Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings. – Revelation 10:11

Today's Scripture Reading (July 20, 2024): Revelation 10

Outside my office door is a group practicing for their Sunday service. I don't speak their language, so I often don't understand what they are singing. Sometimes, I might recognize the tune of the song and then make a guess at what they are saying. There have been times when I realized that they are actually singing in heavily accented English, but even then, I sometimes can't puzzle out the lyrics. Part of my problem is that I don't deal well with accents, regardless of where we are. But that is my problem, not theirs.

The people singing outside my office are my friends. I know many of them by name and am happy when I see them. However, they also prove that the mission field has come home. It wasn't that long ago when the only time you could hear the sounds I hear every week was to take a trip to Africa or catch a traveling African group in North America.

But now, I get to listen to the sounds almost every week. It is a gentle reminder that the Gospel message is for everyone, including my friends from different cultures. It is also a reminder that the nations and languages of the world have made their home where I live.

John sees an angel with a book, and he takes the book and eats it. The book is both sweet and bitter. Whatever is in the book has positive and negative effects on the reader. We have no idea about the specifics found in the book, except that it was intended for everyone. The message wasn't just for a particular group of people, and it wasn't directed just at the church. It was a message everyone needed to hear, so John had to internalize it and then go and tell everyone.

The message hasn't changed. Whatever it is that God is telling the church, it is not enough that the church knows. In fact, I suspect that if God's message is the least bit revolutionary, the church won't listen. But the world needs to know. And today, we don't have to travel far to find the world. Men and women of various cultures, from many countries, and speaking different languages are all around us. We don't have to go to them; they have come to us.

So tell them, if nothing else, that God loves them and that the one who created them wants to be their God and call them his people.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 11