Rv22

"The one who keeps the prophetic words of this book is blessed." Both James and John reiterate that the blessing is not in reading God's word, it is in doing what it says! Only two days left in 2013 and we have finished our reading of the New Testament. The goal should never be, "how much did we read" but rather, "how much did we obeyed".

My dad once said, "It is not how many times you go through the bible, it is how much the bible goes through you!" As we conclude 2013 and prepared for 2014, let's focus on reading AND obeying God's word.

It has been a blessed year. I pray your are encouraged.

Rv21

It is hard to imagine a place where nothing is vile or false. Heaven will be amazing! It seems as though our world keeps getting farther and farther from anything pure, holy and right. Almost everything is polluted and corrupt in some way. 

How long will it continue? How long will God's mercy be restrained? Our souls long for a place where everything is made new; a place where everything is right; where everyone can be trusted; where Jesus is the ruling King! I can't wait to live in this place. Wow.

Come Lord Jesus.

Rv20

The "Great White Throne of Judgement" will be the last judgement at the end of the age! Everyone will give an account of themselves to God! There will be much fear on that day.

Are you ready to face God? Have you prepared yourself by faith to stand in His presence? Will you be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, or will you seek to stand on your own good works? I choose Jesus! My hope is in His life, His righteousness, His works. He is the One who conquered sin and death for all who believe.

John says in his gospel, "I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life." I am putting all of my trust in Jesus. Live for HIm today.

Rv18

There is a day in which God's wrath will be poured out on this earth! Today is not that day. It's Christmas eve. A time to celebrate God's pouring out His love on earth in sending His Son Jesus! The day of wrath IS coming. It will be violent and gruesome for all those who have refused to call on the name of Jesus.

Celebrate Christmas today! Rejoice that God has saved us from His coming judgement.

Rv17

Merry Christmas Eve's Eve! Reading revelation makes me want to quickly turn my heart and mind to the Advent Blog! It is a must read. Check it out on at Cornerstonlife.com.

Rv16

When God pours out His judgement at the end of time it will be unlike anything this earth has ever seen! And STILL people will blaspheme God rather than repent! Unbelievable.

Our God is rich in mercy and abounding in grace. His love endures for generations. His mercies are new every morning and His kindness is evident to all. When His judgement comes it will be fierce.

I am grateful for Jesus' life, death and resurrection which saves us from God's judgement.

Rv15

The songs of heaven will be all about the greatness of God! We will sing, "Great and awe-inspiring are Your works, Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the Nations. Lord, who will not fear and glorify Your name? Because You alone are holy, for all the nations will come and worship before You because Your righteous acts have been revealed."

Practice worshiping with all your heart this Advent. He is coming. He has come.

Rv14

A day is coming when an angel will announce the eternal gospel to all the inhabitants of the earth. Until then, it is our job to make this announcement clear to everyone we know. The gospel is "good news" to all who embrace it by faith. It removes the sting of death and puts judgement in the past tense! It enables all of life to only be an introduction to eternity. There is nothing better than the gospel!

This is the season we celebrate christmas. The gospel becoming flesh and living among man. Jesus came so that we could personally experience christmas. Think about these things. Tell everyone who will listen.

Rv13

Who is the "antichrist"? Anyone who refuses to worship and acknowledge Jesus as God. In the midst of end time prophesy don't get distracted from the focus of all eternity. It is Jesus. Worship Him today. This beast of Revelation 13 will have his day (or 42 months), but we all know who the victor is and will be.

Celebrate Advent. Jesus has come for us. He will come again!

Rv12

This world is only a small part of all that is going on. To get captured by its daily realities is to miss the most important things! Focus your heart on something more eternal, more significant, more enduring.

Nothing gives us a clearer picture of the cosmic reality than Revelation. So much is going on that is beyond our ability to see and comprehend. The angelic realm is in a constant battle for the lives of people. That battle has raged since Adam and Eve and will continue until Jesus returns.

As we focus on Advent, let us draw near to Jesus and seek to keep the big picture in our hearts and minds.

Rv11

If you think you got it all figured out, read Rev. 11! Regardless of your thoughts, you have to say, "I really don't know what that is talking about". The more you read scholars, the more you will see they don't know for sure either. Really. Still it is good to study and search the scripture for its meaning and to discover helpful insight.

I personally love the worship song of the elders. Rather than thanking the "God who is, who was and is to come", they refer to God as the "one who is and was." The fact is, He now has come and begun to reign! Even if we don't understand the details of these verses, we can know that Jesus will return.

Continue on.

Rv10

The mysteries in Revelation will all become clear in time! God's agenda will be evident from the beginning to the end. When I read this chapter, and study what scholars have written, I am left still looking for that answer from God Himself. The mystery will be solved and we will all be caught up in worship.

Rv9

Two names given to Satan are Abaddon & Apollyon, which mean "destruction & destroyer". His intentions are never good and his desire is to harm every person who claims to be a "christian". 

Spiritual warfare is always raging for the lives of God's children. At the end of time there will be an increased intensity to the battle as we can see in this chapter. Don't be fooled. The battle rages today for your life! All of the writers of the New Testament have warned us to daily fight for our lives!

Fight the good fight today. It is the fight for faith and purity.

Rv8

God's judgement is as sure as His love! His love endures forever. His mercy delays His judgement, but His judgement is a sure as His love.

