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 December 7, 2025

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And He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who is thirsty I will give freely (without cost) from the spring of the water of life. Rev 21:6.

           Our God is the Greatest of all givers. In Jesus Christ He gave the greatest Gift that has ever been given to the human race. On account of the cross, the water of life is freely available to all who recognize their thirst (John 7:37-39). Sin, however, makes many of us deeply unwilling to accept the gifts of God. To receive a gift is to some degree lose control of our lives. This makes vulnerable people reluctant to accept gifts, even the great gifts of God.
           This human tendency was well illustrated in an email I received some time ago. A friend was recounting evangelistic experiences in the Philippines. He reported the following story.¹
           “During the first night of the campaign I noticed a young pre-teen girl that seemed grumpy. She was constantly out of sorts with the people around her. I bent down and simply asked what her name was. She seemed a little shocked but managed to blurt out ‘Sherry.’
           “From that moment on I made it a special mission to always greet and smile at Sherry whenever I met her. Sherry would react ambiguously by both smiling and running away. At times she would run behind where I was sitting and lightly touch me on the shoulder and then disappear into the crowd.
           “Sherry always wore a pin that kept her hair in a neat bun. Wanting to express my affection for her, I purchased another hair pin and gave it to Sherry. She put the pin on once but a few minutes later she reappeared with nothing in her hair. From that point on Sherry wore nothing in her hair when she came to the meetings. The message was quite clear. Nobody gets close to Sherry and she was going to show me just who was in control of the situation.
           “The last day of the meetings were coming up and I decided to take a risk and buy Sherry another present for her hair. This time it was a bright pink heart with a rubber band attached. I had the hair clip in a plastic bag and dropped it in her lap while she was sitting. Sherry acted a little startled and I walked away because I knew I had disturbed her comfort zone.
           “I didn’t see Sherry much the rest of the day. I thought perhaps I shouldn’t have risked giving her another gift. But as I was leaving, a hand reached out to faintly touch my elbow. There was my precious little Sherry, running away as usual, with a smile on her face and the bright pink tie I had given her that morning in her hair! A deep sense of peace and satisfaction filled my soul. Sherry had finally accepted the gift.”

           Lord, give me the courage to accept Your greatest Gift and allow Him to mold my life in whatever way You will.

¹ Email from Jim Park, November 2, 2003.