Tag: truth

Restore Us

Today’s readings are Jeremiah 47-49, Psalm 80, and 2 Peter 2.

The title in my Bible for 2 Peter 3 is “The Day of the Lord Will Come” speaking of the 2nd coming of Jesus. Our reading for today, 2 Peter 2 is titled “False Prophets and Teachers.

Here are some verses from 2 Peter 2…

And many will follow their sensuality and because of them the way of the truth will be blasphemed.

2 Peter 2:2

For speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice for sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.

2 Peter 2:20

Be whatever or whoever you want to be. Do whatever what every you want to do. Do whatever you feel you want to do. It’s your choice. Follow the science…until it doesn’t fit what you want or how you feel.. or the agenda.

These are common themes of the world we live in today, and this world sounds an awfully lot like what Peter describes in 2 Peter 2…especially in the United States.  I’m not going to try to predict the end times will happen soon even though it may seem like it based on Peter’s description and what’s going on in our world. Most can a agree though that regardless of when it will occur…each day we’re getting closer in same way that we don’t know the day each of us will die, but we know today we are closer than we were yesterday.

Our readings in the book of Jeremiah from chapters 47-49 describe the judgement on or fall of the Philistines, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, Kedar, Hazor, and Elam. Most all of these were caused by them turning away from God and His truth. While one could say the United States is not mentioned in Biblical end times prophecies due to not being near Israel geographically, others say it’s because it’s because we don’t exist then which could be as a result of our turning away from God like the aforementioned peoples or cities.

However, there is hope for the United States and us as Christians.

Let us learn from the Psalmist who cries for help for Israel in Psalm 80  where we read in Psalm 80:3.

Restore us O God;

Let your face shine, that we may be saved!

Psalm 80:7 and Psalm 80:19 say nearly the same. We can see where God has protected Israel through thousands of years and even through tumultuous events in the just last few months which could have brought Israel’s end, despite all of Israels flaws and mistakes throughout generations.

We can also read in 2 Peter 2:9…

Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement,

As a Christ follower in the US, I will pray for our country to turn back to Jesus and the truth He gives us in the Bible which is the only real truth on how we are to live, and we know that in following Jesus He will protect us and our souls through His saving grace and Resurrection.

And while we wait, I can only borrow the words of Joshua…

..But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

Conviction and Courage

Today’s readings are 2 Kings 22-23, Psalm 73, and 2 Corinthians 5.

In 2 Kings 22-23, we read about King Josiah who took over as king of the southern kingdom of Judah at just the age of 8. Could you imagine? We don’t know a lot about his first 17 years of ruling, but we do know from these chapters that quite a lot happened in year 18.  Not only did Josiah want to reward the laborers who had been working on the temple financially (which seemed to be a very nice gesture), but he then became very convicted about changing many of the terrible and sinful behaviors including worshipping of other idols not only across the land but even within the temple.  After hearing the Book of the Law read to him (presumably for the first time after it was found in the temple), he not only became convicted of what was right and wrong, but he also took action to right what was wrong. And boy did he ever! I mean I can’t even hardly list all that he did and how he did, but I would encourage you to read these chapters to see. I’m picturing his words and action with the passion shown by Mel Gibson in the movie Braveheart after reading about what he did and how he went about it. It seems as though he would stop at nothing to fix things and turn Judah back to God which included not only removing the bad things, but also reinstituting the Passover which hadn’t been observed since the days the judges  (2 Kings 23:22).

Reading these chapters and what Judah was doing against God’s Word almost makes the US seem like Candyland despite all the things our country is doing to turn away from God and His Word. Reading this also gives me hope that our country can turn back to God at some with the right leadership someday, even when it may seem way too far gone like I’m sure Judah did at the time.

What would you do if you were King Josiah? What would you do if you were the leader of the United States? Most importantly, what do you do now in your current roles at home, at work, and just as you go about your everyday life interacting with others? As a Christ follower, we should all pray for wisdom as to when to speak up and when to take action to point others back to God with the same courage and conviction that pushed King Josiah to do what he did.

