Reading Through the New Testament in 2009

DAY #365: Revelation 22:1-21

2009-12-31T05:22:00.000-08:00

In this last devotional reading for the year, it is fitting that we hear from from Jesus himself words of assurance: “Look, I am coming soon!” The word “soon” (taxu) means that his coming will be quick and without delay. It may not be “soon” according to human timing (after all, John wrote this two thousand years ago), but it is certain to occur; it is imminent. Jesus clearly told his followers, “So be prepared, because you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected” (Matthew 24:42, 44).

Once again overwhelmed, John wrote that he fell down to worship the angel who had given him the inspired glimpse of the future. But again (as at 19:10), the angel prohibited John’s worship, telling him to worship God. God alone is worthy of worship and adoration. He is above all creation, even the angels.

The angel told John what to do after his vision had ended. Instead of sealing up what he had written, as Daniel had been commanded to do (Daniel 12:4-12), John was told, “Do not seal up the prophetic words you have written, for the time is near.” John’s prophecy was to be left open so that all could read and understand.

This message was needed immediately by the churches of John’s day, as well as believers across the years until Christ’s return. Daniel’s message had been sealed because it was not a message for Daniel’s time. But the book of Revelation was a message for John’s time and is relevant today. As Christ’s return approaches, there is an increased polarization between God’s followers and Satan’s followers. We must read the book of Revelation, hear its message, and be prepared for Christ’s certain return.

When Christ returns,He will bring a reward that would be given to his people, according to their deeds. The believer’s true reward is God’s presence and power through the Holy Spirit. Later, in eternity, believers will be rewarded for their faith and service. No act of mercy will be forgotten; no true believer will be abandoned.

Although all God’s people will be saved and will enjoy the reward of eternity with him, a number of rewards seem to be given to individuals, according to what they have done. God will look at each individual’s heart; thus, it may be that a quiet saint praying daily beside her bed will receive even greater reward than a flamboyant, well-known preacher. It may be that the woman who used her gifts to the fullest extent will be rewarded more greatly than the one who believed but was too afraid to reach her potential. God will not bestow his rewards in ways that we humans might. Each believer’s job is to serve God to his or her fullest potential with a heart that is right with him.

Next, Christ repeated the words he had spoken at the beginning of the Revelation: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”. The Creator began and will end time itself.

This passage includes the seventh and final beatitude in Revelation (the others were in 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7): Blessed are those who wash their robes. This picture symbolizes those who seek to purify themselves from a sinful way of life. These people had been dirty with sin, but Christ had cleansed them through his death on the cross. They had accepted his salvation by “washing their robes.”

This passage is also a call to the believers to strive daily to remain faithful and ready for Christ’s return. They do not need to be saved over and over; but they should continue to “wash their robes” and so remain clean and ready.

Those who do so can enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Entering the city indicates joining the redeemed people in eternity. In Eden, Adam and Eve had been barred from any access to the tree of life because of their sin (Genesis 3:22-24). In the new earth, God’s people will eat from the tree of life because their sins have been removed by Christ’s death and resurrection. Those who eat the fruit of this tree will live forever.

Verse 14 describes those who will live in the Kingdom of God for eternity; those who cannot be there are described in verse 15. They are characterized as dogs—a term used in Scripture for something impure or unclean. The emphasis is that nothing evil and no sinner will be in God’s presence to corrupt or harm any of the faithful.

Jesus again spoke, describing himself as the ultimate fulfillment of everything that had been promised. Christ had sent his angel to show John all that would come to pass, so that the message could be given to the churches.

Jesus is both David’s source and the heir to his throne. As the Creator of all, he existed long before David. As a human, however, Jesus was one of David’s direct descendants (Isaiah 11:1-5; Matthew 1:1-17). As the Messiah, he is the bright morning star, the light of salvation to all (2 Peter 1:19). In Numbers 24:17, Balaam declared, “I see him, but not in the present time. I perceive him, but far in the distant future. A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel.”

The meaning is simple: JESUS IS WORTHY. Jesus is worthy of your life, your time, your treasure, your hopes and dreams. Jesus is worthy.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

As we end 2009, I want to encourage youe you to be faithful to the most imporatnt job we have - sharing the Good News with others. The most wonderful truth in the world, the most amazing truth in the world, the most marvelous truth in the world is this: God wants to have a relationship with me. That is almost too inconceivable to believe – that God would want a relationship with me.

We were made to be friends of God. The Bible says that you were created so that God could love you. You were made to have a relationship. That’s why you’re here on this earth. God made you to love you.

But there’s a problem. Something went wrong in that relationship. My sin. And your sin. And there were times in my life that I decided I was going to do what I thought was best not what God thought was best. That broke the relationship. Destroyed it.

But God did not leave it at that. He took the initiative and He came to earth in human form, in the person of Jesus Christ, to show us what God was like, to show us how much He loves us, to stretch out His arms on the cross and die for us so that the bridge could be built back to God and that relationship could be restored. That’s incredible, really wonderful, marvelous news.

The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 2:5 “Jesus Christ is the bridge between God and man.” And in Romans 5:11 “Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins making us friends of God.” It is the marvelous truth that God has sent His Son to die for us.

If I were to summarize the Bible in one word, if I were to summarize Christianity in one word I would not use the word “religion”. I would not use “ritual” or “rules”. I would use the word “relationship”. Because that’s what the whole Bible and all of Christianity is about. God wants a relationship with you. As mind blowing as that is, God made you to have a relationship.

One day a man came to Jesus and said, “Lord, what’s the most important commandment?” We all know the Ten Commandments. Jesus didn’t quote any of those. He said, “Let me give you the two most important ones. Love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. That’s the first one and number two, Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love God, Love your neighbor. He’s talking about relationship. If you’ve got your relationship with God in order and you’ve got your relationship with other people in order, you are doing what God put you on earth to do.

Life is essentially about relationships. The most important thing in your life is not money, status, success, pleasure, fame. It’s people.

There are two problems. One of them is relationships are very fragile. They can be damaged easily so they have to be cultivated and nurtured. No good relationship happens accidentally. It’s intentional.

The second problem is nobody ever teaches us how to build good relationships. You certainly didn’t learn it in school. So most of us really aren’t that good at it. We just kind of stumble into relationship building.

T, on this last day of the year, I want to implore you to build relationships with unbelievers. Look at what 2 Corinthians 5:18 says - “God has restored our relationship with Him through Christ, and He has given to us this ministry of restoring relationships.”

You are given a ministry of restoring relationships. Once you accept Jesus Christ, once you step across the line, you have a new life assignment. You are to become a bridge builder. Every Christian is called to be a bridge builder in life. Every Christian. A Christian, of all people, should be interested in relationships more than anybody else. Once God has restored the relationship to us, He expects us to go restore relationships with other people and help them restore a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The greatest thing you can do for anybody else is introduce them to Jesus Christ – sealing their eternity, knowing that they’re going to heaven.

We have the greatest news in the world. All my sins can be forgiven, I get a new purpose for living, I get a home in heaven and God becomes my friend. What could be better than that? Name me one thing that is better than that. It’s better than a cure for any disease because it has eternal implications, to know that you’ve helped somebody settle their eternal destiny, there is no greater achievement in life, no greater epitaph than “He/She was a bridge builder for Jesus Christ.” We do have the greatest message in the world. But you have to earn the right to share it. You have to build the bridge. If you just walk up to people that you don’t even know and start talking to them about the Lord most of them are going to go, “What planet did you get off of?” You need to earn the right to be heard.

Going forward into 2010, will you do that? Will you be a bridge builder for people to receive Christ? I pray so. God bless you guys. I love you. Look to the COV website - www.covsanramon.org - for instructions on how to follow my blog for 2010.

Pastor Mike

DAY #364: Revelation 20:1- 21:27

2009-12-30T06:03:00.000-08:00

At Armageddon, the beast and the false prophet had been thrown into the lake of fire. Then Satan was locked away for a thousand years. Upon his release, he immediately goes on the offensive against Christ and his people. But his end will be like his followers—he too will be cast into the lake of fire.

Satan had been locked up for a thousand years so that he could no longer deceive the nations. But at the end of that thousand years, Satan will be let out of his prison (this is planned by God). Immediately, Satan will deceive the nations from every corner of the earth. The unbelievers still on the earth after the battle of Armageddon will have lived through the thousand-year reign of Christ, but as soon as Satan is set free, they will be deceived and ready for battle. This reaction demonstrates that Satan will not repent. It also shows that people rebel against God no matter how long or how many chances they are given to repent. The source of rebellion against God comes not from the environment or even from Satan himself but from within the human heart.

The names Gog and Magog symbolize all the nations of the earth that join together to battle God. Noah’s son, Japheth, had a son named Magog (Genesis 10:2). Ezekiel presented Gog, of the land of Magog, as a leader of forces against Israel (Ezekiel 38–39). This comparison is used in Revelation, as is so much other Old Testament prophecy, because of the similarity of evil forces battling against God’s people and God’s cataclysmic victory. Gog represents the aggregate military might of all the forces opposed to God. Many say that the battle Ezekiel described will occur at the end of human history, but there are many differences between the events described in Ezekiel and the final battle of Revelation 20. Regardless of when this battle will occur, the message is clear: God will deliver his people. No enemy will be able to stand against his mighty power.

This vast army of people, led by Satan himself, went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. The unbelievers attacked the believers. Before a battle can even ensue, however, fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them (Ezekiel 38:22; 39:6). God totally destroyed this entire army. All of Satan’s followers were destroyed in an instant.

The Devil, Satan, the one who had been let free and had betrayed all the nations, received his just punishment. He was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. The evil trinity was gone forever. Satan’s power is not eternal—he will meet his doom. He began his evil work in mankind at the beginning and continues it today, but he will be destroyed and never a threat to anyone again.

At the judgment, the books will be opened. These books contain the recorded deeds of everyone, good or evil. Everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated. No one is saved by deeds, but deeds are seen as clear evidence of a person’s actual relationship with God. Jesus will look at how we have handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities. God’s gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience and service. Each of us must serve Christ in the best way we know and live each day knowing the books will be opened.

Next, John saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. He did not identify the one on the throne. Throughout Revelation, it is God who is pictured as sitting on a throne (for example, Revelation 4:2; 7:10; 19:4). Daniel had a similar vision (Daniel 7:9-10).

With the appearance of this one on the throne, the earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. This is the great and final judgment, the place where the books will be opened, including the Book of Life. As seen in Revelation 3:5, this is the heavenly registry of those who have accepted Christ’s gift of salvation. All people will be judged according to the things written in the books, according to what they had done. No one will be forgotten at this final gathering.

Believers will be judged—not to see if they merit eternal life, for their names will already be in the Book of Life. This will be a judgment for rewards. Believers’ works cannot save them, but their deeds are important to God. The deeds with which believers build their lives do matter (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). Unbelievers also will be judged according to their works, but, of course, no works, no matter how good, will be able to save them.

And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. God’s judgment is complete. As Paul said, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Isaiah had foreseen this day: “He will swallow up death forever” Isaiah 25:8). The lake of fire is the ultimate destination of everything wicked—Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the demons, death, Hades, and anyone whose name was not written in the book of life. This is the second death. They died the first time physically; this time their death was spiritual. The lake of fire was prepared by God for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). Those who refuse to believe in Christ will share the Devil’s judgment.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Let me make very clear this truth - you must get this; The Bible says, “The dead are judged according to their deeds.” You, as a believer in Christ, you’re not going to be there for this judgment. You know why? You’re not the dead. You’re the alive! God has made you alive in Jesus Christ. When the Bible talks about the dead it’s talking about those who don’t know Him.

Jesus talked about this in John 5:24 “I assure you, those who listen to My message and believe in God who sent Me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins. They have already passed from death into life.”

If there are any doubts for you regarding your salvation, You can settle this issue that’s going to be talked about at the Great White Thrown Judgement now or later. Right now you can settle the issue of passing from death into life by saying “Jesus Christ, I want to enjoy Your life for the rest of eternity.”

So believers are not going to be standing in the great long line going up to the Great White Thrown worrying, wondering “Did I really trust Christ? Did I really mean it? Or did I do some bad things in my life,” and you take another step forward and worry some more. You take another step. Billions people in that long line.

You’re not going to be in that line because you’re the alive. You’ve already passed from death into life. And the truth is that’s not only true of us who are believers, it’s true for anyone in our lives that we can help to find Christ. That is the power for me behind sharing the gospel, the good news of Christ. I don’t want anybody I know to be in that line. I don’t want anybody I know to worry about their salvation. I want them to know that their name is already in the book of life, they don’t have to face this judgment at the end of time.

If I depend on what I have done, my works, I'm truly and eternally dead. I’ll be there for this Great White Throne of Judgment. It doesn’t matter how many good works we’ve done, they’re not good enough. They can’t be good enough. Not to be allowed into a perfect heaven with a perfect God. The slate could be clean except for one sin in your whole life and it would be enough to judge you at this Great White Thrown.

But if I depend instead on what He has done, I'm truly and eternally alive and my name is in the book of life because of God’s grace. It’s not something to be proud of, glory in, in myself. It’s something to praise Him for, it’s something to invite other people to. We have passed from death into life.

We don't live our Christian lives afraid of what might happen someday. We live it appreciative of what He’s already done for us. He’s already given you eternal life. The quality does change when you get a new body. No doubt about that! But as a believer we’re already living the eternal life that He’s given us. What great news!

DAY #363: Revelation 18:1-19:21

2009-12-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

After reading through chapter 18, we focus on chapter 19 this morning. Chapter 19 is a passage on praise and worship of Jesus Christ.

This passage of scripture is the only place in the New Testament where the word hallelujah is found, and it occurs in verses 1, 3, 4, and 6. The word is derived from a combination of two Hebrew words, halal and Jah, meaning “Praise Yahweh” or “Praise God.” The word can be found in the Old Testament, especially in Psalms 113–118, known as the Hallelujah psalms.

The song in Revelation praises God for his just and true judgments. He is praised for avenging the murders of his people. The punishment of the evil adversaries of God and his people is cause for praise in heaven. God has punished the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and he has avenged the murder of his servants.

The twenty-four elders and the four living beings joined with the vast crowd in praise to God, who was sitting on the throne. They fell down in worship, indicating a position of total humility and subservience to God. They cried out Amen, affirming what God had done.

Later in this passage, the vision shifts again. Heaven opened and Jesus appeared, this time not as a Lamb but as a warrior on a white horse (symbolizing victory). Jesus had come first as a Lamb to be a sacrifice for sin, but he will return as a Conqueror and King to execute judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). Jesus’ first coming brought forgiveness; his second will bring judgment. The battle lines had been drawn between God and evil, and the world was waiting for the King to ride onto the field.

Although Jesus is called “Faithful and True,” “Word of God”, and “King of kings and Lord of lords”, these verses imply that no name can do him justice. He is greater than any description or expression the human mind can devise.

His eyes were bright like flames of fire. Christ’s many crowns symbolize his ultimate authority. He has a name written on him, and only he knew what it meant. Although many possibilities have been proposed, most likely this is a name that the believers were not meant to know, at least not yet.

The believers who had come out of the Great Tribulation had “washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white” (7:14). Christ himself, when he rides to the earth on the white horse, will be clothed with a robe dipped in blood.

Accompanying Christ are the armies of heaven, referring to all believers who have been taken to heaven (in the Rapture, which will have occurred at some point prior to this although believers are divided as to when this will happen). Here the believers will be returning to earth with Christ as part of his vast army. They will be dressed in pure white linen. Some suggest that this army will be angels because Christ had spoken of returning with his angels (Matthew 24:30-31). Most likely, however, this army will be believers because Revelation 17:14 says that the victory will come through the Lamb “and his people.”

The picture of Christ ruling with an iron rod (or scepter) describes him beating down the nations. This is not a king’s scepter that is merely symbolic of power; instead, it is a club with which he will destroy them. The psalmist had written of the Messiah, “You will break [the nations] with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots” (Psalm 2:9).

Lastly, Christ is pictured as treading the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God. The winepress image appeared in 14:19-20; it describes God’s great wrath against those who had rejected him. Here, God’s fierce anger is directed at all of sin personified. At this point, God will totally destroy sin and evil. A winepress is a large vat where grapes are collected and then crushed. It is often used in the Bible to symbolize judgment (Isaiah 63:3-6; Lamentations 1:15; Joel 3:12-13).

Most of the world will be worshiping the beast, the Antichrist, whom they believe has all power and authority. Then suddenly out of heaven Christ and his army will appear. On his robe and thigh (easily seen, for he is on a horse) was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords. This title indicates God’s sovereignty. It is used elsewhere in Scripture, always indicating God’s absolute sovereignty over all other kings and lords (see 17:14; Deuteronomy 10:17; Daniel 2:47; 1 Timothy 6:15).

The beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to fight against the one sitting on the horse (Christ) and his army (the redeemed). The battle lines had been drawn, and the greatest confrontation in the history of the world was about to begin.

The two armies sat facing each other—the beast and all the kings of the earth versus the rider on the white horse and his redeemed people. Suddenly, the battle was over. There was no fight, for, in a second, the end had come. There was no need for a battle because the victory had been won centuries earlier when the rider on the white horse, Christ, had died on a cross. At that time, Satan had been defeated; here at Armageddon, he is finally stripped of all his power. Satan’s beast (the Antichrist) was captured, along with his false prophet who had deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast.

The beast and the false prophet were captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. This is the final destination of all evil.

With the two leaders captured (the Beast and the false prophet), the army was left to be destroyed. Christ, with the sharp sword of his mouth, kills the entire army of rebellious kings and soldiers in one fell swoop. His sword of judgment falls and destroys everything. The vultures, who had been called ahead of time by the angel, gorged themselves on the dead bodies. With no one left on the planet to bury these dead, they were abandoned to the carrion birds to devour.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Pretty heavy and vivid stuff today. As I contemplate the events that unfold in this passage, I am struck with one singular thought: DECIDE TODAY: Who am I going to live my life for?

Never think that the choices that you make to love Jesus Christ and to serve Jesus Christ go unnoticed. It might in this world but in eternity there is that moment when the doors swing open and the whole world gets to see and glory in what God has done.

This is one of the end time events. This is one of the things God is going to do at the end of time. Remember this week when you make the right choice, the bride is being made a little more beautiful. Even guys can understand what it’s like to have a beautiful bride. One day, our Lord will be seen in the majesty and Glory that is only His.

Until that day, stay faithful. Until that day, persevere. Until that day, do what is right. Love, forgive, show compassion, be merciful, serve. Do not get tired of doing what is right and noble and just.

"So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith." Galatians 6:9-10 (MSG)

DAY #362: Revelation 16:1-17:18

2009-12-28T04:51:00.000-08:00

Once again, like so many other passages form Revelation, I'll focus on just one aspect of this passage.

Chapter 16 starts out by telling us that a mighty voice shouted from the Temple. Isaiah had heard a similar voice, “What is that terrible noise from the Temple? It is the voice of the Lord taking vengeance against his enemies” (Isaiah 66:6). This was probably the voice of God commanding the angels,“Go your ways and empty out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth"

The outpouring of these bowls occurred in rapid succession, one right after the other, but the effects of each seem to have lingered. For example, the malignant sores that people get here still affect them during the fifth plague (16:10-11), along with the sunburns they received during the fourth plague.

When the first angel poured out his bowl, everyone broke out in horrible sores. This compares with another of the plagues on Egypt—the plague of boils (Exodus 9:10-11). These sores affected everyone who had the mark of the beast (13:16) and who worshiped his statue (13:14-15). God’s wrath was only upon the unbelievers.

The second angel poured out his bowl. This time the sea became like the blood of a corpse, killing everything in it. During the second trumpet, a third of the water of the sea had become blood, killing a third of the sea creatures (8:8-9). This time, the entire sea turned to blood (see also Exodus 7:20-21).

The third angel poured out his bowl of God’s wrath, and this time the rivers and springs—the inland waters—also turned to blood. During the third trumpet judgment, one-third of the rivers and springs were turned bitter so that they were undrinkable (8:10-11). In this bowl judgment, all the inland waters were affected, leaving people with nothing to drink. Water, a basic necessity for human life, was gone.

After a brief interlude, the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun. This intensified the sun’s heat so that it scorched people with its fire. The fourth trumpet had caused the sun and the moon to stop giving light for portions of the day This fourth bowl was much more serious. This is a picture of a solar explosion that reaches out and scorches the earth with fire.

The people on earth were burned by this blast of heat. They knew that these judgments had come from God, and they cursed him for sending them. But still they refused to recognize God’s authority and repent of their sins. The contrast with those protected is unmistakable: “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. . . . they will be fully protected from the scorching noontime heat”.

The fifth, sixth, and seventh bowls deal with Armageddon. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. This bowl was directed on the controller of the inhabitants of the earth—the beast, the Antichrist, who had been placed into power by Satan. His “throne” was merely an imitation of God’s great throne in heaven (4:2-11).

When the fifth bowl was poured out, the Antichrist’s kingdom was plunged into darkness. This was not like the partial darkness that had occurred during the fourth trumpet (8:12). This was total and complete darkness—like the plague visited upon Egypt (Exodus 10:23). Some take this “darkness” to refer to the total depravity and evil that comes from the leadership of the Antichrist. Others see it as a scientific phenomenon that after the flaring up of the sun (as described in the fourth bowl), the sun virtually burns itself out and is dark. Whether physical or merely spiritual, this “darkness” caused great anguish among the people of the earth; they were in abject fear of this total physical and / or spiritual darkness. They were also still suffering pains and sores—probably from the boils in the first bowl and the burns of the fourth bowl.

When the sixth angel poured out his bowl, the great Euphrates River was dried up. In comparison, the sixth trumpet also mentions the Euphrates River and describes an invading army of demons (9:14-21). If the Euphrates River dried up, nothing could hold back invading armies. The kings from the east have been identified in many ways. In 16:14, the kings from the east are joined by “the rulers of the world,” drawn together to the battlefield, a coalition that would bring its armies to the final battle against God Almighty and his hosts.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

What shall I say? There is only one thing to say - REPENT. Get right with God. Do a 180. Turn from your sin and make peace with God.

Remember when you were a kid and you touched a hot stove. Your parents told you don’t touch the hot stove. But you went ahead and touched it anyway and it burned and you decided not to do that again.

God’s done that for us. It’s a lot of what the scripture is, God saying don’t do this. He cares about us. He doesn’t want us to hurt. These verses are telling us right up to the end men battle against God. We’ve all touched the hot stove of sin, every one of us. We’ve all gotten burned by sin, every one of us. God has offered healing and restoration to every one of us. But there are some, many, who touch that hot stove and it burns. And God says, “Don’t touch that hot stove.”

And they say, “Who are You to tell me what to do? I will too touch the hot stove!” And they touch it again. And it burns again. God says “Don’t! Don’t touch the hot stove.” And they say stubbornly, rebelliously, “I’ll do what I want to do. I’ll run my life the way I want to run it. It’s my life.” And they put their hand on that hot stove and they leave it there. And they say “I am in control! This is my life. Not ‘Thy will be done’ but my will be done. Not Thy kingdom come but My kingdom come.” And the book of Revelation is one of the greatest tragedies in all of human history. God says right up to the end there will be those with their hand on that stove saying stubbornly to God, “My way!”

What does it take? All these tragedies, all these bowls, all this wrath that’s poured out from God on the world. If people don’t listen to that, what does it take?

It takes a cross. That’s what brings people to Christ. Look at the cross. Focus on it. The most significant event in human history is right there – that and the resurrection of Christ. That’s the hinge point of all of human history. What you and I do about that cross changes what happens at the end of time. Either my will be done or Thy will be done. Either wrath or an incredible experience of the grace of God throughout eternity. If you and I aren’t won by the grace of God we won’t be won by anything.

You read through Revelation, chapters 14, 15, and 16 and no doubt there’s some dark chapters here. But don’t miss the incredible hope. These chapters are not about destruction – these seven bowls of wrath – they’re not about blind destruction that come on this world. They’re about certain justice. Two truths to remember. When life is unfair remember God is telling us one day evil will be finished. Without a doubt. God says, It is done. One day evil will certainly be finished. And don’t forget that one day as believers in Christ, we will overcome. Absolutely, certainly without a doubt we will overcome all the injustice, all the unfairness, all the things you look at in this world and think God, why? We’ll understand it all. One day, Revelation 14, the sealed 144,000 are going to stand on Mt. Zion in heaven and praise God for eternity. One day, Revelation 15, the martyrs will be standing in glory, even those who’ve lost their lives for their faith in Christ praising God for all eternity. And one day God’s judgment over evil will be finished, will be done.

Don’t worry about it. You will overcome. Don’t worry about it. Evil will be finished. Don’t worry about it. When life isn’t fair God is. And I can trust Him.
Pray for the Bassard family.

DAY #361: The Hope of Heaven

2009-12-27T02:43:00.000-08:00

Good Morning. It's very early. Sometime before 3am. I can't sleep as I think about my friend and ministry partner these past five years - Pastor Dave Bassard. As you will hear in our worship services this morning, our beloved Worship Pastor died last night. The family needs their privacy for now, so please direct any questions you might have to the Pastoral Staff and Elders.

In light of Dave's death, I thought I would share some things that I have been thinking about these past several months. Thoughts about heaven and thoughts about eternity. I pray they will bring encouragement to your heart.

When I say the word “heaven” most of us kind of put that in an “I’ll think about that later” category. In our minds we have three boxes of importance of thinking about things. The first box is Urgent. The second box is Not Urgent. The third box is After I’m Dead. And heaven is in that third box. Because of that we just don’t think about it much.

That is a huge mistake. Because there is no greater truth that the truth of heaven to give you perspective in life today, especially in those times when you face problems and you’re going to make it through. There’s no greater truth than the truth of heaven to give you the strength to make it through the tough times of life this next year. There’s no greater truth than the truth of heaven to help you see the great kind of life that God wants you to live. There’s no greater truth than the truth of heaven to reduce anxieties in everyday life and show you significance of everyday life.

There is a goal and a place called heaven that when you and I look towards it, it can make this next year into something we never dreamed.

The Apostle Paul made a pretty good impact on this world without ever making a New Year’s resolution as far as I know. This is what he had to say about this goal of this place called heaven. Philippians 3:14 “I strain to reach the end of the race and to receive the prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us up to heaven.” The Message paraphrase says it this way, “I’ve got my eye on the goal. God is beckoning us onward to Jesus. I am off and running and I’m not turning back. Let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything that God has for us.” Do you want everything God has for you this next year? The joy that God has for you? All the significance in life that God has for you? Do you want the peace that God has for you? Paul says if you want everything that God has for you, focus on this goal, this place called heaven.

So for just a few minutes, instead of saying “I’ll think about it later” just for a few minutes would you focus on this goal and think about what a difference it could make this next year.

Paul pictures it like a race. The Bible often pictures our life like a race. He says heaven is like the ultimate finish line of life. What if I said, “I want you to run a race. I want you to run it well. I want you to do your best to win that race. I’m not going to tell you where the finish line is.” That would be pretty difficult. Yet that’s the way a lot of us try to run the race of life. We don’t really know where the finish line is. If you don’t know where the finish line is you either run a frantic race or a frustrated race.

If you run a frantic race you get up every morning. You run as hard as you can as fast as you can because maybe the finish line is that day. You just don’t know. Some of you ran your life this way this last year. You’re just worn out. You think, “I don’t know if I can do that again this next year.” You don’t have to. You don’t have to live life that way. That’s what the ultimate finish line of life in heaven does for us. It gives us something to look forward to.

Some of you may have lived a frustrated life this last year. You may have run your race like we would if we didn’t know where the finish line was. You just sit down and say, “Since I don’t know where it is, I’ll just wait until somebody shows me.” God shows us. He tells us here’s this ultimate finish line, this hope of heaven that you and I have to look forward to. We need finish lines. And the hope of heaven is the ultimate finish line.

Folks, heaven is an incredibly vibrant place. The Bible tells us that heaven is a material place. It is a lot more like earth that you and I imagine and a lot less like earth than you and I imagine. It’s a material place the Bible says. The Bible says that there’s going to be a new heaven and a new earth. That everything we’ve experienced here is just multiplied there. It’s perfect there.

Can you imagine, if you’re a surfer, riding a perfect wave every single time? That’s what heaven will be like. If you love nature, can you imagine a perfect sunset, a perfect waterfall? Can you imagine perfect relationships for every single relationship? That is the joy of heaven that we look forward to.

Heaven is the home that we all long for. The Bible often talks about heaven as being this home that we look forward to. Hebrews 11:16 says, “They were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland.” And Philippians 3:20 - it says, “But our homeland is in heaven.” That’s our ultimate home.

Psalm 16:11 says, “You have made known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” A place of eternal pleasure, eternal joy. One of the ways that you and I make it through the realities of this life, the suffering and the struggles of this life, even the evil that we have to face in this world is to realize this isn’t all there is. This isn’t the best that it can be. I look forward to something better.

We watch a bunch of middle aged men, smelly from fishing, sitting around a campfire on a commercial on TV clicking their beer glasses together saying, “It doesn’t get any better than this.” I hope it does! I hope it get better than that! It does! It does get better than this.

Sometimes you need to grab on to that truth and recognize this isn’t all there is. Sometimes that’s the only thing that makes what we’re going through in this world make sense. It does get better than this. This is not the end of the road. There is an eternity that we look forward to.

Some of you next year, just a practical thing that you can do, take a little card and write that on it - “It does get better than this”. Stick it in your pocket so you can pull it out when you need it. If you’re stuck in a traffic jam 680 or 580, pull it out – “It does get better than this.” You’re smiling and everybody around you wonders why. But you have a different thought. Or you’re in a line at the airport – “It does get better than this.” Or maybe you get some news from the doctor and you’re hoping for good news but it’s not. It’s bad news. There are going to be moments in our lives this next year when we need to remind ourselves “It gets better than this.”

This is not the end of the story. There is a day that we look forward to, a goal that we look forward to and a place called heaven.

You take your best day this next year, the day when all the cars part for you like the waters of the Red Sea and you just drive right through. And when everything in your schedule goes perfectly and you got done more than you ever thought you’d get done. Your relationships are just exactly like you’d want them to be. That day, you pull out the same card and remember. “It gets better than this.” The best day that you’ll ever have on this earth and it’s multiplied joy beyond that in heaven. Even on our best days, there is something in all of us that knows this isn’t all there is. There’s a longing for something more. There’s a waiting to be home.

I love what the preacher Vance Haffner said in his old age about longing for heaven. He wrote, “I’m homesick for heaven. It’s the hope of dying that’s kept me alive for this long.”

I wish I had more time to write, but I'm sure you're wondering when I'm going to land this plane. Let it suffice to be said that heaven is a glorious place, a joyous place. But, one last thing that is on my heart - there's a problem for many people we rub shoulders with. They are unprepared for heaven,

Philip Yancey writes, “A strange fact about modern American life is that although 81% of us believe in the afterlife according to George Gallup, no one talks much about it. Christians believe that we will spend eternity in a splendid place called heaven. Isn’t it a little bizarre to simply ignore that truth and act as if it doesn’t matter.” It does matter. Heaven matters in every day life.

It caused C. S. Lewis to write “If you read history, you’ll find that the Christians who did most for the present world were those who thought the most of the next world.”

Folks, if you have any doubt at all, if you’re wondering at all if you’re going to make it to heaven, if it’s a case of worry for you - if you hate talking to your children about heaven. If the thought of them asking a question about heaven terrifies you, you know you’re facing this anxiety in your life. You feel unsettled about the truth of heaven. There’s a couple of good reasons that we may feel unsettled.

Sometimes we feel unsettled because to us it seems so unclear. How do you know who gets in? How do you I know how you get in? Don’t you have to wait until you die and get all the books settled and figure it all out?

God sent Jesus Christ to this earth to give us the message. He sent Him to give us the message that it does not have to be unclear. We don’t have to be unsure about the hope of heaven. 1 John 5:11-12 “This is what God told us. God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life. But whoever does not have the Son of God, does not have life.” It couldn’t be more clear than that. Jesus came to say, “I want to show you the way to heaven, to eternal life. I’m the way to eternal life.” God knows that some of us don’t like to ask for directions. So He came to us. Before we even asked He said, “Here is the way to get to heaven. It’s through Me. It’s through Jesus Christ.”

Some of us have this picture in our mind of waiting in this long line that snakes up to the pearly gates of heaven and we just step one step at a time up to Saint Peter who has this book. In this book is all the good things we’ve done, all the bad things we’ve done. If we’ve done more good than bad, if it balances out right he’s going to say, Come on in. Each step we take we’re sweating more and more, hoping that somehow we make it in.

But we’ve got the wrong picture. Because heaven is a perfect place. Because it’s perfect even one imperfection will keep you out. It does keep us out. If you have even one bad thought, one wrong action, one sin in your life your entire life that’s enough to keep you out of heaven. It’s not a matter of balancing the books. Someone needed to wipe the slate clean for you to let us in.

That’s what Jesus did. That’s why Jesus came to this earth. That’s why He died on the cross. To wipe your slate clean. To offer you forgiveness. That’s why He’s the way. So the idea of the long line? You don’t have to stand in that line. Jesus gives you a fast pass out of that line. A different way in. You can know for sure, based on what He’s done. Heaven is a gift of God’s grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves, it is a gift from God. It is not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.” It’s not based on what I’ve done. The more we base our thoughts on whether we’ll get into heaven or on what we’ve done the less sure we’ll be. The more we recognize it’s what Jesus did, the more security we’ll have.

If there were any gift I could give you, as we begin a New Year, it would be this - the gift of being sure that you’re going to heaven. If you’ve never trusted Christ with your life what better way to start the New Year than say to Him, “I want to trust You as the way to heaven.” If you have trusted Him but you’re still struggling with doubt because you’re basing it on what you’ve done, what better way to start the New Year than to say, “God, I’m going to trust Your promise. Not my feeling, not my thoughts. I’m going to trust Your promise today that I can be sure I’m going to heaven.” Would you like to know for sure that you’re going to heaven, have no doubt about it? You can. Based on God’s promises.

For those of you who are sure about your etenal destination, let me ask you this - who's going to heaven beacuase of you?

Many of you remember the moving final scene of the Steven Spielberg’s movie Schindler’s List where Oscar Schindler, the Polish businessman who used a portion of his fortune to put the names of Jews on a work list that would keep them from going to concentration camps. Faces, - those who escaped certain death because of his action – as he looks into their faces he has a moment of clarity. He sees things as he’s never seen them before and he’s talking to his friend, and says, “If only there could have been more. If only I could have done more.” His friend says, “There are 1100 people here. There are generations here because of what you have done.” But Schindler says, “It could have been more. That car – I could have sold it and it would have meant ten more people. Ten more people on that list. Ten more lives saved.” He ripped the swastika pin from his lapel and says, “This pin! It’s gold! That’s two people. At least one person this pin could have been.” He had a moment of clarity when he realized the difference between what we value on this earth and what is valuable in eternity.

I would pray for me and I would pray for you that this coming year, we would focus all our energies on helping people get to heaven.

