Brian J. Buriff
Do you want to get in the Revelation without getting stuck? John promises that all who read and keep what is written in the Patmos posts will be blessed. However, instead of feeling blessed, many feel bamboozled.
Revelations To Go! is for everyone who wants simple, easy-to-read, real-time, real life, practical meditations from the Revelation. It’s for the novice, not the know-it-all. Don’t expect charts, graphs, or apocalyptic formulations. When it comes to the Revelation, some literalize it, and others spiritualize it. Here, you can personalize it.
While this approach is casual, it is certainly not careless. All due respect is presumed to the Holy Writ. At the same time, due respect and grace are finally reciprocated back to those who in the past have felt like holy dimwits. Herein, you’ll find relevant nuggets of practical truth that will bless--not bewilder--you. Revelations To Go! is a relevant, real-to-life reconnection with the last book of the Bible.
So come, take your shoes off by the water of life and drink freely. Relax. There’s no pressure here. Start wherever you like--even in the middle or at the end. You will not feel left behind. Each meditation takes just a few minutes, not a millennium, so you can get in it, get out of it, and get on with your busy day!
Brian J. Buriff is a pastor at the Winton Road First Church of God in Fairfield, OH. He received his B.A. degree from Anderson University and both his M.A. degree in Pastoral Counseling and his Master of Divinity from Luther Rice Seminary.
His first book, "Serenity For The Soul" is a 365 day—through the year, through the Bible devotional guide. Brian and his wife Amber have two sons.
According to the author, "there is a way to teach on the Revelation without putting people through the tribulation." For anyone who has ever felt frustrated when it comes to understanding the Revelation, the author hopes that they’ll "find this book to be a refreshing and relevant real-to-life reconnection."
You Gotta Believe
Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book — Revelation 22:7 n 1942, Cardinals General Manager Branch Rickey dismissed Larry Berra as a ballplayer who would "never make anything more than a Triple A ballplayer at best." That ballplayer, once dismissed as a loser, later became a fifteen-time All Star, playing in fourteen World Series. He later became one of the few managers to have ever won pennants in both the American and National Leagues.
Yogi (Larry) Berra learned how to overcome and win against all odds. In the final month of the 1973 season, Yogi brought the Mets from last place to win the National League pennant. His willingness to defy the odds and embolden his players by saying, "You gotta believe" and "It ain’t over ‘til it’s over" drove the Mets to their championship
On the island of Patmos, John was the same sort of encourager. There, John stared persecution and impossibility in the face. When John says, "Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy," he is admonishing the first-century church, as well as the 21st-century church, to hang on and believe against the odds. Indeed, "It ain’t over ‘til it’s over."
Our final hope is in Him who has said, "Behold, I come quickly." Just when everything looks its worst, Jesus will come in clouds with a shout! Then we shall see all that John beheld in Heaven’s throne room. We, too, shall see the Lamb of God, unveiled, in all of heaven’s raw glory.
If your life is a wreck, hold on—it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. If you feel like you’re in the bottom of life’s ninth inning with two outs and the count is against you, hold on—it ain’t over ‘til it’s over. When life disappoints and leaves you disillusioned, this one thing you must never forget—Jesus is quickly. Against all odds, with all your heart, you gotta believe!