Why? God doesn’t need us to defend Him or His name. But, Paul does state in 2 Corinthians 5:15 that…”He died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.” If we are living for Him, we can take action because we are not fearful of what may happen or what others may think, and we are called to help lead others back to Him and His Words. Later in 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul says that Christ followers are “ambassadors for Christ.” As Pastor Brandon Grant stated in discussing these exact verses this past weekend at Eastview Christian Church, an ambassador is a representative in a foreign land. Or another way of saying it is that we are no longer a citizen of this world but a citizen of Heaven where we act on behalf of the leader of where we are truly from and call home and this is God.

How do we do this? I don’t think it is to go to social media with more posts that may be more divisive than anything. And beyond that, I’m not sure. That is up to each of us to figure out in our daily lives, but I pray that each of us will ask God for courage to do so and wisdom as to how to go about it. We are told in 1 John 4:8 that God is love and if we abide in love then we abide in God and God abides in us. Jesus came and spoke truth in love, and when we have the conviction and courage do the same and to live for Him as Paul says we’re called to do we can make an impact in the lives of others to benefit them and His Kingdom.

 

You’re In

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 3:1-21

It’s incredible to think back to how much of my life I have always just tried to fit in.  I wouldn’t be inaccurate in saying that most likely, in all aspects, I have just tried to appear like I have it all together.  As humans, we try our best to fit in; many of us will face this-worldly battle until there is no battle to fight on this side of the earth anymore. Thankfully we know that Jesus says, You’re already in.  We can stop the daily hustle, grind, and race that wakes you up by the alarm and keeps you going until you fall asleep.  I wish and pray that I have this down, but it would not be honest.  There are still times I try to fit in at my job, with my parenting, with friends, in our marriage, and in any other daily interaction that requires my presence.

Give yourself some grace.  Turn every moment of insecurity to Him.  We attempt and try to be the All-Star in all we do. We spend a lot of time trying to live by the rules people set for us. I have now seen days where I’m parenting and forcing the world’s expectations into them at a young age instead of just my love and His promise that takes care of every aspect of life.

None of the rules of life or the attempted All-Star parenting measures up to the power the love of Jesus has for us. If I can teach others and my family, I want to show them how to live in grace like Jesus and to walk in love like Jesus.  I need prayer to be their number one model. Will you pray for me?

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge– that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19

True Light, True Life

What is the darkest physical place you have every been? Two places that come to mind for me are inside of a cave while visiting Ruby Falls when they turned the lights off and the other being on the deck of a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean at night as a child. I can remember thinking while standing on the deck that if I fall off they will never find me! Of course, the ship we were on even had lights. I can remember thinking how dark it must have been for some of the first explorers at sea.

Right now, we have a lot of darkness in this world. Every day it seems there is word of another terrible shooting, leader or celebrity succumbing to the temptation of sin that is in news, or a political/social issue that’s causing division and bickering with the platform of social media making it more evident. The world is often a dark place. There are also many individually that are living in darkness with depression, anxiety, and just an unhappiness they are experiencing to which they possibly can’t even pinpoint the reason.

John 1:1-17 tells us that Jesus is the true source of light and thus life. Specifically, John 1:4-5 says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Revelation 21:23 tells us in Heaven there is no sun or moon needed because the glory of God brings light.

Why is God light? John 1:14 tells us His glory comes from his grace and truth. This glory provides the light as mentioned above in Revelation 21:23.  In this world, we have much of the opposite. We don’t have much grace. We have much more judgement and gossip about others not noticing our own sin. We also have sin and lies through not following the truth in the Bible and the way He wants us to live so we are a slave to sin bringing more unhappiness (John 8:34).

If you are reading this and struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, or just unhappiness, I would encourage you to think about how you can get more light in your life…more Jesus…through His Word, small group, prayer, and I even might encourage you to watch the series The Chosen. The series is not a substitute for the Bible, but it can inspire us to get in the Word more to help grow our relationship with Jesus through seeing the realness of who He was as both man and Son of God full of grace and truth who brought light and life to everyone. Many struggling with these challenges may need a doctor and/or counselor of which I would encourage a Christian counselor for the help needed to point us in the right direction back to Him.

