Rv2

No matter what is going on, never forget that God is fully aware of everything!  He knows.  He cares. He has a plan.  Submit to Him.

Revelation 2 begins the specific letters to individual churches.  In every letter the phrase "I know" will appear and will direct the church to refocus her attention on obedience to the Spirit.  Almost in every case there is commendation and rebuke, encouragement and admonition.

If the Spirit were to write you a letter today, what would it's content look like?  What would God be commending?  What would He be challenging you to do?  Don't you think it would be a good idea to listen to Him and do what He says?

Let's decide to obey today.

Read it here.

Rv1

To Him who loves us and has set us free by His blood... be glory forever. Amen. 

The last book in the bible is filled with powerful and graphic images of Christ return, heaven and things that are coming.  It is the book that is probably read the most and understood the least!

Keep in mind, this is a letter from the apostle John.  The same love that permeated his previous letters is the love that motivated this letter as well.  He is addressing believers and calling us to live holy and vigilant lives, always expecting the return of Jesus.

I can't wait to learn more.

Read it here.

Jude

People who create divisions are characterized by two things: discontentment and grumbling.  It is reasonable then that unity is built on contentment and encouragement.

Are you the kind of person who is a joy to be around?  Do you make those around you better people?  Are you looking for good things to talk about and pointing out to others all that is going right?  Are you quick to give thanks and to look for something to praise God for?  If so, you are on the best path.

Unfortunately contentment is a quality to be developed NOT a characteristic that is natural to us.  People tend to naturally complain and point out whatever is not exactly the way they want it.  It comes natural to be critical and make negative things the object of our minds and conversations.

This should not be!  Seek to be the kind of person that brings life and energy to every environment.  Set your mind on the positive things around you.  Be content in every situation.  Always be grateful to God in everything.

Read it here.

3Jn

It is a good thing to pray for physical health.  It is an even better thing to pray for spiritual health.

John did not minimize being healthy physically.  He did desire for his readers to be as healthy spiritually as they were physically.  He said, "be is good health physically just as you are spiritually."  Possibly they were focusing on their spiritual well being and neglecting their physical well being and needed encouragement to be healthy, but I doubt it.

In our culture there is far greater emphasis on physical health than on spiritual health.  In fact, we tend to devote hours every day to our eating and exercise habits and very little time devoted to growing in our faith and growing spiritually.

What is your story?  How much time do you spend on the different aspects of your health?  Which is most valuable?  Which gets the most time, energy and attention?  

Something to think about.

Read it here.

1Jn5

What has the greatest influence on your life; the ways of the world or the word of God?  Generally what influences us is the god we serve.  

John is clearly saying that the world is flowing in a directions away from God.  He states that the whole world is under the "sway" of the devil.  Black friday will be packed with pursuits that God has nothing to do with.  Staying on course will be a challenge for us all.

Choose to follow hard after Christ today.  Cling to what matters and turn your heart away from the things that will only bring you emptiness.

God is calling us to live a different life.  He desires our lives to be in contrast with the "average" life of someone in this world.

Read it here.

1Jn4

Happy Thanksgiving!  Give thanks today for God's love.  It has been poured out on us through Christ.  Nothing better than that.

The greatest evidence of Christ in someone is love.  Love for God and love for people.  John says, "If you say you love God and don't love people, the love of God is not in you."  Loving God results in loving people...period.

Generally, the only thing we love is ourselves.  We want God to love us.  We want everyone else to love us.  When we begin to get God's love, we learn to express it to others.  If you struggle to love others, it is because you are not seeking God.  Draw near to Him and He will produce love for others in you.

Read it here.

1Jn3

Are you living what you are saying today? Words are cheap, actions tell the truth!  The apostle John was clear that our words mean nothing without the actions to back it up.

He said, "Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action."  The words, "I love you" are empty when our actions say, "I only love me!"

If you were to write a story based solely on your actions, what would that story say about you?  John is not challenging us to not talk about loving God.  He is challenging us to let our actions confirm the talk.  

Live out loud!  Practice what you preach!

Read it here.

1Jn2

Do not love the world or the things in the world, because these things disappoint and will ultimately pass away.  Instead, love God and pursue Him.  He will not disappoint and He is eternal.

