Rv22

The last chapter of the Bible encourages us to live expecting Jesus' return! I believe those who received this letter personally assumed that Jesus would return in their lifetime. How much more should we expect the day is drawing near? Jesus said, "Yes, I am coming quickly."

God definitely thinks about time differently than we do. His patience has meant life to millions who have believed. His patience today continues to give opportunities for others to believe and for those who believe to live for His kingdom. As we close out 2014 and begin thinking about the possibility of another year, let us consider living as though this could likely be the last year... ever.

Live expectantly. Live intentionally.

troy

Rv21

Heaven will be awesome! There is nothing to compare it to on earth! God's glory will illuminate the city. God's presence will be the most vivid reality! Nothing profane or vile will be there. All the news will be good news.

Not so much today. We open every day with another report of bad news. Lives that are lost. Tragedy that has struck. Brokenness and pain abound. Today we will be surrounded by God's glory, but most everyone will miss it. Most of us will only have passing thoughts of God and His glory.

We will be caught up in the daily grind of life in the midst of sin. We will see glimpses of God's glory, but it will not be the focus of the day! 

Heaven will be awesome. Just saying.

Rv20

There is nothing more exciting than knowing that your name is written in the Book of Life. Everyone will be judged according to their works. Anyone who is pardoned will be pardoned by grace through faith!

I have often pondered the final day of judgement. These images are gripping. I wonder if one will be able to hear the collective beating of millions of nervous hearts standing before the judge? I wonder if all of us will be gripped with fear or if some will be calmed by the reality of the Holy Spirit is us?

Jesus told his disciples, "rejoice that your name is written in the book of life"! Now this is something to celebrate. 

Rv18

As we enter Christmas Eve, let this chapter sink deep into our souls. It is a warning against using wealth for our own luxury rather than using what God has given us for His good.

Every year there is a hesitation in my soul during Christmas. I love the celebration, the gathering of family and the exchanging of gifts. I love the times of worship and laughter. My hesitation is simply a question, "Is God pleased with me?" Have I used what He has give me in a way that honors Him?

I often wonder how the money we exchange each Christmas through gifts compares to our overall giving to God's kingdom each year. I am not a grinch at Christmas. I do think it is something to consider.

May God be pleased with all of us.

Rv17

There is no sin like sexual sin! It grips the soul and ruins one's conscience from the inside out! Even in the final judgement, sexual sin is the prominent enemy of mankind.

Keep yourself free from all moral sins. Everyone has to battle regularly with this beast! Whether it is lust of the eyes or the temptation to be unfaithful to marriage, sexual sin is always lurking. No one is free from it's temptation. There is no sin that is more shameful or gripping. 

It is so critical that we have accountability in our lives! Have you been completely honest with your spouse and others who care for your soul? Are there secret sins in your life? Being free from sexual sin begins with honest confession. Being free from sexual sin enables one to have joy in their faith and freedom in their life.

Fight hard for purity! It matters.

Rv16

We stand in awe of the lack of repentance in the last days, but I wonder what things God would call me to repent from today? It is easy to look at the failures of others and difficult to examine ourselves.

We all justify sin at some level. My prayer is that Christmas will be a time to celebrate Christ in full repentance and faith. To tolerate any sin is to forget the price that Jesus paid to set us free from sin.

Let's focus on making this Christmas about serving Christ.

Rv15

The songs of heaven will be riveting and powerful! To hear the survivors singing praise to God will be a moving experience. I can't imagine what that will sound like.

Singing in heaven will be amazing! Everyone will participate. Everyone will have a story to tell. Everyone will be engaged and focused on true worship. Oh that God's people would enter into worship fully before they get to heaven. I am saddened to see how many engage more at sporting events than they do in worship. I believe it is a reflection of what they truly worship.

Let our mouths proclaim true worship this season. Sing songs to the Lord with others who will gather in His name. Don't let silence be the expression of our worship to God! Give to God a gift of unhindered praise.

Rv14

We might not be able to fly or have the thunderous voice of an angel, but we can "proclaim the eternal gospel" to anyone who will listen! During this Advent season take advantage of every opportunity to talk about Jesus.

Invite a friend to worship. Take time to read Luke 2 with your friends and family. Seize an opportunity to pray with others who will gather in your homes. Make the most of these moments. When the angel of this chapter takes his turn to "proclaim the gospel", it will be too late for many.

Make the most of today.

Rv13

When Christ came at Christmas, the vast majority of the world had no clue that God's redemptive work had begun. God took on humanity and began the process of salvation for all, yet almost no one knew! The first Advent was humble and quiet.

It feels odd reading about "the beast" of Revelation 13 during Advent. My mind struggles to envision what the last days will actually be like. Will they be radically different from today? Will God be doing something supernatural again and most of the world have no clue that it is actually God doing it? Is that possible?

