​     Greetings! Thanks for joining me for the second and last online Learning Together story lesson of this month and of this 2023-2024 year.
     Our story is “A Dream of Heaven” and is located on pages 342-351 of The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones. Our focus today will be about the life of John the Disciple who wrote the book of Revelation, as shown in the painting below. 

     Children: Read the story, either silently to yourself or out loud.  Remember to check out the pictures. Pictures tell us so much about the story events.
     John the Disciple is also called John the Apostle. An apostle is another name for a disciple or helper of Jesus.
     He was born about 6 AD (6 years after Jesus was born) the son of Salome and Zebedee, a successful fisherman. Together with his sons, James and John, and other hired men, Zebedee fished on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
     John and his older brother James were followers of John the Baptist when Jesus called the two to follow Him, which they did, immediately leaving everything. The two were close to Jesus throughout His life.
     John had been asked by Jesus as He was on the cross to take care of His mother after He died. When Mary died, John travelled to Asia Minor, preaching the Good News and living mainly in Ephesus, an ancient port city in modern-day Turkey. 
     He was arrested for preaching about Jesus and was taken to Rome where Christians were being persecuted by Roman Emperor Domitian. He was then jailed at Patmos, a Greek island, about 91-96 A.D. It was there he wrote Revelation. On the death of Domitian, he returned to Ephesus and continued his work in Asia. It is believed that he died at Ephesus sometime after AD 98. He was well over ninety years old.
     Questions? Comments? Use this blog to contact Pastor Steve and he will respond.
     Adults: The Biblical references for this story are Revelation 1, 5, 21, and 22.
     For general information about the life of John the Apostle, please read the Children’s section above. I would like to share some additional things about John that I found interesting in my online research.
1. John was also called John the Evangelist and John of Patmos.
2. John is known as the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” (John 13:23) John was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and was present for some of the critical moments of Jesus’ time on earth – witnessing the Transfiguration and the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and accompanying Jesus the night before His crucifixion in the garden of Gethsemane. He was also the only disciple to be present at Jesus’ crucifixion. During the Last Supper, John is described as having his head resting on Jesus, in a posture customary of the Eastern dining tradition and indicative of their close friendship.

​3. John and his brother James were the only people to receive nicknames from Jesus. John and his brother James’ fiery evangelical zeal and extreme reactions inspired Jesus to – rather humorously – dub them “the Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). When Jesus set out for Jerusalem and the Samaritans refused to receive him on his journey, James and John were incensed. “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?” they asked. In both instances, Jesus rebuked them for their extreme reactions and unnecessary hostility.
4. In Galatians, Paul refers to John as one of the “pillars” of the church in Jerusalem. It is thus believed that John was present in Jerusalem for the apostolic council of Jerusalem (Acts 15).
5. Throughout his Gospel account and epistles, John emphasizes the significance of love. In John’s telling of the Last Supper, Jesus’ final lesson centers on love: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.” – John 15:9-12
6. John’s Gospel includes numerous minor details that are not seen in other Gospel accounts. For instance, he gives the names of minor characters like the high priest’s father-in-law and the slave whose ear was severed at Jesus’ betrayal (John 18:13; 18:10). John’s Gospel also stresses the role of the Holy Spirit, mentioning that the Holy Spirit is promised by Jesus (7:37-39; 14:16-17), shows truth (16:13), and enables believers to continue the work of Jesus (14:16), among other things.
7. It is generally believed that John was the last surviving apostle. He also was the only apostle believed to die of natural causes. The other apostles died as martyrs, except for Judas, who took his own life.
~This Week’s Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray I will be inspired in faith by John to have his heart of love. Amen
     Sunday School will gather one more time before the summer months next week on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 11 am-12 pm right after church services.  There will be a snack, story reading and discussion, and a fun craft. All are welcome!
 Have a safe, fun summer,
Margo Greer