Often in conversation I seek to draw attention to how little we think about God. Most every decision I make has either myself or someone else as the focus of that decision. What if all my decisions were based on God's desires? What if I truly lived to please Him in every way in every day? How much would my life change?

In light of the certainty of God's judgement, we should live each moment to please Him. Easy to say. Easy to believe. Hard to live.

Rv6

Are we willing to stand for truth against poplar opinion? In our world today christians are dying for their faith! To stand for truth costs them their life. In our culture, "truth" is no longer in vogue. Truth to most is "whatever I think in the moment." If I feel strongly about something, it is true.

In this chapter we see martyrs who stood for truth. They were crying out for God's righteous judgment. And they will get it! Faith is rooted in the confidence that God's word is true. Faith is being able to stand for that truth at all times; especially when it is difficult. As our culture continues to race toward an absence of "truth", let us be among those who stand strong for it.

Be courageous today. Stand for truth.

Rv5

The worship in heaven will be AWESOME! It will be loud.  Over 100 million people singing with full voices! Along with every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea and everything in them! It will be amazing.

Today we worship in a piddly way compared to that! Nothing can compare. Nothing will ever compare. We can only get tastes of this kind of "all in" worship. We only experience brief moments of this kind of exaltation. Yet in those moments I have experienced, I am overwhelmed by God.

Jesus is the "slaughtered lamb" who made worship possible for sinful people like me. As we continue to celebrate Advent this month, let us fully enter in to the worship of Jesus every opportunity we get. He is worthy of our worship.

Rv4

Heaven is the picture of true worship! With God as the focus, everything and everyone is giving honor and glory to Him. The "creatures" there are only feasible in our imagination because nothing exists like this on earth. To be led in worship by angels and creatures created for that purpose will be amazing.

It makes me wonder what God thinks of my worship today. We too were created to worship God. It is also our primary purpose. Why is it so difficult? 

Choose to worship today.

troy

Rv3

If you are never rebuked or disciplined by God, you are not loved by Him. He promises to rebuke and discipline everyone He loves. His love for us requires that He challenges our wayward choices and calls us to follow Him. The only way to have relationship with God is to be daily committed to His ways and to be daily repentant from my own way.

Every morning I wake up with fresh ideas as to how to "do my own thing". A night's sleep, or even a nap, can reorient my world around my wants, desires and needs. My selfish heart constantly beats to draw me away from a life of service, submission and sacrifice. I am the one who contends with God for first place in my own heart.

In this chapter we see clearly God's daily invitation to believers like myself. He says, "Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me." Too often I hear His voice, yet refuse to open the door. I know what He is like. I know what He will call me to do. His desires are often not what I desire. Yet when I open the door, we have sweet fellowship.

Don't keep God on the outside today. Even if you know that to let Him in is to receive discipline and rebuke. It is the loving thing for Him to do. It demonstrates His love. Nothing could be more unloving than to let me continue in my own way. My way leads to self destruction.

Rv2

Anyone who has ears to hear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches! Scary stuff! Self deception has always been and continues to be a tool Satan uses to draw people away from God and into sin. Unfortunately, even in the church individuals and even whole groups can get caught up in Satan's schemes.

In every case, the Spirit is calling individuals and churches to "repent" and do what they know is right. The fear of God's coming is to give us pause and cause us to walk in His ways. His justice is sure and He will execute righteousness among the nations. His mercy and grace are never grounds to walk in godless ways.

If I were to get a personal letter from God today, I wonder what it would say?

Rv.1

"I am the alpha and Omega, the first and the last! The One who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty." - Jesus

As we begin to take a look at Revelation, we are reminded again to focus on Jesus. Everything prophesied about Him in the OT has been fulfilled. Everything recorded about Him in the NT has proven true. Today He is still changing lives and He still is the only One who can save us from our sin.

Only one thing remains! He is coming back! With each passing day His coming is drawing closer. In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, without warning, He will return. Revelation was written to prepare us for this reality. Are you ready?

Jude

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Spend time today honoring God and HIs word by giving thanks to Him.

Like Timothy, Jude was to "contend" or fight for the faith! And this fight was to be with those within the "believing community" who are actually false teachers. There are similarities in both groups, and yet, they are quite different as well.

The main similarity is that they both "defy authority" and both lead people astray; one to greater legalism and the other to greater hedonism. They both are described as "discontented grumblers" who's primary objective is to accomplish their own desires. They both create "divisions" among God's people.

As leaders in God's church, both Timothy and Jude were in a battle for the lives of those they were leading. It is a fight worth fighting. It is the fight for the faith and a fight for the souls of men and women. This "fight" has been raging since the beginning of time and it will continue until Jesus comes again.

Live strong. Fight the good fight.

3Jn

I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth. -Apostle John

Without question a parent takes great delight in the life of their children. Nothing does more for my heart than to hear a godly report about one of my children. When they are eagerly following God, His word and His ways, my heart soars with joy. Whenever I hear someone say, "Did you hear about your daughter…", "Your son….", my heart gets prepared either for great joy or overwhelming heartache. I am so grateful that most often the things I hear fill my heart with joy.