In the coming days and weeks, pray daily for Cathy as she grieves the passing of her beloved. Pray for the Bassard children and grand children. Pray for them to live for the Lord and follow the Lord.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course.
Pastor Mike

DAY #360: Revelation 14:1 - 15:8

2009-12-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

The message is proclaimed to everyone—every nation, tribe, language, and people; therefore, no one can have the excuse that they did not know the gospel message. As Paul said in Romans, “They have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God” (Romans 1:20). This is a key theme of Revelation—whenever there has been a time of judgment, there has been a preceding time of warning, when people are given the opportunity to repent. However, those who refuse want nothing to do with God; their punishment is justified.

A second angel followed the first angel, shouting that Babylon is fallen (Isaiah 21:9; Jeremiah 51:8). In the Old Testament, Babylon was the name of both an evil city and an immoral empire—a world center for idol worship. Outside that city, Nebuchadnezzar had built a great statue to himself and had required everyone to worship it (Daniel 3:1-6; compare Revelation 13:14-15). King Nebuchadnezzar had reached the apex of power and pride, only to find himself judged by God (Daniel 4:28-33). The Babylonians had ransacked Jerusalem and had taken many of the people of Judah into captivity (2 Kings 24 and 2 Chronicles 36). Just as Babylon had been Judah’s worst enemy, the Roman Empire was the worst enemy of the early Christians. John, who probably did not dare speak openly against Rome, was applying the name “Babylon” to this enemy of God’s people (Rome)—and, by extension, to all of God’s enemies of all times. “Babylon” is the name given to the civilization that was seduced by the beast. This world system is filled with idolatry, corruption, and sexual sin, a wellspring of ungodly religion, government, and economics.

The angel’s words here are a prediction: the actual fall of the city would not occur until the judgment of the last bowl. God would judge this evil power because she seduced the nations of the world and made them drink the wine of her passionate immorality (see also 17:2). This draws from the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 51:7). This pictures the godlessness and sinfulness of those who have been lured away from God into a world system that fulfills their lusts and passions but ultimately destroys them. Ultimately, God will destroy this evil and judge the people.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

What a way to start our final week of the year - the day after Christmas - God's unyielding judgment against the world and against sin and against rebellion. What do we take away from this passage? Time is short and it grows shorter by the day. We must wake up. We must get on with it. We must see heaven and hell. We must see the destination that awaits those who reject Christ. I saw some nephews yesterday I hadn't seen for a few years. I know it was awkward and I know I probably put them on the spot, but who know when I would see them again - who knows when I would have another opportunity to share with them? So, I took the chance to talk with them about spiritual things.

Ephesians 5:15-16 reminds that time is short and to use our time wisely. My prayer for you today is that you would do just that with the family and friends and co-workers and neighbors in your world and life.

DAY #359: Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T06:01:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm posting my message that I preached last night at our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. It's the message of the Prodigal Son. Not your typical Christmas message I know. The reason I wanted to preach about the prodigal son at Christmas is two fold;

1)The Prodigals story is my story, and my guess is it is probably many of your’s as well. God has taken so many of us who have blown it big time and redeemed us – restored us. I want to look at his story again to remember where it is He saved from and to remember our primary job as Christians is to help others discover His love, His redemptive power, His restoration for themselves.

2) At the core of the story – is the truth that you can always come home. It is never to late to come home to God’s love.The word “home” is a very powerful word. I was reminded of its power this week as thought back to one of the last times that Sharon , the kids and I went to visit my mom. My mom was living in a care facility because of her progressive battle with Alzheimer's.

We talked about Christmas -we sang Christmas songs, and throughout the day, I was reminded vividly on that day that the next time my mom would really get to celebrate Christmas would be in her new home in heaven. I miss my mom and all the wonderful memories we had. But there is a profound sense of peace – knowing that we will celebrate again together in heaven – our real home!

Let’s read the story of the prodigal son. Read Luke 15:11-32

Jesus tells this story and in doing so He’s trying to paint a picture of the character of God. Two things about God’s character that I think it’s important for us to understand as we talk about coming home to God.

1. God is patient enough to not give up.

This story tells us that God is patient enough to not give up. It breaks my heart to hear people say, “I’m so messed up! God doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. You don’t know how many times I’ve walked away from God. So many times I can’t even count. God is done with me.”

God is never done with you – even if you think you’re done with God. He will never give up on you. That is hard for us to grasp, because we give up on people, and we in our puny little brains think well, God must be the same way. Wrong!

Luke 15: 20, we just read this – but here it is again - “…While he (the son) was still a long way off, his father saw him…” What is the picture of God’s character here? He is waiting – patiently for our return to Him. As a father, I pray it never happens – that any of our kids walk away from the Lord or that there ever is a break in our relationship. But, I know it can happen. I’ve seen it countless times. As a father, I guarantee there would not be a day that goes by that I wouldn’t be hoping, waiting, praying that this would be the day my child return. That’s what is happening here. The father saw him, because he was looking for him scanning the horizon – praying – Lord turn my sons heart toward home.

The Bible says this in 2 Peter 3 “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Underline “everyone”. He wants everyone to come to repentance. What does “repentance” mean? Repentance is kind of a churchy, theological word that simply means this: Turn around. Do a 180. Come home. He is patient. He wants everybody to come home.

Do you remember the movie Forest Gump? At the end of the movie Forest takes Forest Jr to the first day of school to the bus stop. He watches his son get on the bus. The best words in the whole movie were “I’ll be here when you get back.”

Some of us today need to see God in that light. You’re in a distant land or you’ve disconnected and you need to see God, that He’ll be there. He’s waiting patiently. Some of you aren’t runaways but you’ve jumped on a short bus ride called Disconnect. He’s not going to give up on you.

2. The other thing we learn about this story that Jesus told is that God is passionate enough to show extreme love.

This story is probably my most favorite story of all the Bible. And my favorite verse in my favorite story is verse 20 “The father saw him a long way away and he ran to his son.” Underline the phrase “he ran”. It’s the only time in the Bible where God is pictured as running. What makes this even more interesting is that in this culture, during this day, men wore robes. So running in a robe, like a long dress, is difficult… from what I’ve been told. For him to pull that robe up and run with his bare legs showing in that culture was unheard of. It would be like a dad today running down the street in his underwear or something like that. It was just unheard of. But this was extreme love. This dad didn’t care. (Much like you who are dads who wear colored socks with short pants and loafers. You don’t care what other people think of you! Or you don’t have somebody in your life who loves you enough to tell you how stupid you look!)

Why did he run? Because he was passionate enough to go to extremes to say to his son he loved him regardless of his past. Then it says in verse 20 he threw his arms around him and he kissed him. This is extreme love. He just came out of a pigpen. He throws his arms around him and kisses him.

And notice there is no lecture. He doesn’t say anything about the boy’s past. And in the absence of words he says a lot. In the absence of words he says everything. God communicates in silence. Those of you waiting for God to talk to you before you change, that he’s going to talk to you verbally or He’s going to match up some clouds for you or double your bank account and that type of thing. God speaks in silence. One of the things that I’ve learned is I never have to question whether God loves me or not. In not saying anything, He says everything.

In my moms final weeks of life, she had a hard time talking. Most of the time, she doesn’t recognize me. But there were times she would remember – and her whole body is in her face, she’s trying to communicate, and she can’t. Her lips began to quiver and then tears would come. As she began to cry - I know enough about my mom. We had a great relationship when I was growing up. I love my mom very much and I know she loves me. Those tears communicate, “Michael Patrick Pedlowe, if I could jump out of this decaying body every neuron in my soul wants to hug you and love you and tell you I’m proud of you.” I don’t need the words to know what’s going on. Extreme love – that’s the kind of love that God has for us!

Let’s get to the SO WHAT? What does this mean to me? How can I come home?
Since it was Jesus’ story about how to come home let’s just follow the steps of the son.

#1. Come to your senses.

Verse 17 “When he came to his senses.” My father’s hired help eats better than me and has a better life than me. He came to his senses. In the New Century version it says, “When he realized what he was doing.” This first point is the wake up call. For some of us it’s the “Ah-ahh! That’s what I need to do.” Sometimes it’s surrounded by pain and it’s not the “Ah-ahh!” it’s the “Oh, no!” A wake up call.

As I was preparing the message this week – it was painful. You see, I love to preach – it is what God created me to do. But many times it is painful, because I’ve got to work the message out in my own life first. So, I did that again for this message.

I started thinking about the lost son – the prodigal and I thought, I’m not this runaway. I’m not out there in this distant land. I don’t go to Vegas and blow my money and live an immoral lifestyle. But I am an occasional drifter. I know as a pastor I’m supposed to be a professional Christian. And I love God. Don’t question that. But I drift occasionally. I don’t consciously wake up in the morning and say, “Ok, today I’m going to drift.” But there are times when I just don’t pay attention to God. And I allow my soul to starve. It just happens. There are times when my times with God go unattended. And my spiritual life goes shallow.

Then God gets a hold of me somehow – through a worship song, through the tenderness of my wife, through one of my children and boom it’s lie Pedlowe get you head in the game – snap out of it man.

Romans 13:11 says “Another reason for right living, for coming to your senses, is you know how late it is. Time is running out. Wake up. Don’t miss out on that closeness you can have with God.” You can come home and be intimate with Him.

The second thing the prodigal did that we need to do…
2. Come clean about your sin!

The prodigal says, “I’m going to say ‘Father, I have sinned.’” That’s coming clean. This is where you expose to God your sin and ask for forgiveness that you know He’ll give. You admit who you are and what you have done.

It saddens me that I meet a lot of people that are more concerned with getting caught than getting help. Come clean. The Bible is so clear about this. Proverbs 20:8 “People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them they will receive mercy.”

The third thing the prodigal did that we need to do…
3. Come home to God’s Love!

Verse 18 “I’ll set out and go back to my father.” You have to move – get off dead center. Remember “He’s waiting for everyone to come to repentance” means to turn around and come home.

Runaways can always come home. When you do just imagine God’s presence, His joy, His face. Ephesians 3:12 says, “Because of Christ and our faith in Him we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence assured of His glad welcome.” Underline the phrase “glad welcome”. You can be assured that God’s saying, “Welcome back! I’ve been waiting for you. Welcome home!”

The natural result of these three steps is the fourth one.
4. Come celebrate a fresh start!
Celebration is the result of being connected with God. When I am connected with God, it gives birth to an attitude of celebration. I live in the real world with you. I understand pain. But what I’m talking about is the celebration that rises above your circumstances. It’s a joy that is deeper than just your normal happiness. When any one of us comes to our senses, comes clean, comes home – we need to celebrate.

This coming home that Jesus referred to in His story ends with a celebration. It ends with a celebration. Verse 22-24 “But the father said to his servants quick, ‘Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of my was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

I want to close by reading you a little story that comes out of readers digest It’s a story about the game that all of us know called Hide and Seek. We’ve all played it.

“ Hide and Seek – what a great game. I loved it as a kid. Did you ever have a kid in your neighborhood who always hid so good that nobody could find him? We did. After a while we’d give up on him and go off leaving him to rot wherever he was. Sooner or later he’d show up all mad because we didn’t keep looking for him. He’d say, “It’s Hide and Seek, not Hide and Give up!” We’d all yell about who made the rules and who cared for who anyway and how we wouldn’t play with him any more if he didn’t get it straight and who needed him anyhow and things like that. Hide and Seek and Yell.

Now, as an adult, I write this, and the neighborhood game goes on. There’s a kid under a pile of leaves in my yard just below my window. He’s been there a long time now and everybody else is found and they’re about to give up on him. I considered telling them where he’s hiding. Then I thought about sitting the leaves on fire to drive him out. Finally I just yelled out my window “Get found kid!” I scared him so bad, I think he wet his pants, but either way, he started crying and ran home to tell his mother. It’s hard to know how to be helpful sometimes.

I think adults play hide and seek – just not for fun. Most of us probably don’t even know we are playing it. A man I know found out last year that he had terminal cancer. He was a doctor and he knew about dying and he didn’t want to make his family and friends suffer through that with him so he kept it a secret and he died. His family and friends were angry that he didn’t need them, didn’t trust their strength and he didn’t say good-bye. He hid too well. Getting found would have kept him in the game. Hide and Seek grown up style. Wanting to hide. Needing to be sought, confused about being found.

Come in from the game – come to your senses, come clean – admit who you are and what you have done, come home and watch the celebration that happens.

Merry Christmas. I love you guys.
Pastor Mike

DAY #358: Revelation 12:1-13:18

2009-12-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

The woman here in chapter 12 represents much more than a woman. Pictured as a superhuman figure, she was clothed with the sun and had the moon under her feet. She was also wearing a victor’s crown, a crown of twelve stars.

This woman represents the faithful people in Israel who had been waiting for the Messiah who would be born from among them (Isaiah 9:6-7; Micah 5:2). They had recognized and had accepted the Messiah when he had come. Later in the chapter, this woman will represent all believers—Jews and Gentiles.

God had set apart the Jews for himself (Romans 9:4-5), and that nation had given birth to the Messiah, who would “rule all nations with an iron rod.". In this part of the vision, John saw that this woman, Israel, was pregnant and awaiting delivery of the Messiah. When Mary gave birth to a tiny baby in Bethlehem, the entire universe took notice, for this event held cosmic significance.
This picture also symbolizes the nation of Israel agonizing for centuries as it awaited the coming Messiah, the deliverer, who would destroy evil and usher in God’s eternal Kingdom.

John also saw a large red dragon, who was Satan. Satan was originally created for God’s glory. But Satan arrogantly rebelled against God because he desired to be like God instead of giving glory to God (1 Timothy 3:6; Jude 6). After Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden, God had promised to destroy Satan and his demons and reestablish his own Kingdom. Speaking to the serpent, God had said, “You and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

The offspring who ultimately crushes Satan’s head is God’s promised Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus demonstrated his power over Satan through his miracles and exorcisms (Matthew 12:28-29).

Although a great battle had been won, the war was not over. Since Eden, Satan has been the avowed enemy of God and his people, as pictured in John’s vision. In the end, Satan will fight against God’s people and will wage a final war against God. At that time, Satan will be decisively defeated.

This dragon is pictured as having seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. These are not supernatural, heavenly crowns, as the crown of twelve stars on the woman’s head; instead, these heads and crowns symbolize nations over which Satan has control. Throughout Revelation, the number seven signifies completeness, so the seven heads and seven crowns could picture the totality of Satan’s control over the earth. The dragon has authority only in this world. The “ten horns” allude to Daniel 7:7 and 24. The ten horns, or ten kings, are also mentioned in Revelation 17:12.

The huge statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision also had ten toes (Daniel 2:41-42). It is unclear whether these ten kings will be actual kings and nations or even the exact number ten, but Revelation 17:12-14 says they will make war against Christ. As the King of kings, Christ will conquer them.

As a shepherd defends his flock, so Christ will defend his church against those who attempt to destroy it. The iron rod pictures Jesus as the ultimate warrior.

The wilderness represents a place of spiritual refuge and protection from Satan, probably not meant to be literal because this chapter is mostly symbolic. In this place prepared by God, he cared for her for 1,260 days—the same number noted for the trampling of the holy city, the ministry of the two witnesses, and the rule of the beast. God would care for his people during the entire time when evil would be in control in the world. In the wilderness, God’s people would be hounded by the people on the earth (those who would follow the beast), but God would watch over them. Many would be martyred, but God would care for them. The word translated care is literally “nourish.” The woman will be provided with food miraculously, just as Elijah was cared for in the wilderness by God (1 Kings 17:2-4). God also provided manna in the wilderness for his people (Exodus 16:4).

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Maybe the most asked theological question today is - "Why is there evil in the world?" Revelation 12 gives us the answer.

SATAN IS REAL

He’s not just some unknown personality. He’s a real person. Not just some philosophical idea. He’s a real spiritual being. Evil is more than just a force. It has a face. That face is the face of Satan. Satan is real. Revelation 12, as you read through it, has no less than seven different descriptions of this real being that causes evil to exist in this world.

There’s part of me that doesn’t like to talk about Satan. I would always rather talk about Jesus. Yet the Bible tells us not to be ignorant of his schemes. And because he is real, because he exists, you must also understand he opposes EVERYTHING God does. He opposes everyone who follows God. You must get this.

In John 10:10, Jesus describes the vastly different works of himself and Satan. Jesus tells us in that verse that the thief (Satan) comes to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus said I have come to give you life and life to the full. Life that is full and meaningful.

In that verse, Jesus tells us about the mindset of Satan. He wants to kill any desire you have for God and living for God. He wants to steal your joy and rob you of God's peace and purpose. He wants to destroy your marriage and family and kids. He wants to wipe you out.

Hence the truth found in 1 Peter 5:8-9 (ESV) "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."

Today, be aware of how Satan seeks to destroy your life. How he works through temptation and distortion. Fight him. Resist him. Be on your guard. Stand firm. Stand in the gap for those who are weaker in the faith.

DAY #357: Revelation 10:1-11:19

2009-12-23T05:40:00.000-08:00

I want to focus on the meaning and message of chapter 10 today. We see John that saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. While this description sounds much like the description of Christ in 1:13-16, most likely, it is not Christ, for he is never called an “angel” anywhere else in Revelation. Also, he would not speak with an oath, as described in 10:6.

This angel is a very powerful, high-ranking angel who has come down from heaven to announce the final judgments on the earth. The cloud usually described the presence of God in the Old Testament (Exodus 13:21; 40:34; 1 Chronicles 5:13-14). The rainbow had been a promise to Noah that God would not destroy the earth again with a flood (Genesis 9:8-17). The angel’s face shone like the sun, much like the face of Christ at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:2). The feet like pillars of fire could recall the pillar of fire in the wilderness (Exodus 14:20).

This powerful archangel was carrying a small scroll that he had unrolled. Two scrolls appear in Revelation. The first contains a revelation of judgments against evil and was unrolled by the Lamb (chapters 5 and 6). The contents of the second little scroll are not indicated, but it also may contain a revelation of judgment.
So large and powerful was the angel that he stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

Many of John’s readers may have immediately pictured the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue built in Rhodes, an island between Crete and Turkey. The magnificent statue of Apollo, the sun god, was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It stood about 105 feet high—one foot was on the island and the other foot was on the mainland. It was the greatest statue ever built in the ancient world. Ships would sail in the waterway between the statue’s legs. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 227 b.c.

This angel standing on the sea and on the land indicates that his words would affect all creation, not just a limited part, as did the seal and trumpet judgments. The seventh trumpet would usher in the seven bowl judgments, which would bring an end to the present world. When this universal judgment comes, God’s truth would prevail.
10:3-4 The shout of this mighty angel sounded to John like the roar of a lion. When the angel spoke, the seven thunders answered. This is a picture of the awesome sight of God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:19). This thunderous reply was spoken by God and must have been understandable, for John began to write down what was said. He was stopped from doing so, however, by another voice that told him to keep these words secret (Daniel 12:4).

The angel lifted his right hand to heaven and swore an oath in the name of the one who lives forever and ever—referring to God. This description highlights the truth that God is eternal and controls all of time—what a comfort for persecuted believers. The oath declares that God will wait no longer. With the sounding of the seventh trumpet, God would bring about the end of history—God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. “Mystery” is a key word in the New Testament. The word is almost synonymous with the word “revelation.”

In the Bible, the word “mystery” refers to a divine secret. All of time has been pointing forward to this moment. All prophecy will be fulfilled—everything will occur just as God had announced to his servants the prophets. From the very beginning, God had promised that, despite the peoples’ sin, he would one day defeat evil. From the moment Adam sinned, all of history has been pointing toward this blowing of the final trumpet.

The time of final judgment has come. God would stop giving warnings and offers of repentance. All restraint would be removed, and the Antichrist would be revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:3). The forces of God and Satan would meet in final confrontation, as foretold by Daniel (Daniel 12:1).

The voice from heaven told John to go to the magnificent angel and take the unrolled scroll. So John obeyed. When he took it, the angel told him to eat the scroll.
Some think that this scroll is the word of God, but that is probably too general. More likely, the scroll represents the revelations of God as given to John in this book.

Like the prophet Ezekiel, John would eat this scroll that would taste like honey (Psalm 119:103; Jeremiah 15:16) but would make his stomach sour (Ezekiel 2:9–3:3). This could mean that the scroll was full of words of comfort, as well as gloom. Through the command to eat this scroll, God was confirming John’s prophetic role, as he did with Ezekiel. Receiving the word of God can be a pleasant experience, but it often results in the unpleasant task of speaking judgment on evil. Believers know that victory is sure, but they are pained by the difficulties they must endure and by many people’s stubborn refusal to repent.

John took and ate the little scroll, and it did just as the angel had said—tasted sweet but made his stomach sour. Then the angel gave John another command, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings”. John would prophesy about a world that had turned from God. There would be no distinctions among people—the message would be for all. The only distinction left would be those who had the mark of the beast and those who had been sealed by God. The following chapters contain these prophecies.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Three things we must never forget:

1. God desires all to be saved. And God is willing to wait until the last person repents and comes to Him. I don't always have that particular viewpoint in mind when I am around non-believers. I think sometimes they deserve their judgment. But God doesn’t want that to happen. He says in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness but is patient toward you not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Sometimes I just need a change of attitude around non-believers. The fact that God desires for all to be saved and is waiting and waiting for the last one.

2. God holds back judgment for the last one to repent. “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “Therefore, repent and live.” If you notice Revelation 11:13 that many people were killed but a number of people repented and gave glory to God. This is probably one of the last moments in history when people will have the opportunity to repent and believe in God. One of the last moments of history before the bowl judgments and before the return of Christ. God waits until the very last minute for the last one to come before the final judgment.

3. I believe this passage is teaching us to keep on witnessing even in the midst of strong opposition. I don’t know where God has placed you but maybe like the witnesses you are finding yourself in a position of opposition. Maybe you’re finding yourself in a very difficult place, maybe a neighborhood, maybe the work situation, maybe it’s on a soccer field. I don’t know where God’s placed you right now. But I believe that God is calling us like the witnesses and like the true church, the true believers of Revelation 11, we are to continue on witnessing.

In Acts 4 Peter is told not to speak any more of this Jesus Christ. The Sanhedrins told him to be quiet. He says I'm going to continue on. Even in the midst of the persecution, God has me here for a purpose. God has me here for a reason and these are the people God wants me to share with.

I am praying for you. I am asking God to make you bold and courageous and obedient. I am asking God to break your heart with the lostness of your family and friends and neighbors and co-workers, so you will see the need to share with them the love of God.

DAY #356: Revelation 8:1-9:21

2009-12-22T07:23:00.000-08:00

Much like the seven churches of Revelation in chapters 2 & 3, there is way to much ground to cover in these passages, so I will focus in on one aspect of the passage.

The Lamb broke the seventh seal, which was the last on the scroll. When the seal was opened, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour (Habakkuk 2:20; Zechariah 2:13). This is the silence of breathless expectancy, as all of heaven waited for the hand of God to move. When the seventh seal was opened, the seven trumpet judgments were revealed.

Seven angels were given seven trumpets. The trumpet judgments, like the seal judgments, are only partial. God’s final and complete judgment had not yet come. The Lamb had opened the seven seals to set in motion events of judgment, but angels had been given the power to execute the trumpet and bowl judgments.

Throughout the Old Testament, trumpets had a variety of meanings and purposes. Moses was instructed to make two silver trumpets that would call the people together, move the tribes forward on their journey, sound an alarm, or signify the feast days (Numbers 10:3, 5-6, 9-10). The trumpets herald the arrival of the day of God’s wrath.

Then John saw another angel, not one of the seven, who had a gold incense burner and came to the altar. The angel was given a great quantity of incense, which was used to mix with the prayers of God’s people. The angel acted in the role of a priest, presenting the prayers of the saints to God. The incense symbolized the offered prayers, and the angel was merely the agent. The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of the saints, ascended up to God (Exodus 30:7-9). These prayers are most likely prayers for justice and deliverance, as described in 6:10. God brings judgment in response to the prayers of his people. One of the reasons for the trumpet judgments is God’s answer to the prayers of the saints.

The seven trumpet judgments call forth a series of God’s plagues on his enemies. These judgments affected every part of the world. Unlike the bowl judgments described in chapter 16, the first six trumpets were targeted on just a third of the cosmos and were intended to produce repentance (9:20-21).

The trumpet and the bowl judgments symbolically reenacted the plagues of Egypt recorded in Exodus 7–12. The plagues had two purposes:

They were directed against the gods of Egypt. Every plague was directed at a force that the Egyptians thought was on their side because they worshiped that force. For example, the Egyptians worshiped the sun, so God sent a plague of darkness (Exodus 10:21-29); they worshiped the Nile River, so God sent a plague to turn the sacred river to blood (7:14-24). The first purpose of the plagues against Egypt was to prove the powerlessness of the Egyptian gods.

The plagues were oriented to the cycle of nature. The Egyptians worshiped many gods representing the various forces of nature so that nature would feed and take care of them. The second purpose of the plagues was to show the Egyptians that God controlled nature and that Egypt’s gods controlled nothing. In the trumpet and bowl judgments, the world that these people are worshiping will turn against them. Through these judgments, God will once again bring punishment upon those who oppress his people, just as he did in Egypt.

The plagues showed the helplessness of the people of Egypt, who worshiped false gods. In the same way, through these trumpet and bowl judgments, God will show the people of this world their helplessness and hopelessness without him.

The seven angels who had been given the seven trumpets got ready to blow their mighty blasts. The picture is of these mighty angels raising the trumpets to their lips and then awaiting the signal to blow at the appropriate time. The trumpet blasts have three purposes: (1) to warn that judgment is certain, (2) to call the forces of good and evil to battle, and (3) to announce the return of the King, the Messiah.

The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down upon the earth. This compares to the seventh plague on Egypt when hailstorms killed anything that was outside (people and animals) and destroyed much vegetation (Exodus 9:13-35). Some have suggested that this could refer to volcanic activity; others say that this is a violent storm, with the fire representing lightning and the blood referring to the color of the sky.

The result is that one-third of the earth was set on fire, along with one-third of the trees and all the grass. Since only one-third of the earth was destroyed by these trumpet judgments, this was only a partial judgment from God. His full wrath was yet to be unleashed. The purpose of this judgment, and all other judgments, was to warn people to repent.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

In this great time of judgment, Revelation 9:20-21 tells us how people are going to respond. “The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands. They did not stop worshipping demons, the idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood, idols that cannot see, hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.”

There’s three descriptions given here. They are rebelliously unrepentant. They just won’t repent. Just like in Egypt when God brought the plagues, Pharaoh, with every plague that came, had an opportunity to say yes to God. Every opportunity that came hardened his heart to say no to God. It made things very clear where his heart was. There was no doubt where his heart was. That is exactly what’s happening at the end of time. No doubt where people’s hearts are.

Every tragedy that happens, instead of turning to the God that can save them, they harden their hearts and they’re rebelliously unrepentant, they’re religiously idolatrous, they keep serving idols that can’t talk that can’t do anything. In the light of these things happening, that the God of the universe is causing to happen, they continue to resist Him and reject Him. And they are morally decadent which may be the reason they are rebelliously unrepentant and religiously idolatrous. Sometimes our worship grows more out of what we want to do than what we believe. They’re morally decadent. They keep murdering, they keep steeling, they keep being sexually immoral.

It’s the same as in Egypt. The same story on a worldwide scale. While God’s people are being set free, while our inheritance is being given back to us, which is what the book of Revelation is about, at the same moment those who are not God’s people are hardening their hearts against Him. Those who have their hearts too tied to this world they won’t be able to let go of it in the end. It’s like holding on to the rail of the Titanic while it’s going down. Gripping it as if it’s going to somehow be your salvation. That’s the picture that’s here. And they’re holding on tighter and tighter and tighter. And as the ship falls apart around them, they tighten their grip rather than loosen their grip and look for a life raft. That’s exactly what’s happening.

There’s two things from this we must get:

First of all we want to pray for the salvation of those who don’t know God that they’ll come to know Him that they’ll find in Him the hope that they need. It’s God’s desire that none should perish, God’s desire that all should come to Him. We can pray for that. And those prayers go straight to heaven to be in His presence, a sweet aroma before God.

Secondly there’s a personal application here I think. We’re caught up in this world. We happen to live in a country where we’re not persecuted a lot so it’s pretty easy to get caught up in worldly things. We’re believers in Christ and when the end came we know who we’d be with. We’d be with Him for eternity. But how about right now? As you read, as you hear these stories of what’s going to happen to this world in the end, does it cause worldly things to have a little bit less grip on you? That’s one of the things that should happen in our lives as believers. We start to realize, “I'm not a citizen of this earth.” And, by the way, I don't want to be a citizen of this earth. I want to be a citizen of heaven.

Revelation shows us that this world is a shaky place. But if that’s all you get out of the book of Revelation, you’ve missed the point entirely. That’s only half of the truth, the lesser half. Revelation shows us that this world is a shaky place but right along side of that it shows us that heaven is an unshakable place. Heaven is an eternal place. Heaven is a place of hope and you and I have our future assured with Him. And anybody who comes to Him can have their future assured with Him in eternity. As I realize that it causes worldly things a little bit to loosen their grip. I think that’s what God wants to happen as we read these stories, as we read these truths of what’s going to happen in the end.

DAY #355: Revelation 7:1-17

2009-12-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

John saw four angels who were standing at the four corners of the earth (referring to the whole earth, the four points of the compass). The sudden silence and the angels holding back the four winds from blowing upon the earth picture God’s protection from harm; they contrast the peace and security of the believers with the terror of those hiding in the rocks. The winds described here picture harmful winds as agents of God bringing destruction. The four angels hold back the winds so that not a leaf rustled in the trees, and the sea became as smooth as glass.

After the redeemed sang their song, these worshiped God and sang to him seven words of praise because of the salvation he had given to all the redeemed. Jesus said, “There is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents” (Luke 15:10). Imagine the great joy of the angels in heaven when they stand with this countless crowd of believers who had repented of sin and accepted the salvation of the Lamb.

One of the twenty-four elders turned to John and anticipated his question regarding the identity of this great crowd in white robes, “Where do they come from?” These people have come out of the great tribulation. They have persevered, standing true for Christ. Some may have been martyred, but probably not all of them. They have been redeemed, for they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white. It is difficult to imagine how blood could make any cloth white, but the blood of Jesus Christ is the world’s greatest purifier because it removes the stain of sin (Hebrews 9:14). White symbolizes sinless perfection or holiness, which can be given to people only by the death of the sinless Lamb of God on their behalf. This is a picture of how believers are saved through faith.

All who have been faithful through the ages were singing before God’s throne. Their tribulations and sorrows were over: no more tears for sin, for all sins were forgiven; no more tears for suffering, for all suffering was over; no more tears for death, for all believers had been resurrected to die no more.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

These are difficult passages to do devotional from. But as I read today, I am comforted by two unchanging truths. (1) - The blood of Christ washes clean all who trust in Him for salvation and forgiveness of sin. Washed clean. How unbelievably comforting is that? Washed clean from by actions, thoughts, words - washed clean and made new. How do you put a price on that? I am so grateful Lord.

(2) There is a day when there will be no more cancer, no more chemo therapy, no more Alzheimer's, no more abuse, no more poverty, no more in justice, no more suffering. Oh Lord, help me and all those who know You, stay faithful to the end. Help us endure and persevere.

In your battle today, whatever it may be - stay the course. Stay faithful.

DAY #354: Revelation 6:1-17

2009-12-20T04:42:00.000-08:00

The Lamb, Christ, broke open the first seal and with that came the first of four riders on horseback. One of the four living beings called loudly, “Come!” probably beckoning the rider on the horse. A white horse with a rider holding a bow had a crown placed on his head and he rode out to win many battles.

This is the only rider who didn’t bring catastrophe (the others initiated warfare, famine, and death); this rider went out to gain the victory. There is much debate over who or what this horseman represents. Some have suggested that this rider symbolizes the proclamation of the Good News of Christ. They see the white horse as being “good” and therefore the rider on a good mission. Others believe that the rider on the white horse is Christ himself, for Christ later appears on a white horse.

The fact that this white horse and its rider precede three other horsemen who wreak havoc on the earth, however, suggests that the white horseman must represent the lust for conquest. Specifically, the anti-christ's lust to conquest mankind. The result is warfare, famine, and death. This false rule, this destroyer deceives mankind into thinking he comes to bring peace, but it is a false peace.

At the breaking of the second seal, a rider on a red horse appeared. He was given a mighty sword and was sent out to remove peace from the earth. The picture here is of warfare. Throughout history, conquest has led to warfare and civil war. The rider on the white horse went out to “win many battles,” and in his wake came warfare. The color of this horse, red, symbolizes great bloodshed upon the earth.

Christ broke the third seal and a black horse arrived. This rider was holding a pair of scales for weighing food. The words of the four living beings regarding the amount of food for a day’s pay pictures wartime inflation. First-century readers would have interpreted this amount as twelve to fifteen times what they were used to paying. What a person would earn in a day would buy only enough food to feed that person, no one else, not even his or her family. This then would lead to widespread famine, another devastating result of warfare.

Following on the heels of the red horse of warfare, therefore, comes a black horse, which represents the sorrow and desolation of warfare that leaves people without money or food. The Lamb broke the fourth seal, and the fourth living being called a rider on a pale green horse. The rider’s name was Death. Following close behind was the Grave. The drive for conquest by the anti-christ (white horse), had led to warfare and bloodshed (red horse), which had brought famine and pestilence (black horse), resulting in death and the grave (pale green horse). The color indicates the color of a corpse. The four riders were given power over one-fourth of the earth to kill people with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.

Death by wild beasts would be expected when millions of people have died through war, famine, and plague. The number of one-fourth of the earth, working from present-day numbers, would mean over a billion people would die in this first wave of judgment were it to happen today. Nothing that cataclysmic has occurred in all of history.

After the four horses have ridden off, the Lamb broke the fifth seal. It reveals an altar in heaven, under which are the souls of all who had been martyred for faithfully proclaiming the word of God. They had been killed for standing up for Christ and for his word. The altar represents the altar of sacrifice in the Temple, where animals would be sacrificed to atone for sins. Instead of the animals’ blood at the base of the altar, John saw the souls of martyrs who had died for preaching the gospel.

These martyrs were told that still more would lose their lives for believing in Christ. In the face of warfare, famine, persecution, and death, Christians need to stand firmly for what they believe. Only those who endure to the end will be rewarded by God (14:12; Mark 13:13).

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND TO THESE EVENTS?? 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NIV) says, “Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” So what should my attitude be when it comes to the Second Coming of Christ?

BE READY AND BE ALERT. What’s the opposite of ready and alert? Unprepared and asleep. Let me ask you what describes the condition of your life and heart right now? If Jesus came back today, would you be ready? Have you stepped across the line and received Him as your savior and Lord? Have you committed your life to Him? If you have, then you are ready. For those of you who haven’t made that decision, your are unprepared for what the Bible says is going to to happen.

For those of you, which is most of you, are you alert? Are you tuned in spiritually? Are you dialed into God’s will for your life. Are you living out the purpose He has for your life? OR, have you fallen asleep spiritually speaking? Have you wandered off the path – gone your own way?

Will you say to God this morning - I am yours today, tomorrow and the day after, I am Yours. Draw close to the Lord today. Father, draw folks to COV this morning. May the music and message bring a smile to your face. May you do a work in each of our hearts. Don't let us leave COV this morning the same people who came.