It is so easy to love the wrong things.  In fact, we tend to pursue lusts as though they will satisfy our deepest longing.  Why is that?  Has any temporary thing ever satisfied the desires that you have?  In fact, obtaining the desire generally creates an even greater desire and greater disappointment.  When will we learn?

On the other hand, the bible calls us to love God and to pursue Him.  Although it is more difficult, it does not disappoint.  Pursuing the world leaves us feeling empty.  Pursuing God fills our tanks with satisfaction that last.

Pursue Christ today.

Read it here.

1Jn1

Confession is the cleaner of the soul.  IF we will confess, God will forgive and cleans!  Agree with God today, confess your sin and be forgiven.

The weight of sin is a heavy one to bear.  Most people don't even realize how heavy it has become until they begin to deal with it.  It is like a person who has gained 100 pounds over the past 20 years.  They know they are not in the shape they once were, but they have no idea how heavy the weight of fat is on their life!

Unlike fat, getting rid of the load of sin doesn't have to take time.  All that is required in humility and honesty.  Go ahead, have the guts to make it right today.  Lose the load of sin!  It is weighing you down.  Why not confess today.

Best verse, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Read it here.

2Pt3

Knowing what you know about God, what kind of person should you be? Peter challenged believers to actually live like they believe Jesus is coming back.  Live and act like people who will be judged by the living God.

What motivates you to live for Christ? Is it His love? Fear of consequences? Desire for reward? Are you motivated by anything?  In this chapter believers are getting discouraged with how long it is taking Jesus to return.  Their lives are not going great, so they are wondering if Jesus will ever return and take them home.  In fact, they are beginning to question "if" Jesus will actually do what He said.

Peter assures them that Jesus is coming back and encourages them to live as though it will be today!  When we get discouraged by God's timing we often tend toward not living for HIm.  Many decide to willfully ignore God's clear encouragement in their lives.  I don't want to be like that!  I am praying that we will be the kind of people who serve Jesus period.  

It is always best to do what Jesus would have us do.  It is never easy.  It is alway worth it.

Live strong today.

Read it here.

2Pt2

Here is a fact! God knows and He's got this!  Lest we forget, in a world that seems to be our everything, that God has somehow lost His grip on control, Peter brings us back to reality with this chapter.  

Sometimes in the present it appears that God is either "letting things go" or that He "doesn't have control".  I have thought too many times, "If I were god, I would do _________."  Who am I?  Who are you?  Whenever we think that we would actually do a "better" or "different" job than God is doing, we need a serious attitude adjustment!

When life is done, we will all face Him.  Live today in light of that fact.  Let go of your desire to "help" Him do His job and learn to really follow Him.

I needed that.

Read it here.

2Pt1

Avoid the ditches of "useless and unfruitful".  If you think that your faith begins and ends with "believing", then your life will not have a significant impact on eternity.  Peter's desire would be that each of us would add, with increasing measure, character to what we believe.

Examine this list to add: goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly affection, & love.  He says, these things need to be yours and growing.  If they are, you will be useful and fruitful in your faith.  If they are not, you will be useless and unfruitful.

You cannot work for faith or salvation, but once you have received this wonderful gift, the work begins.  God is calling us to live out our faith in a productive manner.  What can we do today to make critical progress.  

Read it here. 

1Pt5

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God,...casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you."

Both James and Peter quote Proverbs 3:34 in their books.  They want to emphasis that God gives grace to the humble!  They begin by telling us that God resists the proud!  The word "resists" actually means apposes!  God is literally against anyone who's desire is to go it without Him, or to do it on their own.

This is so opposite our culture.  We value independence and autonomy.  We encourage self-reliance and personal effort.  We are looking to exalt ourselves and take credit for whatever good comes our way.  Can you see how this is a big problem?  Once again our culture is up-side-down.

If you were to "humble yourself" today, what would that look like?  Would there be a particular person you would need to have a conversation with?  Would you need to submit to a boss or be kind to an employee.  Would you stop overlooking those who you least enjoy and actually start valuing them?  Ask God to help you.  I know I need His help!!

Read it here.

1Pt4

"Above all, maintain an intense love for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins." - Peter

When you love each other, you don't encourage sin, but you are quick to forgive sin.  Peter is acknowledging that it is impossible for us to not sin.  The question is, "What will you do when someone sins against you?"  If you love them, forgiveness comes easy. At least it should.

