Hello! I am Jon Paulien and I’m glad you came to this page to check out my work. I am a New Testament scholar and Professor of Religion at Loma Linda University. On this website you will find a collection of my articles, commentary on Revelation, and links to my blog, videos, and other resources. Make sure you check the articles link above regularly to see the latest postings. In my hand above is an exact replica of p52, the earliest extant New Testament manuscript fragment, containing portions of John, chapter 18. Centered above my head is a replica of ancient Greek pottery. At either end above are two sets of books from, and about, my favorite spiritual author, Ellen G. White. I hope you enjoy the site.

Daily Devotional For September 8, 2026

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Here is the patience of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Rev 14:12.

           In his book Pure Desire,¹ Ted Roberts defines the Greek word for patience as “integrity in the midst of personal pain.” It is one thing to maintain integrity when things are going well. It’s another thing to do so in the context of personal pain or opposition. Integrity is about being who you really are, even when no one’s looking or when the consequences are severe. Integrity is the opposite of image. Integrity is about being consistent and being real no matter the outward circumstances.
           Integrity is often lost in the little things. A man says, “I love my wife,” and then flirts with the girls at work. A woman acts like a saint at church, but flies into a rage at the kids when she gets home. A husband’s primary goal should not be respect on the job or with his friends, but respect from those who know him best. It takes a lot of integrity for a man to retain his family’s respect year after year.
           Like the saints of Rev 14:12, integrity happens when we keep ourselves constantly aware of God’s kingdom and His presence. “Who will know if I do this?” Joseph knew the answer to that. God will know. But when we lose that sense of God’s presence, little impurities come into our lives and integrity is compromised. And without integrity disaster is just around the corner.
           In 1912 the Titanic sailed for America from England. A new method of construction led its builders to declare it unsinkable. But when it struck an iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic, it took only a couple of hours for the ship to sink and take more than 1000 passengers into the depths with it.
           For years people wondered, “Why did the ship go down so rapidly?” How could the unsinkable ship have sunk so quickly? Answers to these questions finally came when searchers discovered the wreckage at the bottom of the ocean. They were able to recover some of the steel plating from the hull, along with the rivets that had held the steel plates together. Analysis of those objects indicated that the steel of which they were made contained a high level of impurities. This made the hull and the rivets much weaker than they should have been. And in the icy waters of the Atlantic, the metal became brittle. The small impurities in the steel compromised the integrity of the ship and resulted in disaster.
           When God’s saints pass through the icebergs of the End-time, they will have an integrity that is not shaken by opposition or even personal pain.

           Lord Jesus, You endured the cross for me because You had Your eye on the big picture (Heb 12:2). Keep my eyes on You when I’m tempted to let the little things slip.

¹ Ted Roberts, Pure Desire (Regal Books, 1999), 188-192.