DAY #353: Revelation 4:1-5:14

2009-12-19T05:32:00.000-08:00

Revelation 4–5 provide glimpses into Christ’s glory. Chapter 4 is John’s vision into the throne room of heaven. God is on the throne, orchestrating all the events that John recorded. The world is under his control, and he will carry out his plans as Christ initiates the final battle with the forces of evil.

After writing the letters to the seven churches, John looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. It is God who opens the door, so this is God revealing these visions to John and to us. This first voice that sounded like a trumpet was the voice of Christ. The voice spoke again and told John to “come up here.” From there, Christ would show John what must happen—that is, after the time of the letters to the churches in chapters 2 and 3. These would be visions of the end of the world and the beginning of Christ’s Kingdom.

Some who subscribe to the pre-Tribulation theory see a veiled reference to the rapture of the church in the words of Christ to “come up.” But the text indicates that John alone was commanded to be transported in the Spirit to heaven. The Rapture is not mentioned specifically in the book of Revelation.

Four times in the book of Revelation, John wrote that he was in the Spirit (1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). This expression means that the Holy Spirit was giving him a vision—showing him situations and events that he could not have seen with mere human eyesight. All true prophecy comes from God through the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21.

John saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The throne of God is mentioned forty times in the book of Revelation. The throne symbolizes God’s absolute authority. For the first-century readers, the most powerful throne in the world would have been Caesar’s throne. Caesar sat on the most glorious throne in the world and had control of one-half of the gross national product of the Roman Empire.

His glory and wealth, however, were nothing compared to God’s. God’s throne was as brilliant as gemstones. Jasper and carnelian were semiprecious stones. Caesar’s pomp and splendor were nothing compared to the glow of an emerald that circled God’s throne like a rainbow. The stones symbolize great wealth—God owns all the riches of the entire world. These gemstones were the most pure elements known at that time—and God transcends even these. John did not describe this person on the throne, other than to mention the brilliant light around him. God alone is sovereign; Caesar is not a god. Only God is God.

Surrounding God’s throne were twenty-four thrones with twenty-four elders sitting on them. The twenty-four elders are the heavenly counterpart of the twenty-four priestly ranks who served the Temple (1 Chronicles 23:6; 24:7-18).

The four living beings are angelic beings of high order, serving as part of the worship and government in heaven (Isaiah 6:1-4; Ezekiel 1:5-25). Isaiah 6:2 refers to these beings as “seraphim.” The seraphim surround God’s throne, lead others in worship, and proclaim God’s holiness. The eyes picture knowledge and alertness. They see and scrutinize everything. These are powerful figures, as noted by the wings. These four living beings also appear throughout Revelation.

The four living beings sing about God’s holiness. The actions of these living beings picture complete worship and submission to God. The one who lives forever and ever emphasizes God’s eternality. God is far more worthy of worship than any person because he lives forever (Psalms 45:6; 102:27). His throne symbolizes his power and authority. As the living beings praise God, the twenty-four elders fall down and worship. That they “fall down” refers to lying prostrate in a position of submission and adoration. Their worship means giving God all glory and honor and thanks.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Revelation 5:5-8 says,“Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. See! The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David. He has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and the seven seals.’ Then I saw a Lamb looking as if it had been slain standing at the center of the throne and circled by the four living creatures and elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And He came and He took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat on the throne and when He had taken it the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.”

Who is worthy of our worship? Who is worthy of giving our lives to? Who is worthy of our service and our time and our sacrifices? Jesus is worthy. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Jesus comes out of the line of Judah, the Old Testament line of Judah. Here in one of the rare circumstances of the Bible He is called a lion. He is the powerful one. That’s how He’s going to come in His Second Coming.

He’s also the root of the tribe of Jesse, which reminds us not only of Abraham and his son but of Jesse and his son David. And He is the one who takes the kingdom in the end. He is one (and this is our most familiar picture) who looks like a Lamb.

But notice the Bible says he looks like a Lamb looking as if He’s been slain but He’s standing in the center of the throne. That’s an awesome picture to me. Jesus is standing in heaven and, as John views Him, John’s still able to see the scars and the wounds on the Lamb of God. They’re there in eternity. Someone has said and I believe it may very well be true that the only scars you’ll see in heaven are the scars on Jesus. Those are the scars that bought our salvation.

When you see this description of Jesus and read through it, what if you were standing at that throne right now? He’s trying to describe it for us so we’re taken there almost. We’re standing there with him. What would you do? What would you say? What would you experience if you were standing at that throne in this moment? How would you express the thanks that you have for all that He did for you on the cross? How would you say to Him how grateful you are for the way He’s worked in your life, the patience that He’s shown you, the love that He’s shown you, the grace that He’s shown you, the salvation that He’s given to you?

Sometimes when we sing at COV, I turn around, I look out at all of you and see your faces and see the joy of Christ in your hearts and realize what God has done in your life and my life and I just begin to take all that in. Sometimes as we sing and worship God even here I can’t sing. There’s that moment that the words aren’t even there because it’s so overwhelming to realize what a great God we have. What great grace He has shown us! There are those moments in our lives and I think it would be that way standing before the throne, when the best thing to say is nothing, when we stand speechless before that throne and recognize together the greatness of God.

Would you take some time this morning and contemplate what He has done for you?

DAY #352: Revelation 3:1-21

2009-12-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

Just like yesterday, we're only going to look at one of the churches that is described in chapter three. The wealthy city of Sardis had been one of the most powerful cities in the ancient world due to heavy trade among the Aegean islands. Gold and silver coins were first minted at Sardis. The city also claimed to have discovered the art of dyeing wool. Sardis was also known for its impressive necropolis, or cemetery, with hundreds of burial mounds. Sardis had declined, however, by the time of the Roman Empire. Sardis had requested the honor of building a temple to Caesar, but they were refused, and the honor went to Smyrna instead. The wealth of the city eventually led to moral decadence. The city had become lethargic, its past splendor a decaying memory.

Christ had no words of commendation for this church. It seems to have been untroubled by heresy from within or persecution from without. Yet this church had compromised with its pagan surroundings.

Knowing this church’s deeds, Christ had no good words to say. (how frighting is that?) The believers may have had a reputation for being alive, but they were dead. Like the city itself, the church in Sardis may have been trying to live on past glory. They had compromised with the surrounding society to the point that they had become lethargic. They were as good as asleep, so Jesus told them to wake up and repent.

A little history about Sardis: The city had been sacked twice because the watchmen on the walls had not seen the enemies scaling the cliffs. Thinking that they were impregnable on the mountaintop led to a deadly complacence. What had happened to the city was happening to the church, and it needed to wake up. The situation was not completely hopeless—if they caught themselves in time, they could strengthen what little remains even though it, too, was at the point of death.

Christ knew all their deeds, and condemned them as far from right in the sight of God. The church may have looked impressive from the outside, but there was no spiritual motivation or power behind its deeds. In letters to the other churches, Christ commended deeds of love, faithfulness, obedience, and perseverance. Sardis, however, had none of these qualities.

Christ commanded the church at Sardis to obey the Christian truth they had believed at first about Christ. They needed to return to the apostolic teaching that had changed their lives and once again make it their central focus. These believers had slipped away from that teaching into compromise with the world. If they refused, Christ would come unexpected as a thief, as unexpected as the soldiers who had climbed the walls to capture the city. The soldiers had brought destruction; Christ would bring punishment, giving them what they deserved.

Not every believer in Sardis was being condemned for complacency and compromise with the world. Christ pointed out that some had not soiled their garments with evil deeds. These believers were being faithful. It must have been encouraging to those few who had been attempting to live for Christ in this dead church that Christ was commending them as worthy of his name. Christ promises a threefold reward for these faithful few.

To be clothed in white means to be set apart for God, cleansed from sin, and made morally and spiritually pure. Revelation mentions white robes several times. The white of these garments symbolizes the purity that comes when one has been “washed” in Christ’s blood. Only those who have allowed Christ to cleanse them from their sins and clothe them in white will be able to reign with him.

The Book of Life refers to the heavenly registry of those who have accepted salvation in Christ. This expression appears elsewhere in the Bible. The picture of God’s “book” first appears in Exodus 32:32-33. Also, the psalmist had cried out against his enemies, “Erase their names from the Book of Life; don’t let them be counted among the righteous” (Psalm 69:28). Daniel had prophesied, “At that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued”(Daniel 12:1). This “book” symbolizes God’s knowledge of who belongs to him. At that time cities had registry books, so having one’s name removed meant losing citizenship. A city would also erase a person’s name from the registry when he or she died. For the citizens of heaven, however, death is not a cause for one’s name to be removed; instead, it is the way of entrance.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Once again, this passage brings the fear of God. WAKE UP is such a relevant them for all of us. Today, I want to give you two prayers you and I need to pray, and make them a constant part of our lives from this passage. Two simple prayers:

#1. LORD, HELP ME TO SEE THE GAPS IN MY LIFE

Help me to see the gaps in my life. Help me to see the gaps between dead and alive, between the dead-ends and Your direction.

As you read each of these messages to the seven churches it’s very easy to read over the introduction of Jesus in these messages yet don’t miss it because each time Jesus is introduced He’s telling the church how He can meet the need of their lives. As He writes to this church He says, “Write to this church in Sardis and tell them, ‘These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.’”

Jesus holds the seven spirits. We learn in chapter one of Revelation, that the Spirits of God in the book of Revelation are a symbol or sign for the Holy Spirit of God working in our lives. And Jesus holds the seven stars. We learn also in the first couple of chapters that the seven stars is a symbol for the messengers of God. Some people think this means the angels of those churches, the messengers who are angels. Other people think this is the pastors of those churches, those giving the message. Either way this is the message of God, whoever it’s being given through. Jesus writes to this church and says, “You know what you need? You need God’s message heard through God’s Spirit.” If you begin to hear God’s message communicated through God’s Spirit it’s going to start to bring you to life again. What’s the message?

Jesus said, “I know your deeds [and here’s where you need to see the gap] that you have a reputation of being alive but you are dead.” Jesus knows the difference between those gaps that you and I face in our lives sometimes. In this church He tells them “I know the difference between your reputation and reality, between what people say about you, what people think about you, between the buzz that’s out there about you and reality about your life. I know the difference about it.”

Jesus knows the difference in the gaps in our lives too. Reputation is what everybody thinks you are. Character is what you really are. And Jesus knows what your reputation is but He also knows your character because He knows better than anybody else. As He looks at my life and your life who better than He to say, “There are a few gaps here. You’ve got a few places in your life that people are thinking ‘this’ about you but you’re heading in the wrong direction. You’ve got a few gaps here, a few holes to fill in.”

The people who looked at this city of Sardis looked at this church and they must have seen them as a respectable group of people but there was an incredible gap because that’s all they saw them as. They saw them as a respectable group of people who were neither dangerous or desirable. There wasn’t anything about this church to draw anybody to it. It had a great reputation but it didn’t have any energy. There was no life in it. It’s been said many times about that type of church that they were mild mannered people meeting in mild mannered ways

Jesus is very blunt about this. He doesn’t come in and say, “I know your reputation that you’re alive. I want to help you with this. You’ve got a few problems. I’d like to help you to move to the next level.” No, Jesus just says, “You’re dead.” That’s the struggle we have with Jesus Christ sometimes. He’s so honest and blunt. You know why I struggle with that? It depresses me to know I'm dead! Doesn’t it depress you if somebody says to you, “You’re dead!” It’s a little depressing! I’d rather have somebody do that positive thinking kind of stuff and say, “You could be alive!” “You’re dead” is some negative kind of stuff. Why does He do that? He wants them to see the gap. He wants them to feel the frustration of “Here’s who I am but here’s what I could be.”

A couple other gaps we all face between reputation and reality.

The gap between what you say and what you do. We can say great things but it’s tough to do them. You can say, “I love You, Lord,” but do you really? One of the ways, by the way, you can see if what you’re saying is real, if there’s really an emotion and a heart behind it, is the way you sing. If you feel your heart filling with a sense of genuine love for God, that’s an indication that what I say about my love for God and the reality of my love for God is really real. Let’s be honest. Isn’t it true that sometimes we love the things in this world more than the Lord? Little things. Like where I'm going to go out to eat or what movie I'm going to see. Do we think about that more than we think about the Lord? We don’t see God as even being a part of those things.

That’s the way you know the difference between what you say and what you really do – the gap. You say you want to be Jesus’ disciple, that you really want to follow Jesus Christ, but if you look at your life is there any real discipline in your life? The root word of disciple is discipline. Are you reading God’s word? Is prayer a part of your daily life? I say I want to be His disciple and to make those habits a part of my daily life, and it’s a struggle. I’ll admit it. It’s a very great struggle to make those habits a part of your life.

What do you think are the biggest gaps that people in the San Ramon Valley struggle with?

The materialism gap. Not needing money but needing more things.

The fear gap. The fear to tell the truth is a huge gap for people. They want to tell the truth but they feel like if they do they’ll lose their job, they won’t make a sale. A huge gap. A lot of you face that one or know people that face that one.

Pride gap. I'm humble and all that, but the truth is I really like it when people notice me.

Lying gap. The other side of the truth gap. You find yourself lying again and again.

Forgiveness gap. That’s a huge one. I know I should forgive. I feel like it’s important to forgive but I just can’t find the strength to forgive that person. That’s a gap that we face. And where do you find the strength to grow into forgiveness? By the way if you think that you immediately have that sense of forgiveness, that you don’t grow into it, you’ve missed the point of how we work. It is something you grow into. It’s not something that happens immediately. Sometimes you have to say, “I want to forgive that person,” a thousand times before we begin to sense it.

The image gap. That’s a good one for our valley. We’re driving around in our cars with the dark windows and behind the dark windows we’ve got the curlers in and we’re picking our noses. There’s a gap between those things!

Lord, help me to see the gaps! If you’re a little discouraged right now thinking, “It’s a grand canyon! How am I ever going to get from one side to the other? It’s such a huge gap.” You can’t feel that way. We’re talking about growing to feel like Christ so it’s a very frustrating thing to think, “I want to be more like Him but it’s so far. How do I get there?” So you pray the second prayer. Not just help me to see them and feel it but…

#2. LORD, HELP ME TO CLOSE THE GAPS.

Help me step by step to begin to close those gaps between what You want me to be and what I am. Between the struggles I'm facing and where I really sense You want me to grow.

Jesus writes to this church with this incredible gap between reputation and reality and He says here’s what you do. “Wake up! Strengthen what remains. Remember what you’ve received and heard. You obey it and repent. If you don’t wake up I'm going to come like a thief.”

Help me to close the gaps. How do you revitalize faith? How do you revitalize a relationship? How do you revitalize a sense of closeness with God? Jesus says here’s how you do it. And He walks them and us through it.

He says, “Wake up.”

This church at Sardis is a reflection of its city in many ways. As I mentioned in the first section of this reading for today, the city of Sardis, the main portion of it, was built on a plateau about 1500 feet above the plain. There was only one narrow way to get into this city. It was very easily guarded. You could see anybody that was coming up. Yet twice in its history, once by the Persians and once by the Greeks, this city was taken. And you know how it was taken both times? Both times it was taken because a group of dedicated soldiers went up the side of a cliff. They saw some of the people of the city climbing up and down the cliffs and they figured out how to climb up the cliffs. They climbed up at night and when they got to the top there was no one guarding the city. No one. The reason why is because they were convinced that no one could attack the city. So they were all asleep.

So when Jesus writes to this church and He says, “Wake up!” Everyone in that church would have understood what He meant. If you’re not awake you’re very vulnerable to attack.

This city and the church in it is a perfect example of over confidence and arrogance and what it can do in our lives. The pride issue we talked about a minute ago. The strange thing about this church, as you read about it, is did you notice it doesn’t have any of the problems that the other churches did? It doesn’t have false teachers. They’re not suffering persecution. It’s not where Satan’s throne is. Yet this church above all the other churches is condemned by Jesus. Why? Because they’ve grown complacent. Everything was easy and maybe because everything was easy they’d grown complacent and their faith had become flabby.

If you don’t think Sardis couldn’t be a little bit about America you’ve missed the point. It’s pretty easy for us sometimes, isn’t it? Our faith can grow flabby. We don’t have the same persecutions that maybe others in the world face. Even in the church we have clear teaching and we all have the Bible to read and we don't face some of the false teachings that sweep across the rest of the world. You and I can begin to have a faith, a sense of a relationship with God that grows weaker and weaker rather than stronger and stronger. Jesus writes and says, “Wake up. I still want to work in your life. I want to grow you in your life. Don’t let your spiritual muscles deteriorate. Wake up to what I want to do.”

I’ve got to be very careful at my weakest point, at that place where I know I’ve fallen again and again. If I ever start to say to myself that place or that habit or that thought or that unforgiveness or bitterness or whatever it is where I’ve fallen again and again, if I start to say to myself, “I think I’ve got that one licked,” I notice that is the day I fall again. So I’ve got to be very careful about that place. I know I have a weakness. I say, “I know I have a weakness here. I'm going to have it the rest of my life.” And just like a city that needs to know the weakest place of attack I need to protect that place. Lod, help us wake up to Your plan for us and remain awake.

DAY #351: Revelation 2:1-29

2009-12-17T06:14:00.000-08:00

Each of the seven churches in Revelation have a compelling and important message. Here in chap two, we'll focus on the church in Ephesus. Christ commended the church at Ephesus for hard work, patient endurance, intolerance of evil people, examining the claims of false apostles, and how they patiently suffered. All of these characteristics show a church busy with good works and suffering willingly for the cause of Christ. The Ephesian believers knew evil when they saw it and did not tolerate it. False teachers had been a problem in the Ephesian church, just as the apostle Paul had anticipated (Acts 20:29-30). The message to the church in Ephesus shows that false teachers had indeed come in among the believers, but Christ commended them for discovering and weeding out the liars.

Despite the commendations, Christ had something against this church—they did not love Christ or each other as much as they had at first. The Ephesians, though commended for their zeal in protecting the faith, had fallen into caring more about orthodoxy than love.

Every church should have pure faith and root out heresy. But these good efforts should spring from their love for Jesus Christ and for other believers. Both Jesus and John stressed love for one another as an authentic proof of the gospel (John 13:34; 1 John 3:18-19). In the battle to maintain sound teaching and moral and doctrinal purity, it is possible to lose a charitable spirit.
Paul had once commended the church at Ephesus for its love for God and for others. But the church had fallen away from that first love. Jesus called this church back to love. They needed to turn back to Christ and work as they did at first—love as they had originally loved, with enthusiasm and devotion.

If they refused to repent, however, Christ said that he would come and remove the church’s lampstand from its place, meaning the church would cease to be a church. Just as the seven-branched candlestick in the Temple gave light for the priests to see, the churches were to give light to their surrounding communities. But Jesus warned them that their lights could go out. In fact, Jesus himself would extinguish any light that did not fulfill its purpose. The church had to repent of its sins.

Christ added a further commendation to this church in Ephesus—he credited them for hating the deeds of the immoral Nicolaitans, which Christ also hated. The Nicolaitans were believers who had compromised their faith in order to enjoy some of the sinful practices of Ephesian society, including idolatry and sexual immorality. The Nicolaitans had amalgamated some Greek, some Christian, and some Jewish practices to form a sort of civil religion. It may have been that they were willing to worship in the imperial cult, worshiping the emperor, justifying it as a civil duty. They were probably advocates of freedom and compromise, but the Ephesian church had taken a strong stand against these heretics.

Each of the seven letters ends with the exhortation, Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. The words of the Spirit are the words of Christ. Note that all the letters were to be read to all the churches. Those who “hear” what is read should then “listen to the Spirit” in order to understand what the Spirit is saying and to know what should be done. Those who listen and do what the Spirit leads them to do will be victorious. These who are victorious will remain faithful to Christ no matter what the cost.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

We’ve got to start somewhere. There comes a time in our walk with Christ where we have to say - “Jesus is my first love.” Notice what is communicated in 2:4 “But I have this against you that you have left your first love.” I get a chill when I read that verse. It scares me, because that could be me.

C. S. Lewis said, “Every Christian would agree that a man’s spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God.” If you lose your first love for Jesus no amount of service you do will save your spiritual health.

Notice the word order in the original Greek. It’s very emphatic. The emphasis is on what is said first. Literally, what Jesus is communicating is, you have neglected your first love. That’s the order of the words in the passage which puts the emphasis on “your first love”.

It’s also interesting to know that the word for “neglect” literally means “to leave behind, to depart from something or someone”. That’s what we’ve neglected. We’ve left it behind for something else. We’ve either completely left it behind or we’ve replaced it. Your first love, that’s the most important thing. Look what’s happened he says. You’ve neglected it.

How? The decisions that we make every single day either reinforce or erode our love for Christ. By replacing activity for an intimate daily nurturing relationship with Jesus we run the risk of losing our first love. Think about it. Thirty years have gone by since Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus. That’s just enough time for this church to pass the baton from one generation to the next generation. And if they don’t pass the right baton and with the right values and priorities the church is sunk. That’s what Jesus was saying. So get it right. Get it restored now before it’s too late. That’s what Jesus is communicating.

I believe the closest parallel to this picture of neglecting your first love is marriage itself. I remember this counselor was speaking to a group of people at a marriage seminar and talking about a friend of his who said he was going to file for divorce. He said he no longer loved his wife. The counselor said, “Did you fall in love with your wife the moment you saw her?” He said, “No. We dated for a period of time. It took a period of time to fall in love with my wife.” He said, “You grew in love over a period of time. Isn’t it interesting, too, that it wasn’t just one moment that you grew out of love. It was over a period of time, as a result of neglecting and replacing things and as other priorities came in, that you grew out of that love relationship with your wife. As you grew into love, you grew out of love.”

The same is true with our relationship with the Lord. We’ve got to identify – our first love has to be Jesus. Are we creating time and places and experiences with Jesus? We’ve got to be doing that every day.

Acts 3:19 says, “Therefore repent and return so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that the times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” There is no refreshing of our soul with out repententing. There is no new experience. There is no first love. Why? Because sin has robbed that from you. There is no longer a fresh connection with God. Why? Because sin has got its roots in your life. Without repentance you will never experience a freshness in your relationship with God.

Psalm 38 is a clear picture of David who wanted to go through the steps of repentance. There are four steps in Psalm 38.

#1. You’ve got to see your sin for what it is. The Psalmist tells us it’s the arrow that goes deep. The fact that there’s no health left in my bones. I'm completely weak. It means I have wounds that are foul. You’ve got to see sin for what it is.

#2. You’ve got to feel the weight of sin in your life. What it’s done for you. It’s a weight of condemnation on us. It’s a sobering thing. We sob, we sigh, we throb, we find friends and loved ones are aloof. We stand completely alone. We sense loneliness as a result of this sin. Oftentimes the power in sin is secrecy and we stay there and we can’t get out because we don’t sense the full weight of it. See it for what it is. Feel the weight of your sin. Understand where you’re at.

#3. Confess your sin to Christ and others. 1 John 1:9 tells us that He is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from our sins. James 5:16 tells us we need to confess our sins one to another. That’s literally saying, I need help. I can’t get out of this myself. I don’t have that fresh love relationship with Christ because sin has overwhelmed me and I’ve got to reach out and say help me. I can’t do it on my own. If you don’t do that, you will stay in the pattern. And you’ll never get out and you’ll never experience what I'm talking about.

Yet God wants us to and He’s given us the steps to get out. We’ve got to confess it. We’ve got to bring it in the open. That’s why James says find someone, someone you can trust, go to them and make it happen! We’ve got prayer people here. We’ve got other pastors that you can come to. You know people in this church. Find someone. Take that first step. If it’s grabbed hold of you and you can’t get out of it and it’s a pattern, you’re never going to experience the freshness of your relationship with God. You’ll never get there. You’ll never know what I'm talking about. Take that step.

You not only see it, you not only feel it, you not only confess it, but…

#4. You abandon it. That means literally you decide to make daily changes, choices. Every choice you make in disobedience leads you further into sin and holds you there captive. But every choice you make for obedience leads you out the other direction.

See it, feel it, confess it, and decide to abandon it.

Then Jesus says not only remember, not only repent, but repeat what kept you from falling. A group of faithful Christian men and women in their 70s and 80s were asked to share their secrets to staying in love with Jesus in the long haul to a group of seminary students. Each one of these men and women shared the very same thing. They never stopped doing the basics. There’s nothing new. I don’t have any hidden knowledge. I don’t have any secret truth. It’s the basics that kept them on track. You’ve just got to continue on.

That’s what Jesus is saying. Repeat the things you did at first. Go back to that place. That’s how you keep your relationship with Him sharp by going back to the resources and going back to the word of God and going back to prayer and going back to spending time with other people in fellowship. Those things will keep you sharp with Christ.

DAY #350: Revelation 1:1-20

2009-12-16T06:24:00.000-08:00

The word revelation is the Greek word apokalupsis, from which the word “apocalypse” is derived. A “revelation” exposes what was formerly hidden or secret. The revelation recorded in this book will give believers information that had been formerly veiled but would now be disclosed.

John saw the vision and then faithfully reported the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation, according to John, is God’s word—not simply John’s narration of what he saw. It is an eternal message. The words of this book describe the promises and actions of God that have come true through Jesus.

The promise found in verse three assures us that God blesses the reader and listeners of these words as they are taken into each heart. The meaning is simple if we will do what we are commanded, be obedient to His word, God will bless us and protect us and provide for us.

John began to address the recipients of this letter; Jesus told John to write to the seven churches that knew and trusted John and had read his earlier letters. These were literal churches in literal cities. The letter was addressed so that it could be read and passed on in a systematic fashion, following the main Roman road clockwise around the province of Asia (now called Turkey).

Why did the Lord direct John to write to these seven in particular? It is possible that the number seven, as with the other sevens in the book, signifies completeness. While the seven churches were actual churches, they also represented all churches throughout the ages.

The book of Revelation describes that day when he will return to earth. That Jesus will come with the clouds of heaven summarizes the message of Revelation. Jesus’ second coming will be visible and victorious. Everyone will see him arrive (Mark 13:26), and they will know it is Jesus. When Christ returns, he will conquer evil and will judge all people according to their deeds (Revelation 20:11-15).

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The Lord God is the beginning and the end. God the Father is the eternal Lord and Ruler of the past, present, and future. God is sovereign over history and is in control of everything. The one who is, who always was, and who is still to come. The phrase the Almighty One comes out of the Old Testament and conveys military imagery, referring to God as a mighty warrior. The military imagery helped the people in the churches to whom this book was written understand that they had the ultimate Warrior fighting on their side. God rules over all.

The seven gold lampstands are the seven churches in Asia to whom this letter is addressed. Jesus, the Son of Man, stands among them. No matter what the churches face, Jesus is in control and protects them with his all-encompassing love and reassuring power. The long robe pictures Jesus as a leader. The gold sash across his chest reveals him as the high priest who goes into God’s presence to obtain forgiveness of sin for those who have believed in him. In the first century, wearing a sash, especially across the chest, indicated leadership and authority. His snowy white hair indicates his wisdom and divine nature. His blazing eyes symbolize judgment of all evil and deep insight, not only over the churches and the believers but over the entire course of history.

The feet like bronze picture an exalted person with great power. Bronze usually symbolized the might of Rome—bronze shields and breastplates were used by the Roman army. Again, this is a picture of an all-powerful Victor. The voice like mighty ocean waves evokes the image of a huge waterfall roaring over a high cliff. Thus, the voice is powerful and awesome. When this man speaks with authority, nothing else can be heard.

This shining brilliance of his face probably describes Christ’s entire being. The same sort of picture is described in the Transfiguration, an event that John himself had witnessed ( Matthew 17:2).

John’s response to the awesome sight of the glorious Son of Man was to fall at his feet as dead. Most likely this was not a trance; rather, it was in response to having seen a spectacular vision. The message given by this glorious figure—Christ—is the same one that had been given to the women at the tomb (Matthew 28:5): “Don’t be afraid!” For those who believe, there is no need to fear. This Christ is the First and the Last—essentially the same as the Alpha and the Omega. Christ is the living one—not a dead idol but alive and always with his people, every moment, in control of all things. He is the same one who was resurrected. He died; that is, he experienced physical death on the cross. But now he is alive forever and ever. Because Jesus rose from the dead, he can promise the same for his people.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read?)

The key verse to really “getting” the book of Revelation is Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it because the time is near.”

Revelation is a book with a guaranteed blessing. It has been since the moment Jesus left this earth. God’s saying, “I want to bless your life.” One of the ways is by reading this book, hearing it and taking it to heart. Let it affect your life. Let it impact your life and who you are.

Let’s go through and orient ourselves to the book of Revelation as we prepare ourselves to begin a study in earnest of it this next week. Four things:

#1. First, DON”T MISS the background of the book

Who wrote it and when it was written? That’s important. It’s important to know that it was recorded by John the Apostle, one of those who walked with Jesus. I put the word “recorded” because actually it wasn’t written by him. It was actually written by God. God wrote it down, delivered it to Jesus who delivered it to an angel who delivered it to John the Apostle. He recorded what God said to write down. This is a letter written by God to us.

The book of Revelation, like all the books of the Bible, is meant to impact our lives and make us different. Somebody wrote that we’ve missed the whole purpose of prophecy if it doesn’t conform us to Jesus Christ in our daily living. I think that’s the truth. We have to take it to heart.

For the believer a knowledge of what God’s going to do in the future does several things.

1. It promises us joy even in the midst of affliction. 2 Corinthians 4:17 reminds us of that.
2. It cleanses us and encourages us for daily living to be the kind of people God wants us to be.
3. It gives us facts about life after death that result in hope in our lives.
4. It gives us proof of the reliability of scripture. When you see what God’s going to do in the future and how it matches up we have a real sense of proof about how reliable God’s word is.
5. It draws our hearts in worship towards God.

The book is recorded by John the Apostle, and it’s written from a place called Patmos. This is a wonderful place to take a vacation. It was a Roman prison island, the Alcatraz of its day before Alcatraz became a tourist attraction. It was a terrible place to be. John the Apostle was exiled here later in life. I think that the Roman government finally got smart about what to do with the Christian prisoners. Remember that the Apostle Paul was put him in the middle of Rome and they chained him to the Roman guard and he won all of them to Christ and changed the world right there! So years later they’re taking the Christians and exiling them. I think they got smart about that.

It’s the kind of writing that sort of pulls the curtains open and shows you something clearly that you haven’t seen before. It’s the kind of writing that was all over in John’s day. We don’t see it anymore like we saw it back then but it was the kind of writing that they were very familiar with. So God used what they were familiar with and He used it to picture for them what He was going to do in the future.

#2. Don’t miss the PERSON

Don’t miss the main emphasis, the main character, the main deal, the most important thing in Revelation. The beast is important. It’s mentioned 37 times in Revelation. The throne of God is important – 41 mentions. The angels are mentioned 71 times. But the most important character in the book of Revelation is Jesus. Jesus Christ is the main character of this book. On every page, through every chapter, chapter after chapter is about Jesus Christ. The Son of Man, He’s called, the Lamb, the Rider on the White Horse and a number of other names. He’s the central person in the book of Revelation. You can’t miss that. To miss the fact that Jesus is the central person of Revelation in the midst of all these other studies of what did this mean and what did that mean, if you miss that it’s liking going to New York harbor and looking at the boats and not seeing the Statue of Liberty, or going to see Mount Rushmore and only noticing the trees, never noticing that there’s a statue up on the mountain, or going to the Grand Canyon and standing on the edge and only noticing the ants that are making a line in between your feet. Never lifting up your eyes and seeing this incredible view. Jesus is what Revelation is all about. He’s the one who brings the hope.

#3. DON’T MISS the purpose

Why did God write it? Very simple. To warn us of what's coming so we don't get complacent.

#4. DON’T MISS THE HOPE

One more thing that’s so important. When you take the book as a whole and you see that it’s talking about the future I don’t want us to miss as believers that the purpose of this book is a four-letter word – HOPE. The believers who first read this book were under incredibly intense persecution. They were in times that probably none of us are ever going to face, but some of our brothers and sisters in Christ face this around the world. If you were in a time of intense persecution, your life was falling apart, you had no hope and the world was the most terrible, horrible place you could imagine can you come to grips with how much hope it would give you to open up this book and realize that this world is not going to last like it is. It’s not going to keep going on and on like this. God’s going to bring it all to an end someday. It’s going to be a terrible day but He will bring it to an end. When He does, there’s going to be a new heaven and a new earth and I'm going to be there with Him forever and there’s going to be no more suffering or crying or pain or any such thing. Can you imagine the need for that kind of hope in a suffering persecuted world?

Sometimes when we read Revelation we get very scientific about it. We try to figure out all the ins and outs of it. I think it’s good to try to understand God’s word to its depth but we should not miss the hope that’s in this book. Many people do. I pray that God will use these last few weeks of 2009 to speak to your heart and give you hope about His plan and purpose for your life.

DAY #349: Jude 1:1-25

2009-12-15T08:20:00.001-08:00

This short one chapter book packs a ton of punch. Jude called the believers to action, to defend the faith, calling for hard work, diligent study, willingness to stand against society’s desire to water down the gospel, speaking up for the truth and bearing the burden of interpreting the timeless truth to a changing society. The believers could not (and would never be able to) sit back and idly enjoy the mercy, peace, and love of their faith. Rather, their Christian faith must be defended against the onslaught of false teaching.

Although Jude’s brief letter does not mention his intended readers, it addresses specific concerns about false teaching that was threatening the churches. There could be no other fate except condemnation, for these teachers had turned against the only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. With their flagrant sexual sinning in the name of God’s grace, these false teachers were denying Christ as their Master and Lord, replacing him with themselves and their appetites. While claiming to know God, their actions denied him. They taught lies, and in so doing they denied the basics of the Christian faith. Such a denial also ends in judgment and destruction.

So how are believers today to discern false teaching? Heresies can be discovered through asking probing questions. We can guard against heresies by asking these questions about any religious group:

Does it stress man-made rules and taboos rather than God’s grace?
Does it foster a critical spirit toward others, or does it exercise discipline discreetly and lovingly?
Does it stress formulas, secret knowledge, or special visions more than the Word of God?
Does it elevate self-righteousness, honoring those who keep the rules, rather than elevating Christ?
Does it neglect Christ’s universal church, claiming to be an elite group?
Does it teach humiliation of the body as a means to spiritual growth rather than focusing on the growth of the whole person?
Does it disregard the family rather than holding it in high regard as the Bible does?

Like many of the false teachers of today, theses false teachers had come from the ranks of the believers. While not truly followers of Christ, they were saying and doing many of the right things, even as they were teaching their wrong doctrines. They understood that they could find deliverance from bondage to sin (like bondage to Egypt), yet they were choosing sin over salvation. The obvious result, Jude wrote, would be that they, like the disobedient Israelites, would be destroyed.

Jude was emphasizing that the false teachers were immoral, insubordinate, and irreverent. Jude hardly needed to say more. The believers had no reason for listening to or following such people. Their refusal to heed God’s voice left them enslaved to sin and their sinful passions. The only things these men truly understood were the passions and lusts that enslaved them. Even though they claimed to be able to indulge themselves without retribution, eventually they would bring about their own destruction.

Just as Cain murdered his brother, so the false teachers “murder” people’s souls. Just as Cain did not care about his brother, murdering him out of envy, so the false teachers did not care about their followers, willingly leading them along the pathway to destruction. Like Cain, the false teachers were defying God’s authority and acting out of sinful passion.