It is easy for me to become self-absorbed… focused on my own problems, issues, and challenges. But ultimately when I die some day what I truly want is to know that I made an impact on others during my lifetime on this Earth. To try to keep me more focused on this, I recently changed my mission statement to “Impacting others by helping them live life to the fullest.” This was inspired by John 10:10 where Jesus says He came so that we may have life and live it abundantly.  This allows me to ask myself, am I helping those around me live life abundantly and to the fullest? Am I building others up so they can see they are a child of God who He made for a purpose and bigger things than they may see for themselves? Are they seeing the love of Jesus and His grace and truth come from my lips and in my actions? Unfortunately, the answer to these questions are not always yes and are no way too often.

Reading this mission statement and being in His Word helps get me re-focused and re-centered. I’ve heard it said when we interact with another human, we leave them after that conversation feeling a little better or a little worse. There are no net neutral interactions. Your mission statement should not be my mission statement, but I would encourage all of us to reflect on some of these questions and think about how we can bring more light, more life, and more Jesus through grace and truth to every interaction with another to leave them in a more positive place afterwards.

Confused

Today’s Reading: Acts 19

One of the enemy’s best weapons is confusion.  When we are confused, we are unable to see things clearly.  It disrupts our decision-making process, often resulting in choices that are irrational and inconsistent with our core beliefs.  Many times, confusion is produced by the people around us.  We are continuously barraged with differing world views and alternative belief systems.  Want proof?  Take a closer look at today’s reading.  Did you notice in verse 29, “the whole city was in confusion?”

To understand the city’s confusion, we need to look back to verse 23.  Up until that point, Paul was actively spreading the word of God.  Acts 19:20 says that the Lord’s message Paul presented was “spread widely and had a powerful effect.”  Clearly, lives were being changed.  Not everyone, however, was happy about this.  In fact, a man named Demetrius was suddenly worried about the impact that these new beliefs would have on his business.  To combat this, he developed a strategy.  He knew, that it would be easy.  All he had to do was confuse people.

Demetrius starts with the economic conversation, encouraging them to consider the consequences of slowing sales.  It was enough to spark some fear, but not enough to start a rebellion.  To intensify their reaction, he adds confusion by suggesting that the magnificent goddess, Artemis will be robbed of her “great prestige.”  This was all it took.  The people were sufficiently overwhelmed by these significant changes.  The fear it stimulated caused their anger to boil (v18).  It wasn’t long before full on rebellion occurred and “everything was in confusion” (v32).

The sad reality is that we are subject to the same confusion.  J.I. Packer elaborates on this.  He says, “we are so consumed with great thoughts of man that we only have room for small thoughts of God.  Second, we are confused by modern skepticism.”  Is it any wonder that it’s one of Satan’s preferred weapons?  Thankfully, the Spirit who lives in us, is greater than the spirit who lives in this world (1 John 4:4).  When we arm ourselves with His truth, we win.  I have found a very practical way to avoid confusion.  It comes from remembering who God is and who I am.  The following affirmations, despite their simplicity, are powerful statements that bring clarity, hope, courage and refreshment.

I believe that God is who he says he is

I believe that God can do what God says he can do

I believe that I am who God says I am

I believe that I can do what God says I can do

God’s Word is alive and active in me

I believe God

 

Let Me Tell You About My Jesus…

Today’s reading is John 14:1-14.

Jesus said in these verses…

“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

John 14:9

“I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who is in me.”

John 14:10

“Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on the account of the works themselves.”

John 14:11

Jesus made it clear people should know who He was and who He was from and who He represented by the life He lived and His actions. I wish the same could be said about my life consistently.

I’ve heard it said that rules without a relationship is harassment. Sadly, many non-believers think the Bible and Christianity is just about following a bunch of rules. Does that attract them to following Christ and becoming a Christian? Look at the verses and quotes above from Jesus. If each quote from Jesus above were said by each Christian, and they could answer them in a similar fashion to Jesus in that their love and positive works were displayed daily in their actions..how many more people would be attracted to learning about the Gospel and would ultimately say yes to believing in Jesus? How true is the popular hymn, “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love?”