​     Hello once more and thanks for joining me for May’s online Learning Together lesson one. May is the last month until September for Learning Together lessons and Sunday School gatherings
     There will be only two lessons in May rather than three, and Sunday School will meet on May 19, 2024, a week earlier than usual to avoid the big Memorial Day weekend.
     Our May story is entitled “A Dream of Heaven” and is found on pages 342-351 of The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones. You and your family are invited to listen and read and create and pray around this selection.
     Children: As usual, I now ask you, and any family member you invite, to settle in comfortably and listen to “A Dream of Heaven” being read aloud to you. You could close your eyes and imagine the scenes being described.
     There are 66 books in the Bible. The book of Revelation is the last one and is a special message recorded by the disciple John, one of Jesus’ closest helpers (disciples).
     The definition of the word ‘revelation’ is the telling of a surprisingly and previously unknown fact. For example, it would be a revelation if I told you I am really a frog! Which, of course, I am not, but wouldn’t that be an unexpected big surprise?
     Jesus told His revelation by giving John a vision, a dream while he was awake, and told John what to write. First, John wanted his audience to know that this wasn’t his letter. Its real author was Jesus. John was more like a scribe, writing down what he saw and what Jesus told him to share with others. Jesus wanted everyone to realize what God wants us, His people, to know about what happens next, now that Jesus is back in heaven. Three of these revelations follow:
     1. The first revelation is that God sees us. He sees how we worship, the things we care about, and how we take care of one another. He wants us to live in a way that honors Him and follows His instructions. Jesus promises some awesome things to those who believe in Him - Our names forever in the book of life, our names confessed before God and angels, and to sit on Jesus’s throne with Him, among other things.
     2. Secondly, Jesus revealed that we all get to choose whose side we’re on, the sinful world’s or Jesus’ message! There is but one side we want to be on at the end of the world … Jesus’ side. It’s like going into the Super Bowl and getting to choose which team you’re on, except you already know who’s going to win. When we follow Jesus, we are choosing the winning side.
     3. Lastly, Jesus is returning, and we want to be ready. There’s a natural curiosity in all of us—kids and adults alike—to know if this world’s going to end and how it’s going to end. A lot of us would also like to know when it’s going to end. For many centuries, people have looked to the book of Revelation to find these answers, but this book does not give a clear, step-by-step version of the end of the world. It doesn’t tell us when or how it’s all going to go down. But, like all of God’s Word, it tells us what we need to know
     Jesus is coming back! That’s the great big good news of Revelation. He’s coming back, and He will set all things straight. No more crying or fear, no more injustice or conflict, no more sickness or death. Heaven will be beautiful!
     This greatest of all invitations to heaven comes from Jesus, who says, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20)
     Adults: The biblical references for this story are Revelations 1, 5, 21, and 22.
     The Revelation of John is the one book in the New Testament that claims John as its author. By the time the writings that are now included in the New Testament were assembled in their present form, three letters and one gospel were also attributed to John.
     At the beginning of Revelation, John tells us that while he was on the Isle of Patmos, where he was banished because of his religious faith, he heard a loud voice telling him to write what he saw and then to send the writing to the seven churches in Asia. The purpose of the book was to strengthen the faith of the members of these churches by giving to them the assurance that deliverance from the evil powers arrayed against them was close at hand.
     The Book of Revelation often has been regarded as a mysterious book, quite beyond the comprehension of the average lay reader. Its many references to angelic beings, its elaborate description of Christ as he appears in the heavenly courts, its use of such mystic numbers as three, seven, twelve, and their multiples, the accounts of strange beasts, symbolic names, and definite time periods — all suggest some hidden and esoteric meaning that supposedly can be detected only by an expert.
     For these reasons, many people have ignored the book, feeling that any attempt to understand it is futile. Other people have taken an opposite attitude and have found in this book what they believe to be predictions of whole series of events, many of which have already occurred and the remainder of which are about to take place in the near future. The basis for these views, many of which sound strange and fantastic, is found in the elaborate symbolism used in the book. The use of symbols has an important place in religious literature, for there is no other way in which a person can talk or even think about that which is beyond the realm of finite human experience.
     The unique feature about Revelation is the particular occasion that caused it to be written. Toward the end of the first century of the Christian era, the attitude of the Roman government toward Christianity became especially hostile. Nero, the Roman emperor, charged that Christians were to blame for the burning of Rome. Although the charge was false, it was sufficient to cause many people to regard the new Christian movement with suspicion. Jews and Romans alike resented the fact that Christians condemned so many of the things they were doing, and they especially disliked the belief on the part of Christians that their religion was superior to the older faiths that had been honored for centuries. The Christians often held their meetings in secret places, and their critics imagined that they were doing all sorts of evil things. It was easy to circulate rumors of this kind, and along with other things, Christians were charged with plotting against the Roman government. As the opposition to Christianity became more intense, the followers of the new movement were asked to prove their loyalty to the Roman government by denouncing Christ and by worshipping the statue of the emperor. When they refused to do this, they were tortured and even put to death.
     Under these conditions, the Revelation of John was written. It would be difficult to imagine anything more appropriate for the members of Christian churches at that time. They needed encouragement and the assurance that their trials would soon be over, that the evil powers of the earth would be destroyed, and that the triumph of righteousness would be established in the world. The message of Revelation was intended for this particular time and set of circumstances. Christians familiar with the older apocalyptic writings would understand the book's symbolism, for practically everything John said to his contemporaries was said before to people who suffered under similar circumstances. It is a mistake to suppose that John was predicting events that would take place in the later centuries of Christian history. Writing to the people of his own day about events that would happen while they were still living, he states that Christ will return while those who put him to death on the cross are still living. The permanent significance of Revelation lies in the author's conviction that right will ultimately triumph over evil.
~This Week’s Prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe in you and your love, and I want to be with you in heaven! Amen
     You are invited to join me in our second and final online May Learning Together lesson next week when we learn more about the life of Disciple John.
     Sunday School will be held after church services at 11 am - 12 pm on May 19, 2024, for a snack, story reading and discussion, and a fun craft. Hoping to see you!
Sincerely,
Margo Greer