Through these three Old Testament pictures, Jude painted these false teachers. They were without love (like Cain), greedy for money (like Balaam), and insubordinate to God-appointed authorities (like Korah). God’s punishment on them is certain.

The false teachers were like dangerous reefs along a shoreline, ready to shipwreck the believers. Jude spared no words in describing the danger of these false teachers’ involvement with the believers. In the worst sort of hypocrisy, these intruders who had stolen in among the believers were participating in the love feast while at the same time living and speaking in opposition to Christ.

They were shameless in their selfishness. They cared nothing for the believers, their celebration, or the God the believers worshiped. Instead of looking after others’ needs, the false teachers’ only concern was their own needs. Jude could hardly have said worse about anyone. Sparing no words for these false teachers, he laid their attitudes, words, and actions out for all to see. He meant for the Christians to take this irrefutable evidence and decide for themselves about these men.

And in the midst of this heresy, this abomination, Jude puts out a call to remain faithful.
Jude encouraged the believers to remain firm in their faith and trust in God’s promises for their future. This was vital because they were living during a time of increased disloyalty to the faith. We too are living in the last days, much closer to the end than were the original readers of this letter. We, too, are vulnerable to doctrinal error. We too are tempted to give in to sin. Although there is much false teaching around us, we need not be afraid or give up in despair—God can keep us from falling, and he guarantees that if we remain faithful, he will bring us into his presence and give us everlasting joy.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

I am reminded of Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) - "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand."

Stand your ground. Stay the course. No retreat. No surrender. No turning back.

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)

Oh Lord, would you work in each of hearts like this. Sold out to the things of God and the work of God. Total abandonment to the will of God. And when the time of testing come, we dig our heels in and stay solid. Lord, you know how this truth flies in the face of where the culture is going.

The culture cries out quit - run - give up. May we rise above today to claim our place in Your work. Lord, give us a spirit of tenacity and perseverance. Lord, give us a spirit of courage and boldness.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control." 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP)

AMEN! (so be it)

DAY #348: 3 John 1-14

2009-12-14T07:45:00.000-08:00

This passage contains my life verse: 3 John 4

The children John was referring to were his spiritual children, the members of the Christian communities he served. John wrote of his “children” because he was the spiritual father. John’s joy came from hearing that the believers under his care were not straying from the gospel message but were living in the truth. To live in the truth means living out the truth by expressing it in one’s behavior. John had no greater joy than to see it happen in the life of one of his spiritual children.

Traveling teachers were probably sent from various churches to proclaim and teach the gospel. Because false teachers were infiltrating the churches, strong believers who taught the truth were very important. These traveling prophets, evangelists, and teachers were helped on their way by people like Gaius who housed and fed them. Finding good accommodations was very difficult for travelers who had no friends in the area. Inns were not very good places to stay. Hospitality from the believers was vital to the spread of the gospel. As noted in 2 John, however, the believers were not to show such hospitality to false teachers.

Gaius had been willing to open his home and take care of the traveling teachers who were passing through. He lovingly cared for these men who served the Lord, even when they were strangers to him. These teachers were partners in the truth and deserved to be helped. John called this a good work.

Hospitality is a lost art in many churches today. Christians would do well to invite more people for meals—fellow church members, young people, traveling missionaries, visitors, and the needy. This is an active and much-appreciated way to show Christian love.

The reason these teachers deserved help from believers was that they are traveling for the Lord. These were not merely Christian tourists; these people were traveling with a purpose—to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. That they would accept nothing from those who are not Christians means that they did not ask for support from nonbelievers because they didn’t want anyone questioning their motives for preaching.

When Christians support someone who is spreading the gospel, they are in a very real way partners with them for the truth. This is the other side of the principle in 2 John 1:10. Not everyone should go to the mission field; those who work for Christ at home are vital to the ministries of those who go and who need support. Believers can support missionaries by praying for them and by giving them money, hospitality, and time.

A man named Diotrephes had refused to acknowledge the apostle’s authority. Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, apparently refused to support these traveling preachers, thus snubbing John in the process. Diotrephes had an important position in the church but was blinded with pride and self-importance. He ignored the letter, perhaps even destroying it. This necessitated John’s writing this letter to Gaius so his words would be heard.

John would deal with Diotrephes personally if he were able to go to Gaius’s church. This verse explains some of what Diotrephes was doing. He apparently wanted to control the church. John denounced four errors of Diotrephes. First, he did not acknowledge the authority of other spiritual leaders. Second, he was saying wicked things about those leaders. The Greek word literally means “to talk nonsense.” Third, he refused to welcome the traveling teachers. He regularly refused to give hospitality to the brothers sent from John. Fourth, he was putting out of the church those who disagreed with him.

Diotrephes was trying to dominate the church and lord it over all the members—telling them who to receive and who not to receive. Gaius had apparently not listened to Diotrephes but had continued to be hospitable. For this, John commended him. Not only was Gaius doing what was right, he was doing it in the face of persecution from those in his own church.

Sins such as pride, jealousy, and slander are still present in the church; thus when a leader makes a habit of encouraging sin and discouraging right actions, he or she must be stopped. If no one speaks up, great harm can come to the church. John was prepared to publicly expose Diotrephes before the whole church.

In closing, John encouraged Gaius to not be influenced by Diotrephes’s bad example, but to instead follow only what is good—that is, to continue showing support and hospitality. Human beings are imitators by nature, but they must choose whom they will imitate. John encouraged Gaius to continue to follow what is good, for those who do good prove that they are God’s children.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what i have read today?)

Let me ask you this morning - what gives you the greatest amount of joy? Whatever your answer, it will give you insight into what matters most in your life.

For Sharon and I, the most important thing in raising our four kids has always been and always will be their walk with the Lord. Nothing even comes close to this in terms of priority and importance. God has been faithful to work in our kids hearts and lives.

The Bible is very clear that the primary responsibility of raising children, helping them be prepared for life, is laid at the feet of parents. It's your responsibility. The moment you took part in a conception you got a job description. You took on a role.

Part of that job description is described in the next verse. Deuteronomy 6:7 "You must teach these commandments to your children and talk about them when you are at home or out for a walk, at bedtime and the first thing in the morning."

This verse says several things:

"You" -- this is not talking about the government, a preschool, a grade school, a private school, some club, even the church. It's talking about you if you're a parent. You are primarily responsible to prepare your kids for life and help them know God and walk with Him. This is your job, not some preschool or anybody else.

"Must" -- this is not optional. It's not, "if you have time for it you must do these things" or "It's ok whether you do them or not." It says "You must..." It's not optional.

"You must teach..." Parents are teaching all the time whether they realize it or not. If your kids are around you, you're teaching them sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. They're watching every move. You're modeling, exampling, showing how to live. You are constantly teaching. The only question is, "What are you teaching?"

"You must teach these commandments" They are commandments, not suggestions. God didn't give us ten suggestions. He said these are commandments you are to do. As parents there are three areas we especially have to be concerned with in raising kids, helping prepare them for life.

#1. Relationships. For better or for worse, your happiness in life is determined by your relationships. If you know how to relate to people, if you know how to get along with people, you're probably going to be happy a good percentage of your life. If you don't know how to get along, if you don't know how to relate to people, you're going to be miserable most of your life. One of the most important skills the family teaches is how to relate.

Right or wrong, the way you relate to other people you picked up those skills growing up. Sometimes people grow up in dysfunctional homes and you have to relearn later on how to relate to people because you never learned to relate to people in the right way. You didn't learn how to resolve conflict. You either blew up or clammed up. You do different kinds of inappropriate behaviors so you have to relearn. So as parents we have to teach and we have to model basic things about relationships.

Good relationships don't just happen. You don't just have a good marriage. You don't just have a good friendship. It takes time, it takes work. Relationships have to be built. They are built on things like truthfulness, honesty and vulnerability. It takes communication. You cannot have a relationship without communication. It takes authenticity. It takes massive doses of forgiveness to build a healthy relationship. Because you're going to be hurt and you're going to hurt others. Sometimes intentionally. Sometimes unintentionally. We have to teach our kids how to resolve conflict. They need to see not only when you as a parent have a conflict with your spouse, but how you resolve it. We need to teach relationships.

#2. Character. Character is formed in the home. What is character? Character is the sum total of your choices and your habits. As you help your kids develop good habits, they develop good character. If they don't develop good habits, they're not going to have good character no matter what you say. Character is more caught than it is taught. You have to model that.

#3. Values. What's really important in life. Whether you realize it or not, your kids are always picking up values from you, whether you teach them formally or not. They're picking up, by just watching you, they're seeing what's really important in your life. Regardless of what you say is important, the way you spend your time and the way you spend your money is what's really important to you. They pick up values in the family. Values about work, about life, about money, about time, about sex, about other people, about the world, about the future, about what's really important, about God. Those values are constantly being communicated and picked up one way or the other.

I know you've heard people say, "I'm not going to impose my spiritual values on my kids. I'm going to let them decide for themselves." Baloney! What that basically says is "God is an option." He is not an option. You are hurting your kids if you say God is an option. As long as they are under your roof, you have the right to impose on them certain standards. When they're out on their own, of course they have to make their own decision. But if you don't force your kids to go to church, where do you think they'll get their values? At school? When you say, "I'm not going to impose my values on my kids" what you're doing is abdicating your authority as a parent. And you're abdicating it to the television. Television is the number one purveyor of values today.

Only 12% of grade school kids frequently talk to their parents, particularly their fathers, about personal concerns.

When they become teenagers, only 8% of fathers talk to their teenagers about premarital sex. Only 15% of mothers talk to their teenagers about premarital sex. No wonder we've got teenage pregnancies going rapid today.

By the time a child is 18, on television, he or she has seen over 100,000 sexual liaisons on television. Ninety-one percent of all sex on tv is portrayed as sex outside of marriage. I call that brainwashing. Over a course of one year, prime time tv depicts over 1400 incidences of sex, over 2300 incidences of profanity, over 8000 incidences of severe violence. It's a great source of miseducation. What's happened as a result? Just pick up the paper. We've got grade schoolers taking guns to school and killing each other. Where did that come from?

The Bible says one day we're all going to be judged before God and give an account of our lives. Those of us who are parents will give an account of our parenting roles. Did we care enough to say, this is right and this is wrong, because most kids don't know right from wrong today. Society certainly doesn't know the difference.

In each of these areas I'm going to ask you to evaluate yourself. From one to ten, how would you rate yourself in preparing kids for life if you're a parent. Ask yourself, "What am I teaching? About money? About time? About God? About sex?" What am I teaching unintentionally by my lifestyle? Am I teaching workaholism?

I suggest that you be more intentional. Make a list of the values you think are important, that you value. Then start intentionally sharing those, making sure those come up in the conversation with your kids. Don't just let it go haphazard. Because it's not true that all you need is love. You need wisdom.

DAY #347: 2 John 1-13

2009-12-13T05:05:00.000-08:00

Christianity had spread to many cities in the world. Sometimes there were several house churches in a city. True teachers and false teachers were proliferating. Because there were many false teachings about Jesus Christ in the days of the early church, the apostles had to describe which teachings about Jesus were true and which were false. Believers who adhered to the apostolic teachings—both in doctrine and in practice—were living in the truth.

Living in the truth refers to the Christians conducting their lives as they had been commanded by the Father. The commandment to live in the truth came from the Father through the Son to the disciples (John 15:15), who passed it on to the believers (Matthew 28:19-20). As John had explained in another letter, “And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us” (1 John 3:23). To live in the truth, therefore, involves believing in Jesus Christ as God’s Son (faith) and loving others (action).
John urged the church to love one another. This was not a new commandment; the believers had heard this from the beginning. The Christians had been taught this commandment from the time they first heard the gospel preached. The statement that Christians should love one another is a recurrent New Testament theme. Those who claim to love God and believe in his Son must put their faith into practice by loving.

Love does not focus on emotions or feelings; instead, love means doing what God has commanded. Love is expressed by obedience; obedience fulfills the command to love. The one command to love one another sums up all of God’s commands, and obedience to God’s commands is the sure test of love.

Four times in verses 4-6 appears a form of the word “command.” Yet the commands are obeyed through love. John wanted his readers to know that he spoke as an Elder, as an apostle, and as a loving father to his children—with authority from God himself. The false teachers had no such authority, and their lifestyles did not exemplify love.

The warning of this letter is this: Beware of the many deceivers (that is, the false teachers) who do not believe that Jesus Christ came to earth in a real body. John’s first letter mentioned this heresy (1 John 4:2-3). Jesus had warned his disciples that false teachers would arise and lead many astray (Matthew 7:15; 24:11, 24). Jesus’ words had come true, for many of these false teachers had gone out into the world. One group in particular, called the Docetists, denied Jesus’ humanity and instead promoted the falsehood that he only seemed to have a human body. Believers, however, must hold on to what they believed—that Jesus is truly the Son of God who came to earth as a human. He is both fully human and fully God.

Every false teacher is against Christ—he or she is a deceiver and an antichrist (1 John 2:18-19). These deceivers foreshadow the one final Antichrist who will embody all the deception of earlier anti-Christian systems and teachers.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Today Lord, give the people a heart - like never before to obey Your word and the commands found within. Today Lord, draw people to COV to hear the simple truth in the kids musical this morning. Lord, speak to hearts this morning and change lives. Give us a heart to obey.

In America, Bibles are everywhere. You can find them in grocery stores, bookstores, motel rooms, everywhere. They're available in all sizes, shapes, translations, versions, leather bound, paperback. Every year the Bible out sells every other major bestseller. Last year there were 500 million Bibles published in the world in 18,000 different languages. In America we are glutted with the word of God on the airways, radio, TV, books, magazines. It's everywhere. Yet millions of people still miss the blessing of the Bible.

Why? Because it's not automatic. The Bible is a book of blessing. It promises comfort, strength, hope, wisdom, joy, power, and purpose. But just because you have a Bible doesn't mean you're going to get the benefit from it. James, being his practical self, gives us three steps on how to be blessed by the Bible.

v. 25 is the key verse, "The man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard but doing it, he will be blessed in what he does." The Bible is called the perfect law because it's exactly what I need. It promises freedom and it promises blessing. James gives us three steps:

1. I MUST RECEIVE GOD'S WORD IF I'M GOING TO BE BLESSED BY IT

vs. 21, "Accept the word planted in you." Circle the word "accept". This word in Greek is a hospitality term which literally means "to welcome" -- come on in. If we're going to be blessed by the word of God, first we must welcome the word into our lives. We must be receptive.

James gives an illustration. He says it's planted in you. He gives the illustration of a garden and seed. The Bible, all through Scripture, compares itself to seed. Jesus told the parable of the sower and said, “The word of God is a seed and it's planted in our hearts.” How is it you can take two seeds that are exactly the same and plant them in two different locations and get two different crops in fruitfulness? One soil is prepared and the other is not. How is it that you can take two people and put them in the same service, with the same message, and one person gets blessed by it and the other person says he didn't get anything out of it. One heart was prepared and one wasn't. James says we must receive the word of God with the right attitude. He gives us four attitudes you need to be blessed by God's word. They are hearing-aides.

1. Be careful. I must have a careful attitude. v. 19 "Be quick to listen..." Give it your full attention. Be alert. Don't miss it. "... slow to speak ..." When I'm talking, I'm not listening. God gave us two ears and one mouth so we ought to listen twice as much as we talk. Many of our problems are caused because we're quick to speak rather than being quick to listen. Be careful in your attitude. Be ready. Be intent. Be ready to receive God's word. Be careful.

2. Be calm. Be calm if you're going to receive God's word and be blessed by it. v. 19b "... and slow to become angry ..." A relaxed attitude increases receptivity. If you're relaxed, people can communicate with you more. We work on relaxing people in our services for that reason. We don't hear much when we're angry, upset, bitter, resentful. Bitterness is a barrier, an emotional block that keeps us from hearing God's word. Some may ask, "How come God never speaks to me." Maybe you've got some resentment in your life you need to get rid of. An article I read from Reader's Digest said when you listen it actually lowers your blood pressure. When you speak it raises your blood pressure. James says be calm, be slow to anger.

What is your emotional state, normally, when you come to church on Sunday morning? Do you come with a calm attitude? In many homes on Sunday morning it's kind of hectic. Then we come at the last minute and expect God to speak to us. What preparation? You need to be calm. Maybe you need to get up a little bit earlier.

3. Be clean. v. 21 "Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent..." Before you can plant the seed you need to do a little weeding. The word "filth" that he says you've got to get rid of is actually the Greek word that means "earwax". When you have a sin in your life it blocks your hearing. It prevents God's word from getting into your heart. He says get rid of the evil, anything that we know that isn't right in our lives. God says, “Lay aside all of the emotional garbage, the old habits, the junk in your life so that God's word can get through to you.”

How can we be clean? By confession. "If we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The Living Bible says "Get rid of all that's wrong in your life, both inside and out."

4. Be compliant. Teachable, yielded, humble, willing to be changed. He says "humbly accept the word of God planted in you..." Don't act like you know it all. If you know it all, God's word can't get through to you. Pray, "God, do what You need to do in my life."

God says if you want to be blessed, first you have to receive it, be receptive with these four hearing aids. Reception is not enough. James says we not only need to receive the word of God, but...

2. REFLECT ON THE WORD OF GOD

v. 23 "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself immediately goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." James uses an illustration here. God's word is like a mirror. The purpose of a mirror is to evaluate us. We use them to evaluate ourselves. We look in a mirror to assess the damage from the night before. Then we do something about it. What good is a mirror if we don't do anything about what we see? God says a mirror reflects what we're like on the outside. God's word reflects what we're like on the inside.

Have you ever seen yourself in the Bible? Hebrews says, "God's word detects the thoughts, intents, motives and desires of the heart." Many years ago, Queen Elizabeth, who was beautiful in her youth, ordered that all of the mirrors be removed from Buckingham Palace because she couldn't stand to face that she was growing old.

A lot of people don't read the Bible because they're afraid. They're unwilling to face themselves and see themselves as they really are. They don't want to look in the mirror of God's word.

James gives us three practical ways to reflect on the word of God,

1. Read it. v. 25 "the man who looks intently into the perfect law". He's actually talking more about research that he is reading. Investigating. The word "look" in Greek means "to stoop down and gaze in". It's the word used when Peter went to the tomb on resurrection Sunday when he stooped down and peeked in. He investigated. Focus your attention on the word of God. There are two ways you can look at a mirror. You can gaze at it or you can glance at it. All of us have done both. It's human nature that you can't walk by a mirror and not look at it. When you glance at it, you immediately walk away and forget what you've seen. It didn't do you any good. Many people try to have a quiet time that way. They don't want to gaze at it, but glance at it. Give God five minutes. God says that He wants us to gaze at the word. Look at it intently in detail.

That's how you look intently at the word of God. Look at the details. James says we need to receive the word of God and then reflect on it, first by reading it and second by reviewing it.

2. Review it. v. 25 "...and continues to do so..." That means over and over and over. The Bible calls this meditation. When you think about something over and over, it’s meditation. Meditation is not, put your mind in neutral and contemplate lint in your navel. Meditation means to think seriously about something over and over. If you know how to worry, you can meditate. Take a negative idea and think about it over and over, and it's called worry. Take God's word and think about it over and over, and it's called meditation. The Bible says, “Meditate on God's word”. Jesus said, "...if you continue in My word, then you're truly My disciples." Read it and review it. The outlines I give you each week are not so that you can keep up with me, it's so that you can review it during the week. God says, “You want to be blessed by the word? Review it.”

Psalm 119:97 "I meditate on your word all day long." Every businessman ought to memorize Joshua 1:8. If you'll do one thing God promises to bless you with success. And that promise is IF you meditate on His word.

Read it and review it continually. Stay in it and be faithful to the book. I know some people that are more faithful to Ann Landers or the sports page than they are to God's word. How many of you believe everything you read in the newspaper or watch on TV? Then why do we spend more time reading or watching something we don't believe than something we do?

We need to fill our minds with the word of God. James says, “You want to be blessed? Reflect on the word. Think about it by reading it and reviewing it.”

3. Remembering it. v. 25 "... not forgetting what he has heard." Nothing will do more for your spiritual life than developing the habit of memorizing Scripture. Nothing will benefit your personal spiritual life more than developing the habit of memorizing Scripture. "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee." Memorize God's word if you want to be blessed by it. We remember what's important to us.

Take notes, write things down. If you value God's word you're going to take notes on it. Hebrews 2:1 "Write things down so we don't let slip what we've heard." The United States Air Force did a study and found that we forget 95% of what we hear within 72 hours. This statistic depresses a pastor. I spend all week preparing a message to give on Sunday. By Wednesday you've forgotten 95% of what I've said unless you've written it down. James says, “Receive God's word with the right attitude, reflect on God's word by reading it, reviewing it, remembering it.” But even that's not enough.

3. I MUST RESPOND TO THE WORD OF GOD

I must do something about it, act on it, live it, practice it. vs. 22 "Do not merely listen to what the word says and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Practice. What good is a mirror if you look at it and don't do anything about it? The word "listen" in Greek is the word for "auditor". If you audited a class in college you didn't take it for credit, no tests, no responsibility, no research. You were totally relaxed. You just listened, you didn't have any intention of applying it. We have a lot of auditors in the church. They come to church, walk in, hear the word of God, walk out with no intention of ever being changed. I was one for years. I took notes, wrote things down, but it never changed me. We must respond to God's word, let it change us if we're going to be blessed by it.

James says it's self-deception when we don't let it change us. We think that just gaining content is making us spiritually mature. The test of maturity is not knowledge. The test of maturity is character. A lot of people have great Bible knowledge and they are spiritual midgets. I need to practice it, apply it, put it in my life.

And knowledge increases responsibility. The more we know the more we're accountable for. What am I doing about what I know? Jesus said, "To whom much is given, much is required." And James said, "To him who knows to do good and doesn't do it, it's sin." What has God told you that you need to start obeying today?

DAY #346: 1 John 5:1-21

2009-12-12T06:33:00.000-08:00

According to the Jewish law, the testimony of one person is not a valid witness. Truth or validity has to be established by two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). Since people believe human testimony when validated by two or three witnesses, John explained that surely they could believe the testimony that comes from God.

The Gospels twice record God’s clear declaration that Jesus is God’s Son—at Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:16-17) and at his transfiguration (Matthew 17:5). John said that if they believe testimony from people, then they can surely rely on the threefold witness of God.

When people believe in the Son of God, they know that everything the apostles taught about him is true. They know without any doubt because the Spirit who regenerated them gives them an inner witness to that reality (Romans 8:16; Galatians 4:6). God’s Spirit, alive in their spirit, witnesses to the fact that everything Jesus said and did was true. In fact, that is the primary function of the Spirit—to testify and reveal Jesus to every believer.

Those who don’t believe the testimony that God has given concerning his Son should realize that by rejecting what God has so plainly said, they are calling God a liar. John was blasting the false teachers who claimed to know God but did not believe what God himself had said concerning his Son. This was logically impossible and amounted to calling God a liar.

This is what God has testified and what the false teachers refused to believe: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The divine, eternal life resides in Christ, who makes it available to all who believe in him. That Jesus is indeed God’s Son has been established by testimony from God himself. Believers have eternal life in relationship to and in union with Jesus Christ, who is himself “life” (John 1:4; 14:6), and they have eternal life because of him.

Human beings do not have life in themselves; they receive life from God. Through faith, believers have Christ within, so whoever has God’s Son has life—eternal life—now. They possess a new nature and enjoy fellowship with God. Believers can be certain that they have eternal life. Because they have received life through the Son, they can be assured of having everlasting life in the future. For those who do not believe, however, the opposite is also true: whoever does not have his Son does not have life.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

I think in all the years I've been a pastor the number one question people ask me is, "Why is it that I can't change? I want to change but I don't know how or I don't have the power to change."

We go to seminars, conferences, looking for the painless cure that's going to zap our life and change us instantly and give us self discipline. Or we go on diets. I once went on a diet for an entire afternoon. Or we join a health club and our enthusiasm goes great for about two weeks and then it kind of wanes and we go back into the same old rut and we don't change. We read self‑ help books.

The problem with self help books is they tell you what to do but they don't give you the power. They says things like, "Get rid of all your bad habits.... Be positive, don't be negative..." How? Where do I get the power to change? That's the basic problem -- a lack of power in our lives. How do I get my life off dead center? How do I get out of the rut? How do I break out of the mold I'm in? Where do I get the power to change??

Philippians 3:10 says, "All I want to know is Christ and experience the power of His resurrection." Ephesians 1:20 says, "I pray that you will begin to understand how incredibly great His power is to help those who believe Him, the same mighty power who raised Christ from the dead."

The word "power" is used 57 times in the New Testament. The Bible is a book of power and Easter is the most powerful event that ever happened. All of history was split by this one powerful event. It separates A.D. and B.C. What is that power? It's the power to change your life.

This morning, we're going to be talking about power. [I think of the new chaplain at the prison. He was nervous. He was assigned death row. He was trying to be positive when he went in to counsel the guy that was going to be executed the next day. He said, "I've really been praying for you." The guy said, "But you don't realize. Tomorrow I'm going to the electric chair." The chaplain, trying to think of something clever to say said - "Well... more power to you."] HA HA!

POWER! Paul said, I want to know the power of the resurrection. The Greek word for power is the word dunamis -- dynamite. God says, I want to give you dynamite power in your life! The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead 2000 years ago is available for your life right now to change your life today!

What is resurrection power?
1. IT'S THE POWER TO CANCEL YOUR PAST.

All of your failures, your mistakes, your sins, your regrets. Cancelled! Have you ever been half way through a project and wished you could start over? Like painting the living room? A lot of people feel that way about life. "I wish I could just start over. I've made so many mistakes. I wish I could wipe them out. Failures, problems, bad decisions."

Colossians 3:14 says "He has forgiven all our sins and canceled every record of the debt we had to pay." Christ has done away with it by nailing it to the cross.

God says it's like the Etch-A-Sketch. You make a mess, you flip it over and wipe the slate clean. The Bible says that's what God does to all the mistakes I've made in my life when I come to Him. He wipes it clean.

Some of you if you would say today, "Christ Jesus, I want You to forgive me of all the things I've ever done wrong. I want to give my life to You. I want to make that commitment today."

What is the basis for forgiveness? Romans 8:1 "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." When Jesus Christ died on the cross one of His last words from the cross were, "It is finished." In the Greek that's one word. It literally means "Paid in full." Canceled. It was what they would stamp on bills when they had been paid. It was stamped on prison sentences when they had been commuted. Paid in full.

God says, "That's what I did on the cross. I paid for every mistake you've ever made." So, Jesus was crucified on the cross so you can stop crucifying yourself. He was hung for your hang ups. That's Good News! That’s real power!

What else does resurrection power mean?
2. IT'S THE POWER TO CONQUER YOUR PROBLEMS.

The fact is everybody's got problems. You've got them. I've got them. It's a part of life. If you don't have any problems, check your pulse.

Our real problem is what we do with our problem. We try to solve them on our own power and our own strength. I have met thousands of people who feel like their lives are out of control. "I am a victim of my circumstance! What can I do? I'm powerless.

The fact is we can't control our circumstances, but we can control how we respond to them. Would you like to have that kind of power? The power to not be a victim of whatever life throws at you from this point forward?

Would you like power to conquer your problems? The bible says "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ. Shall trouble or hardship or danger? No, in all of these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us." Don’t you like that verse? In the Greek it says, "We are super conquerors" Pretty cool huh? Underline the word "conquerors". Man, I dig that. Most people think of Christians as wimps and patsies, but this verse says we are more that conquerors.

Folks, I want to tell you this morning - If you put your life in God's hands and you rely on the power of the resurrection, nothing can devastate your life, nothing can swallow you up, nothing can destroy you. That's the message of Easter. No matter how dark the situation is, God can turn it around. No situation is hopeless. God loves to turn crucifixions into resurrections. The same power that enabled Jesus Christ to rise from the dead, will allow you to rise over your problems.

It's the power to cancel your past. It's the power to conquer your problems.
3. IT'S THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR PERSONALITY

What would you like to change about you? What would your spouse like to change about you? Maybe that would be a little more accurate. One wife said, "My husband is so temperamental -- 90% temper, 10% mental!" A Husband went in for marriage counseling one day and said, "I want a divorce right now." The pastor said, "But you said, you promised before God to take her for better or for worse." The man said, "Yeah, but she's a lot worse than I took her for!"

Or maybe you’ve heard this one. An older couple is on vacation in the Holy land – when all of a sudden the wife dies. The mortician in Jerusalem says to the husband – you have two choices; 1) pay $5000 to have your wife’s body shipped home, or pay $250 and have your wife buried here.

Conscious of where he was, he told the mortician to have his wife’s body shipped home – he would glady pay the $5000. The mortician was mortified – and asked why would you pay all that extra money when you could just have her buried hear? The husband responded - well didn’t that Jesus guys get buried here a couple thousand years ago? The mortician said well, yes. And after three days, didn’t he rise from the dead? Again, the mortician said yes. Well, I’m not taking the chance – we’re shipping her home.

The power to change your personality. Complete this sentence: "It's just like me to be_________________. Always late, ... worry, ... never stay on a diet, ... always put my foot in my mouth, ... always blow up, ... always be depressed, ... always get angry... whatever."

Folks, when God wants to change us, He uses a two step process. STEP #1: COMMIT YOUR LIFE TO JESUS CHRIST. When we commit our lives to Christ, that's the initial turning point. The Bible says when someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a new person inside. He's not the same anymore. A new life has begun." What happens? God says, I wipe out your past. All of it's gone. It's like starting over. That's why the Bible calls it being born again. Born again doesn't mean reincarnation, it just means you get another chance. Start over, new life! But then it's followed by a lifetime process.

STEP #2: CHANGE WHO YOU LIVE FOR. Romans 12:2 says "Don't let the world squeeze you into it's mold but let God remake you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed." I’s so easy to just go with the flow and do what everybody else is doing. It’s so easy to just sat that’s the way I am – I’ve always been like that and I always will. It’s so easy to be selfish and be consumed with living for me. Would you take a step of faith today and ask God to make - remake you - into the person He created you to be?

DAY #345: 1 John 4:1-21

2009-12-11T07:38:00.000-08:00

Believers must not only say that they love, love must be shown by their actions. The great proof of God’s love, as well as the motive for our love, is that he sent his only Son, who is life, so that we could live through him.

Of all the different kinds of love, God’s love—agape love—is the truest. Greek has four words to depict four different kinds of love: (1) eros for sexual passion, (2) storge for family devotion, (3) philos for friendship, and (4) agape for unconditional love. The fourth word was used exclusively by John to characterize God’s love. It speaks of compassion, regard, kindness, and unselfishness. This kind of love motivated God to send his Son to the world to die for undeserving sinners—that kind of love is real love.

God’s supreme love is the motive of believers’ love for each other. Because believers are born of God, they should resemble their Father, who is love. As they grow in appreciation of God’s love for them, their love for him and for other Christians will grow as well. The way God loves people—sacrificially, unselfishly, completely—provides the example for how believers should love each other.

As we trust in this love and live in it day by day, we come to understand that God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. It is one thing to know and believe in God’s love; it is quite another to actually appropriate God’s love into a person’s life so that the person “lives in love.”

Because of this mutual indwelling—God abiding in believers and they abiding in him—the believers’ love grows more perfect. The word perfect does not mean “flawless,” but “mature.” This perfection happens as each believer’s relationship with God, who is love, grows. His perfect love becomes free to work completely in and through them.

This perfect, mature love produces believers who will not be afraid on the day of judgment. On that day, God will require all people to account for their lives. Those who have followed him will live with him forever. Yet God’s people don’t have to wait until that day to find out if they “made it.” They have that confidence now.

Believers’ love, whether for God or for others, is based on God’s love for them. God’s love is the source, the initiator. People cannot love this way on their own; it happens as a result of his loving people first. God’s love is far above all human love. Because believers abide in God and thus abide in love, God’s love fills them and overflows from them. Such “otherworldly” love then becomes the characteristic of God’s people. They can love as he loves. Such love overflows to others who experience God’s love as well.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Let me ask you this morning – what do you think matters most to God? The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:6 "If you are a follower of Christ Jesus all that matters is your faith that makes you love others.” God says what matters in life is not your accomplishments or your achievements or your fame or your wealth. What matters in life is one thing.

All that matters is your faith that makes you love other people. He says if you miss that, you have missed the most important thing in life. It’s the kind of faith that makes you love other people.

Today, I want to take you to the most famous chapter in the Bible on love, 1 Corinthians 13. It is my greatest prayer and desire that we become a church that makes what matters most our highest priority. Let’s do a fly over of 1 Corinthians 13 and see what it has to say about love. The first thing we see from 1 Corinthians 13

#1. If I don’t live a life of love, nothing I SAY will matter.

Verse 1: “If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth, but I didn’t love others I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a claiming symbol.” God says words without love are just noise. Words without love are empty.

We’re really impressed by great speakers, great communicators. We love eloquence. We love charisma. We love to hear somebody really ring our chimes and really stir us. God says, “That doesn’t impress Me at all. I don’t care how good of communicator you are. I want to know if you love. Is your life a life of love?” Living a life without love means nothing I say will matter.

#2. If I don't live a life with love, nothing I KNOW will matter.

Verse 2: “I may have the gift of prophecy. I may understand all the secret things of God. I may have all knowledge. But if I do not have love, then I am nothing.” You may be Phi Beta Kappa, a Mensa member, you may be a genius, brilliant, a walking Bible encyclopedia, have incredible knowledge of science or math or literature or history. You may be a genius. But He says if you don’t have love in your life, all that you know is worthless. It doesn’t really matter. Brilliance without love equals zero.

#3. If I don’t live a life with love, nothing I BELIEVE will matter.

There’s a myth that being a Christian, being a follower of Christ, is just a matter of believing certain truths. That is not true. Nothing can be further from the truth. Following Christ is much more than believing intellectual facts or doctrinal truths. It’s a life of love. The Bible says, “Even if I have the gift of faith so I could speak to a mountain and make it move [In other words, a miracle worker], I will still be worth nothing at all without love.” It takes more than belief to please God.

You say, “But wait a minute! I believe in Jesus!” So what? So does the devil. The devil believes that there’s a God. The devil believes that Jesus is the Son of God. But you won’t find him in heaven. Why? Because it takes more than believing in Christ to make it to heaven. The issue is not do you believe in Him. The issue is do you love Him. Have you given Him your life? Are you living life by His rules? Well, for instance. The Bibles says you can’t love God and hate people. So, if you really love God, you are instructed to go and make things right – to the best of your ability. Pretty profound huh?

#4. If I don’t live a life of love, nothing I GIVE will matter.

“If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, but I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.” Some people give just in order to get back. That’s not love. Some people give out of guilt, to try to assuage a guilty conscious so they give and give and give trying to make up for something they did in the past. That’s not love. Some people give to control other people. (Parents do this all the time – the way they give to their kids in order to try to control them.) Not love.

Some people give for prestige, for glory, for honor. They want a little plague that says, “Look! I'm a great giver!” That’s not love. You can give for a lot of wrong motives, and the Bible says when I give, if I’m doing it of love, in love, none of my giving counts. And nothing I give will matter.

A guy told me one time, “I don't understand. I’ve bought my wife everything she could ever want, and she's leaving me.” I said, “But did you love her?” You can’t buy a wife, just like you can’t buy your kids. A lot of parents try to compensate for the lack of time they spend with their kids by buying them lots of things. They don’t need things. They need your time. They need your love.

