Revelation 3: Lukewarm Church

Lukewarm Church

Once again Jesus says "He who has an ear, let him hear..." to the 3 other churches that were contained in Revelation 2. But to the Church in Laodicea he tells them that he recognizes what the other churches have done, but this church was neither hot or cold (Revelation 3:16). They were lukewarm. Hot would mean having heard the word and following through. Cold would be having ignored or not yet received the word and living as you were. Being lukewarm means you heard the word and believe it, but don't act like it. That didn't make Jesus very happy. Therefore, he wanted to spit them out of his mouth. Jesus doesn't us to ride the fence. It might even be more of an insult to hear the word and believe it and not act like it than to no believe the word. 

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2 John 1: Verify the Teaching

Verify the Teaching

2 John 1:9 tells us that anyone who is teaching the word needs to abide in the Father and the Son. Anything less or more is incorrect. Don't let these teachers in your house. Furthermore, why would you want to let them in your house? If they teach that Jesus isn't the son yet you know differently, why would you allow falsehood into your life? Anything more than the Father and the son is like saying Jesus isn't good enough. Look, we do include the Holy Spirit but not as an extra, but as an inclusive part of the Father and Son. The Spirit comes from God, not some extra reach from another culture. You are responsible fore the teaching you allow in your life and do not check. If your math teacher tells you that 20 + 20 is now 60, would you not disagree, argue or consider them a fool? Do the same thing with Scriptural teachings.

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1 John 5: Continuity of Sin

Continuity of Sin

What have you allowed in your life? What exists in your life that is okay based on what culture thinks? Is it okay with God? Is it God honoring? Look we all mess up and fall short and fail and sin. It's what happens because we are fallible and we are human. In 1 John 5:18 we have to understand (just like in previous books and verses) that once you are born of God (born again, seeking His will consistently) then that sin life that was apart of you can be no more. Let God in to that part of you that you are not willing to give up yet. When you have something big coming up, do you work and get anxious and doubt yourself? That is not of God and that is how Satan uses you and your circumstances to pull you away from God. Seek God's will in your life. Consult the Scriptures and let the Holy Spirit guide you.

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2 Peter 3: Unstable Twist vs. Stability

Unstable Twist vs. Stability

When reading through 2 Peter 3, I saw verses 16-17 and shook my head and gave an affirmative "mmmhmm" which signified my solidarity with what was written. Here was have Peter (yes that Peter) writing about the letters that Paul had written. Peter says that some things Paul wrote/writes are hard to understand and those that do not understand them and those that are unstable (not solid in their faith) will use them and twist the meanings to mean what they want them to say. He continues on and warns them to not get carried away (figuratively) with the lawlessness of the ignorant and unstable who twist the words of Paul as they have done with other scriptures. When I communicate with other be they believers or not, I see the same issue. People will use scripture to fuel their own sin and validate its existence in their life. We need to be careful not to fall prey as those people do and not let them whisk us away with them into those lifestyles and areas of thinking.

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2 Peter 1: Take the Steps

Take the Steps

When you follow Christ, 2 Peter 1:5-8 shows you how to reflect that decision. If you have faith in Jesus yet have no virtue (high moral standards), isn't that a contradiction? What about the steps of knowledge, self control and steadfastness (fixed focus)? Didn't Jesus have knowledge of the Scriptures? Didn't he exhibit self control and have a fixed focus on doing God's will? Round everything out with godliness, brotherly affection and love and you are in the realm of what it is to be Christlike among those who also striving to do so and those who are on the outside watching. Your journey is your journey and not for comparison, but for you to honor God. 

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James 1: Do What It Says

Do What It Says  
James 1:22 jumps out to me as it reminds me of how may people see Scripture. They can read it and even understand it, but do not follow through with it. In verses 23-24 it says that anyone who is not a doer of the Word after having heard it is like someone who forgets what they look like as soon as they look away from a mirror. So, why hear and understand the Word of God and and then not do what it says? Do you disagree? Did you forget? You have heard it and you understand it. There are resources to seek further understanding. There are no excuses. 

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Hebrews 12: How Tough Is It Right Now?

How Tough Is It Right Now?

Have you heard the saying, when the going gets tough, the tough get going? There was even a song about it by Billy Ocean in 1986. But, from scripture, we can know and understand that when things get difficult for us it can be seen as discipline. Having money troubles? Maybe God wants you to cut back on your spending. Maybe God wants you to trust Him through hardships. Maybe you shouldn't have taken that job as it didn't pay enough and you made a bad decision. What ever happens is not always "God punishing me." Your earthly father disciplines you and you respect him, but God does it and you curse Him. Why?? In Hebrews 12:7 we read "It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?" God is disciplining us. It isn't going to be easy. We can make decisions that back fire on us because we weren't doing what God wanted from us to begin with. See the discipline not as punishment but as a guiding for a new direction.