Our life should be lived in relationship with Jesus. Pastor and author Bill Hull says he wakes up each morning and asks, “Good morning Jesus..what are we going to do today?” How might asking ourselves that question change our actions and how we live our life which would attract non-believers? Imagine if we were in communication with Jesus all day and if He were our GPS for all actions and decisions. We should all reflect on this and ask the question…is Jesus guiding the big and small things in my day in life through communication with Him or do I just think about Him during specific prayer times, church, and small group/Bible study? I know more days than not I don’t think about or talk to Jesus throughout my day. He does not lead my thoughts, decisions, and actions throughout my day like He should.

Many other religions believe in multiple gods. They think Jesus is good guy and much like other gods. They don’t know the difference. Eventually they must know what Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the way, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” They must know there is only one way to eternal life through belief in Him. But holding up a sign on the street saying, “Repent, believe in Jesus, or you are going to Hell!” is not the way to do it. As we said earlier, rules without a relationship is harassment.

Let us reflect on how we can act and speak in a way that whoever has seen, heard, and known us also knows the Father and Jesus (John 14:9-11). Then, once we’ve established a relationship with others they will likely ask us more questions on why we act and speak the way we do or like the song says we can simply say..”Let me tell you about my Jesus…” Will we still mess up and make mistakes? Yes..we absolutely will and that sometimes opens an even bigger door to tell them about the free gift of His grace, His love, and His forgiveness which is also available to them.

Anne Wilson – My Jesus (Official Music Video) – YouTube

Gods Word of Life

Chalk it up to a strong case of insecurity and a self-inflicted case of selfishness. Today’s reading of what we are focusing on is God’s Words of Life. It’s not too far into our assigned reading of John 6:25-59, and I found my life in Him.

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you have seen the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.  Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.  For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.

I can pick out the “food that spoils” I have selected along my journey. I can recall those that attempted to speak the truth to me, and I didn’t listen. The things of this world that look good, feel good, sound good but are not connected to Jesus are temporary. . It wasn’t until I genuinely ate of His bread that my life changed, and I indeed had the feeling of fullness.

This temporary physical life goes quick. The world will tell you one thing and make it feel like instant temporary gratification will make you “full.” It won’t. Only Jesus will provide you with this. The Son of Man came for you and me to give a full eternal life. Today’s a new day, what are you eating?

 

In The End….

Today’s reading is Revelation 6-8.

What are your thoughts when you read the book of Revelation? As you read some the events which will occur, it likely brings up more questions as to what exactly is occurring and why. And even though you know the outcome in the end, it may bring up feelings of anxiety at the events which will occur and concern if you or your kids or grandkids will be around when it happens and the challenges you or they will face as believers. At a minimum it likely brings up wonder of when exactly this will happen.

It seems like all the time you read something about someone who claims they know when the world will end. Strangely enough, often times the person who is claiming it is good, Bible believing and Christ following Christian. In fact, I have a close friend who was in a Bible study with someone he knew well for years who was a good Christian who studied the Bible and all of the sudden he claimed he knew when this was going to happen. Well..like every other person..he was wrong. Jesus says in Matthew 24:26, “But concerning that day and hour no one know, not even the angels of Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” So why do some Christians think they have uncovered this secret and other Christians listen and believe them when Jesus clearly says no one knows..not even Him? I wish I could say for sure, but I would guess it’s because it’s something that many want to know so bad that they can be susceptible to looking in the wrong places and believing false prophets.

We must remember that the Bible is the one and only source for the truth. We must remember that God is God and we are not. My previous sentence may sound silly but so many times we must remember there are certain things only God knows, and is supposed to know, and we have to just trust in Him and be ok with that.

If you become anxious thinking about end times, I encourage you to read Revelation and focus on the victory we have through Jesus. Underline those verses in your Bible.

Revelation 7:14 reads..

“I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

The last part of Revelation 7:17 says…

“…God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

As we celebrate Christmas in 2 days, let’s rejoice in the birth of the One who gives us victory in the end! Joy to the World!

