Revelation 2: He Who Has an Ear

He Who Has an Ear

In Revelation 2, Jesus says "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." He says this 4 times in 4 separate letters to churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira. He would say this after letting each church know that he acknowledges the good they did and also points out what they need to address. But, since he said this after the other parts, it leaves the churches (leaders and congregation) with hope that if they are doing what Jesus says, then he has a reward for them. The reward is not how many on earth would deem worthy, but a reward worthy of those who understand the importance of following the instructions of Jesus. If it was important for the churches back then to follow what Jesus said, then the same should hold true for us as well.

PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!

Wednesday Wake Up #39

Love Like Jesus

There are time we read parts of verses and never fully quite understand fully what is being said when it was spoken. For instance, we can read part of a verse like Ephesians 5:2 and simply think that loving like Jesus might mean just being nice. Jesus wasn't a "nice guy." His acts of healing and his service were not because he was nice. It was because he was loving. In love is being nice and acts of kindness, but without love, then can kindness and being nice even exist? Ephesians 5:2 states "And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Remember the part that says "gave himself up." That means sacrifice for others. How do you know when to do that? Would you be willing to sacrifice getting your daily Starbucks and save that money to buy homeless people lunch each day for a week? Would you be willing to do something as small as carry water in your vehicle and pass it out to those that are in need? What will you sacrifice for others that honors God? Without love there is no sacrifice, kindness or being nice.

PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, 
PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!

Ephesians 6: What is the Real Battle?

What is the Real Battle?


In Ephesians 6:12, Paul points out that we are not just battling flesh and blood. When it comes to self control, that isn't about just making better decisions. When it comes to dissension in the church, that is not just about "I have to be nicer because God wants me to be." Paul says that there is battle, spiritually, cosmically, against the authorities over present darkness. Paul says that there are "spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." That means we are not just trying to be better people, but we are battling Satan. We are battling the one who bring evil into the church and creates problems. Paul then tells us to "armor up" by putting on the full armor of God. When we have this, it is no longer me vs Satan, but is me in God and God in me vs. Satan. There is a big difference between going to war and going to war with the proper equipment. Paul knew that too.
 

PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!

Ephesians 2: Saved By Grace Through Faith

Saved By Grace Through Faith

You can take credit all you want for your being saved. You can say that you kept the commandments. You can say that God favors you over others. you can say that your sins aren't that bad. But, ultimately, you're wrong. It is not your works that led you to be saved. Yes, it is up to you to accept the grace given by God through the blood shed, death and resurrection of Christ, but it was God's grace that even allowed that to happen. If someone gives you a gift, not a reward, you cannot take credit for that gift. A reward is something you earn for doing something. A gift is freely given. That is what Paul tells us here in Ephesians 2:8-9. Paul says "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." You cannot brag about your being saved. Give glory to God.

PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!

Ephesians 1: Redemption through Christ's Blood

Redemption

Let us not forget, not matter how bad we think we are or how far apart from God we feel, that we can be redeemed to God. How does that happen? In Ephesians 1:7 the redemption is through Christ's blood. Christ shed his blood and became the sacrifice for our sins. When we accept Christ, our sins are forgiven because of God's grace. We don't have to be perfect, we just need to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior.

PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!

Acts 19: Paul's Healings and Exorcising Without Jesus

Paul's Healings and Exorcising Without Jesus

We have seen Paul uncover idols and heal people in the name of the Lord. We have seen him drive home the point of faith in Christ over Mosiac Law in terms of salvation. But in this chapter we see the Holy Spirit so infused in Paul that even Paul touching items of cloth allowed for him to have healing powers. People were being healed of sicknesses and evil spirits came out of people (Acts 19:11-12).

When seven traveling Jewish men sought to exorcise a man who had been overcome by evil spirits, they referred to the Jesus that Paul spoke of. That was their mistake, it was not the Jesus that they knew, but someone else's relationship with Jesus. The evil spirit did not know who they were but it knew Paul and Jesus. The evil spirit made the man attack the seven men and left them fleeing, naked and wounded. Many people found out about this and around the same time those who had become believers came forward to admit doing magic arts. In an attempt to rid themselves of those ways they burned their books that were altogether worth 50 thousand pieces of silver (Acts 19:13-20).

Without the Holy Spirit what can you do? You can do things on your own power. There are people who are very successful in life and do not have the Holy Spirit. They do not know Jesus. Do you see how Paul's faith in the Holy Spirit and God using him allowed for pieces of clothing and cloths to be used as healing agents as long as Paul touched them? Yet, with the 7 men that tried to exorcise an evil spirit without them having Jesus as their personal Lord became useless. See the difference? With Jesus/God/the Holy Spirit you can work wonders. Without either of them it is a wonder anything would ever work.

PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!

Acts 18: Paul's Journey with the Holy Spirit

Paul's Journey with the Holy Spirit

We have seen all that Paul has gone through from being imprisoned and chased from one town to another avoiding death. As we see here in Acts 18:4 he was still preaching the word. I love that even though he would have every human reason to give up, he didn't. He feared for his life. It was not a made up "people are after me" though as people were truly after him Paul has been a man of perseverance and persistence in the Holy Spirit. he wasn't always there, but once he started following Christ you saw a big change in his behaviors and his life. 

In verses 5-6, he was testifying that Jesus was the messiah but when the Jews opposed and reviled him, he did not sit there and keep arguing and get madder and madder. He did what he was supposed to do. He let them know that they are responsible for themselves now and he left and went to the Gentiles. God told Paul in verses 9-10 (in a vision) to go on speaking and to not be afraid because God was with him. Paul did just that for a year and 6 months. 

In Acts 18:18-23, we see that Paul worked hard at strengthening the disciples that he came in contact with and still preaching the word of Jesus from land to land as he traveled whether it be Ephesus, Caesarea, Antioch, Galatia and Phrygia. Paul had left Ephesus and left 2 that he traveled with there in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila. While they stayed behind, they met Apollos who also preached the word accurately. Priscilla and Aquila (husband and wife), took Apollos aside and taught him how to preach the word more accurately. And with that he continued to spread the word that Jesus was the Christ, even in public against the Jews (Pharisees).

PLEASE SEE THE LOGOS AND LINKS BELOW TO SHARE VIA EMAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST AND GOOGLE PLUS. THANKS!