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Hebrews 5: Milk Not Solid Food

Milk Not Solid Food

In Hebrews 5:12 the writer (probably not Paul) is telling the intended reader that they need more teaching. He refers to the teaching as milk as opposed to solid food. Why this way? Milk was intended for children to drink as infants (then and now) as opposed to solid food that they could not chew and swallow. Infants aren't ready to chew yet so they drink milk. They are not mature enough yet to eat solid food. That is what the writer here is saying to the reader, they they are not ready yet for a deeper look into God and Scripture. He says they needed to be taught again about the basic principles of the oracles of God. The writer saw that there was a correction that needed to be made and said something about it. Good move for a leader.

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Hebrews 1: Radiance of God's Glory

Radiance of God's Glory

When the author (maybe Paul??) wrote that "the son is the radiance of God's glory (verse 3)" it sets up a picture painted with truth from scripture by understanding what has been written and what has not been. Jesus was not the same as an angel. Angels are not God's begotten son (verse 5). Angels were to worship God's son as referenced in verse 6. Lastly, angels did not sit at God's right hand (verse 13). Angels and Jesus are not the same. Only Jesus is God's only son, no one else.

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2 Timothy 4: Myths and Passions

Myths and Passions

In 2 Timothy 4:3-4 Paul tells Timothy how people will be spiritually misled. He says "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." He is telling Timothy that people will be mislead in regards to Biblical teaching. People will believe "myths" because they aren't listening to the right teaching because they want to fulfill their own "passions." In other words if I want to financially prosper then I will fall prey to teaching that contradicts scripture but presents itself as true gospel and subtly will encourage financial hoarding for the sake of self, not to help others. We all need to be careful of the sources and teachers that we use. We also need to read the Bible and seek to understand it as it was presented, not as we want to utilize it.

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1 Timothy 1: Thank Him for Strength

Thank Him for Strength

Paul's strength to do his ministries were not of his own accord. He knew that. We should know that our strength to do God's work does not come from our own reserve either. In 1 Timothy 1:12 Paul says " I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service..." We can do the same. While we are not Paul, we do know that God has, does and will continue to appoint those He chooses to do His work. What has he called you to do?

Another note, if we look at Paul's life in whole and not in part we will see that verse 15 that speaks of Paul being the worst sinner is not a verse that many can apply to themselves. I personally, due to my guilt of my own sin, used to wear a t shirt that displayed my guilt as if referenced that verse and being the worst sinner. But, in fact that verse that Paul wrote was in literal reference to himself in regard to him being personally responsible for the death of Christians because they were Christian. So, before you go quoting scripture and applying it to you, make sure it is not one that is specific to just one person and can only or primarily apply to them. 

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Wednesday Wake Up #33

No God or Know God

As I was reading through 2 Thessalonians the other night I came across a verse that was not your feel good fluffy and pretty scripture, but one that nails down what happens to those that do not know God and those who believe in no God. The verse was 2 Thessalonians 1:8 and in regard to Jesus and his angels coming back to earth it says "in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." Not so pretty is it? 

Why do we want to know God? Well, first we can know of something or someone. For instance I know of Michael Jordan, but do not know him personally (see where I am going). I can know that someone exists or intimately get to know someone on a deeper level, like a close friend or relative. We are to do the latter when it comes to God. We don't just know of him and kinda read and study. We need to stay focused on what He wants from us in all circumstances. Staying in 2 Thessalonians, in Chapter 3 verse 16 we see that God is referred to as the "Lord of Peace" and His peace can be with you all day when He is with you. You don't get that kind of peace by just kind of knowing someone.

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus tells those who are weary and burdened to come to him. That is key when Jesus says "come to" him. He does not say stay there and I will find you. If you want to be comforted, seek Jesus. Isn't a moniker of Jesus "the Prince of Peace"? That is so. Jesus's load is peaceful. He will not make you busy. People pleasing and living according to the world's standards will stress you the heck out. Jesus's yoke is light. Seek his peace.

 

There are a bunch of verses and retellings in scripture about knowing God. We can either pretend like God doesn't exist or we can seek His presence and read and know Him. Get into a deeper relationship with Him.

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2 Thessalonians 1: For Those That Don't Know God

For Those That Don't Know God

In this 2nd letter from Paul to the Thessalonians we get a screen shot of what hell is like. I know many people when they read the Bible, tend to overlook the parts about hell and what happens to those who do not know God. Now, "know" can be in the general sense as in knowing of something. Or it can be in the sense that you seek to understand and you love and honor and respect God. There is difference in the usage of the word "know." In verses 7-9, Paul tells the church (who has been persecuted) that those persecutors will have to answer to Jesus and his angels. There will be "flaming fire" and vengeance will be inflicted for those who do not "know" God and do not obey Jesus. We can scour through scripture and remember the things that make us feel good (feel good gospel) but do not forget to read the truth and the whole truth so help you God for the sake of your soul.

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Friday Focus #30

No Greater Love Than This

Are you a friend of Jesus? How do you know? How do you check that or test that? Are you willing to do as He commands? Are you willing to lay down your life for your friends? You can say yes to all of these things, but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. In John 15:13, Jesus says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." What did he mean?