But John was primarily talking about his "spiritual children". Those who he had introduced to Jesus. Those who would consider him their spiritual father! I have seven biological children, and by God's grace, many spiritual ones! By God's design we are to continually be seeing children "born into His family by faith." In a similar way our hearts are connected to those "children". In a similar way we can take great delight in the progress of their faith.

The challenge today is to be prolific in our faith! There will be heartaches, but there will also be great joy!

2Jn

Love the truth! Walk in love! Don't compromise either for the other.

John loved all those who loved the truth, but encouraged them to "walk in love." Both truth and love need to be held in the highest place in our heart and neither should be compromised at any point! Those who fight for the truth without love become vicious in their defense of "doctrine" and actually do more harm than good. Those who fight for love without truth allow compromise and sin to do its work in the hearts and lives of people. This also leads to greater damage than good.

John wrote in his gospel that Jesus came, "full of grace AND truth". Both grace and love are the channels in which others are able to receive truth! Rarely will someone come to repentance and faith simply by being confronted with truth! When truth is presented through grace it actually comes across as love. This was what Jesus modeled. This is what John is instructing us to do.

Love the truth! Walk in love. Don't compromise either for the other.

1Jn5

How do you think John would answer this question; How can you know if someone is a christian? What have we learned from his book that he would say?

In this final chapter he says, "I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." He also said, "He who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life." I believe these are summary statements.

Without question, John taught that salvation is rooted solely in Jesus and one's response to Him. Yet, it is also in this letter that we have some of the strongest challenges to how a "true christian" lives. John was concerned for the sincere faith of God's people. I believe much of the challenge in our culture, and in his, was with those who would claim "faith" yet have no evidence of that faith as a pattern of their lives.

In the end only God knows who is saved! As I read and study this book, I am grateful for the conviction and life of the Holy Spirit in my life. It is only by God's grace that I can walk and live in these truths.

1Jn4

We love because we are loved by God. We primarily love ourselves apart from God. Without His love it would be impossible to "give" love to others. Without being connected to God, our resource of love totally dries up! God is love. He desires us to love each other with the same intensity as we love ourselves. His desire is for us to extend that love to absolutely everyone…even our enemies!

What does that look like in your life today? I know it is a struggle for me. Love on.

1Jn3

The confidence we can have that we are "in Christ" exist only when we are living for Him. John wrote, "If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of Him." And conversely, those who choose to do what they know is wrong, puts their faith in question. 

A believer will remain in Christ through difficulty and success. Anyone who "walks" the path only in times of ease hasn't demonstrated a choice to "trust and follow". God has lavished His love on us and we can trust Him. The world is calling us to "trust" something other than God, His word and His ways. Remaining in Christ means choosing to obey Him ESPECIALLY when it is difficult.

Live strong in faith today.

troy

1Jn2

"The one who says they know Jesus, yet is not willing to keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him." Strong words from the apostle John.

I think John would cringe at American christianity! If he could write a letter to us today, what kind of letter do you think it would be? I doubt it would be a happy letter. Here is a man who literally walked with Jesus. Here is a man whose life was change because of his relationship with Jesus. Here is a man who was brutally tortured because of Jesus. His words need to inform our christianity. His words are the words of God.

Without question both James and John question the claims of "christians". Even in the first century there were apparently those who were "posers". With their mouth they would say one thing and with their life declare something completely different. It is not unclear that John believed and taught that christians will distinguish themselves by their obedience to Christ. Yesterday the main thing was confession. Today the main thing is obedience.

If these were the two standards to measure true faith, how would we do?

1Jn1

All darkness in connected to sin! It is impossible to walk in the light without confessing our sins. Confession IS good for the soul. Confession is also a prerequisite for true fellowship. Sin is a cancer that destroys our lives. Left unconfessed it not only destroys us, but all of the relationships that we desire to be in fellowship with.

John describes Jesus as the "word of life". Jesus is light and there is no darkness in Him. If we "walk in the light" we will have fellowship with God and with each other. Sin is a certainty for all believers. Confessing sin is an option that will either secure or destroy our fellowship with God and each other. Anyone who chooses to live a life of confession will have the blessing of true fellowship with God AND others.

What sins are unconfessed in your life? Only a fool would choose to cover sin and allow it to have its long-tern damage on his life and those he loves.

Walk in the light.

2Pt3

The Lord is patient and does not want any to perish, but rather for all to repent and believe. If God's desire is for everyone to be saved, then why are so many lost? In fact, most according to scripture will be lost. Forever.

There are several answers to this question, but I believe the most biblical answer is simple. God's love makes a provision for all, but His justice requires judgement for all who reject Him. God can not suspend any of His attributes to make provision for another one. He has to be all loving and just at the same time. To reject Jesus is the only "unpardonable" sin. 

The believers Peter was writing to were suffering because of their faith under a ruthless and godless leader. Yet, it is in this context that Peter is expressing God's patience and desire that all would be saved. God's love is amazing.

2Pt2

One of the harshest, terrifying chapters in the bible!  A warning for anyone who chooses to disobey God and pursue sin. Peter was not unclear about those who have been exposed to the truth, yet choose to willfully sin. It is NOT a good plan.

Notice the two primary distinctives about them. They follow the polluting desires of their flesh and they despise authority. In other words, they do what they want to do even if it is wrong AND they won't submit themselves to anyone in their lives. They claim "freedom" but they themselves are slaves of corruption, "enslaved to whatever defeats them."

