, whom He left with the renovation plans, we’ve been tasked with reshaping everything to His vision.
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Written by Joel R. Beeke, Paul M. Smalley |
Thursday, June 20, 2024
Revelation prepares believers to walk with Christ through tribulation. Acknowledge that we live in the last days because Christ has accomplished redemption, and trust that the exalted Lamb is executing God’s decree and leading the church through its eschatological woes to reach the kingdom.

The book of Revelation says much concerning Christ’s coming, judgment day, and the glories to follow. Here we look at seven lessons that exemplify how this often-neglected part of the Bible is theological (God-centered), eschatological (focused on future hope), and practical (aimed at godliness).
First, Revelation teaches us about God’s sovereignty.1 The book announces the “kingdom” (basileia) or “reign” (basileuō) of God.2 The Greek word translated as “throne” or “seat” (thronos) appears about four dozen times in Revelation, far more than in any other book in the Bible.3 Evil powers sit on thrones as they claim sovereignty and use their strength to propagate sin. Satan’s throne on earth threatens the church with martyrdom (Rev. 2:13), and he empowers the wicked rulers of mankind (13:2). But the throne that dominates Revelation is the throne of God, who is called simply the One who sits on the throne.4 John’s vision of the omnipotent Lord surrounded by worshipers shows that “God’s throne is the ultimate reality behind all earthly appearances,” revealing “the theocentric nature of all reality, which exists ultimately to glorify God,” as Bauckham says.5 Satan’s forces have limited power granted to them by God (9:1, 4–5), and even in their rebellion they do his sovereign will (17:17). God is also sovereign in judgment to punish his enemies in his wrath (6:16) and overthrow the throne of evil (16:10). He is the Judge of all mankind, living and dead, who summons them before his throne to give an account for their works (20:11–12). G. K. Beale comments, “The trials of the believers, the apparent triumph of the forces of the enemy, the eventual destruction of the latter, and the victory of the church are all under the sovereign control of God.”6
Therefore, do not allow the “thrones” of this world to distract you from the One who alone is worthy of your worship. Revelation summons you to join with the saints and angels in singing to God, “Thou art worthy” (Rev. 4:11; 5:9). Here is the only Lord who deserves to receive all glory, honor, and praise. Give it wholeheartedly to him alone. The worship of God is the business of heaven even now, and the coming day of the Lord will prompt a “Hallelujah Chorus” like none the world has ever heard (19:1–6). Let us begin this sacred work now.
Second, Revelation teaches us about Christ, the Lamb of God. At the center of Revelation stands the Lord Jesus Christ as the Mediator of salvation and judgment from the enthroned God. Revelation adorns Christ with many titles and symbols of majesty (especially chaps. 1 and 19), but he is preeminently the “Lamb” (twenty-seven times). This image of his priestly self-sacrifice (Rev. 5:6) grounds salvation in Christ’s redeeming death for our sins (“blood,” 1:5; 5:9; 7:14; 12:11). Christ is the eschatological fulfillment of all the ancient types of sacrificial lambs and other beasts offered for men’s sins. His violent death like that of a lamb fulfilled God’s eternal decree of salvation for his elect people (13:8; 21:27). He is betrothed to them, and they await the wedding and marriage feast of the Lamb (19:7, 9; 21:9). The term Lamb is associated not just with Christ’s death, but also with his victory, power, and glory—yes, even his wrath.7 Over a quarter of the references to the Lamb (seven) appear in the new Jerusalem, where he is the church’s husband, temple, light, King, fountain of life, and blessed vision of glory.8
Therefore, put your trust and hope in Christ alone for salvation and eternal bliss. Humble yourself before him as the only Savior and cast away all confidence in your good works or the religious systems of men to save you. Marvel at his love, that he would die for sinners and gladly take them to himself as his spiritual bride forever. Meditate often on the glory of the Lamb as he is enthroned in heaven and will one day appear in the skies. Rely upon him for daily grace.
Third, Revelation teaches us about God’s decree for the last days. The visions of Revelation develop from the progressive opening of a “book” (biblion, eight times in Rev. 5:1–9) or perhaps a “scroll” (ESV).9 This document first appears “in the right hand of him that sat on the throne” (v. 1), and it seems to symbolize his will for his creation (4:11), especially its intended destiny that is not yet realized (hence, the book is sealed).10 Only Christ can break the seals and open the book, because he has overcome and is worthy due to his redeeming death (5:2–10). Beale says, “The book is thus best understood as containing God’s plan of judgment and redemption, which has been set in motion by Christ’s death and resurrection but has yet to be completed.”11
Christ the Lamb opens the seals (Rev. 6:1, etc.), launching the last days—the present era—under the mediatorial authority granted him by the Father (Matt. 11:27; 28:18; Rev. 3:7).12
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