Jesus came the first Christmas in the most humble of ways. I don't believe His second coming will be anything like His first! People will still reject Him, yet no one will miss His final coming to earth.

Rv12

Knowing his time is short, Satan works hard to bring about destruction to God's creation…especially believers! Prepare yourself for battle today. Your enemy is looking to destroy everything that is good.

I think about the spiritual battle that is raging far too seldom. Reading Revelation reminds me of the truth of this spiritual battle, but still I am lulled into thinking it is not that big of a deal. When I think that way, the battle is being lost.

There is a real battle raging. There is a real enemy. Fight for your life and the lives of those you love today.

Rv11

As I read this chapter, I am again amazed at the terrifying nature of its detail. God's patience has run out and He continues to pour out His judgement on the earth.

Today we are living in God's patience. Let's take advantage of His goodness and kindness…especially at Christmas. For God sent Jesus into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world could be saved through Him.

Celebrate Christ today.

Rv10

Massive scary angels are the agents of God's righteous judgement! Nowhere in scripture are angels described as babies with wings and harps! Where did we get this idea? Angels are awesome creatures! Whenever men encounter them in scripture they are terrified. 

The angel of this chapter is no exception. Try to envision this angel standing on the sea and land as though both are solid ground. Imagine his size! Imagine the volume of his voice proclaiming, "The time has come!" It will be terrifying.

As I watch the news, I believe our world is preparing for Christ coming and God's judgement. In a sense, I am anxious for it to happen. In a sense, I am hoping it doesn't. Either way the thought of the end of time as we know it should cause us to live differently today.

Live with the end in mind! It might be today.

Rv9

"And the people still did not repent!" These are amazing words to me in this chapter. Even after all this judgement and wrath being poured out, people continued to worship idols and did not repent and turn to God! Wow.

Are we bull headed like them? What does God need to do to get our attention? What will it take for us to fully repent and follow Him. I pray I will never see this judgement! I pray even more that if I do, I will call others to embrace Christ and turn from following idols.

How are you liking Revelation? Crazy convicting stuff.

Rv8

Many people rarely read Revelation because of the awful destruction that is described for those who reject Christ! It will be devastating and complete. God's loving patience will someday come to an end and sin will totally be annihilated. 

I am grateful to be on the right team. I believe Jesus is the only way to God. I believe the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit and that every word will come true. I believe God's judgement is real and that He will devastate His own creation in order to satisfy His righteous anger toward sin. It will be horrific!

Do you believe this? Many do not. They choose to believe only what they want to believe. They pick and choose sections of the bible to embrace and sections to reject. As my dad says, "They believe the bible is inspired in parts and they are inspired to know which parts are inspired." Mostly, they reject anything that is difficult for them.

But it is Advent. It is not time to fear God's wrath. It is time to embrace His mercy and grace which came at Christmas.

Eminent bad news makes the good news even better.

Rv7

In heaven all racial and religious tension will be gone! With one voice we will all sing to the King of kings! People from every nation, tongue and race, with the angels and all created things, will be worshiping together. It will be awesome. Nothing will separate us then because we will be without sin and in the presence of God.

For today, we have so much tension. As believers, we should seek to have unity together and love for those outside the family of faith. The church should be leading the way for ethnic and racial unity. I pray that Cornerstone will be a church were true hospitality is lived out daily. Where "loving strangers" is a focus of all we do.

Work for unity today.

Rv6

When God unleashes His judgement, it will be violent and unrelenting! The seals will be opened and God's time of patience and mercy will be done!

I used to read this chapter with fear. Now it causes me to want more urgency in my life. Is today the day? This week in our Advent service we talked about peace. The peace that Jesus came to bring to all people. The peace of God which declares us no longer enemies but sons and daughters. This chapter describes that peace coming to an end!

We have a saying, "When all hell is unleashed!" None of these things will come from hell! It will be the releasing of God's heavenly judgement. When the skies are rolled back and God's righteous anger toward sin is totally unleashed! It will be a horrendous and overwhelming thing to experience.

Live with urgency today! It will all come to be.

Rv5

I cannot wait to hear the song of heaven! Every creature in heaven and earth and under the earth and in the sea will be singing with all of their might! They will sing, "Blessing, honor, glory and power to the Lamb." It will be amazing.

Imagine it! Every created thing, including us, will be singing a worship song to Jesus. Millions of people, and who knows how many angels and created things, singing together. It will be loud. It will be awesome. It will be free from comparison and insecurity. All out unhindered worship to the King! Now that is exciting.

And this is just a picture of a worship song in heaven. If the singing is this amazing, imagine what the rest of the time without time will be like.

Think about it.