Peter says, "It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command." God is serious about sin in our lives! When we willfully choose to follow a godless path, it appears the consequences are unthinkable. This is not a happy chapter for anyone choosing to disobey Christ.

2Pt1

"Make every effort to confirm your calling and election". - Peter  I am shocked at the number of people who are confident that they are going to heaven who have no idea what God is like or what He desires of us! It is a fact that no work or amount of works can save us. We are saved purely by the righteous work of Jesus. It is His life, His death, and His resurrection that makes salvation possible.

BUT, it is also a fact that anyone who is truly saved has the life of God living in them. God's internal presence effects every aspect of our lives and drives us to know and follow Jesus. Verse after verse would challenge every "so called believer" to examine themselves and see if truly the Spirit of God dwells in them. There is no spiritual maturity apart from real effort! There will be no effort when there is no spiritual life! 

It is spiritual life that gives evidence to spiritual birth. God is serious about these things.

1Pt5

The Devil is real and he is seeking someone to devour today! Be alert and vigilant in your faith or it will be you and the ones you love.

Peter concludes this letter with some great warnings and encouragements. He wants us to be aware that Satan is truly out to destroy our lives. We need to be aware of his strategies. I don't know about you, but I rarely think about how much the devil is desiring to ruin my life. He is seeking to wreck me in subtle and overt ways. Satan's desire is to ruin the reputation of Jesus and he targets those who follow Him. As a Christ follower, you are under attack.

James taught us that attacks come through three primary channels: our sinful flesh, this fallen world, and directly from demons. We have recently seen how many times Paul mentions the demonic realm when he is instructing believers. He says, "put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against satan." There is a daily war going on.

What is the solution? Peter says, "be sober, be vigilant, humble yourself before God, resist the devil, draw near to God." There is no safer place than in the presence of God. Draw close to Him today.

1pt4

Our flesh "suffers" when we don't give it what it desires! Since sin continues to be the craving of our flesh, we all should be choosing to "suffer" in the flesh.

Peter writes, "the one who suffered in the flesh has finished with sin". Not referring to Jesus, but rather to us who choose to obey God like Jesus rather than continue in sin. Notice that he goes on to describe what he is saying. He says, "we have spent enough time in doing what pagans choose to do: carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and lawless idolatry." He is clearly referring to saying "no" to sin but yes to God.

Choosing to "not sin" today will be, in a sense, suffering! That is a novel idea to think about. When you deny yourself and choose to follow Jesus, there will always be suffering of one kind or another. It is the way of the cross. It is the way God produces fruit in our lives.

Choose to not sin! Refuse to give in to your flesh.

1Pt3

Loving God begins with getting your marriage right. The most obvious context to observe "christian living" should be in a christian marriage! No wonder the world is confused about the truth of scripture!

Peter is giving some clear instruction both to husbands and wives in this chapter. Instructions that desperately need to be followed. Both husbands and wives should submit to God and make much of their marriage. As marriages go, so goes the family. As the family goes, so goes the community. My prayer is that our church will be a witness in this community because of our great and healthy marriages.

Honor marriage by loving your spouse today. If you are not married, honor marriage in some way. Whatever is honored in a society will be cultivated there.

1Pt2

God's word to a christian is like milk to a newborn baby. Nothing is more essential to life and growth. 

I continue to be discouraged by the number of christians who are all but illiterate when it comes to the bible. Their fluency in television, the outdoors, sports and other things astound me. BUT when it comes to knowing the bible, it is as though they have been in prison camp with absolutely no time or opportunity to do anything but hard labor!

We need to value the word of God more. There is nothing like it and by reading and studying it, we can grow in our understanding of who God is and what He wants from us. I am grateful for the habit of daily reading God's word. I still am challenged by this chapter to "long for it like as newborn longs for milk."

Value God's word today by spending time reading and meditating on it.

1Pt.1

If being a christian meant committing to a life of suffering and persecution, would we still choose to identify with Jesus? This was absolutely the context of the recipients of this letter. They were all having to endure tremendous persecution because they were christians!

I wonder how God views our circumstances? I rarely, if ever, suffer because I am a Christ follower. Yet, for many believers around the world, suffering is the norm for them. And what's more, they are not coddled by Peter. They are told to endure the suffering in holiness and joy! He even says they are "being protected by God's power" in the midst of this suffering.

We should seek to get perspective from this book. How much is our confidence in God rooted in our circumstances? What if everything was striped from us because of Jesus and we were forced to suffer for our faith. I wonder how we would respond then. I am challenged to live in light of the sufferings of others. These are difficult thoughts.

Jm5

Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins. - James

James begins this chapter with a blatant condemnation of those who abuse riches! Wow. For those of us who have way more than our basic needs, pay careful attention to these verses. I can never read any verses about money and not be challenged with all that God has given me. These verses would apply to almost every person I know.

Luxury is living beyond what is necessary, having more than we need, etc. When I was in France, a rich country by world standards, I realized how luxurious America is! I am grateful that God has entrusted me with much as an American. Every day I enjoy the "luxuries" of life. Even now, I am sitting in my beautiful 4 season room, on a comfortable couch, drinking coffee from a Kurig, in clothes taken from a large assortment, having freshly showered in my own bathroom, with my electronic in hand and another in my pocket, etc.. I promise this chapter applies to me…and most likely you!