In the very next verse (14) Jesus says "You are my friends if you do what I command you." If you think you are a Christian, it may only be in thought. If you are not willing to submit your will to be in accordance with what God says and how Christ taught, lived and commanded, then how can Christ be in any title that you associate with your spiritual perspective? Are you willing to die for you friends? If so, are you willing to stop, slow down and make a phone call? Visit? Before you say you can do the big stuff, are you already doing the small stuff? Or are you too busy?

Remember Jesus was not "some guy" but he was God in the flesh and was also human. He read the scriptures and learned from them. He applied them when applicable. He sacrificed himself for your sins and mine. We can't even sacrifice time for our friends so how can we say we would lay down our lives. We can't even sacrifice parts of us that make others stumble. Are we really friends of Christ willing to sacrifice? Or are we just being selfish and thinking we are doing what we ought to be. 

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Acts 5:16- What is Your Role?

What is Your Role?

It is very easy to just go to church and pray and consider that we are doing our part in the Kingdom of God. Yet, we never read our Bibles, we don't seek to understand the depth of God's word and we don't serve. I know I keep bringing up the message of selfless, God focused serving, but this topic keeps coming up in various ways in scripture. 

In Acts 5, we read about Ananias and his wife Sapphira. Ananias sold some land and while other's had given all of their sales of property to the apostles to divide among those in need, Ananias kept some of the sale of his land for himself. When he was called out for his sin, he died. He was convicted by being told "You have not lied to man but to God." His wife Sapphira was complicit in the cover up of the money as well and once she was called out, she died as well. Lesson: Hold true to your oaths. God knows what you do even when you hide it from man. Their heart was not focused on being selfless.

In Acts 5:12-16, we read that the apostles were regularly doing signs and wonders, more believers came to know Jesus and were added to the church. In Acts 5:15-16 we see, that members of the church did their part to help others who needed help. They carried the sick out into the streets in hopes that they could be healed by Peter's shadow (there is no text that states that his shadow did heal- could just be the thought of people). But, ultimately I see that others were helping those in need. We all have different abilities. What are you doing with your God given abilities to help others for the Kingdom of God? That is a question you can answer or ask someone who truly knows you. Don't be a lazy, selfish Christian.

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John 11:4- The Glory of God

The Glory of God

The more we read scripture the more we understand how Jesus was focused and how we should focus.

When Lazarus died, people thought that Jesus who had healed a blind man could have saved Lazarus from dying (John 11:37). Once again we see "naysayers" looking at things from the outside rather than with real righteousness (God's will). The focus is to glorify God through what we do, not appease people's opinions and thoughts on what we should do.

In John 11:4, Jesus said “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” That means this is not "it" for Lazarus. This isn't the end and God will be glorified through it. People came to Jesus in order for him to save Lazarus. He waited two more days before he left to see Lazarus. Why did he wait two days?? Look at it this way, the Pharisees were going to critique him and question everything Jesus does any way. If Jesus was to hurry and heal Lazarus, then the Pharisees could say that Lazarus wasn't really dying and probably would have attributed it to some medical anomaly. When Lazarus died Jesus was able to glorify the Kingdom through the Son of Man (himself) being able to resurrection and showcase the the power in him as he is God in the flesh.

I know it is hard to relate the works of Jesus and various parables to our life and see how we can see the sin in our lives and what in our lives is not focused on obedience to God.  I look at it like this, there are hard times and really, really tough times that we can go through in life and it just seems like there is no end to it and the world is crashing down around you. You cry out to God to save you and nothing happens. You pray day and night and nothing changes, or things get worse. Now you start to think "does God even exist or is He ignoring me?" Look at it this way, what am I doing in my life that is leading to death? Maybe not physical death, but maybe it is. Maybe it is emotional death? Maybe spiritual death? Jesus needs to be allowed to work in your life. That means you will need to see what it is he wants from you. You can believe all you want, but when you believe the actions follow. God wants you to follow Him and submit to Him. If you do not there will be more "death" in your life. It is time to submit to God's will for all parts of your life.

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Matthew 15:6- Gods Way

Matthew 15:6 "...So for the sake of your tradition you have made void  the word of God." commentary- The Pharisees were always trying to trip up Jesus's teachings with their ways. There was a ceremony of hand washing before eating made by elders not by scripture. These Pharisees thought that Jesus's  disciples were not being respectful to the elders because they didn't do what was the tradition. The Pharisees thought if you did not wash your hands before you ate then you were defiled from the inside. Yet, Jesus calls out their sin and hypocrisy with them not honoring their father & mother (verses 4-9). The Pharisees thought that their laws, traditions and ways were more honorable than those that God already had established.

In verse 10 Jesus explains that it is not about what someone eats that defiles them, but what comes out of someone's mouth. What someone eats is passed through their body (verse 17), but what comes out of the mouth is in the heart (verse 18).

Jesus is not saying don't wash your hands if they are dirty before you eat, but what he is saying is that what is most important about you is what is in your heart. That is what will corrupt you, not what you eat, but what you think and feel. When you read verse 19 you see it says "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." Many of these people may feel are acceptable, but according to Jesus, they are not. Many have placed man's laws above God's.

Where do you see that happening today?