Rv4

Outside of a the loss of a loved one, do we ever think about the reality of heaven. It is the eternal goal that we all seek, but rarely do we contemplate its reality.

I think more about upcoming sports seasons than I do about heaven! I think about future trips and vacations more than I think about heaven. I think about retirement more than I think about heaven. I think my thinking is messed up! How is your thinking? How often do you think about heaven?

I guarantee that after John saw this vision of heaven, he could not stop thinking about it! He likely never got the thought completely out of his mind. It was likely the topic of most of his subsequent conversations. His description of what he saw is totally amazing and literally "out of this world".

Heaven will be awesome. We need to think and talk about it more.

Rv3

Do we listen to what God is saying? Are our ears tuned in to the voice of the Spirit? It is tragic to not listen to the voice of God.

We constantly have voices that compete for our attention and affection. I don't know about you, but those who know me accuse me of not being a great listener. They likely wouldn't even call me a good listener! In fact, some actually say I am a bad listener. 

Listening is a great quality to have. It communicates love and value for the one speaking. Listening takes the attention off of self and puts it on to someone else. James, the brother of Jesus, said that we are to be "quick to listen".

How much more should listening apply to the voice of God? Are we listening? Are we taking the time to read God's word, to hear His voice and to obey what He says? Only fools don't listen to God.

Be a listener today.

Rv2

There is no question. God knows what is going on in our life. He sees from the inside out and His eyes are always on us. These letters to the churches are full of both commendation and rebuke. The challenge to every church is to not stray from what they know and to persevere to the end.

If your church were to receive a letter today from the apostle John, what do you think would be the commendation? What do you think would be the rebuke? What if the letter was written to you personally?

These are great questions to ponder. As we think about Advent and also anticipate Christ's return, we should be about the business of God's kingdom. Live today like we will give an account of our lives. We all know we will.

Rv1

What image comes to mind when you think about Jesus? Is it a gentle Shepherd or a mighty mighty King? The depiction of Jesus in this chapter is awesome! He is coming. Let's be among those who are waiting and ready.

For years I avoided reading and studying Revelation. I don't know why. Maybe it was the mystery, maybe it was the imagery. Maybe it was the arguments that often ensued. But whatever the reason, I have gotten over that now. I look forward to reading this book every time we get here!

I pray as we read this book together that God will give us several things:
1. A great desire for His return.
2. An eager heart to follow His ways.
3. An urgency to share His truth with those who don't know yet.

Join me in these prayers.

Jd

Jude urges us to "contend for the faith" in the midst of a godless culture. He also speaks boldly to the fact that much of that contention will be within the "gathered community".

Often the most destructive things in a believing community are not the attacks from the outside, but rather, the factions that emerge from within. Jude believed that not all those on the inside are truly on the "inside". These are the ones we should guard most vigilantly against.

Jude's solution was to continue to build ourselves up in faith, to pray that the Holy Spirit will keep us loving God and each other, and to expect the mercy of Jesus to be on our lives.

These are strong words.

3Jn

Happy Thanksgiving. Be careful to follow only what is good. These are wise words from the apostle John.

We all are followers! We don't choose to be followers, we only choose "who and what" we will follow.

Making sure that the leadership in our lives is excellent should be one of our highest priorities.

2jn2

"This is my command: Love one another!" It is not a new command, just a very hard one.

It is this command that matters most. When we drift from love, we are drifting from God.

Don't let life stop you from loving each other. Give yourself to loving others. In this way we fulfill God's desires for us.

1Jn3

If faith is measured in the way that we love others, how great is our faith?

Loving God is expressed in loving others. Loving others is the greatest evidence that we truly love God.

Live in love today.

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1Jn2

Do not love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world the love of the father is not in him.

These are strong words! Clearly John was saying the world and God's desires are in conflict.

Consider these things today. What does it mean for us?

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1Jn1

There is no fellowship with God or others apart from confession!
Being honest about our sin is step one in our relationship with God. Being willing to share our sins with others is step one in our fellowship with one another.
Living in a relationship with one another is living with the reality that we all sin.
Confess your sins. It is a freeing thing to do!

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2Pt3

What kind of people are we to be? Peter knew the Lord's promises were true. He also knew that it would be difficult to wait for His return. And difficult to live for Christ in culture. Yet, his encouragement was that it would be worth it. Eternity will be blessed for those who live in light of Jesus' return.

2Pt2

What are our hearts trained in? These "blasphemes" have their hearts trained in greed.
From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. What will we talk about today?
I pray our hearts are full of the gospel and that we will speak of Christ.

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2Pt1

God has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Therefore, Peter encourages each of us to make "every effort" to confirm our salvation and grow in character.