God is calling us to "not sin" with our wealth and we should help each other to think less about ourselves and more about others. Money and wealth are not evil. In fact, the bible teaches that they are a gift from God. It becomes evil when we "love" money and stuff rather than "use" money and stuff to honor God. 

James' basic teaching is simple. Anyone who lives for this life will have only the possibility of having a good life now. Even then, life will always have struggles. Whoever lives this life with God and His purposes in mind, even if their life is full of struggle, will have tremendous riches for all eternity. Live with eternity in focus.

Great chapter today.

Jas4

Submit to God. Resist the Devil. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. 

James gives us three ways of thinking about the same thing! Do you want to be under the blessing, protection and direction of the living God? Or do you want to be under the "wisdom" that is earthly, natural and demonic which he talked about in the previous chapter? Seems like an obvious answer, right? Yet so often we want to pretend that we want God while willfully going our own way. Some would even boast about their "nearness to God" in the midst of their rebellion.

Submit means to order your life under. To actually "do" what God wants us to do. Not to talk about what God wants, but to actually "do what He says". James teaches that faith is evidenced in obedience to God.

Resist means to intentionally move away from something that is seeking to draw you in! The source of our non-submission is Satan himself. He uses this world's ideas and our sinful flesh to draw us into rebellion. It is our natural bent, so we must "resist" what comes natural to us.

Nearness is a term that communicates proximity. If you are under something it is safe to say you have drawn near! Anytime we are obeying God by choosing to have faith in what He says, we are placing our lives under His care. 

Draw near to God today. The other options will end poorly.

Jm3

"We all stumble in many ways." This is a fact. It is not an excuse to sin! Nor is it a justification for sin! We all know that the old, "everyone is doing it trick" generally leads us down a bad path.

James is a clear and concise writer. There is little question what he is trying to lead us to do and be. His basic point is simple. If you are a Christ follower, your life should reflect that reality. Jesus wants to transform every part of us. He generally begins by cleaning up our mouths!

Pursue Christ's wisdom today.

Jm2

If we show favortism, we commit sin. You can't get clearer than that! When we treat people differently because of their income, dress, attractiveness, athleticism, or anything else, we are acting outside of the direction of Christ. According to this text, we should see every person the same and treat them the same.

Everyone struggles with favoritism. What can we do to remove this sin from our hearts? What habits can we develop that will make a change in the way we see others regardless of external appearances? Did you pick up on the challenge Wednesday from Hebrews 13? It says, "Don't neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as quests without knowing it." Are you kidding me?!

The first step to dealing with favoritism is deciding to obey God when it comes to others. Stop categorizing people and start loving them. All of them! Secondly, we need to learn to show "hospitality" to others. Hospitality simply defined is, "loving strangers". Decide to extend love to anyone you don't already know. It could be a pleasant greeting or an invitation to lunch. Stop being selfish and start loving people.

Who knows, you might actually begin to enjoy it.

Jm1

Man's anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. Have you ever tried to produce righteousness through anger? That never works! 

I find that parents often will attempt to "anger" their children into right behavior. They believe that somehow their anger will cause their kids to pursue the right path. Trust me. I have tried that method. Once again, I found God's word to be true and my methods to be flawed. In fact, man's ways tend to produce the opposite results. Children parented with anger tend to become angry children. 

Love, not anger should motivate our parenting. Love is active. Anger is reactive. Notice the context for which anger is discouraged in relationships. James writes, "be quick to listen, slow to speak, and even slower to become angry." Listening is one of the greatest expressions of love.

Notice also that anger is not the sin. Sometimes anger is the most appropriate response to a particular situation. It is not anger that is sin, it is the ease for which we become angry. All of us should be SLOW to anger. QUICK to listen.

Be a listener today.

Hb13

Your life should be free from the love of money. If it is not, you are preparing yourself for all kinds of heartache. Contentment is not a factor of finally having everything I want. Rather, it is a factor of realizing I have everything I need in Christ. Are we satisfied with Christ?

How often do you make life decisions based on money? What would you be giving your life for if you weren't doing your job for money? How much money does it take for you to be content? How hard do you work to give generously to the things that really matter? These are all great questions that reveal the reality of our hearts.

In my self examination, I am coming up…selfish. There are days that I only do my job because I need a job in order to pay my bills! Some days the "work" of ministry is the last thing I would choose to do. I have learned that contentment in life is generally higher among countries who are poor than countries who are rich. I have also learned that the rich are generally the poorest when if comes to generosity. On average, christians give 2% away regardless of how much they have, whether it is 10 thousand or 10 million. Why is that?

God save us from ourselves! Help us to live lives that truly reflect that our trust is in you.

Hb12

Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness - without it no one will see the Lord. No one likes conflict, but peace relationally without holiness is the formula for people having even greater brokenness. Often love requires speaking the truth to someone even when you know it will erupt "peace" relationally. Keeping the peace is not a higher value than pursuing holiness!

In most cases, pursuing peace is a direct result of wanting to be holy (right with God). Generally, brokenness is not a result of someone not wanting to follow Jesus, but rather caused by interpersonal sin. The author of Hebrews is declaring true christian values. When possible, we should be at peace with every relationship in our lives. But we should never pursue peace at the expense of holiness! Without holiness our relationship with God is at war.