How many people do you love like that?  I know I am convicted that my "love list" is too short.  Whenever someone sins and I have little or no relationship with them, my default is to accuse and judge.  If I have relationship my default is to forgive and to find grace for them.  Why the difference?

Peter wants us to love more people and to forgive more people.  In fact I think he would extent the "more people" to everyone!  Love with an intense love.  God's love.

Read it here.

1Pt3

"The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. The face of the Lord is against those who do what is evil."

Nothing you do today will escape the watchful eye of the Lord.  He will either be pleased with what He sees and hears, or He will be against what He sees and hears.  Since our hearts are to please Him, let these verses direct our words and actions.

Let the thought of God watching and listening in govern your life today.  Not in a sense that He will be angry if you don't, but in the sense that He will be so pleased if you do!

I know when my sons are doing the right things, my presence is not a burden, it is a blessing.  In fact, they call out to me to "look in and listen" to everything they are doing.  I want my life to constantly be calling out for God's approval.  Don't you?

Read it here.

1Pt2

"Submit to every human authority because of the Lord. Honor everyone. Fear God. Honor Governing leaders."  This is to be our christian response.  No one said we had to like the result, but we do have to respond in a manner that pleases Jesus.

Authority is a huge biblical principle that few Americans understand.  We only respect others when they do what we want.  We only follow others when that go where we want.  We only submit to others when we like what they are wanting us to do.  Do you see the pattern?  It is not God's way.

As believers, we are to set the pace in submitting ourselves to others.  Not because of them, but because of Jesus.  Can you submit to Jesus?  That means you will joyfully submit to others.  That IS submitting to Jesus.

Read it here.

1Pt1

Are you going through a trial? Might it be that God is purifying your faith through the trial?  Maybe He is helping you to see if your faith is genuine or not.

We have all heard the phrase, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."  Maybe a more biblical phrase would be, "When the going gets tough, our faith keeps us going."  Or how about the phrase, "No pain, no gain."  Maybe it should be, "Got pain, grow faith."

I know these sayings can be trite, but they are true.  God uses the tough things in our life to bring about focus and strength.  His desire is to give us eternal life, not "your best life now".  Often the best life in eternity is rooted in a struggling life on earth.  Gain perspective and give God the honor due Him.

Remember James taught us that life is only momentary, your faith matters forever!

Jas.5

Confessing our sins to each other and praying for each other are lost habits in our christian culture!  We say, "I will pray for you" or "I am praying for you", but how often is that the truth?  I have found that very few people actually pray for others.  Let's stop SAYING we are praying and actually start PRAYING for each other.

On the other hand, who have you confessed sin to lately?  If you stop your confession with God, you have stopped too short.  Notice this chapter does not say, "Confess to the priest" or "confess only to God".  It simply says, "confess your sins to each other."

If you stop with confessing without getting prayer, then you have stopped short.  Get someone to pray for you!  Wouldn't it change things if we started this practice.  Let's do this!!!!!!!

Read it here.

Jm4

"Whoever wants to be the world's friend becomes God's enemy."  The paths are NOT parallel, they are apposed!

James is making clear again what his brother Jesus said many times to His disciples.  "If you love me, the world will hate you."  There is no such thing as being a friend of God and "fitting in" with this world.

John said, "Whoever loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him."  He went on to describe the world and full of lusts, pride and boasting.  Loving God to John, was not fighting for importance, but rather humbly loving others.

James describes the world and living out our selfish pride.  The "me first" culture.  He says, "God resist the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  We need to not fight for position, rather, we need to submit to God.

In this clamoring world, who will you love?  Choose wisely.

Read it here.

Jm3

Wisdom from God is: 1.loving, 2.gentle, 3.compliant, 4. merciful, 5. full of good, 6. w/o favoritism, 7. w/o hypocrisy.  Now there is a list to live by.

We are encouraged to fear God and to seek His wisdom.  As we learn to follow Him this list will begin to emerge from our lives and hearts.  If that is true, how are we doing?  How am I doing?

Would this list of qualities describe you?  I am convicted.  Mostly by number 2 today.  An honest look at these qualities is a truly humbling challenge.

Read it here.

Jm2

Read it here.