All believers manifest the "same faith" in God. Peter knew how that faith changed his life completely and he expected salvation to change the lives of everyone in the same way. He was not content with anyone simply "calling themselves a christian". He wanted to see growth and effort put into their faith.

Good parents want their children to grow and mature. For them to maximize their abilities and to have an impact on the culture around them. We want our kids to become "productive members of society". Peter wanted the same of spiritual children. For them to be productive and fruitful christians, who were making a difference.

Are we growing in our faith? Are we making a difference with those around us? We should be. We won't be without focus and effort.

1Pt5

"Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resist the proud but gives grace to the humble."

Yesterday we were challenged to have an intense love for one another and today the challenge is to be humble. To think of others more highly than we think of ourselves. To serve others rather than to be served.

Pride comes naturally! Humility takes work. God resist the proud, He assists the humble. I don't know about you, but I much prefer God help over God's resistance. 

Humble yourself today.

1Pt4

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

I doubt anyone would describe the effort I put into loving others as "intense"! Generally, that word is used to describe physical workouts, athletic competition or vain pursuits. When something is intense, it consumes the moment and involves all our energy. Most of the time, intensity is used to describe something in a negative way. 

In fact, I can't remember ever hearing someone associate intensity with the way someone loves others! Can you imagine that? Do you know anyone who could rightly be described as "maintaining intense love for others"? Most of us only love ourselves with that kind of intensity. What would pursing love for others in this way even look like?

Notice Peter's reason for this request…forgiveness. He is wanting believers to maintain right relationships. He recognizes the need for forgiveness in all relationships because of sin. He knows love fuels forgiveness. Without love, forgiveness is next to impossible. With love forgiveness is common place.

Do you struggle to forgive others? Intensify your pursuit of love.

1Pt3

Has anyone ever asked you to share the gospel with them? Would you be ready to share if they did?

Peter said, "Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about he hope you have." I want to live my life in a way that causes others to ask. Sharing the gospel is easy when someone asks you to share it with them. And we all know how much people need to know.

Pray for me this week. I am hoping many in Albania will be asking me to share with them about the hope I have in Christ. Pray others will get to go to heaven because I got to go to Albania.

1Pt2

Submission is a quality that every believer should strive to have as a priority! First to God and then to every authority established by Him.

The believers Peter was addressing were being persecuted and even put to death for their faith! Yet, Peter encourages submission. He says, "Submit to every human authority because of the Lord...Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the Emperor." This is so countercultural to us!

Americans rarely submit to good authority, much less authority that is harsh and evil. Try to wrap your mind around this principle. Look how highly God values His ultimate authority. Submission is a beautiful character quality.

Strive for it.

1Pt1

Peter emphatically described life in Christ as being "born again" (v.25). His challenge was to live according to this new reality. He recognized that we lived in ignorance before knowing Christ, but challenges us to now live in obedience to Him. 

The word he uses to describe this new way of living was "holy". By this he means, set apart specifically for God. No longer living to please ourselves but living to pleas Him. Letting our minds and actions reflect a new reality to our lives. Caring more about the eternal dwelling that is coming than the present realities of the day.

Holiness is not being odd! Holiness is living in obedience to Christ. If we do today what God would desire, people would not think us "odd" but rather, exemplary. Make choices today that reflect the reality of belonging to Christ. That is holiness.

Js5

"Confess your sins to one another and pray for each other and you will be healed." 

When is the last time you actually confessed sin to someone else and asked them to pray for you? This should be the pattern of our christian relationships. Confession and prayer should be common place in the church among believers. We know we all sin. We know we all need prayer. Rarely do we confess our sins to each other and rarely do we pray for each other.

I wonder how many of us would say,  "I never have confessed my sin to another christian and asked them to pray for me." I fear it would be to many of us. Healing from sin comes through confession and prayer. If you want to be free from your sins, begin by confessing them to others and asking them to pray for you.

It will be freeing.

Js4

Why is it so easy to criticize others? Mostly, because it's sin! Almost all sin is easy.

James writes, "Don't criticize one another…". Instead, we should work to build each other up. The opposite of critical is encouraging. Are we more encouraging or critical?

Encouragers are people who everyone wants to be be around. Not people who flatter or give false praise, but actually people who recognize things that are going well. Encouragement is the key to caring. Seeing the good is the key to gratitude.

Look to eliminate a critical spirit from your life.

Js3

Bitter envy and selfish ambition are the enemies of unity! Work hard to remove these from your heart and the hearts of those around you.

James is clearly describing how words are used to destroy unity! From teachers to individual conversations, words either build up or destroy unity. Solomon wrote a lot about our words in the book of proverbs. He said, "words have the power of life and death". Let's be the kind of people who use words to bring life!