Finish 2021 Well

Today’s Reading 2 Timothy 3-4 & Titus 1 

Leadership, Instructions, and Fatherly Advice were the last few posts inspiring and encouraging to us all as we lead in our ways daily.  As we continue reading 2 Timothy and Titus, Paul shares his final charge to Timothy and his advice to Titus as he takes on many church responsibilities.  I’m sure Titus was taking notes, highlighting, and jotting down his notes as he read the letter from Paul. For Titus, following a fantastic leader can be very challenging.  Leaders can make many changes to put themselves at the forefront or improve and enhance upon previous successes while walking alongside those they lead.  In Paul’s instructions to Titus, I see Paul sharing advice and providing him with a plan.  

In any leadership position, having a plan is essential. Remember, we are all leaders because we all have influence.  Paul’s advice was not of his own, but that always of our Heavenly Father. 

  • Have a good character that church leaders should have
  • How to teach to various groups
  • How to conduct ourselves

Reading through the verses between Titus and 2 Timothy, I caught myself capturing the contrast between the last days Paul warns us about in 2 Timothy 3 and what will equip us on our journey to Heaven in Titus.

Without fault Selfish 
Not arrogant – or quick-tempered  Greedy 
Not drunkard  Conceited 
Not greedy for money  Irreligious 
Hospitable  Ungrateful 
Self-controllable  unkind/merciless 
Agree with doctrine  Love pleasure more than God 

 

2 Timothy 3 

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Titus 1 

6 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

What way will I choose to live? What path will you choose to lead? Many will say that we are in some of the last days.  I know that only He knows that day.  All we can do is choose how to lead every day this side of Heaven. One of my favorite Spiritual Audit questions is,  “Who did I serve in the name of Jesus today?”  Have no regrets about how and who you lead today. 

2 Timothy 4:7-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Finish Well!

Youth Is No Excuse

Today’s reading on Thanksgiving is 2 Thessalonians 1-3 which is the entire, short book.

Paul is writing this letter to the church he founded in Thessalonica which is now part of northern Greece. In this letter Paul addresses how we must be ready for trouble and adversity from the Evil One before the Second Coming, as well as warning against idleness.  Since today is Thanksgiving, we will mostly focus on verses 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 where he gives thanks for them.

Thanksgiving

3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers,[a] as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

Who do you think of when you read this? Today’s young people…we will say 15-25 year old’s get a bad reputation for being on their phones all the time, having everything given to them, and for being lazy. I have to laugh though because the same people that criticize youth for having everything given to them or always getting a trophy are the same ones that gave these things to them! A little ironic…don’t you think?

Although most would say our society is moving away from Christian and Biblical values as a whole, I have recently taken notice of a growing number in the 15-25 year old age group who are very convicted in their faith and living in a way that aligns with the Bible’s instruction. They read their Bible, attend church regularly, typically are involved in a Bible study or small group, listen to Christian music, and are also committed to keeping sex sacred to the marriage relationship. While I don’t have any specific numbers to back how many or the growth so to speak, it seems to me it is occurring. I don’t know whether a poll would say the number in this age group who believe are growing, but is my personal observation that the ones who are believers are actually living out their faith through their actions more so than previous generations who would have said they were believers, too. I’m not trying to start a debate or call one generation better than another, but rather pointing this out so we take notice. Not only should we give them credit and give thanks for them, but we can learn from them and their example even (1 Timothy 4:12).

Why is this occurring in this age group despite society trying to tell this age group they don’t need God  or biblical values and are free to live however they feel? I believe it is for a couple reasons. First, I believe God has planted it in our hearts and minds to know what’s truly right and wrong. Secondly, I believe there is so much confusion about what is the truth, young people (and all of us for that matter) are attracted to the one place we can go for all truth which is the Bible.

When you woke up this Thanksgiving and thought about what you were grateful for today, I doubt this group of young people was on your list. However, will you join me today in thanking God for them and also praying that will continue to stay convicted in their faith despite the adversity and ridicule they are likely to face now and throughout their lifetime? This generation will shape our future.