#5. If I don't live a life of love, nothing I ACCOMPLISH will matter.

1 Corinthians 13:3 in The Message paraphrase says, “No matter what I say or what I believe or what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.” You can rack up an incredible list of personal achievements. You can get your picture on the cover of Fortune magazine or Inc. or Time. You can win the Nobel Peace Prize. You can have enormous accomplishments, be entrepreneur of the year, build a billion-dollar company, have incredibly great successes in your field of endeavor. But the Bible says it isn’t worth squat if you don’t love.

One day you’re going to stand before God when you die. And God’s going to evaluate your life. When He evaluates your life, He’s not going to look at your bank account. He’s not going to look at your list of accomplishments. He’s not going to look at your grades. He’s not going to look at all your sports trophies. He’s not going to look at your endorsements or your PR list or your resume.

God is going to evaluate your life on one basis – your relationships. God is going to ask, “How much did you love Me and other people?” That’s called the Great Commandment. Did you love God with all your heart, and did you love your neighbor as yourself? That is all that matters in God’s eyes. All the other stuff is superfluous.

Let me ask you today - based upon the 1 Corinthians 13 passage, how's your love life?

DAY #344: 1 John 3:1-24

2009-12-10T06:02:00.000-08:00

John spoke in absolutes; he offered no middle ground: a person belongs either to God or to the Devil. The conclusion of the matter is that believers can tell who are children of God and who are children of the Devil. The way to tell the “pretenders” is to see whether they obey God’s commands and whether they love other Christians.

God’s children must be loving, yet many fail to love. So often today there is deep dislike among Christians. Churches struggle with issues that divide the members. All churches need to work on love and harmony. Jesus wanted his followers to be unified as a powerful witness to the reality of God’s love. Believers must help to unify their churches. They can pray for other Christians, avoid gossip, build others up, work together in humility, give their time and money, exalt Christ, and refuse to get involved in divisive matters.

Cain and Abel were Adam and Eve’s first two sons. Abel offered a sacrifice that pleased God, while Cain’s sacrifice was unacceptable. Cain brought grain and fruits for his offering, while Abel brought an animal from his flock. Abel’s sacrifice (an animal substitute) was more acceptable to God, both because it was a blood sacrifice and, most important, because of Abel’s attitude when he offered it. After Cain’s sacrifice was rejected, God gave him the chance to right his wrong and try again. God even encouraged him to do so. But Cain refused, and his jealous anger drove him to murder.

John’s point was not that Cain murdered and became a child of the Devil; rather, because Cain belonged to the evil one, his anger and jealousy drove him to murder. John wanted his readers to understand the terrible results of refusing to love one another. Lack of love can lead to anger, jealousy, hatred—and, finally, even to murder.

After telling the disciples to love one another, John added, don’t be surprised . . . if the world hates you. When people become Christians, sometimes their lives change drastically. This was especially true for first-century believers who had come out of the morally corrupt pagan world—John’s readers lived in Ephesus. Former pagans would have been involved in many evil activities. After becoming believers, however, they no longer wanted to be involved in such things. As Cain did with Abel, unbelievers reacted in hostility, often because they wanted to justify their own actions or silence their consciences. When a person stands aside from certain activities, it makes the others think—and often they don’t like that.

To understand real love, believers need only to look at their Lord for the example. They can know what real love is because Christ gave up his life for all people. Christ’s example shows believers that real love involves self-sacrifice.

Because Christ is the example, believers ought to give up their lives for their Christian brothers and sisters. They do this by becoming truly concerned about the needs of their Christian brothers and sisters and by unselfishly giving time, effort, prayer, and possessions to supply those needs. Such an attitude would result in actually dying for a brother or sister if this were ever necessary. Believers’ own lives should not be more precious to them than God’s own Son was to him.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Have you ever been curious about why some people can go out on a Friday night and get totally drunk and then come to worship service at a church on the weekend and they don’t see any contradiction between the two? Or why a man can sit weekend after weekend next to his wife in services while Monday through Friday carry on an affair with a co-worker and he really isn’t bothered by that. Or maybe, how a Christian can sing praise songs on Sunday but hate someone at the same time?

Do you know why that happens a lot in our culture? Because in our culture we have come to falsely believe that as long as we give God some realms in our life we have the right to hold onto other parts of our life and God doesn’t have anything to do with those. But that’s wrong. That’s mistaken belief.

Let’s suppose that you have some boxes in front of you and these boxes represent different realms in your life. So you say to God, “I want You to have all of my life (boxes) except this one. I have some relationships and I know God, if I were to say to You, ‘God, lead me in these relationships,’ You’d probably have me give up some of the relationships in my life. Or You’d have me change the way I’m relating to this man or this woman, to my family, to my friends. So, God, You can have the rest but I’m taking this realm of my life on my own. You can’t touch that one.”

Or maybe for you the realm in your life that you’re keeping from God is “This weekend at church I’ll drop ten bucks for You in the offering plate but I don’t have ten minutes for You this week. I am so busy. I have places to go, people to meet, things to do. And, God, honestly, You’d just get in my way. I have my agenda and I am going to operate on my schedule so this You just can’t have. Take the rest, but You don’t get that one.”

Or maybe this is your deal. Maybe you’re having trouble-trusting God with your past. “God, if You saw how ugly my past was... You know there’s so much accumulated crud there. I know You don’t want to deal with all the broken places in my life and all the sin that’s accumulated there so God, I'll trust You with my future but I’ll just hang on to the shame and the guilt of my past because I’m not sure that I can trust You with that.”

Or maybe your issue is this: “God, I’ll trust You with my past but I’m not going to trust You with my future. I have plans. I know where I want to end up in life. Someday I'll hook up with You in heaven but in the meantime I am going to live life according to my agenda because I have some goals. I’ve worked for these. I’ve got them marked down and God, You take care of my past and I'll see You in heaven but all the in-between years are going to be mine.” So we just carry our boxes and we don’t give them to God. We say, “No, You can’t have this one or that one.”

Or maybe your issue is what the rich young ruler’s issue was. Maybe it was this: “God, I don’t want You to have my money. I’m kind of a spender and I know what I want to spend it on. Or I’m a saver and I’m insecure about retirement and my investment funds and my portfolios. You can have my past, and You can have my future, my relationships and my time, as long as it doesn’t touch my personal economy.”

If Jesus Christ is God's Son, if He died on a cross to prove His love for you, if He rose from the dead proving His identity and His power, wouldn’t you agree that He deserves your full devotion? He wants all of your life. He wants to be the only one you serve. He wants to be your only leader and He wants it all. He wants you to trust Him with all of your life.

There was a pastor in Texas that gave a great visual illustration of this. This pastor had on his staff a young single man who was the youth pastor in that church. And that youth pastor had an Irish Setter. They were close, this youth pastor and his dog. In terms of pet owner and pet, they were tight. They were so close, in fact, the Irish Setter almost died. And the youth pastor took his sleeping bag to the veterinarian and slept next to his dog for two or three days until the dog got better. They were really, really close. To make a point, the pastor had the youth minister’s dog up on the platform one Sunday, just sitting there. The pastor took a red rubber ball and threw it down the center aisle and said to the dog, “Fetch!” And the dog just sat there. Apparently church authority was not enough for this dog to fetch. So the pastor had a banker in the church to come up. The banker reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of money and waved it in front of the dog and then he said, “Fetch!” The dog didn’t move a muscle. The pastor said to the congregation, “On the count of three, let’s all say ‘Fetch!’ together. One – two – three!” The dog just set there. Apparently he wouldn’t fetch for peer pressure. The pastor had a beautiful woman come up to the platform. She petted the dog and said in a soothing voice, “Fetch!” I understand that the dog did flinch but he didn’t fetch. He just sat there. So then the pastor had the youth minister come up to the platform and he casually leaned over his dog and said, “Fetch!” the dog bolted down the aisle, got the ball in his mouth, came back up and gave it to the youth pastor.

The one who had loved him and cared for him is the one he was willing to serve.

Let me ask you a question: whom are you fetching for? It could be any of these. But the one who loves you most and cares for you in unfailing ways is the one who’s saying, “I want you to follow Me with your life.”

2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” When you come to Christ, it’s like you surrender and you say to Him, “Jesus, I’m going to give You everything. I’m not even sure what that all means right now, other than I know You love me and I want my sin forgiven and I need You to lead me. I give You everything.” In that moment you surrender your will. It’s not what I want now. I want to do what God wants in my life.

For those of us who have been following Jesus Christ for a lot of months or a lot of years that battle of wills doesn’t stop when you come to Christ. There are still moments when I want my way instead of God's way. I’ve been learning this lesson painfully again over the last couple of years. I wonder if you would say to God today - "God, anything, anytime, anywhere, with anyone at whatever cost."

DAY #343: 1 John 1:1-2:29

2009-12-09T08:18:00.001-08:00

As an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry, John was qualified to teach the truth about him. The readers of this letter had not seen and heard Jesus themselves, but they could trust that what John wrote was accurate. Believers today are like those second- and third-generation Christians. Though they have not personally seen, heard, or touched Jesus, they have the New Testament record of his eyewitnesses, and they can trust that these eyewitnesses spoke the truth about him.

Just as the proclamation of the Good News was for others to join the fellowship, so John was writing these things to encourage the readers’ participation in both the fellowship and the joy that he (John) and the other believers were experiencing.

John’s message emphasized that God is light. Light enables people to do their work. It produces growth in crops; it reveals beauty and provides safety. Light represents what is good, pure, true, holy, and reliable. Light reveals; light shines. God is so completely “light” that there is no darkness in him at all. “Darkness” represents what is sinful and evil. God is untainted by any evil or sin. Thus, “God is light” means that God is perfectly holy and true and that he alone can guide people out of the darkness of sin.

As followers of Christ, we are to live in the light, walk in the light. Our actions and attitudes, thoughts and words should reflect the light of Christ that is within us. While “light” has many connotations, this reference points specifically to God’s purity. Therefore, those who claim to have fellowship with God are living in God’s light, trying to live holy and pure lives for him. To claim to belong to God but then to go on living in spiritual darkness is hypocritical. In fact, John says that people are lying. Christ will expose and judge such deceit.

The truth is, people can know that they belong to Jesus Christ if they are obeying his commandments (living in the light). This letter lists several proofs for how people can know Christ and belong to him. Obedience provides one clear indication. This does not mean that believers must follow a list of rules without one slip, nor does it mean that people must demonstrate obedience before they can come to know God. Instead, obedience comes as the natural outworking of a person’s faith and love for the Lord. True believers wholeheartedly accept and submit to God’s will as he has revealed it in his Word.

If a person claims to belong to God, but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, he or she is a liar. Since anyone can claim to know Christ, you can check his or her authenticity by seeing whether or not he or she obeys God’s word. Obedience is linked not merely with knowing God but with loving him. Those who obey God’s word really do love him. By this obedience and love, believers can know that they live in him. Jesus portrayed in human terms absolute obedience to the Father.

Those who truly desire to live in God should live their lives as Christ did. To “live as Christ did” doesn’t mean choosing twelve disciples, performing great miracles, and being crucified. People cannot merely copy Christ’s life. Much of what Jesus did had to do with his identity as God’s Son and his special role in dying for sin. Anyone’s claim to live in Christ must be backed up by following his example of complete obedience to God and loving service to people.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

This is such a key passage. Over the years I've had many people ask me about this passage - saying things like, "How can I live like Jesus? He was perfect after all." Let me share with you today some things about Jesus that I pray will encourage you. What does the Bible teach about who Jesus is? There’s a lot of confusion out there about who He is and who He said He was. We’re going to take a look at that today.

#1. Jesus was 100% human.

Some of you I know that where you get your theology from or what you know about Jesus is what you’ve watched on television. So sometimes what you watch on television Jesus is like translucent. He’s pale and stoic and His eyes bug out. He’s a little emaciated and He talks Shakespearean – “How doth theeth goeth Petereth?” That kind of thing. So you wonder is He really real? Is He real?

Lets move away from the Hollywood image to what the Bible says. In John 1:14 it says, “So the Word [referring to Jesus] became human and lived here on earth among us.” He was 100% human.

What Jesus experienced on earth was what all of us experience – he was human. That means He got hungry, He got tired, He went to bed, He had to go to the bathroom, He got angry, He had to deal with pain and conflict. And He died a very real human death. He was human in every way yet He did not sin.

That is a huge difference between Jesus and you. Perfection. More of a subtle difference between me and Jesus but a huge one with you! :)

Here is a commonly asked question: Why is Jesus’ humanity so important? Before Jesus we could only know God partially but when Jesus came we could know God fully. He was tangible, He was visible, He was touchable. The Bible says that Jesus was the visible expression of the invisible God. So in doing so He could fully identify. We could touch Him.

He could also fully identify with what you and I go through every day. Hebrew 4:15 says, “This high priest of ours [Jesus] understands our weaknesses for He faced all the same temptations we do.” What does that mean? He understands all. Every temptation you and I go through Jesus understands because He went through those temptations as 100% human. But then look at the “yet” – “yet He did not sin.”

There’s nothing you’re going through that Jesus can’t identify with.

Another thing is He had to be fully human so He could pay the price for our sins. 1 John 3 says, “And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins for there is no sin in Him.” Because He was human, His payment could be transferred to us as humans. Jesus was the perfect representative to pay for our sins. I tried to explain to my children when they were little. It had to be human. If an armadillo was sacrificed for my sins that doesn’t transfer. But a human does. Jesus was 100% human.

#2. Jesus was 100% God.

Let’s look at what Jesus was before He invaded earth. John chapter 1 - “In the beginning the word [referring to Jesus] already existed. He was with God and He was God. He was in the beginning with God. He created everything there is. Nothing exists that He didn’t make.” Jesus was 100% human and 100% God, 100% of the time. Jesus wasn’t a man who became a god. Nor was He God appearing to be a man. He combined in one personality the two natures. He was fully human and fully God.

I realize for some, that’s tough to get your arms around that. But think about that – when He walked on earth He was fully human and He was fully God.

How many of you who have brothers or sisters and when you were growing up your brother or sister didn’t get in trouble but you always did? Think about Jesus’ brother James. How painful it must have been if your brother was God! Mom and Dad come into the house, the vase is broken, what do they yell? “James! Get down here!” Why me? How come you… oh… because He’s perfect! He was always the one getting in trouble.

Imagine being James in school. The teacher’s going, “James you got a C on this test. Your brother would have aced it.”

Fully human. Fully God. That’s very important for us to understand. Because it brings up another frequently asked question.

How did Jesus prove He was God? Five ways:

1. Miracles. In the New Testament there are dozens of miracles that Jesus performed. These miracles were done in broad daylight. Many in front of skeptics. That was one of the ways He proved He was God.

2. Eyewitnesses to His perfect life. Eyewitnesses are very important when trying to prove something. There were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ perfect life and His claim to be the Messiah. At Jesus’ trial Pilate says this “I find no guilt in this man.” The soldier at the cross, “Certainly this man was innocent.” The thief that hung on a cross next to Jesus: “This man has done nothing wrong.”

Those are people from a distance. But where it becomes very credible is from those closest to Jesus. Those who were around Him all the time. In the Bible John called Him, Jesus Christ the Righteous. Martha said, “I have always believed You were the Messiah, the Son of God.” At one point Jesus even asked, “Who do people say that I am?” Matthew 16 says, “Jesus asked His disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of man is?’ ‘Well,’ they replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.’ Then He asked them, ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘You are blessed, Simon, son of John, because My Father in heaven revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being ‘”

When Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God,” Jesus didn’t say, “Whoa! Wait a second! You’re taking this Messiah thing a little too far. I'm just a good teacher.” No. He didn’t say that. He didn’t stop them and say, “No, don’t call Me the Son of God. I'm just a moral man.” No. Why is it that most of the disciples died a martyr’s death? Because they believed He was the Messiah. They died a martyr’s death because they believed. Eyewitnesses. They were there with Him all the time. You can fool people from a distance but you can’t fool them up close.

3. Fulfillment of prophecy. If you look in the Old Testament, there are several prophecies prophesying the Messiah, the Savior of the world. It was like in the Old Testament painting this fingerprint of what the Messiah is going to be like and who it’s going to be. And Jesus came along and He fit that fingerprint. If you look at the life of Jesus, His life is a checklist to the prophecies: born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, rejected by His own people, the Messiah to be betrayed by one of His own followers, the Messiah to die by crucifixion – the list goes on.

I have some skeptic friends who’d say, “The prophecies? Couldn’t He have faked a couple? Couldn’t He have manipulated His lifestyle a little bit to fit in? An example might be the prophecy said the Messiah will enter Jerusalem on a donkey.” Jesus could have faked that one. He could have come up to Jerusalem and said, “Ok, guys, ditch the skateboard. Grab Me a donkey and let’s go. I'm going to fool everybody into thinking I'm the Messiah and I'm going to be tortured to death and it’ll be wonderful!”

The argument falls apart when you realize how many prophecies could never have been arranged. The place of birth, the virgin mother, unbroken bones at the crucifixion – the list goes on. That’s one of the ways He proved He was God – fulfillment of prophecy.

4. Jesus’ own identification, His own claim. Not only is He described in the Bible as the God-man but He makes the claim Himself in John 10:30. He says, "I and the Father are one." He didn’t claim just to be God. He made a very specific claim – Messiah. You’ve got to deal with that. Is He whacked out or was He who He said He was? Because it was that claim that got Him killed.

5. The other one was the resurrection. In my opinion this is the deal-breaker! This is the biggie that separates Jesus from all the other religious leaders. He predicted it and He did it.

So, how do you live like Jesus? You and I can't on our own. He (Jesus) has to do it through you. You let His power work in you. His love. His grace. His mercy. His forgiveness. His compassion. His service. His perseverance. Go for it today - I dare you. Let Jesus live through like never before.

DAY #342: Proverbs 31:10-31

2009-12-08T07:25:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a break from the regular reading this morning to wish my wonderful wife of 28+years a very happy birthday. Without a doubt she is the best example of the life of Christ that I have ever known. She exemplifies Philippians 2:5; "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus"

Now to the passage today. I'd like to go through this passage verse by verse.

The noble wife’s husband is mentioned three times and is referred to as “him” in verse 12. His confidence in her is complete. He trusts her. Her careful household management enhances their family’s wealth. He lacks nothing of value by way of household goods.

This kind of woman is an asset, not a liability, to her husband. Good comes to him that can be directly attributed to her. She supports and encourages him. And she is faithful in helping him all... her life. (This is Sharon in spades)

She is involved in weaving and sewing. She uses wool and flax, and linen made from flax. With eager hands is literally, “with the delight of her hands,” suggesting that she enjoys her work.
(Sharon loves to work and work hard. I don't know anybody who loves to work like her and yet never complains - never!)

The noble wife also does shopping. She is like... merchant ships that brought unusual and fascinating merchandise from other places. She too brought interesting and unusual items home from her shopping. Though she has household help she herself gets up early, before daybreak, to help prepare breakfast and food for other meals, and to delegate work (portions) to her servants. (Sharon serves our family everyday, and to our shame many times without the appreciation and gratitude she is owed)

She works energetically and with vigor. She has a healthy attitude toward work.Her wise business dealings are referred to. The fact that her lamp does not go out speaks of her planning ahead. (This is so Sharon. Always thinking ahead to how to best serve others)

The noble wife is also selfless and generous. She sells some things for profit but she also gives to the poor and the needy. Cold weather does not cause this woman to panic for her household -she is prepared for it. She has clothed them in scarlet, that is, she has provided expensive garments. She spares no cost in protecting her family from the cold. (While Sharon takes care of her family big time, she does battle me over the thermostat controls)

She even makes her family’s bed coverings. A noble woman enhances her husband’s standing among those who transact legal and judicial affairs at the city gate among the elders. Though she is obviously aggressive and competent, she functions in a way that honors her husband’s leadership rather then denigrates it. She respects him and builds him up. (The best part of my ministry is Sharon. She is the greatest partner and friend any man could hope for or desire. I strongly believe that I have enjoyed God's blessing all these years because of her life.)

In keeping with the theme of Proverbs, this woman is praised for her wisdom and faithful instruction. The instruction probably refers to her teaching her children and her servant girls.
She is involved in management (she watches over... affairs of her household). Yet she is also directly involved in various activities as a housewife. She is not idle. (Everyone who meets Sharon knows there is something special about her. She carries herself with great dignity and grace)

Her children... call her blessed. She is positive and optimistic and enjoys her role in life. Her husband... praises her by telling others she is the greatest of the noble women. Her secret is her godly character. She is physically charming and beautiful but those qualities may not last. But as a woman who fears the Lord, she is praised by her husband and others. (As I think back through all of our married life, there are countless people that Sharon has invested in and been a blessing to, but none more than her children. She has forever marked our kids with the love of God and compassion and the ability to forgive others when they have wronged you. Her kindness and mercy are intertwined and indelibly marked on each of our children's lives.)

The virtues of a noble wife are those that are extolled throughout the Book of Proverbs: hard work, wise investments, good use of time, planning ahead, care for others, respect for one’s spouse, ability to share godly values with others, wise counsel, and godly fear (worship, trust, service, obedience). As Proverbs has stated repeatedly, these are qualities that lead to honor, praise, success, personal dignity and worth, and enjoyment of life. In the face of the adulteress’ temptations mentioned often in Proverbs, it is fitting that the book concludes by extolling a virtuous wife. Young men and others can learn from this noble woman. By fearing God, they can live wisely and righteously. That is the message of Proverbs. This is the life of Sharon Pedlowe.

Let me say it to all who will hear - Sharon is a wife of the noblest character. I love her, respect and will cherish her all the days of my life.

DAY #341: 2 Peter 3:1-18

2009-12-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

We, along with the first-century believers, ought to be prepared for anything because we have been warned what to watch for and how to live. Peter wrote that in the last days there will be scoffers. The “last days” began with Christ’s resurrection and will continue until his return, when he will set up his Kingdom and judge all humanity. Jesus and the apostles warned that during that interim, including the time period we live in, scoffers will laugh at the truth.

The false teachers’ scoffing focused on Christ’s second coming. Jesus had promised that he would come back (Mark 13:24-27), but many years had passed and nothing had happened. The scoffers based their argument on the fact that everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created.

What these scoffers were forgetting in their argument (that the world had remained unchanged since creation) was that God made the heavens. The Creation disproves their “all things continue” argument because the creation of the earth was an imposed change on the formless void (Genesis 1:1-2). The very reason the world was continuing on in a stable, predictable pattern was because God, in his grace, had created it that way. However, this stability should not be taken for granted. The false teachers deliberately forgot that God also had destroyed the evil world with a mighty flood.

Peter had made his point that Christ would certainly return and bring judgment, but the question still remained, “Why was the Lord delaying so long?” Peter offered two reasons. First of all, the Lord does not count time as people do. He is above and outside of the sphere of time. God sees all of eternity past and eternity future. Indeed, to him a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day (Psalm 90:4). God may have seemed slow to these believers as they faced persecution every day and longed to be delivered. But God is not slow; he simply doesn’t operate according to our timetable.

The second reason for the Lord being slow about his promise to return was his patience. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. He wants as many people as will to come to faith in him. God is not “slow” at all; rather, according to his timetable, he is being exceedingly patient, giving people time to turn to him. Love is the reason that he delays the destruction of the world.

Peter explained that this earth will not last forever. As God intervened in the past to judge the earth by water, so one day he will intervene again. But in that day, the judgment will be by fire, and everything will be destroyed. Those who presume to take God’s delay of this judgment to mean that they can do as they please will find themselves surprised upon his return. And when the destruction occurs, there will be no second chances and no escape for those who have chosen to disobey the Creator.

As the believers waited, perhaps impatiently, for the Lord’s return, Peter reminded them that the Lord is waiting so that people have time to be saved. God’s patience means salvation for many more who will have the chance to respond to the gospel message.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

The Bible teaches us this in Acts 20:24 “The most important thing is that I complete my mission, the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to tell people the good news about God’s grace.” Regardless of what else God wants you to do with your life, if you are a believer, He has an assignment for you. What's the assignment? The same as Christ's.

John 3:16 says, “For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 2 Corinthians 5:19 tells us “God was in Christ restoring the world to Himself.” This is what Jesus Christ came to earth to do. That was His mission.

Let’s get a little bit more specific. What did Jesus come to do specifically? Luke 19:10 - Jesus said, “The Son of man came to seek and to save that which is lost.”

We can see clearly what Jesus came to do: Seek and save the lost. You may be thinking, “This is great but what does this have to do with me and my mission?” Your life mission and Jesus’ life mission are very intertwined once you become a Christian.

If I want to be like Jesus, my life mission must include His life mission. If I want to be like Jesus then my life mission must include His life mission. Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17 and said, “In the same way You gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.”

Jesus expects me to continue His mission in the world. In fact, this is not an option, this is not a suggestion, this is not a possible good idea if you’ve got any spare time to fit this into your schedule. This is commanded. If you are a Christian, you are commanded to fulfill the mission of Christ - seek and save the lost. His mission must be my mission.

Folks, sharing the good news is our responsibility. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:16, “Telling the good news is my duty, something I must do. How terrible it will be for me if I do not tell the good news.” If I'm a Christian, it is not optional. My mission is not optional.

But more than that - sharing the good news is a privilege. 2 Corinthians 5:18, says “And God has given us the privilege of urging everyone to come into His favor and be reconciled to Him. This is the wonderful message that He’s given us to tell others. We are Christ’s ambassadors.” I am an ambassador for the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. It is a privilege to represent Him. Paul says in Romans 16 “I am proud of the good news because it is the power that God uses to save everyone who believes.” There is no other way.

If I had the cure for cancer and I didn’t share it, that would be criminal. If I had the cure for AIDS and didn’t share it, that would be criminal. If I had the only way to know Jesus Christ and to know God and get into heaven and I didn’t tell it to the people who lived by me, that’s criminal. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:14 “Christ’s love compels us because we’re convinced that one died for all.” God has never made a person that He didn’t love. Everybody matters to God. And because God cares about people, we must care too.

We must remember that people are hopelessly lost without Christ. Acts 4:12 (New Century Version) says, “Jesus is the only one who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. We must be saved through Him.” It’s the only way to heaven, people are lost without Christ. So we have to share it. What's holding you back?

DAY #340 2 Peter 2:1-22

2009-12-06T04:31:00.000-08:00

Point Loma fell short of the national title last night. They lost 2-0. I am so very proud of all the girls. Way to go Katie Pedlowe.

The end of chapter 1 leads into the topic of his letter. Peter had explained that God had worked through humans to give his words to people. At the same time, however, evil was at work. The true prophets spoke and wrote God’s words, but there were also false prophets in Israel. In Old Testament times, false prophets contradicted the true prophets (see, for example, Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 1 Kings 18:19; Jeremiah 23:16-40), telling people only what they wanted to hear. These “false prophets” did not speak God’s words, and they brought messages to make the people and the kings feel good. They distorted and disguised the truth of God and His word. Scripture explains that these false prophets would face God’s judgment (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

These false teachers had joined the Christian community and seemed to be part of it, but they later denounced Christ and tried to convince others to do the same. Despite the certainty of their destruction, the false teachers, unfortunately, will be successful in two areas. First, many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. Such practices were common in pagan societies and often were part of pagan religions. Popularity was certainly not the right criterion for the truth. Second, Christ and his true way will be slandered. They would discredit the Christian gospel taught by Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Peter spared no words in his condemnation of the false teachers. He exposed their prime motivation—greed. Only money, not truth, mattered to them. Students ought to pay their teachers, but these false teachers were attempting to make more money by making up clever lies—distorting the truth and saying what people wanted to hear. The teaching that people can live as they please without fear of punishment would be very popular!

Their destruction may not arrive immediately, but when it comes, it will be swift and certain. The teachers may seem to get away with their exploitation for a while, but God had condemned them long ago. Peter explained to the believers that God’s promises were sure, no matter how long they had to wait for them.

If some people still did not believe in future judgment and punishment, Peter gave examples of how God had judged evil in the past. He pointed out that God did not spare even the angels when they sinned.If God did not even spare his angels, neither will he spare the false teachers.
The angels who sinned were thrown into hell. That phrase in Greek is one word (used only here in the New Testament), literally meaning “to cast into Tartarus.” In Greek mythology, Tartarus, located in the lowest part of the underworld, was the place of punishment of rebellious gods and the departed spirits of very evil people. These angels were imprisoned in this hell, in gloomy caves and darkness. False teachers will face the same judgment as the rebellious angels.

Another example of God’s certain judgment of evil is the vast flood that destroyed the whole world of ungodly people. Peter referred to the Flood three times in his two letters. God did not spare the ancient world—for the great sinfulness of all mankind led him to destroy the entire rebellious civilization. Yet even as God was destroying all the sinful people in Noah’s day, he powerfully protected Noah and his family of seven (Genesis 8:16).

A third example of God’s certain punishment of evil is the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 18–19 describes the sinfulness of these cities and Abraham’s effort to keep them from being destroyed. When not even ten righteous people could be found in the cities, God destroyed them by burning them to heaps of ashes and swept them off the face of the earth (Genesis 19:24-25).

Peter explained that the horror of these cities’ ending is an example of what will happen to ungodly people. Great will be the suffering of the ungodly; their ending will result in punishment, gloom, and banishment from the presence of God. In our day, God’s punishment on the unrighteous seems less of a preaching and teaching priority. Do we, like the false teachers, think we have outgrown this clear doctrine of Scripture? We have a lot of emphasis on tolerance of others and the self-help benefits of the Bible, but we must not dilute God’s clear words of warning. To turn away from God is to turn to ruin. From such ruin, there will be no escape. Don’t neglect teaching about God’s judgment.

These teachers had been so obvious in their sinfulness that it was shameful that any of the believers should follow them. These men were so arrogant, however, that they did not even attempt to cover up their behavior, making them no longer fit to be with the Christians. Thus the false teachers were a disgrace and a stain among them, ruining the Christians’ gatherings by their very presence. Clearly, Peter had no soft words for these false teachers, no excuses for their behavior. Their sinful words and actions came from deep within; their thoughts and motives were evil.

These teachers who were leading Christians away from the faith were filled with pride, immorality, sensuality, greed, lust, blasphemy, slander, and self-will. No wonder Peter called these men doomed and cursed.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Slowly, little by little, imperceptibly at first there has been an erosion of the value of truth in our society. We don’t value truth like we used to. Today many people claim they don’t even know the difference between right and wrong. Some even go as far to say there’s no such thing as truth.

Listen to what Jesus said in John 8:31-32 - “If you hold onto my teaching….then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” He’s talking about The Truth will set you free. Not a truth, not any truth, not the truth you make up for your own agenda. That’s not the truth that sets you free. It is THE TRUTH that sets you free.

Postmodernism, relativism, is built on the idea there are no absolute truths. In postmodernism, in relativism, what’s happened is people now value tolerance more than they value truth. It’s more important to be tolerant than it is to be truthful. In fact, if you are truthful then you are considered intolerant. And how dare you say that something is always right and something is always wrong. That’s intolerant and that’s being judgmental.

Folks, that’s nonsense. All ideas are not equally valid. There is right and there is wrong. There is truth and there are lies.

What happens when we throw out truth and replace it with tolerance? Our culture unravels, business unravels, schools, families, marriages unravels. Folks, when we throw out truth, our life unravels,

Three signs of truth decay in our culture. #1. Immaturity.

Immaturity happens when we give up on truth and we value tolerance more than truth. In many ways our society is getting more and more immature. When there’s no right and wrong when there’s no standard of true and false then we all act in irresponsible ways. I can blame other people for my problems. There’ s no right or wrong. I can be disorganized. I can be lazy.

I can pass the buck and expect other people to take care of me all of my life, which is what immature people expect. I can expect the government to solve my problems because I’m not responsible. That’s immaturity.

The Bible says this in Ephesians 4:14,“Let us be no longer like children forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone else has told us something different or has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like truth.” Folks, the ability to know the difference between right and wrong is a mark of maturity. It’s what every parent hopes for in their kids.

The second sign of truth decay - #2. Immorality.

Immorality means = no morals. It means I do whatever I want to do. If there is no standard of right or wrong then anything goes.

The Bible tells us back in the book of Judges (17:6. 21:25) - “Everyone did as they saw fit.” In other words everyone did their own thing. It sounds like our culture today. If there’s no standard of right or wrong, anything goes. When there’s no truth and I become the center of the universe, well then, I’m very preoccupied with me, I’m self-centered, I worry about my pleasure, my goals, my getting ahead. I don’t really care about anything else.

Listen to Ephesians 4:19 “They don’t care anymore about right and wrong and they’ve given themselves over to immoral ways. Their lives are filled with all kinds of impurity and greed.” They say, I don’t care what God says. If there’s no right or wrong, I’ll just do what I want to do. God says sex is only for marriage. If there is no truth - I’m going to make up my own truth. I’m going to do what I want to do. That’s one of the lies we tell ourselves – do whatever feels good. No one will ever know.

Let me tell you how truth decay works. When you do something wrong - every time you do it - it gets easier. The first time you do something wrong it really bugs you and you feel bad about it. All kinds of warning lights go off in your life. But the more you do something it becomes easier and easier. All of a sudden it just doesn’t bother you any more. You start rationalizing things. You become de-sensitized to wrong. You believe all sorts of lies. I’m not hurting anybody. It’s not becoming an addiction…..

Here’s a third sign of truth decay #3. Idolatry

When I don’t know right from wrong, when I don’t know the truth, then my priorities and my values and the things I worship get out of whack and get really messed up. I Idolize things like wealth or success. I idolize physical beauty or athletic ability. I idolize intelligence, popularity, possessions, power – whatever. Or I idolize any number of different things, which may not be wrong in themselves, but they don’t deserve worship. They don’t deserve to be number one in your life.

Today because truth decay is taking place in our culture and wrong things are now becoming right and right things are becoming wrong. Good is bad and bad is good. Today we turn criminals into celebrities. Gangsters are held up in high esteem. Our values are upside down.

We kill unborn human beings and think nothing of it, yet we go ballistic over protecting parasites and insects. What’s the logic of that one? The Bible says this in Romans 1:25 “Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God they deliberately chose to believe lies. They worshipped the things God made but not the Creator Himself.” Here’s the question for you personally: is there anything in your life that has become more important than God? In any area of your life, have you exchanged the truth about what God says for a lie. Examine yourselves. Examine the Word of God. Hold unto the truth and it shall set you free.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22 (NIV)

DAY #339: 2 Peter 1:1-21

2009-12-05T04:47:00.000-08:00

Point Loma Wins! The NAIA National championship is tonight at 7pm. Go Katie.

Now, as I read and study the passage today, verses 5-9 stand out in a major way. Because of God’s great gift, our promised destiny - a home in heaven, believers must make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to their lives by working toward a standard of high moral living.

While Christ gives the power and the divine nature, believers must make use of that power by making every effort to set aside their sinful desires and actively seek the qualities Peter describes in this passage. Believers are to use God’s power and every ounce of determination to produce the eight characteristics mentioned.