Bitter envy is a horrible thing! Envy is a desire to have something someone else has. Bitter envy is not only having a desire for something, but actually not wanting the person who has it to have it anymore! People who struggle with bitter envy actually celebrate the failures of others. What a horrible way to be.

Selfish ambition is the inordinate desire to be first, the best or to win. It focuses on exalting ourselves in relationship to others. People who struggle with this sin focus on themselves. They are unable to rejoice with the success of others unless they have had even greater success. Win or lose their happiness is connected to their personal statistics!

These people bring disunity to every environment they are in. They make teams and organizations worse. They are the reason factions and problems happen. Don't be among this group. Work for the success and unity of everyone!

Js2

Do we show preference to rich people over the poor? If so, our hearts are not focused on the ways of God.

Historically the rich and the beautiful are given preferential treatment! These are things that cultures have valued since the beginning of civilization. These are values that continue to destroy, corrupt and ruin our culture.

The royal law is, "Love your neighbor as yourself." When we give preferential treatment to others, we violate this royal law. Everyone needs love, not just the rich and the beautiful. If we choose to love people period, we will begin to reflect the love of Jesus.

Love people as people regardless of their external appearance or financial status.

Js1

The most accurate reflection of who we are is not a mirror, but rather the word of God! Anyone who knows the word yet doesn't do it, is like a person looking in a mirror but immediately forgets what he looks like once he stops looking.

We commonly hear, "actions speak louder than words." We rarely hear, "I have been observing your life and I want to know your God." Jesus said, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they will see your good works and glorify God who is in heaven."

James will clearly say in his book that our works matter. We don't work to "earn" salvation, but if we have salvation it will be seen in our works. Thinking yourself religious, yet not doing the things God desires is self deceit.

Live like a christian today. Do something honoring to God.

Hb13

Who do we want to be like? Is it a godly person? If not, we should redirect our attention.

We become like the people we admire. We also pursue the things that we value. If we are not admiring godly people and if we are not pursuing God's desires, the end result will be heartache for us.

In this chapter we are encouraged to "carefully observe, imitate and submit to" leadership in our lives. We are to pursue leaders who will lead us to greater godliness. Leaders who will model the things listed in this chapter. Things like loving people they don't know, caring for the hurting, honoring their marriage, living content and not loving money!

Who do we know like this? Are these qualities true of us? Are we following these kinds of people? I pray so.

Hb12

Those the Lord loves, He disciplines. If we can walk in disobedience to God and not experience His discipline, we might need to check out the true nature of our relationship! 

Good fathers use loving discipline to train and shape their sons. Even more so with God! This is not a tame chapter and God is not a passive father. He has made a way for us to be his sons and His expectation is that we would live according to His desires.

My father expected certain things of me as a "Nesbitt". He would say, "remember who you are." He would also expect certain things of me as a christian. He would say, "be a missionary, not a mission field!" 

I will never forget these words.

Hb11

Faith is more about trusting God when you DON'T get what you want than about having hope that you will get what you want. Often "faith" is confused with "want" and generally, modern "faith" is rarely directed toward forever!

Notice these verses. This is the greatest chapter on faith in the bible! These are the heroes of faith! Look closely at what is said, "All these died in faith WITHOUT receiving what was promised." Yet they were not disappointed because their faith was not rooted in this world, but in the world to come.

Faith that is rooted in this life is not biblical faith! All of the promises of God are rooted in faith. All of the promises of God are fulfilled in the life to come.

Where are we placing our faith? If it is for this life, we will be disappointed.

Hb10

What is concerning you today? Is it "How can I encourage others to love more and do more good works?" If not, you are not living out this chapter.

As a pastor I often get complaints about almost everything. The "code" word for a complaint is this word, "concern". You have heard this before. It goes like this, "I have a "concern" for …". Then they go on to tell me about something or someone they don't like, or something that happened that wasn't to their approval. 

What if our major concern as believers was to literally "concern ourselves" with how to encourage others to be more loving and to engage in more good works! Wouldn't that be a culture changing dynamic? What a challenge it would be for us to all think about ways to motivate those we know in this way.

This is a reality that should be being experienced in our christian community. Are we helping or hurting that? What is concerning us?

Hb9

"But now He has appeared one time... for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of Himself." Jesus is the perfect high priest!

I am so grateful to be living on this side of the cross. Before Jesus came only one man, one time a year could enter into the presence of God. Today, those of us who have trusted Christ can enter in to God's presence multiple times a day!

What a privilege we have in Jesus' sacrifice.

Hb8

Does your relationship with God feel more like a legal contract or an intimate relationship? Is it based on an external set of rules and regulations, dos and don'ts or on love and affection? 

The old covenant was not able to bring about lasting change. Its purpose was to lead us to Jesus. Now that Jesus has come, we can have a true relationship with God built on all that He has done. Jesus has made it possible for us to have an intimate relationship with the living God! It is available to us. Do we have it?