Pursue peace with all people, but never at the expense of obeying God.

Hb11

How short sighted is your faith? Faith is best seen in someone when they are not getting what they want! These heroes of faith "all died WITHOUT receiving (in their lifetime) what was promised", yet they are the examples for us to follow. 

Like most christians, I want God to do His work in my lifetime. I generally connect my "faith in God" to something very temporary. I often forget that God's perspective on my life and my perspective on my life are extremely different. When I reduce God's work to my lifetime, I am generally not living in faith. I am calling what I want God to do faith!

Faith is complete trust and confidence in God regardless of what He does specifically with me or my life. It is trusting that the life that is to come is far greater to live for than this present life. Take Moses for an example. "He chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the short-lived pleasures of sin."

All of these men and women died in faith. All of them are glad they lived, not for this life, but for the life to come. Live by faith today.

Hb10

"Let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works." Now this is a "concern" that we should all embrace!

As a pastor, one of my least favorite words is this word, "concern". Generally it goes like this. Pastor, I have a "concern" about so in so, or this or that. What that usually means is, something is going on and they don't like it and want me to do something about it. Generally the word is used because it makes people feel like the issue is coming from a sincere place in their heart. Sometimes it is. Generally it is not. What is generally true is they are saying, "I don't like this. It makes me angry. I want you to change things to make me happy."

In this passage the writer teaches us that we should be "concerned" for others and especially for the church. What should "concern" each of us should be how we can help promote love and good works! Wouldn't it be awesome if we chose to "concern" ourselves not with what bothers us, but rather with what would promote love in relationships and what would encourage others to do good works?

Now that would be awesome.

Hb9

It is difficult to imagine that Jesus offered HImself as a sacrifice for me and you. It was His perfect life, offered as a sacrifice before God, that gives us the freedom to stand in God's presence free from condemnation.

Think about the price that was paid for our relationship with God. No one has ever done anything that would compare to what Jesus has done. He exchanged His life for ours. He died a criminal's death so we could have a kings life forever. Think about the love. Choose to live a grateful life.

Hb8

If someone you know doesn't know Christ, how big of a deal is that in your relationship? Nothing is more important than knowing Christ. His desire for us is that we would share His life with others. 

There is a day coming for all of us who know Him when everyone will know Him. That day will last for eternity! That day will also represent the day when the ability to know Jesus is forever passed. For now, those of us who know HIm have an opportunity to help others to know HIm.

Be intentional in your relationships today. What a person believes about Jesus is a big deal. We should strive to know Him more and we should live to help others come to know him.

Hb7

Only Jesus saves! Based on the power of an indestructible life, He has become a guarantee for all who put their faith in Him. "He is able to save those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them." I am so grateful my faith is in Jesus.

Everyone needs leadership. Every leader is flawed…except one. Only by placing our sincere trust in Jesus can we be saved. It was His life, His death, and His standing before God righteous that gives me an opportunity to stand before God as well. He alone saves. He is the only priest who can forgive sins and justify us before a holy God.

That is something worth worshiping Him for today.

Hb6

What "anchors" your soul? When all is said and done, what are you putting you hope in? The writer of Hebrews draws attention to the only reality that can be trusted for eternity…Jesus. "We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure."

As the storms of life continue to push in on our lives, let them draw us to Jesus. Most things last only for a moment in time. The greatest joys rarely endure for more than a few hours, days or years. The deepest sorrows last for only a few hours, days or years. Hope in Christ endures for eternity. In the end, it is the thing that matters most.

Fix your hope on Jesus. He alone will not disappoint. 

Hb5

"Jesus is the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." Don't be too lazy to take the time to understand and believe this. It is the greatest reality in life to discover.

Hb4

Nothing is hidden from God. All of our actions are seen by Him and we will give an account! In time, everything will be revealed. For many this is a scary thought. For those who have confessed their sin and placed there faith in Jesus, it is a comforting reality. The burden of sin is too heavy to carry. Jesus invites all of us to forsake our sin and place our faith in Him. 

We have the opportunity to truly enter into God's rest. He accomplished all of the work for us from the beginning of time. Jesus was "tested" and proven. Jesus paid for sin for all those who have placed their faith in HIm. We now have the privilege of "approaching the throne of grace with boldness". Because of Jesus, we can receive mercy and not judgement from God.

This is good news today.

Hb3

No one walks away from God intentionally. They are hardened by sin and deceptively led down that destructive path. Our job as believers is to encourage each other to walk daily and closely with Christ!

It is a fact that our lives are a natural drift AWAY from God. Nothing about our natural tendencies and desires would put us close to Him. Without Jesus we are desperately lost and without hope. Without the encouragement of others, we would be aimlessly following our own way deep into sin's destruciton.

Verse 12-13 says it well, "Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God. But encouraged each other daily, while it is still called today so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception."

Be encouraged today.

Hb2

Through Christ's death He destroyed the one holding the power of death, and freed those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. Because of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, we have nothing to fear! Jesus suffered the the ultimate penalty for sin (death) for us so that we could experience the ultimate reward of a righteous life (eternal life).

Because of Jesus, we are included in the family of God. The author of Hebrews states clearly, "Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers!" Imagine that. We are the ones in the family that truly don't belong. We are that awkward "brother" who could easily embarrass the family, yet Jesus is happy to call us family.

