Revelation 7:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

I was thinking back on my high school days recently. I went to a big enough school that you just couldn’t know everyone. But most people sort of found their group. There were band kids, choir kids, theater kids, ag kids, jocks, etc. There wasn’t a lot of intersection.

But in God’s kingdom, it is not that way! John had a vision and he saw an unimaginably large number of people. All kinds of people! Christianity is certainly not an American religion. It’s in no way a white man’s religion. It’s not exclusively for the rich. Jesus calls all men and women to Himself. His is a ‘whosoever will’ call.

Sometimes Christianity is criticized because it is ‘exclusive.’ But it is inherently inclusive. All - all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues - are invited! Jesus died to pay a debt He did not owe. He died for us, who owed a debt we could not pay. Before we come to Jesus we try to make ourselves better. We labor at ‘balancing the scales of justice’ trying to do more good things than bad. That is not only impossible but exceedingly tiring! Only Jesus can do that.

All sorts of people will surround the throne of Jesus some day. Until then, we who follow Him keep repeating Jesus’ call to all who will hear - “Come unto Me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

Blessings,

Pastor Russ