Hb7

Jesus offered Himself for sins "once for all", and "He is always able to save those who come to God through Him." This is an awesome promise!

We all need people to help lead us to God. From the time of Abraham, God established ways for us to demonstrate our dependence on Him and our need for forgiveness. Giving a tithe (one tenth) of everything one has and offering sacrifice for sins was and is to be the pattern of God's people.

Today there is no Mosaic law that requires either tithing or animal sacrifice! Why? Because Jesus gave Himself and He was the perfect sacrifice for sins. Therefore, Jesus has completed the requirements of the law. Praise be to God for that.

The requirement is now gone, but the principles still remain. The law didn't exist until Moses, but Abraham preceded Moses by hundreds of years. The writer of Hebrews is putting all of His "faith" in Jesus who fulfilled the law and encouraging that "faith" to produce actions; not through law, but rather by faith.

Live by faith today.

Hb6

An inadequate anchor makes one subject to the winds and waves of the day! Having Jesus as "an anchor for our lives" brings stability regardless of the storms of life. He is safe and secure.

I have had some experience with anchors! Mostly bad. My only good experiences have come when the weather was calm. Who really needs an anchor in calm weather? Whenever I needed an anchor to combat the wind and waves, my anchor never held! In fact, my anchor became the frustration of the day…more than the wind and the waves!

What are our lives anchored in? If it is anything but Jesus, there is a storm coming that will thrash your anchor. Only Jesus can truly anchor one"s soul.

Hb5

Don't be lazy when it comes to understanding the things of God! It will cost you more than you can possibly know.

"Solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been TRAINED to distinguish between good and evil." Be among those who have trained themselves to feast on the solid food of God's word. Don't settle for the basic understanding of the gospel. Want to know God! Work to know Him!

I would hate to be one of the ones talked about in this chapter. Basically the writer is saying, "I would love to talk to you about so many things concerning God, yet you are unable to understand because you have not spent time getting to know Him and His word." I would so want to be "ready" and eager to learn anything that others would have to share with me concerning God.

Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.

Hb4

Nothing is hidden from God. All things are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we will give an account.

Our thoughts, motives and actions are always visible to God. Let His constant awareness of our reality lead us to live for Him. It is not a drudgery, it is a joy! Imagine living in such a way that we would be excited for God to be watching. This is the intention of these verses!

Yet, most of the time, we see them as correctives. They are only correctives when we are choosing to disobey or do things that are sinful. Have you ever thought about the fact that much of our joy in relating to God is directly connected to our obedience? 

Live to please God today.

Hb3

Which family most defines who you are? Your biological family or your adopted family? As believers, we are members (by adoption) of the family of God!

We live in a culture where the core building block is being destroyed. Most of us desire to be identified as "individuals" and are offended if someone categorizes us with a particular group. Even if that group is our own family. We often push away from other members of our family and say, "we are not like them."

We need to remember that God created humans to live in committed relationships with each other. Marriage and family was God's intentional gift for all of us! The church is His household and we are individually members of it. Our identity should be found in Christ and that identity is clarified in our believing community, which is the "household" of God.

Live like you belong to God's family. 

Hb2

Jesus is our merciful and faithful high priest. He has delivered us through faith from the fear of death; the consequence of sin.

Once again, we find ourselves swimming in the deep end of the pool in this book. Notice the truths highlighted in this chapter. First, Satan used to hold the ultimate power card…death! Since we had no way to deal with sin, we were all destined for hell. Jesus has freed us from the fear of death through His sacrificial life! And third, Jesus understands what we are going through as men because He became "like" us.

God's love is constantly on display through all He has made and all He has given to us. God's faithfulness is displayed in the fact that He sent Jesus on a rescue mission to set us free from the ultimate consequence of sin; death. And God's mercy is on display by offering us freedom from His judgement through faith in Jesus.

This chapter warns us to not neglect this amazing opportunity offered by God.

Hb1

This book is the deep end of the pool! Let's dive in together.

In this first chapter alone many different Old Testament passages are quoted and put together! Basically the author is saying, the whole OT is about Jesus! And if you are thinking angels are awesome, know that Jesus is way more awesome than angels.

I love this verse, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word."

Join the angels in worshiping Jesus today. He is worthy of our worship. Worshiping anything less is idolatry.

Hb1

This book is the deep end of the pool! Let's dive in together.

In this first chapter alone many different Old Testament passages are quoted and put together! Basically the author is saying, the whole OT is about Jesus! And if you are thinking angels are awesome, know that Jesus is way more awesome than angels.

I love this verse, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word."

Join the angels in worshiping Jesus today. He is worthy of our worship. Worshiping anything less is idolatry.