I never really had that thought before. Hmm. I am glad Jesus is not embarrassed to call me His brother! That is an awesome reality.

So here is the big question. Why would we be embarrassed to identify with Jesus. He is definitely the "cool" one in our family. We should all rush to identify with Him.

Hb1

I love the challenge of this book. Each time we come to it, I am eager to understand a little better. The truths contained in Hebrews are rich and not always easily accessible. Take your time each day to harvest the nuggets of truth it contains.

I love how the book begins exalting Jesus. "He is the radiance of God's glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word." Jesus is God and it is by His word that all of life is sustained. As I look to Him today, He will also guide the details of my life. This is exciting to think about.

Are you aware that Jesus is guiding and sustaining you? Are you looking for evidences of His hand at work in your life today? Are you looking to follow His leadership or are you hoping that He will simple bless your choices? He is worthy of our lives today. Choose to follow Him today. 

Phl

From a run away slave to a partner in the gospel! That is quite the turn around. Yet, that is the story of all of our lives when we encounter Jesus. Our sin pushes us far from God and His love captures us and puts us on a different path. Jesus changes everything…period.

Since He has changed your life, are you willing to give others the opportunity to change? I tend to identify people with their past behavior, while Jesus graces one's past and gives them an opportunity to obey Him with their present. This chapter is about forgiving the sins that others commit and letting them walk according to their current reality in Christ.

If you are running away from Christ today, repent and come home. You might be surprised how awesome the reunion can be.

Tt3

Be careful to devote yourself to good works. Without intentionality we tend to give ourselves to things that really don't matter. It is not the works that save us, but it is the works that God intends us to walk in.

There is a really fine line between works and salvation. It is a clear fine line, but a fine line none the less. There is no work or any amount of "works" that saves anyone! In this chapter we see Paul repeating that again, "He save us - not by works that we have done but by His mercy." Yet in the verses that follow he encourages every believer to "be careful to devote themselves to good works."

Paul never confuses the means of salvation, nor does he ever question the results of salvation. Many American christians are confused on both ends! They believe it is "good works" that actually save them, and others believe that "works" have nothing to do with salvation. Both are unbiblical and wrong. 

God saves people period. Once saved, those people will devote themselves to doing "good works". Salvation is a gift of God. Works are the results of salvation. Walk in good works today. Be careful to devote yourself to them. It matters.

Tt2

Grace is the best teacher! It teaches us to say "no" to godlessness and worldly lusts and to live a sensible, righteous and godly life. It keeps us focused on Christ's return and living with that reality in mind. The question is, are we listening to the instruction or completely ignoring it?

It is by grace that we are saved and it is by grace that we choose to live for Jesus. Walking in grace daily is not a easy choice. In fact it requires us to deny ourselves and to live opposite what our natural tendency would be. One clear example in this chapter would be the principle of submission. It was modeled by Jesus and it is the call of every believer. We are to submit to God, to authority, and to each other.

Submission is willingly placing our desires and needs secondary to those around us. It is laying down our life for others and making them more important than ourself. It is serving. It is making others the center of our life. Basic christianity is loving others and doing things to draw them to Christ. Idolatry is seeking Christ for our own personal good. That is not seeking Christ, it is seeking self.

Listen to Grace today.

Tt1

People profess to know God with their mouths, but by their lives they deny Him. Paul warned both Timothy and Titus of people like this! They say one thing and completely do another. He called them "detestable, disobedient and unqualified for any good work."

It is so important that we talk and act in a manner that is consistent. Our true beliefs are seen in our actions. God desires us to both speak and act in a way that bears witness to the reality of Jesus. This is especially true of anyone who desires to be a leader in the church. People are watching and taking note. Our lives matter.

Live one life! Let your words match your daily life. Live a life that is pleasing to Jesus.

2Tm3

What kind of people should we avoid? Paul instructs us on several occasions to "avoid these people!" but who are "these people"? And why would we do such a thing?

At face value based on the list in this chapter, we would have to avoid everyone! And everyone would have to avoid me! The list seems to be all inclusive. Most of us would fall victim based on "lover of self" alone! Not to mention proud, boastful, lover of money, disobedient, unloving, conceited, lover of pleasure, etc. The fact is all of us struggle with these things and we know that Paul is NOT telling us to avoid all human contact.

What he is saying seems to be clear. It is the same message he repeats to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians. As believers we are to avoid anyone who "holds to a form of godliness" but refuses to live by God's word. In other words, they say one thing and do a completely different thing. God has no effect on their sin and they have no ability to turn from it to follow Christ. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is not enough for them to choose to obey God. We are to not associate with any "so-called christian" who willfully continues to pursue sin. That seems to be clear.

But why? So that they would feel the pain of lost relationship and come back to the ways of Christ. And so that all of us would be careful to deal rightly with our sin and help others to obey the teaching of the bible. Satan is out to destroy all of us. If we refuse to do what God desires and go our own way, expecting God's affirmation, we are sorely deceived. It is often other believers who keep us on the right path. We need to help each other. 

Loving someone sometimes means "avoiding them".

2Tm2

How would you illustrate your pursuit of Christ? Paul challenged Timothy with three power examples of the kind of pursuit he wanted to see in him. 

