Series: The Radical Call of Jesus
Message: Radical Discipleship
Preacher: Japhet De Oliveira
Daily Walk: Japhet De Oliveira

Refresh: Open with prayer. Read or listen to Psalm 104:30–35.

Read:  Revelation 11:19–15:4 (NIV). As you read the New International Version, note 1–3 insights.

Reflect: Truth vs. Error. Right vs. Wrong. Authentic vs. Counterfeit. These are our options. The problem is that they are not always as crystal clear as they sound. Hence the struggle. Jesus wants to warn us and prepare us for the subtle ways that Satan will work, as what he ultimately desires and what the battle of radical discipleship is about is the question of who do we worship? To be a radical disciple of Jesus is to be in love with Jesus and to follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4). 
One heavy word of advice from Ranko Stefanovic on how to move forward:

Regarding this section of Revelation, a word of caution is necessary. So far, this book has discussed the prophecies that were fulfilled in the past. But from now on, this book will deal with the prophecies yet to be fulfilled. In these prophecies, God reveals to us what will happen at the time of the end, so we will not be surprised. However, these prophecies do not tell us how exactly the final events will take place. Jesus warns His followers: “Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe” (John 14:29; cf. 16:4). Therefore, it is important to be careful not to speculate beyond what the prophecy has revealed. The full understanding of the end-time prophecies will be ultimately possible at the time of their fulfillment, not before. Keep in mind that the purpose of Revelation’s prophecies is not to satisfy our curiosity about the future but to move us to readiness (Plain Revelation, p. 148).

As I pointed out on Monday, the Dragon has set up a counterfeit league, with one purpose: To have us worship it instead of God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In the weeks that follow, we will find out that this league also has its own counterfeit Three Angels Messages, (Revelation 16:13-14) and a counterfeit City (Revelation 17-18). It uses the same symbolic language attributed to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit for itself, playing with the language to show us how similar everything will be (see Revelation 13:4; 12:7; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 35:10 and Micah 7:18). At the end of chapter 13, the famous 666 appears. So much energy has been expended on assigning this to various people, organizations, systems etc., that perhaps we forget that the point of the text is to show that something is off. It is not 777; it is 666. It is just slightly—but significantly—off and it will cause people to side with Satan. It is something to watch out for, but it is not meant to be the focus of our lives. 

Recalibrate: ​​​Throughout your life, what tools have helped you distinguish truth from error?

Respond: Pray for the gift of discernment.

Research: Who do you understand the Sea Beast and the Earth Beast to be today?