Ph1

The joy of something permanently gained outweighs the pain of its temporary loss.

Paul told Philemon that "perhaps you were separated from him for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently." Onesimus left a rebellious slave. He returned a brother in Christ. 

Often our running from a situation leads us home in a more permanent way! This is my pray for everyone who has left a situation bringing brokenness to their households. May each of them find Christ who will lead them home in a permanent way.

This is an awesome book. Onesimus' imprisonment, likely from rebellion, brought him in contact with another prisoner…the apostle Paul. It was perhaps "God's plan". We can never run outside of God's loving arms.

Tt3

Since we have placed our faith in Christ, our whole life should be devoted to advancing HIs kingdom!

Faith is not only about insuring our eternal home in heaven, it is about learning to live in this life in a manner that is fruitful and productive. Multiple times in this book we are called to "good works". What is that? Are we living like that?

Notice the call in this chapter alone; "be ready for every good work" (v.1), "be careful to devote themselves to good works" (v.8) and, "learn to devote themselves to good works." (v.14). That is three times in this one chapter alone. Good works are definitely Paul's objective for everyone who believes.

Notice also the descriptive words that precede good works; "be ready", "be careful", and "learn." This implies that we can actually miss the opportunity and, or miss the mark completely. We are to intentional live our lives for God and His purposes. How are we doing? What should change?

Tt2

Are the qualities of our live commensurate with our stage of life? How do you stack up to the things in this chapter?

Are you an older man who is worthy of respect, sensible, sound in faith, love and endurance? Are you an older woman who is reverent, not slanderous or addicted to wine, able to teach younger women how to love their husbands and be productive both at home and work? Are you a young man with self-control who is an example to others in good works? Are you a young woman who is learning to be the kind of "older woman" younger women want to emulate?

This chapter has a challenge for all of us. Pick your category and examine each quality. What should we be working on? Make it a family discussion.

Tt1

What kind of men does our county, church and family need? The answer is in this chapter. 

If you are a man, are you this kind of man? If you are a woman, are you encouraging the men in your life to be this kind of man? Notice what God values. Notice how different it is than the normal "manly pursuits" of our culture.

Look at the list:

Hospitable = lover of strangers. When was the last time you reached out to someone you don't know?

Lover of Good = Are you more likely to point out positive or negative things?

Sensible = Are you level headed and valuing the right things?

Righteous = Are your relationships broken or healthy?

Holy = What is actually true of your relationship with Jesus? Is it your goal to be "like" Him?

Self-controlled = Are there any habits or negative qualities that rule your life?

Student of the Word = How well do you know and teach the truths of the scriptures to others?

This is the standard which God measures. This is a standard that is all but lost in our culture. Be a man of God. Value men of God. It is the way to a more healthy you. It is the way to a more healthy family. It is the way to a more healthy church. It is the way to a more healthy culture.

2Tm4

Do you ever wonder what spending time with the apostle Paul would have actually been like? What level of intensity would he have brought into the meetings? Do you think you would have gladly followed his leadership or been resistant? 

Paul had no shortage of conflict, from those outside his team and inside his team. He had strong leaders and emerging leaders. People who followed him with pure motives and those who followed for selfish gain. At times he was tender, at times he was harsh. His written words were weighty and powerful, his ability to win a crowd verbally was "unimpressive". 

I really do wonder what he was like. Would we have been friends? Would I have been on his team? I often discover, after getting to know someone personally, that people are generally not like I thought they were. My ability to "know" someone from a distance is rarely the person that I come to know.

I pray Paul and I would have been close. Honestly, I give it 50/50. That bums me out a bit.

2Tm3

The descriptive list in this chapter would describe most people I know! Am I really to "AVOID" these people? Is everyone supposed to avoid me?

I often think we minimize Paul's words. In the name of gentleness and kindness talked about in the last chapter, we fail to confront people with sin. Mostly because we don't want to be confronted. Look closely at the list: lover of self, lover of money, boastful, proud, blasphemer, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderer, no self-control, brutal, no love for good works, traitors, reckless, conceited, loves pleasure more than God, yet calls himself "christian".

God is calling us to a different kind of life. He is calling us to holiness. It has never been easy. It has always been worth it.

2Tm2

The Lord's servant must not quarrel but be gentle to everyone…and patient!

Which describes you better? Quarrelsome or gentle? Are you more likely to get in an argument or settle one down? Are you the person who brings peace to environments or one who stirs things up? Not to mention adding patience to the equation.

Anyone who knows me, knows that this is a great verse for me to meditate on. Learning to follow Jesus requires a lifetime of change.

I am glad God is gentle and patient with me.

2Tm1

Loving God is about loving people. Paul's love for Timothy and his continuous prayers for him and others, evidenced his sincere faith.