Like a soldier. Someone who is suffering hardship as a part of the battle and faithfully listening and obeying orders. Not getting caught up in the "civilian affairs" so that he can be fully devoted to the commander.

Like an athlete. Someone who competes to win, knowing the rules of the game and the rules of engagement. Someone who has disciplined himself to know and live by the truth.

Like a farmer. Someone willing to put in the hard work to see the ground prepared, planted and harvested. Totally depending on God to produce the crop.

Would these illustrations describe your faith? Living for Christ is not easy. It takes a lifestyle of a soldier, athlete and a farmer. Put in the work. It is something to aspire to. 

2Tm1

Do you have a clear conscience? Have you sinned against someone and have not made it right? Can anyone say to you, "You hurt me and never made an effort to heal the brokenness?" 

Having a clear conscience is essential to effectively living for the gospel. It was Paul's pattern of leading and it was the way he encouraged Timothy to lead. Everyone sins. Everyone hurts others and sins against them. Not very many take responsibility for that sin and seek forgiveness. When your conscience is dirty, your ministry will be limited. Not only by the ones you have hurt, but also to everyone else.

How long has it been since you have asked anyone other than God for forgiveness? Asking forgiveness should be our regular practice. It is the path to a clear conscience. Having a clear conscience is a beautiful thing. Go for it. Make a list today of people you need to seek forgiveness from. It won't kill you. It will actually free you to truly live for Jesus.

Do everything you can to clean up the messes you have made. 

1Tm6

Do you want to be rich? If so, you are walking into a trap and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction. Money is not evil. To love money is one of the worst possible evils!

How we feel about money and what we do with it says everything about what and who we love. Jesus said, "where your treasure is, there your heart is also." The bible is clear that money is to used for God to advance His kingdom, not to build our own. There is no question in my mind that one of the things most Americans will have to account for is how poorly we stewarded the money God entrusted to us.

Would these words describe you in relationship to money? Steward. Rich in good works. Generous. Looking to share with others. Focused on how money can bring eternal reward. These are the words that Paul encouraged Timothy to instruct every believer who has more than they need when it comes to money. 

Are you content with the basics? Are you pursuing more and more for yourself? Are you loving God with the wealth that He has entrusted to you? This is a challenging chapter for every believer I know. Don't love money! It will leave you empty and eternally dissatisfied.

1Tm5

"Some people's sins are obvious, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others surface later." But never question, sin will always eventually surface and our sins will be accounted for. It is the best practice to confess sin quickly, turn from it daily, and keep yourself in tight accountability.

The battle to follow Christ is never easy! Unlike sinning, godliness doesn't come natural for any of us. If we want to become godly, we must resist our selfish desires to sin and discipline ourselves for godliness. It seems like in almost every chapter someone is turning from God in order to follow Satan. In this chapter it is women who would rather pursue an idle and unproductive life, rather than a life that pleases God.

It is a daily challenge to stay on course. Choose today to live a life free from sin and diligently pursue Christ. What will you do today that you would not have done unless you were wanting to please Jesus? Make pleasing Jesus a habit. It will be worth it.

Live strong. Fight the good fight.

1Tm4

Whatever you are committed to and practice, that is what you value. The question is: Are we committed to and practicing the right things? Paul encouraged Timothy to discipline himself to be godly. He told him to persevere in this discipline because it matters forever. He encouraged Timothy to set an example for other believers in speech, conduct, faith, love and purity. 

If every believer was as disciplined as you, how well would Christ be being represented in our culture? Your life as a christian matters and each of us should be working hard to become a better representation of Jesus. We should "pay close attention to our life and our teaching" because it does have an effect on us and on others.

We all have disciplines. We all are getting better at something. Make sure those things are the things that truly count.

1Tm3

How do you think about the "household of God"? Are you vitally involved in the family of faith? Would your local church see you as an attender, a member, a faithful contributor or a vital part of its functioning? 

Paul wrote this letter to instruct every believer on the importance of the local church. The church is God's plan for spreading the gospel in our communities. It is God's plan for spreading the gospel to the ends of the world. Each one of us should be using our God given gifts and resources to make our church everything God desires for her to be. It is the "family of God", "the pillar and foundation of truth". 

To often christians are under informed and under committed to their local church. In fact, God would desire for our church to be central in our practice of faith. Just as our family is essential to our daily lives, so our church should be "family" for daily living out our faith. The bible is not unclear on this principle.

Get vitally committed to your local church. 

1Tm2

First of all then…PRAY! Prayer should be the first thing we do, but generally it is our last resort. Sometimes we skip it all together. Prayer is essential if we want to encounter God and see Him work in our lives. Paul "urged" the believers to pray as a first priority. 

Notice also the people he encourages us prayer for. EVERYONE. When I was a kid I used to pray for "everyone in the whole world". I didn't realize how good of a prayer that was. Absolutely we are to pray for anyone we know personally, but we are to also pray for everyone. We should pray that God would save them. It is a prayer for the gospel to impact those who we come in contact with, but also a prayer for the gospel to come in contact with those we we never see.

My personal pray life is not very gospel centered. Mostly I pray for me and my needs, my family and their needs, and whatever else would make my life better. I think my prayer life is both selfish and not very gospel centered. I am going to seek to pray beyond myself today. Not that praying for those things is wrong, it is just not broad enough.

Think beyond yourself today. Pray bigger prayers.