Faith is, of course, the first characteristic, for without it, Christians are no different from the pagans in the world around them. Without faith, we can not please God (Hebrews 11:6)

But Christians were not to stop at faith alone. Peter knew, like James, that faith without works is dead. The believers had work to do. Their faith was to produce a life of moral excellence. The word is also translated “virtue.” While the Greek philosophers discussed such excellence at length, Peter once again explained that true goodness could be found only in relationship with Christ. To their faith, believers were to add lifestyles that mirrored Christ’s. Their motive for such high standards? The shining moral quality of Christ’s life compels us to be our very best.

That life of moral excellence should lead to knowing God better. Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control refers to mastery over sinful human desires in every aspect of life. This was another highly prized virtue for the Greeks. Their focus, of course, was entirely on self-effort, but the problem was that self-effort always fails in the long run because it may control the body but does not affect inward desires. We know from Romans 8:13 and Galatians 5:22-23 that Christians have the Holy Spirit’s help to gain self-control.

The quality of self-control must then lead to patient endurance, the ability to steadfastly endure suffering or evil without giving up one’s faith. Endurance is not a stoic indifference to whatever fate allows; rather, it springs from faith in God’s goodness and control over all that happens in believers’ lives.

Such endurance leads to godliness. This is another word that is unusual to the New Testament, but common to Greek ethics lists of that day. Paul emphasized godliness in the Pastoral Epistles as being the virtue that should characterize the life and conduct of the believers. Godliness was the primary word for “religion” and referred to a person’s correct attitudes toward God and people, usually referring to performing obligatory duties.

Peter describes an awareness of God in all of life—a lifestyle that exemplifies Christ and is empowered by him. Christians must have a right relationship with God and right relationships with fellow believers. The false teachers claimed such “godliness,” but were sadly lacking in reverence toward God and in good attitudes toward others.

If godliness includes right attitudes toward others, then godliness should lead to love for other Christians. It is an especially intense love (1 Peter 1:22; Hebrews 10:24) that considers others as brothers and sisters.

Showing love for other believers should translate into genuine love for everyone. While Christians must exhibit love for other believers, their love must also go deeper than mere affection. That affection should grow into the kind of love that always puts others first, seeking their highest good. The Greek word agape refers to self-sacrificial love. It is the kind of love God demonstrated in saving us. Such love among believers allows for weaknesses and imperfections, deals with problems, affirms others, and has a strong commitment and loyalty. Such a bond will hold the believers together no matter what persecutions and suffering they may face.

Believers who fail to develop these virtues, who are not growing in these qualities, are blind or, at least, very shortsighted. Peter had harsh words for believers who refused to grow. The word for shortsighted can mean “to blink” or “to shut the eyes.” Peter may also have meant that these believers were intentionally closing their eyes to Christ’s light, thus causing spiritual blindness. That they have forgotten that God has cleansed them from their old life of sin pictures those who deliberately put out of their mind all that Christ had done in erasing the sins they committed before they were saved. A believer who is “forgetful” of this and refuses to grow becomes unfruitful for God.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

I don't know a single person who would say that they want their life called ineffective and unproductive. That is Homer Simpson - ineffective and unproductive. Who wants that? NO ONE! Yuk. Barf. Makes me want to throw up.

Yet, how many believers are having that epitaph written on the tombstone of their life right now - this very day? Why? They are failing to do what God commands us to do in this passage. ADD TO YOUR FAITH. Grow. Mature. Move. Develop faith.

Today, I dare you. I encourage you. I challenge you. Set up a game plan for spiritual growth for 2010. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Their are four areas of life and growth that I'd like you to consider.

The Bible says this about Jesus in Luke 2:52 "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and with man." These are the four ways Jesus grew. Those are the same four ways you and I need to grow. As a parent, these are the ways we have to help our children to grow.

First it says Jesus grew in wisdom. That's mental or intellectual growth. How are you going to stretch yourselves here this next year? What books do you need to read? Maybe learn a foreign language in preparation for a missions trip. What will you do here?

Second, Jesus grew in stature. That's physical growth. Do you need to lose weight? (I DO) Do you need to eat better? (I DO) Do you need to start exercising? (I DO). What will your goals be in this area of life?

Third, Jesus in favor with God.That's spiritual growth. How does God want you to grow this year? Daily Quiet time? Develop your prayer life? Start tithing? Start serving? Get discipled? Start discipling someone? What? Where? How will you plan to grow and mature spiritually this next year?

Fourth, Jesus grew in favor with man. That's social growth. What are some ways you build relationships this year? What rough edged need to be smoothed out in your personality? Who do you need to make peace with? Who do you need to share Christ with?

That ought to be the goals you have for yourselves and in your family for each of your children, so that you help them have balanced growth -- mental, physical, spiritual and social. The Bible is very clear that the primary responsibility of raising children, helping them be prepared for life, is laid at the feet of parents. It's your responsibility. The moment you took part in a conception you got a job description. You took on a role. Ho will you choose to grow in 2010?

DAY #338: 1 Peter 5:1-14

2009-12-04T06:32:00.000-08:00

Because God sets himself against the proud and shows favor to the humble, Peter admonished the believers to humble themselves. This would be an act of the will; humility does not come naturally. But when the believers humbled themselves under the mighty power of God, they were actually submitting to his care and protection. They must humble themselves even in the face of persecution because God would honor them.

Verse seven explains what it means for believers to humble themselves. It is not negative and reactive; believers are not abandoned to the arbitrary will of God. Rather, it is positive and active: Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you. Peter explained that the believers who continued to carry their worries, anxieties, stresses, and daily struggles by themselves showed that they had not trusted God fully.

It takes humility, however, to turn everything (literally, “throw your anxieties”) over to God and trust that he cares. God is not indifferent; he knows what he’s doing in our lives. Sometimes we think that struggles caused by our own sin and foolishness are not God’s concern. But when we turn to God in repentance, he will bear the weight even of those struggles. Letting God have your anxieties calls for action, not passivity. Don’t submit to circumstances, but to the Lord who controls circumstances.

At the same time that believers can cast all their cares on God, they must still be careful and watch out. As soldiers wait and watch, so believers must be constantly alert for the enemy. All of the persecution facing believers ultimately comes down to one source: the Devil, your great enemy. The Devil has other names—Satan, Accuser, Beelzebub—but he is the source of all evil in the world. He hates God and is God’s archenemy; thus he also hates God’s people and is their enemy as well. While Satan has no power against God, he does what he can to harm God’s people.

Peter described him as prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Lions attack sick, young, or straggling animals; they choose victims who are alone or not alert. Lions prowl quietly, watching and waiting, suddenly pouncing when their victims least suspect it.
Peter warned believers to be alert for Satan, especially in times of suffering and persecution, for he walks up and down the earth (Job 1:7) seeking whom he or his demons can attack and defeat. When believers feel alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers, they can become so focused on their troubles that they forget to watch for danger. In those times, believers are especially vulnerable to Satan’s attacks, which come in various forms, often at a person’s weakest spot—temptation, fear, loneliness, worry, depression, persecution. Therefore, Peter and Paul urged the believers to always be alert for Satan’s tricks.

James wrote that if the believers resisted the Devil, he would flee from them (James 4:7). Once we have identified the Devil as our enemy, we need to understand who he is and how he operates in order to effectively take a firm stand against him. Satan is the leader of angelic beings who revolted against God and were banished from heaven. His primary purpose now is to separate people from God. Destined for destruction, Satan wants to take as much of creation with him as he possibly can. We desperately need God’s grace because we are locked in mortal combat with a superior enemy; we need God’s help to resist this enemy, Satan. The best way for believers to take a firm stand is to be strong in their faith.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what i have read today?)

Spiritual Warfare is real. As followers of Jesus Christ, we have a real enemy. He seeks to steal our joy, kill our relationship with God and utterly destroy anything that is good, godly, wholesome, pure and innocent.

"The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10 (NIV)

If you were to come to the church office, to my office, look through my data base I have on Bible studies, ideas, sermons, messages, research, things I’ve done, things like that. But probably one of the most important files I’ve got is a file I call “Warnings – Lessons to be Learned”. I’m not going to read all the contents. It would be too discouraging. I’ve kept over the years a file of fallen leaders in Christianity. Some of them I knew personally, some of them I didn’t know. I’ve kept a file of fallen leaders. I review this file every year at the end of the year, just to warn myself.

1 Corinthians 10:12 says “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!”

We are in a spiritual battle. That’s why that kind of stuff happens. People let down their guard. If you don’t take the Christian life seriously, if you don’t take ministry seriously, the devil’s going to. You may not mean business but he does.

The Bible teaches that the Christian life is warfare. In fact, the most used analogy in the Bible for the Christian is that of a soldier. The words that are used to describe the Christian life are war terms – fight, conquer, strive, battle, overcome, victory. They’re war terms. We are living in enemy territory when you live in the world. Scripture makes it very clear. Ephesians 6:12 (Phillips) says “For our fight is not against any physical enemy. It is against organizations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil.”

I saw this article a long while ago: “Winning the Holy War” Underneath, it says, “Satan also has a missionary vision. We have the Great Commission. He has a great commission too. That is to defeat Christians wherever possible.

In 1 Timothy 6:12, Paul told Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith.” If you are in ministry, you are going to face opposition from the devil. If you get up in the morning and you don’t face the devil head on, right at the start of the day, it means you’re going in the same direction. He is opposed to everything you stand for. He hates everybody who loves God. He hates anybody who’s sold out to Jesus Christ. He will do anything he can to defeat you.

How do you Fight the Good Fight? Great question. Four steps of spiritual battle.

#1. ACKNOWLEDGE THE ADVERSARY - Realize that he’s real

1 Peter 5:8-9 tols us today - “Be alert, be on watch. Your enemy the devil roams around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Be firm in your faith and resist him because you know that your fellow believers in all the world are going through the same kind of suffering.”

When you’re being attacked, welcome to the club. It’s proof that you’re a believer. It’s proof that you’re making an impact. The fact is the more you make an impact for God, the more the devil is going to fight you. You never outgrow it. It just gets more intense. If there were no devil, why would God send His Son to fight that which does not exist? The Bible says God sent Jesus Christ to defeat the works of Satan. The Bible says that Satan is the prince of this world. Jesus said so. He never disputed Satan’s right to work all across the world. The Bible says in 1 John 3:8 “Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil.”

Ephesians 6:16 says, “In every battle you will need faith as a shield to stop the fiery darts aimed at you by Satan.” This verse says that Satan is going to have some fiery darts to aim at you particularly as you’re involved in ministry.

What are some of the fiery darts that Satan throws up against Christians in ministry? Discouragement – that’s probably the biggest one. Failure – nobody shows up for your ministry. Opposition – all kinds of resistance. Rumors. Lies about you and your family. Inuendo. Half-truths. Put-downs. Misunderstandings. Distractions. Temptation. Low self-esteem – attacking your self worth. Compromise. Deceptions. Sin. Competition. Fatigue. Illness. Fear. (Does Satan ever throw a dart of fear at you? “What do you think you’re doing in ministry? Who do you think you are?”) Doubt. Division – Does he ever get Christians working against Christians? Ridicule. Materialism. He’s got quite an arsenal. He’s going to throw these things at you!

#2. PUT ON THE ARMOR

The famous passage on armor is Ephesians 6:11-17 says“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Have the belt of truth buckled around your waste and the breastplate of righteousness and have your feet fitted with the gospel of peace. Take up the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”

There are six pieces of armor here. “Truth”, “Righteousness, “Gospel of peace”, “Faith”, “Salvation”, “The Word of God”. That’s the spiritual armor that you’re to put on. When Paul wrote this, he was in prison. He was chained 24-hours a day to a Roman guard. As he wrote this, he sat there, chained to this man, looked at him and used the Roman centurion as a model for spiritual armor. He had on a breastplate – a piece of metal to protect his chest from spear attack. He had on a strong, leather girdle around his mid waste to protect him. He had on boots, a shield, a helmet, a sword. Paul says just as the Roman soldier goes out and do battle, when you’re in ministry you need to be dressed for battle.

Two statements about this: If we had time, I’d show you that every piece is mental warfare: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, helmet of salvation (which covers the head), and the word of God is the truth that goes into your mind. It’s mental preparation for battle. These are things you need to put on mentally before you do your ministry because you expect attack.

The other thing I want to say is that these six things is a perfect picture of Jesus. Jesus is truth, He is righteousness, He is peace, He is faith, He is salvation, He is the Word (the Word became flesh). And to put on the spiritual armor simply means to put on Jesus. When you put on Jesus in your life, when you let the Spirit of Christ live through you, you’ve put on the armor. That’s what Jesus Christ is. He is righteousness and all these things. You put it on, before you teach that Bible study, before you teach that Sunday School class, before you play that note in worship, you need to put on your armor of God.

I do this every time I speak. I mentally run through this thing. I mentally run through it and put it on. I say, for instance, “Lord, as I put on the helmet of salvation that will protect me from the thoughts the devil will try to give me. I want to think not the devil’s thoughts. I don’t want to think my thoughts. I want to think Your thoughts, that I may be a voice for You. I put on the belt of truth. Lord, I want to share the truth, not falsehood. I want to lead people into righteousness.” All of these things. I mentally put them on as I prepare for spiritual battle in order to minister.

#3. AIM THE ARTILERY

Not only do we have some armor but we have some weapons to use when we’re involved in ministry. Remember we’re not fighting against physical people. We’re fighting against spiritual forces.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world. On the contrary, they have divine power to tear down strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” The battlefield for spiritual warfare is primarily in the thought life, in your mind. Notice it says the weapons we use, what do they do. Demolish arguments – that’s the way people think. We pull down pretension – that’s the way people think. We take captive every thought.

When somebody is opposing you in your ministry, they’re not the real problem. The problem is the thoughts the devil’s giving them to oppose you. The problem is not that person. The problem is what they’re acting on. You always act on what you think. They’re getting thoughts from the wrong source. There are only two sources for thoughts. When we get thoughts from God, we call it inspiration. When we get thoughts from the devil, we call it temptation. Which are we going to accept? God’s thoughts – inspiration? Or temptation – from the devil?

So the primary battlefield is in your mind. If you ever want to do a study, study the word “mind” in scripture. That’s where the battle for sin is largely felt. Satan, the Bible teaches, holds people captive through the mind.

2 Corinthians 4:4 says “He blinds peoples minds.”
2 Corinthians 11:3 says “He corrupts people’s minds.”
Hebrews 2:14-15 says “He holds them in bondage through fear.”

Other passages that talk about a defiled mind, a reprobate mind, a darkened mind, a puffed up mind, a vain mind. All of these things are descriptions God uses when we are allowing our thoughts to be influenced by the devil.

In this battle for thoughts, what are our weapons? Three weapons. These things work. I use them every Sunday, every day. But especially as I’m preparing… Go out and mentally go through these weapons. I say, Lord, I’m about to go in here and what I’m talking about on Sunday morning, eternity is in the balance. There may be somebody who's at in the worship service this morning who will never come again to church. If you’ve got one shot, what are you going to do? Eternity is in the balance. This may look like we’re all having fun here but behind the scenes there’s a spiritual battle going on. We need to prepare for it and use the weapons. Three weapons you use in ministry:

The Truth. John 8:32 says “You’ll know the truth and the truth will set you free.” The Bible says that the sword of the spirit is the word of God. The word of God is the truth. The truth is our sword. It cuts through all the mustard. It gets right to the point. When you are in a conflict, the question you want to ask yourself is this: What does God say about this? Because the truth is the first weapon. You ask yourself, How does the Lord see this situation?

Humility. James 4:6-7 “God gives strength to the humble but sets Himself against the proud and haughty. So give yourselves humbly to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” The more you humble yourself before God, the more power you will have in your life. That’s just the way it works. As we walk before the Lord humbly and say, “Lord, I humble myself before You. I can’t do this ministry on my own. But You are the vine and I am the branch. Apart from You I can bear nothing but with You I can do what I need to do.”

It doesn’t matter what you do. If you will say, “Lord, I’m depending on You to help me as I deal with people.” People are strange. Humility. God gives strength to the humble. Humble yourself.

Faith. The Bible talks about the shield of faith. 1 John 5:4 says, “This is how we win the victory over the world, with our faith.” Without even talking to you in detail, I can tell you exactly what God’s doing in your ministry. He’s doing what you expect Him to do. You study the Scripture, you find out that every time God does a miracle – He moves out of heaven and moves on to earth because somebody believes. Faith is a powerful, powerful tool. I don’t know why, but in my case, when I’m speaking, in the struggle for souls on Sunday morning, I don’t know what it is but I know when I expect people to respond, they do. The devil’s pulling one way and the Holy Spirit’s pulling the other way and somehow my faith has a part in that warfare.

Whatever you want to see happen in your ministry or in your life believe it will happen. If you need more workers, pray and believe more workers will show up. If you need God to do a miracle in your marriage or in your kids lives, believe that God will do it. Pray and believe and ask and expect in advance.

#4. AVOID ALL DISTRACTIONS. This is one thing I think the Lord has taught me and is teaching me over the years. If you’re going to be effective in ministry, in battle, you’ve got to focus yourself. 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (LB) says, "Take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Do not let yourself become tied up in worldly affairs for then you cannot satisfy the One who has enlisted you into His army.” Don’t get distracted.

You know what’s important in life. There are so many things that want a piece of your time. The reason why there aren’t more people here tonight is because of this very thing. They’ve chosen distractions over ministry. They’ve got so many other “good” things. The good can be the enemy of the best.

“No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs. He wants to please His commanding officer.” We come to Jesus Christ and say “Reporting for duty, Lord!” There are a lot of good things I could be involved in, a lot of ways I could spend my time. But I have one person to please and only one – the Lord Jesus Christ. And if I’m pleasing Him, that’s what is going to count at the end of my life. Avoid the distractions. If you get distracted the enemy is going to catch up with you, catch you off guard and devastate you.

GO POINT LOMA

DAY #337: 1 Peter 4:1-19

2009-12-03T06:10:00.000-08:00

I just had to let you know... Point Loma won again yesterday. They defeated the #1 team in the country. Pretty exciting. They play next tomorrow against the #4 seed. We shall see.

When a person becomes a Christian, sometimes his or her lifestyle changes drastically. This was especially true for first-century believers who had come out of the morally corrupt pagan world. Many of Peter’s readers were Jewish Christians, but many also had come from a pagan background. Former Jews would have at least led a morally upright life, while former pagans had been involved in the activities that Peter had just listed. Christians no longer desire to join their pagan friends in the wicked things they do.

These friends had sought pleasure by denying themselves nothing. Together, they did it all. When the Christians stopped, their friends not only are very surprised, but they also say evil things. This describes the reaction of people who love darkness when they become confronted by the light. A believer’s refusal to participate in an activity is a silent condemnation of that activity. Unbelievers then react with hostility, often because they want to justify their actions or silence their own consciences.

Peter then reminds us; No Christian is an island; no one is alone. When believers experience deep love from the fellowship, they have the human network of support that can help them through any crisis (This is why LIFE Groups are so vital).

To cheerfully share one’s home is different from social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host—the home must be spotless; the food must be well prepared and abundant; the host must appear relaxed and good-natured. Sharing the home, in contrast, focuses on the guests. Their needs—whether for a place to stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or acceptance—are the primary concern. This can happen in a messy home. It can happen around a dinner table where the main dish is canned soup. Believers should not hesitate to share with those who need a meal or a place to stay just because they are too busy or not wealthy enough to entertain. Hospitality is a strong expression of love, which Peter already commanded the believers to show.

Then the main point of the passage; Each person has received one or more spiritual gifts from God—a talent or ability empowered by the Holy Spirit and able to be used in the ministry of the church. Spiritual gifts help God’s people to serve and love one another and continue the work of spreading the gospel.

Some of this great variety of gifts are listed in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 27-31; and Ephesians 4:11-12—these lists are different and are by no means exhaustive. When believers humbly recognize their partnership in the body of Christ, their gifts can be used effectively.
When believers use their gifts in humble service to others, God’s generosity can flow through them. The gifts God gives believers are as varied and many-faceted as are the believers themselves. As God’s grace varies in its dealings with people, so God’s gifts (given because of his grace) are varied in their administration of his grace as Christ’s body on earth. To manage them well means not to hide the gifts, but to use them as they were meant to be used—serving and building up the body of Christ.

Peter encouraged the believers to use their gifts. Men and women with gifts that required being a speaker must be responsible with what they said, speaking as though God himself were speaking through them. Likewise, those gifted with abilities that centered on helping others also have a responsibility—to serve not in their own strength but with all the strength and energy that God supplies. If believers serve in their own strength alone or in order to look good to others, they will begin to find serving a wearisome task. But to serve with God’s strength is to be able to go above and beyond, and to do so for one purpose: God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. When believers use their gifts as God directs (to help others and build up the church), others will see Jesus Christ in them and will glorify him for the help they have received.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

My question(s) for you today are simple; What spiritual gifts has God given you and where are you using them in the church?

Folks, you were made to make a contribution, not just to consume. God made you to make a difference. And what matters is not how long you live, but how you live. We’re all meant to make a contribution. The Bible says we’re created to serve, we’re saved to serve, we’re gifted to serve, we’re shaped to serve. We’re commanded to serve God back.

Now the good news is that God not only created us for service, He gave us a model. Jesus came to earth Himself and said “This is how you do it. I want you to watch Me”. Matthew 20:28 says, “Jesus said, ‘Your attitude must be like My own, for I did not come to be served, but to serve’”. That's our model for life and service - Jesus. His life was about serving.

One day Jesus was walking down to go to Jericho and some blind men start yelling at him. And the Bible says this (Matt. 20:30-32), “Two blind men shouted ‘Lord, have mercy on us!’…Jesus stopped and called them. ‘What do you want me to do for you?’”.

Underline the word “stopped”. Jesus stopped. If you want to be used by God, if you want to serve God, you must be willing to be interrupted. That’s called being AVAILABLE! Most of Jesus’ ministry and most of Jesus’ miracles were interruptions. Think about it - all the people he healed…the blind man, the lame man, the sick people, the paralyzed man, the dead child…all of them were interruptions. His first miracle - interrupted at a wedding.

The Bible says this in Proverbs 3:28, “Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now”. Servant-hearted people don’t procrastinate. They’re spontaneous, they’re sensitive, and they say “OK, let’s do it!”

Here was John Wesley’s motto:
Do all the good you can by all the means you can by all the ways you can in all the places you can and at all the times you can to all the people you can as long as you ever can.

That, my friends, is greatness. You must be willing to step out and say “OK, out of my comfort zone, God what do You want me to do?” There are hurting people all around us, and the wounded will not wait. We’ve got to help them now.

Now what keeps us from being available? You see a lot of us say “I’d like to be used by God. I’d like His power in my life. I’d like to serve God, but I’m just not available.” And what is it that keeps us from being available?

Number one Barrier…self-centeredness. Philippians 2:4 tells us - Whenever you see a need right in front of you, guess what? MEET THE NEED. In the Pedlowe family we say it like this – “See a Need - Meet a Need”. God is giving you the opportunity to learn to serve, to learn to be like Jesus Christ.

Folks, the number one enemy of compassion, the number one enemy of serving others is busyness. We just get too busy! And because I’m so busy, I don’t have time to serve. I’ve got my agenda, my plans, my dreams, my goals, my ambitions. You know what the problem is? We hold up a “do not disturb sign”on the door of our heart, do not disturb. “Don’t disturb my heart. I’ve got my goals. I’ve got my safe little life going here, so don’t disturb me for the needs of other people.” Self-centerdness! Today, make a decision to start serving. Watch how God grows your life.

DAY #336: 1 Peter 3:1-22

2009-12-02T08:18:00.001-08:00

First, let me share this morning that Katie's soccer team won yesterday. Point Loma was victorious over Vanguard University. They now advance to the round of 8 to play the #1 team in the nation today at 2:00pm. You can go to the website below to read about the game.

http://www.pointloma.edu/Athletics/WomensSoccer.htm

Peter reminds us to always be ready. Ready to share the reason for our hope and faith. Ready to share about our faith and life and love of Christ. Unbelievers can see that Christians have something different; only “hope” gives us strength and joy in hardships and persecutions. Unbelievers will ask about it, and when the ask, believers must be ready to tell them. All Christians must be ready and able to give a reasonable defense of their faith. They need not be apologists or theologians, but every Christian ought to be able to clearly explain his or her own reasons for being a Christian.

Believers must not be obnoxious, but share their faith in a gentle and respectful way. To keep one’s conscience clear refers to one’s personal integrity before God alone, as he or she lives consistently with their knowledge of God. The Holy Spirit helps each believer know and understand God’s will, and sensitizes his or her conscience to God’s desires. All believers should keep clear consciences. To do that, believers can avoid willful disobedience. If we do disobey, we should stay in constant communication with God, repenting and asking forgiveness. Each time we deliberately ignore our conscience, we harden our heart. Over a period of time our capacity to tell right from wrong will diminish. As we walk with God, he will speak to us through our conscience, letting us know the difference between right and wrong.

Just by being Christians, these believers could find themselves facing persecution; they ought not supply their enemies with ammunition by also breaking laws or acting and speaking in an evil way. If the Christians’ lives were above reproach, unbelievers would end up ashamed when they speak evil against them. They would realize that they had done nothing more than slander someone’s good life.

Peter referred to the advice he had given servants, suggesting that if Christians were to suffer, it should never be for doing wrong. If they had to suffer at all, they should suffer only for doing good. Their example is Christ. He never sinned, yet he suffered, died. Christ’s suffering resulted in his death for sins. Although he seemed to have been defeated, he was raised to life in the Spirit. Christ’s death was once for all time. His sacrifice was sufficient. No one else will have to die for people’s sins; Christ will not have to die again.

At the end of the chapter, Peter entered into an exaltation of Christ and his victory over all opposition, whether attacks of Satan or the cruel treatment of the government. Peter himself had been an eyewitness. He saw Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1:9). Jesus had gone to heaven, a place beyond the clouds, beyond our human sight. There Jesus is seated in the place of honor next to God. Christ has royal power and dignity as a result of his resurrection (Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Acts 2:34; Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:13). Thus, angels and authorities and powers are bowing before him. In this context, these words refer to all spiritual beings in the universe, both good and evil. Everything in earth and heaven is already subject to Christ. One day in the future, when he comes to judge, his power and authority will be made known to everyone.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read?)

ALWAYS be ready to share my faith. How does one get to the point where you can do that? It's not rocket science, but rather very simple. We talk with others about the things that matter most to us.

Why is it so easy to talk about our golf game, or our favorite teams, or a hobby or our kids, vacations, new purchases? Those things matter to us. They should matter to us. In the same way, our faith - or relationship with God and what He has done for us should matter so much - it should be so important to us, that He is always on the tip of our tongue. Always on our mind. Always thankful for His blessings and provision.

An important verse to memorize in this regard - Colossians 3:2 (ESV). "Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth."

What's my point? While we live in this world, we are citizens of a different world. Philippians 3:20-21 (ESV) says, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." Folks, this world is not our final destination - heaven is. Live here. Work here. Raise your family here, but always be heavenly minded.

1 Peter 2:11 (MSG) tells us - "Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul."

DAY #335: 1 Peter 2:1-25

2009-12-01T04:54:00.000-08:00

Many of the readers of this letter, slaves who had become Christians, would have known all too well what it meant to patiently endure unfair treatment. It would please God if these believers trusted him as they endured “pain” (referring to mental, not physical, anguish) caused by unjust suffering. Being patient for the sake of their conscience means that when they suffered, they were remembering God’s care and love for them even as they suffered. They focused on the fact that they were suffering injustice as Christ had suffered injustice, and they knew that one day God would right all wrongs. This gave them the proper attitude, enabled them to persevere, and kept their practice from being mere passive acceptance.

While bearing the pain of unjust suffering is commendable before God, there is no special commendation for patiently bearing punishment that is deserved. The word for beaten means to strike with one’s fist. Christian slaves who patiently endured suffering when they had done nothing to deserve it would please God. However, if they suffered for doing wrong, then they would get no credit.

Why have believers been called to suffering? Because such suffering was endured by Christ. Jesus had told Peter and the other disciples at the Last Supper: “A servant is not greater than the master. Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you” (John 15:20). When we patiently suffer injustice, we are following our supreme example in Christ.

That the believers were to follow in his steps means to follow in Jesus’ complete peace and trust in God. Christ has given believers an example of how they are to face injustice and persecution. Peter set up Christ as the model for the believers to follow; his example would have greatly comforted these believers, who soon would be persecuted for their faith. They should face injustice from harsh masters or from other authorities with supreme dignity, trusting God’s control.

Peter quoted from Isaiah 53, Isaiah’s prophecy about the suffering of the coming Messiah. Christ’s suffering was completely unjust because he never sinned or deceived anyone; there was no good reason for his being condemned to death. From personal experience Peter knew that Jesus was perfect. He had lived and traveled with Jesus for three years. Intimate relationships often reveal the worst in people, but Peter had seen the truth of the prophet’s words. Christ was completely sinless in his life and in his words.

“He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.” Jesus did not retaliate nor did he threaten. How tempting it must have been to expose the liars at his trial, to come down from the cross in a great display of power, or to blast his enemies with God’s wrath. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

Jesus suffered patiently because he knew that God would have the final say. Jesus regarded God as sovereign, so he put the outcome of his life in God’s hands. Believers can entrust themselves and their suffering into God’s hands. Knowing that God will ultimately right all wrongs is a great comfort to believers who are suffering, and it helps them respond correctly in their sufferings.

In a transaction we cannot comprehend, God placed the sins of the world on Jesus Christ, so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. Because all our wrongdoing is forgiven, we are reconciled to God. All who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior can have this new life and live in union with him. Our evil desires, our bondage to sin, and our love of sin died with Christ on the cross. This is called substitutionary atonement. Jesus died as our substitute; his wounds have healed ours.

This passage is a great reminder that whatever trials and difficulties we might face, the Shepherd will always be by our side, and the Guardian of our souls will protect and seal us for eternity.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Pedlowe, humble yourself - just like Christ. Follow His example in this way. Lord, help me to entrust my life, my family - COV - every detail of my life to You. Lord, you know I like to be in control. Break me of that. More of You and less of me.

"He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:30 (NIV)

Lord, protect Drew as he flies home this morning. Watch over him and bless him. Lord, protect Sharon and Katie in Alabama. Lord, work in our church. Grow our church. Grow and mature our people. I love you Lord.

DAY #334: 1 Peter 1:1-25

2009-11-30T06:37:00.000-08:00

Because the prophets had foretold the great privileges of the gospel and, with even the angels, long to understand them better, believers should show the same kind of earnest and alert concern regarding the way they live.

To lead holy lives in an evil world, the believers would need a new mind-set. They also needed to monitor and restrain their sexual and material desires, anger, and words. Exercise self-control is also translated “discipline yourselves.” Peter wanted the believers to remember that as they lived in the world, they needed to keep full possession of their minds and bodies so as not to be enticed away from God.

All believers are God’s children. As such, we are to obey God. Believers ought not live in the same manner that they lived before they were saved. At that time, they didn’t know any better, but now they should not slip back into their old ways of doing evil. The evil desires still exist, but believers have a new goal for their lives. They must break with the past and depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to help them overcome evil desires and obey God.

God’s holiness means that he is completely separated from sin and evil. Holiness pervades his character—he is holy. He is the opposite of anything profane. Believers must be holy in everything they do—that is, totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for his special use and set apart from sin and its influence. Our holy God expects us to imitate him by following his high moral standards.

Believers should be set apart and different because of God’s qualities in their lives. Our focus and priorities must be his. We have already been declared holy because of our faith in Christ, but we must work out that divine family likeness in our day-by-day walk, behavior, and conduct. We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us his Holy Spirit to help us.

In Old Testament times, a person’s debts could result in that person’s being sold as a slave. The next of kin could ransom the slave (buy his or her freedom), a transaction involving money or valuables of some kind. However, silver and gold can do nothing to change anyone’s spiritual condition. No amount of money can buy our salvation. It has to be done God’s way, not with money, but with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. That God paid a ransom to save us means that he paid the price to set sinners free from slavery to sin. Christ paid the debt we owed for violating the righteous demands of the law.

Christ purchased our freedom, and it cost him his own life. Only the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross was effective atonement for our sins. The Old Testament saints sacrificed lambs in order to atone for their sins, but New Testament believers have had their sins covered by the blood of the sinless Savior.

Peter expected that growth in purity and holiness would result in deeper love among Christians—not merely outward appearance or profession, but sincere love for Christian brothers and sisters. Despite our differences and disagreements, we can have sincere love for one another, and as we grow in holiness, we can learn to love each other intensely because of the Holy Spirit within us.

Such love is not possible in the world at large, for it doesn’t understand the love that results when people are cleansed from their sins and have accepted the truth of the Good News. This experience brings together even very different believers on the common ground of forgiveness in Christ and requires them to love one another as Christ loved them (John 13:34-35).

Peter gave another reason to love others: Believers have a common ground in Christ. We have all been born again; we are sinners saved by grace. Our new life did not come from our earthly parents; that life will one day end in death. Our new life will last forever because it was given to us by the eternal, living word of God. God’s word lives and endures forever, because God who gave it lives and endures from eternity past to eternity future.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

AM I READY? I have to ask myself that question almost daily.

Am I ready to live the life that God has for me TODAY? Am I ready to be used by God? Am I ready to be mis-understood and wrongly accused? Am I ready to be treated like a servant? Am I ready to be a peacemaker? Am I ready to humble myself? Am I ready for conflict in some unforeseen way? Am I ready for spiritual warfare and attack? Am I ready for the temptation that is surely coming my way? Am I ready to pray and get on my knees and ask God to work? Am I ready for a miracle? Am I ready to see God's blessing? Am I ready to share my faith? Am I ready to meet all the needs that I will see in people's lives today?

That's why Peter exhorts us, encourages us, urges us to prepare our minds for action. Be self-controlled. Be alert. On your toes.

Lord, give me a supernatural energy today. Give me Your strength and Your power to love and serve and humble myself today. Lord, make me less so You can be more.

Now, let me ask you today - ARE YOU READY?

DAY #333: James 5:1-20

2009-11-29T04:15:00.000-08:00

Believers are to be patient in the midst of injustice. Believers need to endure, trust in God through their trials, and refuse to try to get even for wrongs committed against them. But patience does not mean inaction. There was work to be done—serving God, caring for one another, and proclaiming the Good News. There is an end point, a time when patience will no longer be needed—the Lord’s return. At that time, everything will be made right. The early church lived in constant expectation of Christ’s return, and so should we. Because we don’t know when Christ will return to bring justice and remove oppression, we must wait with patience.

Instead of being like rich people who have “fattened” their hearts on the wealth of this world, believers are to allow the assurance of Christ’s return to help them be patient and take courage. Whatever the circumstances, James encourages us to be rock solid in our faith and to have a faith-inspired joy that permeates every part of life. Like the farmer, we invest a long time in our future hope. The farmer is at the mercy of the weather—it is outside his control. But we do know that the coming of the Lord is near.

Believers, facing persecution from the outside and problems on the inside, may naturally find themselves grumbling and criticizing one another. James doesn’t want them to be filled with resentment and bitterness toward each other—that would only destroy the unity they so desperately need. Refusing to grumble about each other is part of what it means to be patient. Grumbling against one another indicates a careless attitude of speech. Because of the dangers created by our speech, we cannot afford to be lax in the way we speak to and about each other.

James closes his letter as he began it, with a call to prayer. There are many responses to suffering. Some of us worry; some of us vow revenge against those who have caused the suffering; some of us let anger burn inside us. Some grumble. But James says the correct response to suffering is to keep on praying about it. This is not necessarily a prayer for deliverance from the trouble, but for the patience and strength to endure it.

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results because the person who is praying is righteous. The person is not sinless, but he or she has confessed known sins to God and is completely committed to him and trying to do his will. Again, we can say that the righteous people get what they want in prayer because they want what God wants.

The Christian’s most powerful resource is communication with God through prayer. It is the instrument of healing and forgiveness and is a mighty weapon for spiritual warfare. The results are often greater than we thought were possible. Some people see prayer as a last resort, to be tried when all else fails. Our priorities are the reverse of God’s. Prayer should come first. God is pleased to use our prayers to accomplish his purposes and he delights in answering our needs, but he is never bound by our prayers. God’s power is infinitely greater than ours, so it only makes sense to rely on it—especially because God encourages us to do so.

James reminds of the prayers of Elijah. His story is found in 1 Kings 17:1–18:46. Elijah had great power in prayer. A drought came as a sign to evil King Ahab of Israel that the idol Baal did not have power over the rain, God did. And when Elijah prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and a half years. Then he prayed for rain, and down it poured.
James uses Old Testament people to illustrate each of his major themes:

Perseverance is exemplified by Job (5:11). Effective prayer is exemplified by Elijah (5:17-18).
These lives are important to us. They are examples to be followed. When we choose all our models from contemporary people, we may eventually be disappointed by their failures. Other generations of believers cannot let us down. They made their mistakes, persevered, and are now testimonies that life can be lived for God.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

When should I pray? James says you can pray whenever you've got a need -- a physical need, an emotional need, a material need. No matter what it is you ought to pray. WHO CAN PRAY?

Some people think you have to be a spiritual giant to pray and get those kinds of answers. "I could never pray and see somebody healed" or "I could never pray and see a financial miracle". Many Christians feel inferior. James uses Elijah as an illustration. "Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain and it didn't rain on the land for three and a half years. He prayed again and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its crops." I Kings 19.

This is after the big god contest on Mt. Carmel. He runs to the other side of the desert and goes through a fit of depression and prays, "God, kill me. I'm so depressed." He wasn't afraid of 400 prophets of Baal but he runs from a woman named Jezebel. In that passage -- the first 10 verses -- Elijah demonstrated fear, resentment, guilt, anger, loneliness and worry. Now you know why it says, “Elijah was a man just like us.” We have anger, fear, resentment, worry, loneliness.

The lesson of Elijah's life is you don't have to be perfect to pray. You don't have to be perfect to see answers to your prayers. It's for ordinary people. I Kings 18, Elijah got alone with God and humbled himself praying for rain. It says he prayed seven times. He was persistent. He would not give up. One day a little cloud formed in the sky and he said, “It's going to be a gusher!” The rains came and flooded the place.

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things through prayer.HOW CAN I PRAY EFFECTIVELY?

I want to review four conditions for praying effectively that James mentions in his book.

#1. I must ask. That sounds simple but in a lot of our prayers we never ask for anything. We say "Thank you for..." and "Bless..." and that's it. We never pray specifically. The more specific your prayers are the greater you're going to be blessed in the answer.

James 4:2 says, "You do not have because you do not ask." Be specific. Throw away all your cliches. I love to hear new Christians pray because they don't know all the language, and they're so honest. It's refreshing.

#2. Have the right motive. "When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." If you're going to ask in prayer, make sure your motives are right. Not for selfishness but for a genuine reason -- the glory of God.

#3. Have a Clean life. "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Righteousness is your standing before God when you became a believer. It has nothing to do with your perfection. If God only answered the prayers of perfect people, how many prayers would get answered? None. But God does want us to have a clean life. In Psalm 66:18, David said, "If I hide [regard, conceal] iniquity [sin] in my heart then the Lord will not hear."

If I am willfully and knowingly doing something I know is displeasing to God and say, "God, I'm going to continue doing this but, by the way, help me out." It's like saying "Dad, will you loan me the keys to the car, but I'm never going to do a single thing you ask." We need to have a clean life before Him. Proverbs 28:9 says, "He that turneth his back from the hearing of the law, even his prayers are an abomination." Isaiah 59:2 says, "Your sins have separated you between you. Your God has hid His face so He cannot hear."

#4. Ask in faith. Expect an answer. James 1:6 says, "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt..." When you come to God, believe that He wants to answer your prayer. Trust Him. Don't doubt. Really believe.

How important is your prayer life to you? I struggle with this more than any other area in my life -- this area of being consistent in prayer. I talk to the Lord all the time, but I don't really have the prayer life I want to have. I'm never satisfied with it. I want to know Him in a deeper way. I want our church to be a miracle. I want it only to be explained by the fact that God did it. I want our church to be an embarrassment to the devil. I want people to look at our church and say, "Only God could have done that." Would you join me in this prayer?

Lord, draw people to COV this morning. Speak to their hearts, change their lives. I love you Lord. Protect Sharon and Katie in Alabama this week.

DAY #332: James 4:1-17

2009-11-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

The conflicts that James talks about here in chapter four are quarrels within the church, among believers. James is describing a condition where a church has come to a state of war, with open skirmishes breaking out among people. Sides have been chosen, positions have been dug in. In cases like this, believers have ceased being peacemakers; instead, they live in open antagonism toward one another. The word fights refers to battles with weapons, an armed conflict. It was used figuratively to indicate the struggle between powers, both earthly and spiritual.

Obviously, disagreements will occur in every church. But when they happen, are we wise enough and mature enough to understand why? Do we know their source? When handled correctly, with godly wisdom, they can lead to growth. Sadly, however, some churches become permanent battlegrounds. New believers find themselves in a cross fire of arguments, resentments, and power struggles that may carry a veneer of spiritual truth, but are more often simply personal conflicts between people. In the process, innocent bystanders are sometimes deeply wounded. Many of us know people who have been alienated from the church because of a conflict that had nothing to do with the gospel. And what's the source of these arguments and fights?

Fights and quarrels are being caused, not by some external source, but by the people’s evil desires. When everyone seeks his or her own pleasure, only strife, hatred, and division can result. At war within suggests a raging battle fought between the desire to do good and the desire to do evil.

The craving described in this chapter becomes so strong that the people scheme and kill to get it. Instead of rethinking their desires, the people being described by James resort to jealousy, fights, quarrels, and worse. Yet, for all their anxious self-seeking and antagonism in getting what they want, they still can’t possess it.

Why? We learned (from getting our first tricycle or doll to driving our first new car) that fulfilled desires don’t satisfy at the level they advertise. Sometimes we actually do get just what we wanted, only to discover that we still do not have what we really needed—the deep contentment that only comes when we are right with God. Trusted alone, our desires will only lead us to the things of this earth and not to the things of God.

In summary, James’s message is: The reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it. In other words, “You don’t have what you desire because you don’t desire God.”

Almost as bad as not asking is asking wrongly. If we misunderstand the correct use of prayer, we might not pray at all, or we might attempt to manipulate God. Later, James makes it clear that, when we pray, we must humble ourselves before God, otherwise we will not be answered. People should not be surprised when their prayers go unanswered because often their whole motive is wrong. They were going to spend what they received on their pleasures. The people’s desires were so strong that they were fighting, quarreling, and then using prayer to get what they wanted. Their motives were not to help others, but to satisfy themselves.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

James gives some practical advice. James 3:18 says, "And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness." James says, every day in every relationship, you're planting seeds. Seeds of anger, jealousy, peace, confidence, insecurity, many different kinds of seeds. So you will inevitable reap in your relationships. How can I plant seeds of peace? How can I be a peacemaker? How can I have peaceful relationships?

Wisdom. We need to learn how to be wise in the way we act toward people. Often we treat people in very foolish ways and we provoke the exact opposite behavior of what we would normally like to see in them.

Wisdom has more to do with character in relationships than it has to do with education and intelligence. Wisdom creates humility. Knowledge causes pride, but wisdom causes humility.
James gives us reminders about wisdom.

#1. I'M WISE I WILL NOT COMPROMISE MY INTEGRITY.

Proverbs 10:9 says, "The man of integrity walks securely." He's not afraid of being found out because he doesn't say one thing to one group and something else to another group. Someone said, "No man has a good enough memory to be an habitual liar." Eventually you're going to slip up. If you've got integrity you've got confidence, you walk securely in your relationships. You know you're not putting people on. If I am wise I will not compromise my integrity.

#2. IF I AM WISE I WILL NOT ANTAGONIZE YOUR ANGER.

I won't make you angry. Wise people work at maintaining harmony. They're not always looking for a fight. "Wisdom is peace loving." Have you ever met someone who is always arguing, always looking for a fight? I heard about one guy who was so argumentative he would only eat food that disagreed with him. If you're smart you don't antagonize people's anger. Proverbs 20:3 says, "Any fool can start arguments. The wise thing is to stay out of them."

#3. I WON'T MINIMIZE YOUR FEELINGS.

"Wisdom is considerate" and "considerate" means "mindful of the feelings of others". There is a common mistake that if I don't feel the way you feel then your feelings must be invalid or illogical or irrational or silly. James says, “Wise people are considerate; they don't minimize other people's feelings.” If I'm wise I will not minimize your feelings. I don't have to accept them but I can understand them. Proverbs 15:4 says, "Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit." Typically when we react to people's emotions we say things that hurt. Often we belittle the feeling. We put people down, or we play psychologist. "I know why you feel that way..." We're condescending toward people. James says if I'm wise in relationships I will not minimize your feelings. I'll be considerate.

#4. I WON'T CRITICIZE YOUR DECISIONS/SUGGESTIONS.

A wise person can learn from anybody. He's not defensive. He's open to reason. He's not stubborn. He's willing to listen and learn. Let me ask you today, are you a reasonable person? Can your kids reason with you? The Bible says if you're wise, you're reasonable. You're open to suggestions. "Don't confuse me with the facts; I've made up my mind. When I want your opinion, I'll give it to you." A wise person does not antagonize your anger, does not minimize your feelings, and does not criticize your suggestions. Don't be defensive. Most of us are too oversensitive. If somebody makes a suggestion we take it as a personal criticism and we're defensive. James says that's dumb. A wise person can learn from anybody.

#5. IF I'M WISE I WON'T EMPHASIZE YOUR MISTAKES.

"Wisdom is full of mercy and good fruit." Do you jump on people every time they blunder, every time they make a fault and fumble it? Do you always use everybody in your family as the butt of your joke. That's dumb. Wisdom is full of mercy. I won't emphasize your mistakes. Do you ever let people go, or do you keep hounding them about their past mistakes? Do you hold them in leverage, and they never can be set free even if they have asked forgiveness? "Remember the time you did..." You're always holding on and bringing up the past for leverage. That's dumb. If I'm wise, I won't emphasize your mistake. I'll be full of mercy. I'll give you what you need, not what you deserve.

Proverbs 17:9 says, "Love forgets mistakes. Nagging about them parts even the best of friends." If you're wise you don't rub it in, you rub it out. You don't hold it over their heads. You forget it. When somebody stumbles, you don't judge them. You encourage them. We don't need judgement. We need encouragement when we stumble. Are you that way at home? If somebody forgets something -- forgets to fill the car with gas and you run out on the freeway, somebody forgets to bring the mail in -- how are you? Do you rub it in or do you rub it out? The wise thing is to not emphasize the mistake.

#6. IF I'M WISE, I WON'T DISGUISE MY OWN WEAKNESSES.

A mark of a wise person is they don't try to hide and disguise their own weaknesses. "Wisdom is impartial and sincere." James says if you're smart and wise, you're not phoney. You don't wear masks and try to be something you're not. I've said before, if you're perfect this is not the church for you. If you're going to wear masks this isn't the church for you. This is for real people, with real sins, real hang ups, real faults, real emotional problems, real family problems. Real wise people are honest and open. They're not phoney. They're genuine. They're real and authentic. "What you see is what you get" with a really wise person. They don't attain or pretend perfection. If I'm wise I'm not going to disguise my weaknesses. There are so many phony relationships today. People try to be something they're not. The number one place you can see this is singles' bars. Phony relationships. Where else in our society do you offer to buy something for a total stranger? Phony! Trying to be something you're not.

Proverbs 28:13 says, "You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins." It's dumb to pretend that you're perfect, that you've got it all together because nobody does. Will you ask God for this kind of wisdom today? Will you seek to become a peacemaker?

DAY #331: James 3:1-18

2009-11-27T07:16:00.000-08:00

We all make many mistakes or slip up when we are off guard. We all stumble, but our most frequent failures occur when we are speaking. Because we are prone to make mistakes in our speech, we need to be even more careful to let God control what we say. He is capable of guiding our motivation, our thoughts, our very choice of words, and even the impact our communication has on others.

Many people may think that it is impossible to control their tongues, but most people haven’t even begun to try. The ability to control the tongue is the mark of true maturity for the Christian. When Jesus confronted the religious leaders about their accusations against him, he said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks—showing that what is inside of a person affects what they do with their speech (Matthew 12:33-37).

Bit . . . Rudder . . . Tongue . . . Spark. What do these things have in common? They are all small but very effective controllers—they each direct something much larger than themselves. James is building a case for the damaging power of our words. We see this evidenced in history when dictators such as Adolph Hitler, the Ayatollah Khomeini, Joseph Stalin, and Saddam Hussein used their words to mobilize people to destroy others. We see it evidenced in church splits and in the ruining of a pastor’s reputation. And we see how verbal abuse in the home can destroy the very personhood and character of spouses and children.

Satan uses the tongue to divide people and pit them against one another. Idle words are damaging because they quickly spread destruction. We dare not be careless with our words, thinking that we can apologize later, because even when we do, the damage remains. A few words spoken in anger can destroy a relationship that took years to build. Remember that words are like fire; they can neither control nor reverse the damage they do.

The tongue is full of wickedness because of the damage it can cause in the world and bring to the rest of the Christian community. Although people can tame all kinds of animals . . . no one can tame the tongue. Why? Because it is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison. The tongue is always capable of evil; it remains untamed throughout life. With our tongues we can lash out and destroy. By recognizing the tongue’s deadly capacity, we can take the first steps to keep it under control.

No person can tame the tongue, but Christ can. To do it, he goes straight for the heart (Mark 7:14-15; Psalm 51:10) and the mind (Romans 12:1-2). We should not try to control our tongues with our own strength; we should rely on the Holy Spirit. He will give us increasing power to monitor and control what we say. For when we feel offended or unjustly criticized, the Spirit will remind us of God’s love and keep us from reacting. The Holy Spirit will heal the hurt and keep us from lashing out. We can make sure we are in the Spirit’s control by incorporating Scripture into our lives and by asking the Spirit to direct our thoughts and actions each day.

How strange that the tongue is able to speak praises to our Lord and Father at one time, and then it breaks out into curses against other people. We should have the same attitude of respect for fellow human beings as we have for God, because they are created in his image. Yet we have this horrible, double-sided tongue, so that blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. This should not be.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what i have read today?)

Have you heard this excuse? Someone says something really mean or hurtful and they say, "I don't know what got into me. It's not like me to say that. I don't know why I said that. It's totally out of character. I didn't really mean it." James would say, “Yes, it is. It's just like you. You meant it. Quit kidding yourself. What's inside is going to come out. You don't have a spring that one minute gives salt water and the next gives fresh water. That's inconsistent. It's a natural law: what comes out of the well is what is inside of it.”

Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Jesus explained the Freudian slip years before Freud even existed. He said what's inside of you is what's going to come out. My tongue just displays what I am. It directs where I go. It can destroy what I have. But most of all, it simply displays what I am. It reveals my character.

If you've got a problem with your tongue, it's much more serious that you think. You have a heart problem. What's the solution?

#1. Get a new heart

You've got to get a new heart, that's the problem. Ezekiel 18:31 "Rid yourself of all the offenses you have committed and get a new heart and a new spirit!" Painting the outside of the pump doesn't make any difference if there is poison in the well. I can change the outside, I can turn over a new leaf, but what I really need is a new life. What I need is a fresh start. I need to let go of all the past and be born again and start over. I need to get a new heart.

How do I get a new heart? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new person. The old has passed away. Behold all things have become new." New life, new heart, new spirit. When you come to Jesus Christ, He wipes out everything you've done in the past. He says You're starting over. It's like being born again. You need a new heart.

We need to pray like David prayed in Psalm 51 "Create in me a clean heart, O God" because what's in my heart is going to come out in my mouth.

#2. Ask God for help every day.

You need supernatural power to control your tongue. You can't do it on your own. Your life is a living proof of that. We cannot control it on our own. We need supernatural power so we ask God to help us. Psalm 141:3 says, "Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." Great verse to memorize and quote every morning. "God, put a muzzle on my mouth. Guard my lips. Don't let me be critical today. Don't let me be judgmental. Don't let me say things off the cuff that I then regret." You need to ask God for help daily because you need His power in your life.

#3. Think before you speak

Engage your mind before you put your mouth in gear. James 1:19 says, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." There's a designation here. They go in order. First be quick to listen and then slow to speak. If you're quick to listen you will be slow to speak. If you're slow to speak, then you will be slow to become angry. If you have a problem with anger you need to work on being quick to listen and slow to speak. The result will be you'll be slow to anger.

What does your tongue say about you? What does it reveal about you? If we were to play back a tape of every conversation you've had in this past week, what would we learn about you? God hears it all. Our tongues display who we are. What direction is your tongue leading you? Some people say, "I'm just sick all the time" or "I can never do anything", "Things are just getting tougher and tougher" -- what direction are they headed? Our tongues control the direction of our lives like a rudder, a bit.

A bit and a rudder must be under the hand of a strong arm. James is saying that the only way to get control of your tongue is let Jesus Christ have control of your heart. What's in your heart is going to come out in your mouth. You let Christ's hand be on your bit, your rudder and let Him direct your life.

Maybe you need to ask forgiveness. Maybe you need to go to your kids to say, "I'm sorry. I'm inconsistent the way I talk to you. Sometimes I'm loving, sometimes I'm harsh. That shows I'm like everybody else. I'm human." We all stumble in many ways -- all of us. Maybe you need to apologize to your wife or your husband. "I'm not as loving to you in my speech as I ought to be. I tend to be apathetic, cold, indifferent. I talk to you harshly. I boss everybody around. I'm inconsistent and inconsiderate." Ezekiel says, "Get rid of all your offenses you've committed and get a new heart and a new spirit." Will you do this?

Day #330: James 2:1-26

2009-11-26T06:19:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

In today's passage, I want to focus on two key verses - 14 and 26. The person who claims to have faith obviously thinks that his belief alone, without any good actions (deeds done in obedience to God), is satisfactory in God’s sight. However, faith not accompanied by deeds has no saving value. Anyone can say he has faith, but if his lifestyle remains selfish and worldly, then what good is that faith? It is merely faith that believes about Jesus, not faith that believes in him. That kind of faith can’t save anyone. Instead, the faith that saves is faith that proves itself in the actions it produces.

Two images help us remember the importance of genuine faith:
On one side are people who project confidence in their standing before God and yet show no evidence that their faith affects any of their actions. They may even take pride in the fact that they can believe what they want and that no one has the right to challenge their faith. After all, “only God really knows for sure,” they may say.

On the other side are people whose lives demonstrate such a frantic flurry of activity that they literally have no time to think or talk about their faith. Those people, whose lives at first exhibit the marks of someone who believes, turn out to have real doubts. They doubt God’s acceptance and feel compelled to work very hard in hopes of gaining that acceptance. But trying hard to build merit with God becomes a substitute for faith.

James helps us see that genuine faith will always combine deep trust in God and consistent action in the world. It is not the one who claims to have faith, but the one who actually has faith who is saved.

Someone may ask, “But what if genuine belief never really gets a chance to demonstrate itself in action?” One instance of genuine faith given little time is the case of the thief on the cross who believed in Jesus (Luke 23:32-43). In sight of death, this man acknowledged Jesus as the Christ. Did even this man’s short-lived, genuine faith lead to real action? Certainly it did! The dying thief said a few words of profound eloquence: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom” (Luke 23:42). The thief could not possibly have known how many times his simple trusting witness during his final agony would give hope to others who felt they were beyond God’s help.

Most of us have a great deal more time than the thief on the cross. Do our lives count for as much? Do we declare our faith and then demonstrate its vitality throughout our life?

Even Rahab the prostitute was made right with God by her actions. God’s final judgment on a person’s life considers the righteousness that person shows through works. But why would James bring up Rahab? After speaking of the great faith of Abraham, the father of Israel, James cited the example of Rahab, a pagan woman with a bad reputation (Joshua 2:1-24; 6:22-25). But these two people, as opposite as they were, cemented James’s argument—both people were made right with God on the basis of their actions that resulted from their faith. The contrast is not between faith and works, but between genuine faith and false faith.

Faith and good deeds are as important to each other as body and spirit. Good deeds are not added to faith; instead, the right kind of faith is faith that “works,” that results in good deeds. Otherwise, Christianity is nothing more than an idea.

No one is moved to action without faith; no one’s faith is real unless it moves him or her to action. The action is obedience to God. This draws us back to James’s words in the first part of this chapter concerning care for others. The believer must do what God calls him to do—serve his brothers and sisters in Christ, refuse to discriminate among them, and help them out with good deeds.

Understanding how faith and deeds work together still doesn’t mean that our lives will be different. James is about to continue with a series of life situations that we all encounter. It is in these everyday events that we demonstrate our faith to be alive or dead. From time to time, we need to take our own spiritual pulse by matching our lives with God’s word. But we also need to have people around us, the body of Christ, whom we can ask, “How do you see me putting my faith in Christ into action?”

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

But how do I show I am a believer? James says there's five ways you can know you've got the real thing.

#1. REAL FAITH IS NOT JUST SOMETHING YOU SAY

v. 14 says, "What good is it my brother if a man claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such `faith' save him?" It doesn't say he, actually has faith, he just claims to have it. He talks about it. He knows all the right phrases. There are a lot of people who claim to be Christians. George Gallup says that 180 million Americans say "I'm born again," but you don't see anything in their lifestyle. Today we tend to label people as Christians if they make the slightest sound of being a believer. It's more than just talk that is involved in real faith. Jesus said, "Not everybody who says to me `Lord, Lord' is going to enter into the kingdom of heaven." Not everybody with a Christian bumper sticker is a believer. Not everybody who is a professor of Christianity is a possessor of Christianity.

#2. REAL FAITH IS NOT JUST SOMETHING YOU FEEL

It's more than emotions. A lot of people confuse emotions and sentiment with faith. You can be emotionally moved and never act on it. You can go to church and get a quiver in your liver, goose bumps, but it never makes any difference.

Then he gives an illustration. v. 15 "Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him `Go, I wish you well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" Real faith is more than just sympathy and feeling and emotion. You get assistance. You do something about it. You act on it. Real faith takes the initiative. A real believer has real faith and it's practical. It gets involved with people. 1 John 3:17 says, "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?" Real faith is generous. It wants to give. Who can count on you in a crisis? How many Christians have the freedom to call you up in the middle of the night if they are in an emergency? Not just talking the talk. Not just feeling for people.

#3. REAL FAITH IS NOT JUST SOME SOMETHING YOU THINK

For some people, faith is an intellectual trip -- a matter to be studied, debated, talked over and discussed. James imagines this intellectual objector v. 18 "Someone will say `You have faith, I have deeds'" He's imagining some intellectual guy who says, "You're into faith, I'm into works. That's cool. Different strokes for different folks. Let's debate it. You've got your thing, I've got mine. To each his own way. Stimulate me mentally but don't ask me to make any commitment." "Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do." Circle "show me". Real faith is visible. You can see it. It's apparent. If you claim to be a Christian, people will be able to see it. It's visible.

James would have made a good Missourian. The theme of the state of Missouri is "Show me". James is saying, “You say you're a Christian? Prove it. Let me see your actions back up your words.” If I say, "I believe my health is very important. Personal health is a high priority in my life. I believe that health is one of the most important things we ought to have." You say, "Do you eat right?" No. "Do you exercise? Do you get your proper rest? Do you take vitamins? Do you ever go for a check up?" No. It doesn't matter what I say. What counts are my actions.

#4. REAL FAITH IS NOT JUST SOMETHING YOU BELIEVE

"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that -- and shudder!" There are a lot of people who have strong beliefs in God, the Bible, about Christ. They can recite creeds to you and catechisms and talk about doctrines of the Trinity, quote bible verses. James says, "big deal!" Just saying I believe in God is not enough to get you to heaven. Even the devil believes that.

The word believe in Greek means "to trust in, to cling to, to rely on, to commit yourself completely." I believe in Hitler but I'm not a Nazi. I'm a Christian because I believe in Jesus. But it's more than just a head knowledge. A lot of folks are going to miss heaven by 18 inches. They've got it in their head but not their heart. They say "I believe in God." James says, "Big deal. Everybody believes in God. How do you have a creation without a Creator? But that's not enough.”

#5. REAL FAITH IS SOMETHING YOU DO

Our faith is not determined by what we do, it is demonstrated by what we do. About 50 years ago there was a famous tightrope walker named George Blondin who, for a publicity stunt, decided he would walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. On the appointed day they stretched a tightrope from one side of Niagara Falls to the other. He got out there and there were crowds lining both the Canadian and American side. Thousands of people showed up to see this unbelievable feat. Blondin walked up to the edge of the tightrope, put one foot on the tightrope and put another foot out and began to walk across -- inch-by-inch, step-by-step. He got out in the middle and everybody knew that if he'd make one mistake in balance he'd fall off the rope and into the Falls and obviously be killed. Blondin got to the other side and the crowd went wild, shouting and cheering. Blondin said, "I'm going to do it again."

He got to the other side and the crowds went crazy. Blondin said, "I'm going to do it again but this time I'm going to push a wheel barrow full of dirt." He pushes the wheelbarrow across. He got to the other side. He did this nine or ten times. On about the tenth time, he pushed the wheelbarrow right in front of a tourist who said, "I believe you could do that all day." Blondin dumped out the dirt and said, "Get into the wheelbarrow."

In a very real sense that's what God says to you. Talk is cheap. Put your money where your mouth is. "I believe in Jesus!" Prove it. Our faith is demonstrated by our actions. Actions speak louder than words. Our behavior shows what we really believe. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith." Test. Check it out. See if you're really a believer or not.

DAY #329: James 1:1-27

2009-11-25T05:55:00.000-08:00

How can a person consider trouble as an opportunity for joy? This is a remarkable command—we are to choose to be joyful in situations where joy would naturally be our last response. When certain circumstances make us angry and we want to blame the Lord, James directs us to the healthier alternative—joy.

This is not joyful anticipation for trials. Instead, it is joy during trials. The joy is based on confidence in the outcome of the trial. It is the startling realization that trials represent the possibility of growth. In contrast, most people are happy when they escape trials. But James encourages us to have pure joy in the very face of trials. James is not encouraging believers to pretend to be happy. Rejoicing goes beyond happiness. Happiness centers on earthly circumstances and how well things are going here. Joy centers on God and his presence in our experience.

This testing of our faith is a test that has a positive purpose. In this case, the troubles do not determine whether or not believers have faith; rather, the troubles strengthen believers by adding endurance to the faith that is already present. Endurance is faith stretched out; it involves trusting God for a long duration. We cannot really know our own depth until we see how we react under pressure. Precious diamonds begin as coal, subjected to intense pressure over a period of time. Without pressure, coal remains coal. The testing of your faith is the combined pressure that life brings to bear on you.

Endurance, like a precious gem, is the intended outcome of this testing. Endurance is not a passive submission to circumstances—it is a strong and active response to the difficult events of life, standing on your feet as you face the storms. It is not simply the attitude of withstanding trials, but the ability to turn them into glory, to overcome them.

When it comes to trials, we would rather escape, explain, or exit the difficulty. In fact, we will tend to do almost anything to avoid enduring a trial. Faithful endurance, however, generates whole people, recognized as strong in character, or mature. We will be seasoned, experienced, well-developed, fit for the tasks God sent us into the world to do. This strength is a quality developed by how much we have learned from the trials we have experienced. We are also ready for anything because we have been fully trained. The weaknesses and imperfections are being removed from our character; we are gaining victory over old sins; we are demonstrating a sense of competence about life. This completeness relates to the breadth of our experience.

There is a finish line. There are successes along the way—spiritual progress has its mile markers. But the trials of this life are contained in this life. Someday the test will be over. The first chapter of James teaches us that God’s long-term goal for us is maturity and completeness, but his eternal goal for us is the crown of life, a rich expression of hope. The believer who patiently endures by trusting God will have a life that, though not full of glory and honor, is still truly abundant, joyful, and victorious. Standing the tests of life gives believers even now a taste of eternity. Looking forward to that wonderful reward, and to the one who will present it to us, can be a source of strength and encouragement in times of trial.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what i have read today?)

There are three things I want to remind you about when it comes to the problems and difficulties we encounter in this life;

#1. Problems purify my faith. James uses the word "testing", as in testing gold and silver. You would heat them up very hot until the impurities -- the dross -- was burned off. Job said "He has tested me through the refining fire and I have come out as pure gold." The first things trials do is test our faith. They purify us. Christians are a lot like tea bags. You don't know what's inside of them until you drop them in hot water. Then you know. Your faith develops when things don't go as planned. Your faith develops when you don't feel like doing what's right. It purifies your faith. Christians are like steel; when they're tested they come out stronger.

#2. Problems fortify our patience. "...the testing of your faith develops perseverance." He's talking about staying power, not a passive patience, but staying power, endurance. The ability to keep on keeping on, the ability to hang in there. The Greek here is literally "the ability to stay under pressure." We don't like pressure and we do everything we can to avoid it. We run from it, take drugs, drink alcohol, go to Disneyland, anything to get away from pressure. But God uses problems in our lives to teach us how to handle pressure, how to never give up. There was a time in my life I prayed for patience, and the problems got worse. Finally, after a while, I realized I was a lot more patient than when I first started out.

How does God teach you patience? By everything going your way? No. God teaches you patience in traffic jams, in grocery lines, the waiting periods of life.

We live in a comfortable and convenient society. Everybody wants it now. If I can't have it now, forget it. Endurance, today, is a rare quality. Lombardi said, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

#3. Problems sanctify my character. They make me like Jesus. They help me mature. They help me to grow. "The testing of your faith produces perseverance that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." That's God's long range goal. His ultimate purpose is maturity. God wants you to grow up. He wants you to mature. In the Christian life, character is the bottom line. So many Christians I talk to have absolutely no idea of God's agenda in their life. They don't know what's happening and as a result they are overwhelmed by their problems.

We've talked about it so many times - Remember - God's number one purpose in your life is to make you like Jesus Christ. God is much more interested in building my character than in making me comfortable. If God is going to make me like Jesus, He's going to take me through the things Jesus went through. There were times when Jesus was lonely, fatigued, tempted to be depressed and discouraged. The Bible says there are two ways that God makes us like Jesus:

Through the word of God. John 17:17 says, "Sanctify them through Thy truth. Thy word is truth." James 1:22-25 says "The word makes us like Jesus" it builds our character, matures us. But even if you read the Bible two hours a day, how many hours of your life are you not reading God's word? God demands even more in the second way.

Through the circumstances of life. Here's where James hits it right on the head. So many Christians I meet say, "Everything was going great when I first became a believer. Then all of these problems came. Maybe God doesn't love me. Maybe I'm not a Christian. Maybe I'm not really saved. Maybe I've missed the boat." You are exactly where God wants you. You're in a character course. He's making you like Jesus. Romans 8:28 "We know that all things work together for good" [not all things are good but they work together for good] if we love God and are called according to His purpose." The secret of Romans 8:28 is 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow He did predestine to become conformed to the image of the Son of God." Why do all things work together for good? In order to make me like Christ.

Remember these things today and as you go forward in life. God has a plan and a purpose - always.

DAY #328: Hebrews 12:18-13:25

2009-11-24T05:11:00.000-08:00

This passage again contrasts the old and new covenants by contrasting the earthly Mount Sinai and the heavenly Mount Zion. As the Israelites were camped at the foot of Mount Sinai, God was preparing the nation for receiving his Ten Commandments. God commanded that no one, not even an animal, should touch the mountain under penalty of death (Exodus 19:12-13). The fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind describe the awesome scene on the mountain, for God himself descended there to speak with Moses (Exodus 19:18-21).

A blazing fire engulfed the top half of the mountain; this illustrated the Lord’s presence. The loud trumpet blast came from the mountain and caused the people to tremble. They begged God to stop speaking. The fear caused the people to beg that Moses be the lone mediator. They thought they would die if God were to speak directly to them.

The old covenant, with its display of God’s awesome power, still was not superior to what God had planned in the new covenant. The old covenant caused only fear from the people; they begged that they would not have to approach God themselves. God, in turn, did not allow them to approach him. God has offered something new. Returning to this old way would be foolish.

Instead of coming to a threatening mountain of fear and death, you have come to Mount Zion. Mount Zion represents a new community and a new relationship with God, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. Here believers live with God and can worship him without reserve. In this city, thousands of angels in joyful assembly continually worship God. The new Jerusalem is the future dwelling of the people of God. All Christians will have a new citizenship in God’s future Kingdom. Everything will be new, pure, and secure.

Christians do not enter a covenant in which someone like Moses must go up the mountain to meet with God. Rather, we have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children. The assembly means the church or congregation, referring to the gathering of believers who have been called out by God for the special purpose of loving, obeying, and worshiping him. We are no longer separated from the angels, but join them in praising God. All believers are God’s firstborn, for all are promised his inheritance.

The only access to God is through Jesus Christ, who is “the way” (John 14:6). This new covenant far surpasses the old covenant; no person who understood the new covenant could ever intelligently choose to revert to the old way. We come to the sprinkled blood because through it alone can we receive God’s gracious forgiveness.

If people refuse to follow God’s new covenant, they reject his plan. But more than the plan, they reject God himself. To do so is final and tragic, so the writer again warns his readers: See to it that you obey God, the one who is speaking to you.

Eventually the world will crumble, and only God’s Kingdom will last. Those who follow Christ are part of this unshakable Kingdom, and they will withstand the shaking, sifting, and burning. When we feel unsure about the future, we can take confidence from these verses. No matter what happens here, our future is built on a solid foundation that cannot be destroyed. Don’t put your confidence in what will be destroyed; instead, build your life on Christ and his unshakable Kingdom.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

I read today's passage and there is so much to take in. What God has spoken to my heart today is the issue of Eternal Security. At COV, we believe God's word is irrevocably clear about Eternal Security. Read the passages below. I pray they bring comfort to your soul.

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Romans 8:1 (NIV)

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."

John 10:27-29 (NIV)

The point is simple; if we can't do anything to earn our salvation, and we can't - Ephesians 2:8-9 - then we can't do anything to lose our salvation.

DAY #327: Hebrews 11:32-12:17

2009-11-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

The roll call of heroes continues. The Old Testament records the lives of many people who experienced great victories; a few are selected for mention here. None of these people were perfect; in fact, many of their sins are recorded in the Old Testament. But these were among those who believed in God:

Gideon, one of Israel’s judges, was known for conquering the Midianite army with only three hundred men who were armed with trumpets and jars (Judges 6:11–8:35). Barak served with Deborah (another judge of Israel) in conquering the army of General Sisera from Hazor (Judges 4:4-23).

Samson, another judge, was a mighty warrior against God’s enemies, the Philistines (Judges 13–16). Jephthah, still another judge, delivered Israel from the Ammonites (Judges 11:1-33).
David, the beloved king of Israel and a great warrior, brought peace to Israel, defeating all of his enemies.

Samuel, the last judge of Israel, was a very wise leader. He also was a prophet. Samuel, along with all the prophets, served God selflessly as they conveyed God’s words to an often rebellious people.

These people demonstrated that faith will accomplish much: They overthrew kingdoms. Throughout their years in the Promised Land, the Israelites had great leaders who brought victory against their enemies. People such as Joshua, all of the judges, and King David were great warriors. They ruled with justice. Many of the judges, as well as leaders such as Nehemiah, administered justice to the people.

They shut the mouths of lions. Daniel was saved from the mouths of lions (Daniel 6). This statement could also refer to Samson (Judges 14:6) or to David (1 Samuel 17:34-35).
They quenched the flames. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were kept from harm in the furious flames of a fiery furnace (Daniel 3). They escaped death by the edge of the sword. Elijah (1 Kings 19:2-8) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:19, 26) had this experience.

Their weakness was turned to strength. Hezekiah was one who regained strength after sickness (2 Kings 20). They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. This refers to Joshua, many of Israel’s judges, King Saul, and King David. Some even received their loved ones back again from death. The widow from Zarephath received her son back from the dead because of Elijah (1 Kings 17:17-24), and so did the Shunammite woman, through Elisha (2 Kings 4:8-37).

We, too, can experience victory through faith in Christ. Your life may not include the kinds of dramatic events recorded here, but it surely includes moments where faith is tested. Give testimony to those moments, publicly and honestly, and thereby encourage the faith of others.
While the above examples mention great victory—there is a victory that may not seem so. Other believers were tortured, preferring to die rather than turn from God. These faithful people experienced the blessings and endured persecution because they placed their hope in the resurrection. These people lived by faith because they knew that gaining the world and achieving this world’s success was not their objective.

They waited for a better life that would begin after death. This promise of a better life encouraged them during persecution and other difficulties. These descriptions could apply to many people who lived by faith—including some who were part of the community of the original readers of this epistle. Many Christians were persecuted and punished for their faith. They were: Mocked—like Elisha (2 Kings 2:23-25), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:19; 4:1), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18:12). Cut open with whips—like Jeremiah (Jeremiah 37:15). Chained in dungeons—like Joseph (Genesis 40:15), Samson (Judges 16:21), Micaiah (1 Kings 22:26-27), Hanani (1 Chronicles 16:10), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 37:16; 38:6). Killed by stoning—like Zechariah (1 Chronicles 24:20-21); according to Jerome, Jeremiah was stoned at the hands of Jewish Egyptians because he denounced their idolatry. Killed by being sawed in half—like Isaiah.

Many of God’s followers who lived before Christ and many who have lived after Christ have been persecuted. Their clothing was the skins of sheep and goats. Many faced being hungry, oppressed, and mistreated. Some had to wander and hide in the wilderness. Despite their difficult lot, the writer of Hebrews claims that they were too good for this world. These people were great men and women of faith. All of the above people mentioned by name and those alluded to received God’s approval because of their faith. These people looked forward to a better day and salvation, but none of them received all that God had promised. Of course, they saw some of God’s promises fulfilled, but not the promises that referred to the new covenant and the promised eternal Kingdom. These people did not live to see the Kingdom arrive, but their future citizenship was secure there. Thus, they were able to endure suffering.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Have you ever gotten to the point in your life that you just feel like you can’t do it anymore? Whatever “it” is for you, you just are tired, maybe defeated, disillusioned, frustrated? Do you ever feel like you want to stop trying? I know I have! We all have at one point or another. Maybe some of you have felt that way spiritually. Just can’t go on. This morning, I want to share with you that there is hope from HIS word.

Philippians 4:13 says “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Did you get that promise? Maybe in your power you can’t go on – perfect – you are right where God wants you. Why? He wants you to go on in His power, and His strength! If you didn’t recognize it, this is another promise from God to us! You can’t become a person of faith without getting the promises of God in your life.

Today, I want to give you three secrets of staying in the game – the three keys to getting through those times when discouragement is pounding on your life. Three keys to taking the initiative in your faith, so you will grow strong spirtually and not just wallow around in defeat or self pity.

Here’s the faith story we are going to look at this morning. One day Jesus was walking through the streets of the city of Jericho. A large crowd was following Him. There was a blind beggar by the side of the road by the name of Bartimaeus. To be blind in Jesus’ day meant you couldn’t work, obviously you couldn’t read or write, and you probably couldn’t go anywhere because there were no seeing eye dogs, no wheel chairs, no social programs to help the blind. So he was reduced to simply begging for living. Everyday somebody would carry him out to the side of the road, set him on a pallet. He would beg for sustenance every day and at the end of the day they would take him back. It was a miserable life. This blind beggars name was Bartimaeus. This story is found in Mark 10:46-52.

The first step to taking the initiative in your faith…
#1. SEIZE THE MOMENT

When Bartimaeus got up that morning he had no idea that Jesus was going to be passing by him. As best as he knew it was just another ordinary day. Same place, same thing, same begging, same miserable, lonely, pitiful lifestyle. So he had no time to prepare for Jesus, he had not time to plan for Jesus. It was just an opportunity that was dropped in his lap. It’s now or never. He seized the moment!

Bartimaeus thinks, “This is my chance. I’ve got to go for it. I’m not going to miss this opportunity,” Mark 10:46-47 (NLT) says “As Jesus... left town, a great crowd was following. A bind beggar named Bartimaeus was sitting beside the road as Jesus was going by. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was nearby, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” He seizes the opportunity, the moment. Why is this so key? All around you daily there are opportunities. You get them all the time. But you don’t take advantage of them. Why? We think we have all the time in the world!

The Bible warns us over and over about presuming upon tomorrow. I’m not guaranteed a tomorrow, neither are you. Whatever you’re going to do you better do it now.
Job 9:25 ”My days go quickly. More quickly than a runner, they sprint away.” The older you get the faster they run.
Job 8:9 “Our life is short. We pass like shadows across the earth.” Your life is really just a blip, a shadow.
Proverbs 27:1 “Don’t boast about tomorrow for you don’t know what a day will bring forth.”
Psalm 90:12 “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are. Help us to spend them as we should.”
Ephesians 5:16 “Make the most of every opportunity.”

I think God brought some of you here this morning just to hear this truth. He wants to say to you, “Stop making excuses. Get on with it. Start living the things you know to do. Give Me your life now. Start living for Me now.” Luke 9:62 (MB) says “Jesus said, ‘No procrastination! No backward looks. You can’t put off God's kingdom till tomorrow. Seize the day!” What am I saying? Stop doinking around – get on with your faith and spiritual life – start today.

The second step to taking the initiative in your faith…
#2. GO PUBLIC WITH your faith.

Go public with it. Announce your goal, your intention, the change you want to make in your life, what you’re asking God to do. Clarify what you really want and then state it publicly. You need to tell people because a secret faith is a shallow faith.

Mark 10:48 (GN) says “Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, ‘Have mercy on me!’” This guy was not afraid to make his need known and to shout out to Jesus that he needed help. It seems to me that the scorn of others is often a reason we often shy away from making our faith more public.

But, if you’re going to make a change you need to go ahead and make a public announcement about it and say, “This is what I’m asking God to do in my life.” In Mark 10:51 it says, “Jesus asked him [Bartimaeus] ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ The blind man answered, ‘Teacher, I want to see.’” He said, I want my sight. I want to be healed.

Here’s the amazing thing. Jesus Christ asks you the very same question right now. “What do you want Me to do for you?” God wants to use you. He wants to bless you. He wants to make changes in your life. He wants to do incredible things in your life. Things you can’t even imagine. But you have to ask. And you have to ask in faith.

Why should you announce what you want HIM to do in you and through you and for you publicly? The more people who know the more support you’ve got. If you want to make a major change in your life and you keep it to yourself, that’s a pretty shallow faith. The more people you share it with, the more people can pray for you, the more people can support you,
the more people can encourage you. You need to go public.

How do you go public with your faith? Two ways! The first way – make your decision to live for Him public – let people know that you have indeed accepted Christ into your heart. Let people know He is your savior and Lord! (Romans 1:16) how do you do that? Get baptized! This is a no brainer. Baptism is a public announcement saying, “I’m not ashamed of Jesus Christ. I’m not a secret agent Christian. I am a disciple. I am a follower. I’m not ashamed to say that I belong to HIM.” It’s a public act.

The second way to go public with your faith – announce to your small groups the goals you have for the new year. Put your hide on the wall. Every time you set a goal it actually is a statement of faith. People who don’t set goals, who don’t go public with them – people of little faith. Here’s a reminder -

There is one qualifier when you set a goal, when you say, “I’m going to do ‘this’ with my life.” you need to add the phrase, “... if it’s God's will.” Folks, you’re not sovereign. He is. As followers of Christ, we need to set goals, set off in the direction we think God is leading, then let Him guide us. Let Him open doors. You say, “Here’s my goal... if it’s God's will.”
James 4:15 “You ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will we will live and do this or that.’”

The third step to taking the initiative in your faith…
#3. Receive God's grace

In Mark 10:52 we read this, “Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way. Your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight.” What happened here? Old Blind Bart accepted the grace of God. I know that there’s a lot of hurt here. Some of you barely made it here today. Some of you are carrying major conflict, major pain, major disappointment, major grief in your life. Some of you are quite lonely and you feel that happiness has passed you by. You’re kind of like Bartimaeus on the side of the road. You’re in a lot of misery. The truth is you can put on a happy smile but inside you’re hurting.

John 1:16 says “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” How do you receive God's blessings in your life? You do it by faith. Some of you say, “I’d like to change. I just can’t.” And you’re right. You can’t change. If you could, you would have already done it. But you need a power greater than yourself to make the changes that really make a difference in your life. You need grace. Folks, grace is the power to change! Just like you receive Christ for salvation, you have to receive His grace for the power to change. (That’s why you need to memorize Philippians 4:13 – this is a promise you can build you life on.

I heard a story about a little boy. His father asked him to go to the back yard and move a big bolder. He goes in the back and he pushes it and it won’t move. He pulls it and it won’t move. He uses a lever and it won’t move. He ties up his dog and tries to pull it with a rope and it won’t move. All these different ways. He finally comes back in and says, “Dad, I can’t do it. It’s impossible.” The father says, “Son, Have you tried everything?” He said, “Yes.” “Have you tried everything?” “Yes! I have! I’ve tried everything!” The father said, “You didn’t try asking me to help you.”

Many of you are in situations where you’ve tried all kinds of stuff. You think, “It’s impossible. It’s never going to change. It’s never going to be any different.” Have you tried asking God for help? Have you tried receiving God's grace and letting Him give you power that you don’t have on your own?

Folks, Bartimaeus was blind. But he had enough vision to see that Jesus Christ could help him out. He had enough vision to see that he needed grace. Do you? Do you realize how much grace you need in life or do you just think you can go through life on your own? Spiritual blindness is far worse than physical blindness. Because if you’re spiritually blind, you don’t realize how much you need God's grace in your life.

Grace isn’t just for salvation. It’s not just for you to get your sins forgiven and get you into heaven. Grace is for the daily mistakes of life.

DAY #326: Hebrews 11:1-31

2009-11-22T03:48:00.000-08:00

This is one of my all-time favorite passages of the bible. In this wonderful and well-known chapter, faith is explained as the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. Faith starts with believing in God’s character, that he is who he says he is. Faith culminates with believing in God’s promises, that he will do what he says he will do. We often think of the word hope in terms of uncertain desire—”I hope it doesn’t rain on Saturday.” For believers, however, “hope” is a desire based on assurance, and the assurance is based on God’s character.

Faith is the evidence of things we cannot yet see, meaning we have complete confidence that God will fulfill his promises, even though we don’t yet see any evidence. These include eternal life, future rewards, heaven, and so forth. Faith regards these to be as real as what can be perceived with the senses. This conviction about God’s unseen promises allows Christians to persevere in their faith regardless of persecution, opposition, and temptation.

People with faith please God very much. But faith is not something we must do in order to earn salvation. If that were true, then faith would be just one more deed, and human deeds can never save us (Galatians 2:16). Instead, faith is a gift God gives us because he is saving us (Ephesians 2:8).

Even in days of old (Old Testament times), grace, not deeds, was the basis of salvation. This is why the book of Hebrews says, “It is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins”. God intended for his people to look beyond the animal sacrifices to him, but too often they instead put their confidence in fulfilling the requirements of the law. When Jesus triumphed over death, he canceled the charges against believers and opened the way to the Father (Colossians 2:12-15). Because God is merciful, he gives us faith. It would be tragic to turn faith into a deed and try to develop it on our own!

When believers have faith, that is, when they have confidence in God, they receive God’s approval. Faith allows us to understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command. God created the world from nothing by his creative word alone. Believing this fact requires spiritual perception—that we receive only by faith.

God gave his approval to these Old Testament people because of their faith. In fact, it is impossible to please God without faith. This would have functioned as a warning to those Hebrew Christians whose faith was wavering. No one (not Abel, Enoch, or anyone else) can please God without faith. It is an absolute requirement. All the rituals mean nothing without faith.

Abraham demonstrated his faith through his actions. His faith made him right with God.
Abraham’s faith is first seen in his obedience to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. Abraham trusted in God’s promises of even greater blessings in the future. Abraham’s life was filled with faith.

It took faith for both Abraham and Sarah to trust in God’s divine intervention in their physical bodies that were both too old to produce children. In addition, Sarah was barren (unable to have children) in her childbearing years. God promised Abraham a son, but Sarah at first doubted that she could become pregnant in her old age. Abraham was one hundred and Sarah was ninety when Isaac was conceived (Genesis 17:1, 15-16; 21:1-7). But Abraham believed that God would keep his promise.

All these faithful ones so far described died without receiving what God had promised them—the promise of the new, eternal city. But these heroes saw and welcomed the promise even though it was, as it were, from a distance. These people of faith died without receiving all that God had promised, but they never lost their vision of heaven. Their future hope was not for this earth. Thus they agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth. Their “agreement” was not passive receptivity, but an active declaration and pronouncement because of their faith in God.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what i have read today?)

Hebrews 12:1 says, “We have around us many people (talking about these lives in the Bible) whose lives tell us what faith means so let us run the race that is before us and never give up.”

I love that verse! You know why? It tells us that life is like a race, like a marathon. It’s not a sprint. So, stay in the race until the end – keep on keeping on. Endure, persevere – Unfortunately very few people finish the race of life well. We get discouraged, we get distracted, we get hurt, we get sidelined and very few people actually make it to the end of life finishing well. We give up. And we end our lives with unrealized dreams and unfulfilled potential.

We leave a lot of things in life unfinished. We start something and get tired, bored, distracted, whatever then we move to something else. Our lives are strewn with rubble of unfinished projects, unfulfilled commitments, unkept promises. Because we get discouraged.

If you’ve been discouraged over any issue in your life, let me encourage you to look at how to finish what you start even when you feel like giving up. The Bible tells us there are four things you need to do if you want to finish the race of life well. The first thing is this:

#1. Remove any distractions.

Remove any distractions that keep you from running the race of life that God meant you to run. The rest of the verse, Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back.” He says remove anything that gets in the way, that keeps you from running your race.

What could distract you from your life mission? What could distract you from the purpose you were put on this earth to fulfill? I thought about that and came up with a few things. One, trying to be like other people will distract you. Another thing is making wealth the primary goal of your life. If wealth is the primary goal of your life obviously God’s purpose is not the primary goal and you are being distracted. Habits can distract you from finishing the race. The wrong kind of friends can distract you from what God put you on earth to do. Television. Good things can distract you. The Bible says remove those things.

I have found as I have worked with people over the years, the biggest distraction of all is our past. Our past keeps us from finishing the race. It loads you down. You continue to hold on to hurts from way back and you refuse to forgive and you keep on beating yourself up over some bad decision you made a while back. That’s a distraction.

Guess what? The apostle Paul had a lot of regrets. He had a lot to regret. Before he became a believer in Jesus Christ, he was a religious terrorist. He went around killing people who were Christians. But notice what he says in Philippians 3, “Forgetting the past (underline that) and looking forward to what lies ahead I strain to reach the end of the race.” He says I'm not going to let the things in my past keep me stuck.

You need to do that too. To be persistent in life, to finish what you start, you’ve got to focus on the future not worry and regret and guilt on the past. You’ve got to let go of grudges against other people. You’ve got to let go of guilt and you’ve got to let go of grief.

You want to finish well? The second thing you and I have to do is:
#2. Remember the reward.

Remember the reward that God has out there in front of us. You cannot run the race well without an eye on the finish line. If you’re going to finish well in life you have to remind yourself why we do what we do. Otherwise you’re going to end up thinking, “Why even make the effort?”

The “why?” behind what you do determine shows how long you’re going to last in what you do. If the “why?” is immediate gratification, you’re going to last for five minutes. The only “why” behind what we do that makes us last all the way through life, through some of the tough things you have to face in life is the eternal reward that God will give to us.

So when you feel like giving up, when you feel like you’re not going to make it, sometimes the only thing that will get you through is to say to yourself “My faith will be rewarded.” In fact, that is so important I am going to ask you to write it down. My faith will be reward – I have to keep on. I can’t quit. I can’t give up!

1 Corinthians 9:25-26 in the Living Bible says “To win the contest you must deny yourself many things that would keep you from doing your best. We do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. A heavenly reward, personally rewarded by God.”

Think about this: if you’re having a tough day at work about the middle of the day what happens? You start thinking about the way you’re going to reward yourself on the way home. If you’re having a tough week you think at least there’s the weekend. I'm going to do something different on the weekend. If you’re having a tough year you start thinking, "At least I’ve got vacation.”

What do you do when you’re having a tough life? What do you do when the weekend isn’t long enough to help you make it through, there’s no vacation good enough to give you hope in life? There are many times in life when the only strength that’s big enough to help you make it through to know you can finish well, to encourage you in tough times is knowing that God has a reward that is out there for us personally given to us.

We look at ourselves sometimes and think, “Why can’t I get motivated today?” Sometimes the reason is you need a higher motivation. The next paycheck, the next business opportunity is not enough to motivate you any more. You need the motivation that can come only from the reward that God will give as we are faithful to Him. Not external motivation or internal motivation but the eternal motivation that keeps you going forever.

You need to memorize the promises of God. These promises help you have hope and faith in tough times. Here's a promise you need to memorize; Galatians 6:9 “Let us not get tired of doing what is right for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.” Could any of you use this verse in your life? ABSOLUTELY! That’s a verse you can build your life on!

That verse gives us the third key of finishing the race of life.
#3. Resist all discouragement

Whatever you’re discouraged about I'm sorry. But as your pastor I need to be honest with you and tell you something. It’s your choice.

You are discouraged because you are choosing to be discouraged and that is your choice. Nobody’s holding a gun to your head. Nobody is forcing you to feel discouraged. Discouragement is always a choice just like any other attitude. If you’re feeling down, if you feel like quitting, if you feel like giving up it is because you’re choosing to think discouraged thoughts.

You don’t have to. In fact, the Bible says don’t do that. It says to do the opposite. It says fight the discouragement. Resist the discouragement. Move against in. Discouragement is Satan’s favorite tool in making you ineffective. If he can get you discouraged, you’re locked up. Forget it! You’re history.

One of the great tests of faith is how you handle discouragement. Will you persevere or will you throw in the towel? When you’re doing the right thing and you don’t see the immediate reward , the immediate results. What do you do when you do the right thing for weeks, months, even years and nothing happens. Do you have a pity party and invite yourself? Do you start complaining? Do you start griping? Do you start saying, “Forget it! I'm going to give up. This isn’t worth it.”

The Bible says resist that discouragement. Folks, I’d be lying to you if I gave you the impression you could do this on your own – you can’t. I can’t. You have to plug into God’s power.

My hope as your pastor is at the end of your life you will be able to stand before God in heaven and say to Him what the apostle Paul was able to say at the end of his life. “I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” That is my prayer, my desire, my wish for you. I pray we all will FINSH WELL!

DAY #325: Hebrews 10:1-39

2009-11-21T05:19:00.000-08:00

The old system in the law of Moses simply offered a shadow of what was coming. The daily and yearly repetition of the sacrifices reminded the people of their sins, and taught them that it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Animal sacrifices provided only a temporary way to deal with sin until Jesus would come to deal with sin permanently.

Although sacrifices were necessary to pay the price of sin, in many places in the Bible, God revealed that he didn’t want the sacrifices of a person whose heart was not right. God wanted his people to obey him. The sacrifices were necessary, however, because the people did not live up to the regulations that God had given them.

Applying to Christ the words of Psalm 40:6-8, Christ came to offer his body on the cross for us as a sacrifice that is completely acceptable to God. God’s new and living way for us to please him comes not by keeping laws or even by abstaining from sin, but by turning to him in faith for forgiveness and then following him in loving obedience. This was what set Christ’s sacrifice apart. He followed God’s will, obeyed him, and offered the perfect sacrifice of perfect obedience.
The entire Old Testament (the Scriptures) had written about Christ and his coming. The law and the sacrificial system was a shadow of what was to come. Christ fulfilled the law as well as the prophecies that announced the coming of the new covenant.

God wants his people to be made holy. The God of Israel and of the Christian church is holy—he sets the standard for morality. Holiness means being totally devoted or dedicated to God, set aside for his special use, and set apart from sin and its influence. Holiness comes from a sincere desire to obey God and from wholehearted devotion to him. God’s qualities make us different. A follower of Christ becomes “holy” (sanctified) by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ. We cannot become holy on our own, but God gives us his Holy Spirit to help us obey him and to give us power to overcome sin.

Here again is the point of once again; the priests had to offer sacrifices day after day. These sacrifices could never take away sins. By contrast, our High Priest offered himself to God as one sacrifice for sins, good for all time. The sacrificial system couldn’t completely remove sin; Christ’s sacrifice did so. Christ now sits at God’s right hand. He is able to sit because his sacrifice was completely sufficient to take care of sin.

Although we are made holy when we accept Christ as Savior, God is also continually making us holy. In Christ, we are free from the penalty of sin (judgment) and the power of sin (compulsion to sin, death). But while still alive on earth, we are not free from the presence of sin (temptations) and the possibility of sin (failures). We are saved by God’s grace, but we still need to grow. We can encourage this growth process by deliberately applying Scripture to all areas of our lives, by accepting the discipline and guidance Christ provides, and by giving God control of our desires and goals.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

What's the response God would have me make as a result of what Christ has done for me? Change. Obey. Love. Sacrifice. Serve. Worship. Share.

The Bible says this “From the very beginning God decided that those who came to Him, and He knew who would, should become like His Son.” God says, His goal for us, before He even made us, is that we'll grow up and become His Son, Jesus Christ.

But don’t misunderstand what I’m saying. He’s not saying you’re going to grow up and become god. You’re never going to be a god. Not even a little teeny, tiny, itty-bitty God. You’re human and you’re not a god. If you were a god you could solve all your problems. You’re not god. But God says I want you to grow up and become godly. I want you to love the way I love and I want you to think the way I think and I want you to feel the way I feel and I want you to act the way I made you to act. The model of that is Jesus Christ. “God wants us to grow up like Christ in everything.”

What does that mean? For me to become like Christ? Does it mean that I lose my personality? No. Does it mean that I become some kind of religious nut? No. Does it mean I go join a monastery and talk about blessings all the time? No.

Actually to become like Jesus Christ means to become fully alive. The most fully alive person who ever lived was Jesus Christ. The Bible says this, Jesus said, “I came to give you life in all its fullness.” Jesus didn’t say I came to give you religion. He wasn’t in to religion. He said I came to give you life in all its fullness. When you love like Jesus loves you’re going to have better relationships. When you live like Jesus lives you’re going to have fewer problems. When you think the way Jesus thinks you’re going to have less stress and worry. When you do what Jesus did you’re going to have more peace in your heart. When you love and do all these things the way He made you to do, life is going to be at a higher level.

You don’t become more religious when you become like Christ. You become more human. You become what God made you to be – fully alive to the glory of God. Learning how to think and act and speak and love and share and serve the way Jesus did. To become like Christ.

You say, that seems like an impossible goal. How in the world do I do that? Do I go to a meeting and I get changed? No. Do I take a pill? No. Do I do some kind of seminar? No.

It’s a process. And the process is going to take your entire life. It’s not an easy process. Learning to think less about yourself and more about others. Learning to see things less from your viewpoint and more the way God sees it. It’s going to take your entire life.

That process in the Bible is called discipleship. You may have heard of that word, you may have not. Discipleship is the process of becoming like Jesus Christ. It is God’s goal for your life. When will you start?

DAY #324: Hebrews 9:1-28

2009-11-20T04:18:00.000-08:00

The tent (or Tabernacle) that God’s people used for worship was constructed while the Israelites were en route to the Promised Land. It was a portable structure that could be taken apart and carried when the people moved from place to place. God’s instructions for building the Tabernacle are in Exodus 25–31.

The tent had two rooms: an inner room (called the Most Holy Place) and an outer room. A priest on duty would enter the first room, called the Holy Place, each day to commune with God and to tend to the other elements located in this room. The lampstand, the menorah, was a seven-branched candlestick standing in the south side of the room (Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24). Its candles burned day and night and provided light for the priests as they carried out their duties. The light also symbolized God’s presence. The Menorah still remains as a major symbol of the Jewish faith.

The table was made of wood and overlaid with pure gold (Exodus 25:23-30; 37:10-16). On this table sat the loaves of holy bread. Once a week on the Sabbath, a priest would enter the Holy Place and set twelve freshly baked loaves of bread on a small table. This bread symbolized God’s presence among his people as well as his loving care in meeting their physical needs. The bread was to be eaten only by the priests on duty.

Beyond the first room, the Holy Place, there was a curtain (described in Exodus 26:31-33). This curtain prevented anyone from entering or even getting a glimpse of the interior of the second room called the Most Holy Place, symbolizing that sinful people could not approach the holy God. The curtain formed the separation between the holy God and sinful people. The original readers would have known of the magnificent curtain in Herod’s Temple. It was made of blue, purple, and scarlet woven linen. Figures of the cherubim were embroidered on it. The Most Holy Place was where God himself dwelt. Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and then, only once a year (on the Day of Atonement) to make atonement for the sins of the whole nation.

The elements in the Most Holy Place included a gold incense altar, placed just outside the curtain, for it was used daily (Exodus 30:6-8; 37:25-28; 40:5). The high priest burned incense on the altar twice daily. The Ark of the Covenant was a wooden chest, the most holy piece of furniture in the Tabernacle. The wood was acacia wood covered with gold on all sides (Exodus 25:10-22; 37:1-9). The Ark symbolized God’s covenant with his people. On the annual Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place to sprinkle blood on the top of the Ark (called the atonement cover) to atone for the sins of the entire nation.

The Ark of the Covenant itself contained certain holy objects. First described in Exodus 16:32-35, the gold jar containing some manna symbolized God’s care in providing food for his people in the wilderness. It was lost when the Philistines captured the Ark and held it for a time. Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves is first described in Numbers 17:1-11. This staff showed that Aaron’s descendants had indeed been chosen by God to care for the priesthood. It certified their authority as priests. This staff was also probably lost during the Philistine control of the Ark. Also included were the stone tablets of the covenant with the Ten Commandments written on them. These two stone tablets were put in the Ark at Mount Sinai. When the Ark was placed in Solomon’s Temple, only the tablets of the Ten Commandments were still inside (1 Kings 8:9).

The place of atonement was also called atonement cover or the mercy seat. This place was significant because it was where sin was taken away. The blood from the sacrifice given on the Day of Atonement was sprinkled by the high priest on this cover (Leviticus 16:15-17) and the people experienced God’s forgiveness.

Having reminded the people of the basic arrangement of the holy rooms in the Tabernacle, the writer gets to the reason for this discussion. As part of the yearly ritual, the priest would enter the Most Holy Place with the blood of a bull. This blood would serve to cover his own sins. Then the priest would leave the room and return with the blood of a goat. This blood would cover the sins the people had committed in ignorance. The blood that the priest brought into the Most Holy Place would be sprinkled on the altar of incense and on the front of the place of atonement. (In the day of the original readers, the Ark of the Covenant was missing, so the priest would simply sprinkle the blood into the Most Holy Place.)

The ceremony carried out on the Day of Atonement revealed that people had no direct approach to God. Ordinary people could never enter God’s presence and had to depend on the high priest. A heavy curtain blocked the Most Holy Place; thus, this place was not open to the people. The way had not yet been revealed—Christ would do that. As long as the first room as well as the entire system were still in use, people would be unable to approach God directly.

The Holy Spirit revealed that the sacrifice system was ineffective for bringing unhindered fellowship with God, and that one day, people would experience a new kind of relationship with God that would effectively remove sin. The old covenant pointed to what Christ would do in the new covenant.

Under the old covenant, the people did not have direct access to God. But under the new covenant made available through Christ, God’s people can have access to God and be free from guilt. This guilt was never fully relieved in the old covenant, for the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. These sacrifices symbolized atonement for sin and provided a way for the people to continue to worship God, but the sacrifices could not change the people’s hearts and lives. Only God can do that we He enters the heart of one who accepts His son Jesus.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what i have read today?)

The old has gone, and the new has come.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation."

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (NIV)

He doesn't count my sins - numerous and many as they are - against me. Is there any greater truth than that? Is there any greater news than that? We must get the word out. We must tell everyone who will listen. Jesus saves. Who will you tell today? Who will you invite to church this Sunday, so they can hear the message of GOOD NEWS?

Pray for Sharon and I as we head up to Seattle this morning to watch Katie play in the first round of the NAIA National soccer championships.

DAY #323: Hebrews 8:1-13

2009-11-19T06:19:00.000-08:00

Jesus is our High Priest, who is seated in the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. This portrayal of Christ is a key argument for the deity of Christ in Hebrews. This place at God’s right hand belonged to Christ because he was more than just a high priest; he is God’s Son. Heaven refers to the heavenly sanctuary, the dwelling place of God, the ultimate and eternal destination for all who believe, and therefore an even greater reality than what we see. This present world is merely a representation or shadow of what will come. Because of this, Christ’s ministry will be greater than the priests who served in the earthly Tabernacle or Temple, as we see in the following verse.

As we have discussed, the high priest’s work was to offer gifts and sacrifices. Priests had been appointed to offer sacrifices to atone for sin, so Christ, as our High Priest, must also make an offering. He offered his own life to God in our place—the perfect gift that could never be surpassed. “He sacrificed himself on the cross”. Christ’s sacrifice is all-sufficient; that is, all sins are covered in his once-for-all offering to God. Therefore, his role as priest, his sacrifice, and his service to God all surpass the plan under the old covenant.

God gave Moses the pattern for the Tabernacle, and Moses was warned to follow it carefully, having been warned to make everything according to the design God had shown him. This earthly sanctuary was meant to reflect, however imperfectly, the heavenly Tabernacle. The book of Hebrews does not try to describe heaven; instead, it shows how Christ serves in a better, more personal way than any other priest could. Because the Temple at Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed, using the worship system there as an example would have had a great impact on this original audience. Their Temple, and all they knew about the original Tabernacle constructed by Moses, had been an imperfect picture intended to give the people an appreciation of the heavenly reality that would one day be theirs.

Since the people continually broke God’s covenant. When they failed to keep the requirements imposed on them, they broke the covenant. God, however, promised a new covenant that would not be filled with laws about sacrifices and other external responsibilities. Rather, it would bring about spiritual reconciliation by producing change in people’s inner beings.

Under God’s new covenant, God’s law is inside us. It is no longer an external set of rules and principles. The Holy Spirit reminds us of Christ’s words, activates our consciences, influences our motives and desires, and makes us want to obey. Now we desire to do God’s will with all our heart and mind.

This new covenant has four provisions:

The new covenant provides inward change: “I will put my laws in their minds . . . I will write them on their hearts.” This means having a new “heart,” and with it a new sense of intimacy with God where he is known as Father and where Christians are known as children of God and heirs. This new heart will bring the people’s relationship with God to a personal level (not just through intermediaries). Having these laws written on our hearts means that we will want to obey God.

The new covenant provides intimacy with God: “I will be their God, and they will be my people.” This reveals a positive, close relationship between God and his people. In the first covenant, people continually failed to live up to this relationship. In the new covenant, this relationship is secured through Jesus Christ. Although the promise was always there, it now has a newer and richer meaning because of the provision of Christ.

The new covenant provides knowledge of God: “Everyone, from the least to the greatest, will already know me.” The new covenant brings a new relationship between people and God, making each believer a priest. Every believer has access to God through prayer. Every believer can understand God’s saving promises as revealed in the Bible because he or she has God as a living presence in his or her heart. Of course, there will still be the need for teachers, but every believer will be able to know God—not just priests or a select few.

The new covenant provides complete forgiveness from sins: “I will forgive their wrongdoings, and I will never again remember their sins.” People of the old covenant had forgiveness of sins, but they had experienced an incomplete, unlasting forgiveness as demonstrated by the incessant need to make sacrifices for sins. In the new covenant, sin and its effect of separating people from God are eliminated. God wipes out memory of sin and renders sin as if it had never occurred. Sin’s impact is completely overcome, making it possible for believers to receive the promised blessing. There is no longer any barrier to our relationship with God.

All four of these characteristics bring about a true righteousness that could not be known under the old covenant.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

The unbelievable forgiveness of God is amazing. He wipes out my sin. He sees it no more. And yet, why is it that I sometimes have a hard time forgiving others? Why is it that sometimes I like to hold a grudge and hang onto hurt. May it never be. While i can't make people want to get right with me, after all, they have a choice in the matter, I must do everything in my power to be right with them

The Bible says, “God reconciled us to Himself through Christ and He has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” Part of our job in being part of the family of God is we are to be peacemakers, not trouble makers. We’re to bring people together, not blow them apart. We’re to help people get along who disagree rather than try to create polarization in our society. That’s why we’re not a culture warrior church. We’re a peacemaker church because God has given us the ministry of reconciliation – taking opposing sides and try to bring them together.

The fact is, the world is filled with broken relationships. Everybody want to agree with that? The world is filled with broken relationships. You’re going to be hurt in life. You’ve already been hurt. I’m sorry. You’ve been hurt by what people have said about you, by what people thought about you, by what people have done to you – emotionally, physically, verbally, maybe sexually, financially. You’re going to be hurt in life by the things that people say and do. Many of you carry deep wounds from hurts in the past. From a parent or a partner or a peer, sibling, whoever.. Somebody in your life who wounded you deeply. Even as I write this, I am sure that those who have hurt you come to mind pretty quickly.

I want to say to you, as somebody who loves you and cares about you, if you want God’s best in your life you’re going to have to let it go. You’re going to have to learn how to let go of past hurts. That is not an easy thing to do. There’s only one antidote to painful memories. Forgiveness. Sorry! There’s no other option. Nothing else can set you free from the past except forgiveness. Offering forgiveness, asking forgiveness, accepting forgiveness. Nothing else works. If you want to get on with your life and you want your life to count and you want to be happy in life, you’re going to have to learn to let go of past hurts.

Who do you need to forgive today? Who do you need to go to and seek forgiveness?