Most of us, when we think about our relationship with God, primarily think about ourselves. Actually the gospel is the fuel that engages our life in a journey with God. Knowing Jesus should cause us to want to live for Him. Living for Him should move us to think less about ourselves and more about others.

Who are we praying for today? Who are we looking to bless? Let the gospel get us beyond yourself!

1Tm6

Money and greed grip our hearts! We are rich. We are greedy. Two facts that few admit. 

I heard recently at a conference that the average American believes "rich" is anyone who earns twice as much as they do. It doesn't matter if they earn $50K or $1M annually, the "rich" person is NOT them. At the same conference, our leader and author on this subject, said that even a group of people with over $5M is liquid expendable cash did not consider themselves "rich"! Our culture is sick.

If you earn over $30K annually, you are in the top 1% of the wealthiest people in the entire world! Check out globalrich.com. Put yourself in the system and see where you stand. Now ask yourself, "Am I rich?" The answer is yes. Now ask yourself, "Am I rich toward God?"

Don't miss the heart of this chapter. It is to encourage us to pursue the "life that is real". Life that is real is a life lived and spent on things that are eternal.

1Tm5

What is "obvious" in our walk with Christ? Let it be good works. Do the things today that are motivated by Christ.

I am amazed how many of us have reduced our christianity to a set of beliefs! We say the most important thing is "truth" and what one "believes". I am not saying that belief is not the most important thing. I believe scripture would confirm this. What I am saying is that belief shapes our behavior!

Paul argues continuously that "good works" result from one's accurate belief. If what we believe about Jesus is not causing us to live in obedience to Him, then our belief is flawed! Paul writes, "good works are obvious, and those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden." In other words, people live what they believe. Their belief becomes obvious through the activity of their lives.

Demonstrate what you believe today through your works.

1Tm4

Are you more disciplined physically or spiritually? Are you more concerned about the health of your body or the health of your soul? Both disciplines are valuable, only one has eternal value.

Paul says that physical discipline has "some" value, but godliness has value for all things. Be careful to not be "most" disciplined in the things that matter least! Our culture is obsessed with the external appearance. Care about your soul.

That said, I believe Paul would also encourage physical discipline! Don't be lazy in any area of life. Get the value out of both physical and spiritual disciplines.

1Tm3

In a world where "right & wrong" are constantly challenged, God's truth rings clear! The church has lost her place in culture because the church no longer holds to God's standards of leadership.

We say "character counts", yet we actually don't hold leaders accountable to standards established by God. Take for example, hospitable. The word actually means, "lover of strangers". It implies someone who cares not only about people they know, but also about people they don't know. Maybe even especially people they don't know.

Our culture teaches "stranger danger"! In other words, someone who you don't know is likely a predator of some sort. Avoid any interaction with strangers. We have let the abuse of a few rule the pattern of relating to everyone. Even basic eye contact and simple greetings are being lost in our culture! Not to mention opening our homes. When was the last time you invited someone to dinner?

The church should have a prominent place in culture. It should be shaping culture! Church leaders are to be setting the example for others to follow. Don't let culture shape your values. Be shaped by God's word.

1Tm2

Is what you want what God wants? When our desires are in conflict with God's, we are desiring the wrong things.

In this chapter, we see that salvation is what God wants for everyone. Sadly, many people never even discover they are lost. Paul's passion was to spread the message of salvation to as many people as possible. We should share that desire.

It begins with prayer. Who will the focus of our prayers today. Paul would encourage us to pray for those who don't know salvation yet. Pray that believers will live in culture in such a way that others are attracted to Christ. 

Examine your heart today. Align your desires with God's.

1Tm1

Belief and behavior are inextricably connected! What one believes is reflected in their behavior. Anyone who claims to "believe" yet continues to act contrary to what they believe, calls their so-called "belief" into question.

Believing the gospel transforms lives. It is not a set of helpful saying and practical life tips. No, it is the "glorious gospel of the blessed God"! Paul wrote about salvation because he experienced it. He was a transformed person. He went from being the "worst of sinners" to someone who literally lived for the expansion of the gospel.

What would our actions say about our true beliefs? Let's work hard today to remove contradictions in our life.

2Th3

Be an example that others can follow. Someone is always watching our lives. The best thing we can do for them is to demonstrate with our lives what it means to follow Christ.

Are we living emulatable lives? If others lived as we live, would our family, community and world be a far better place? If others gave what we give, served as we serve, loved as we love, etc. would this world be a much better place? Are we following Christ with our words and actions?

What category would the apostle Paul place us in? Would we be among those to emulate or among those to avoid? Lots of question for today.

This is the gospel: To live and love like Jesus.

2Th2

I don't often think about the 2nd coming of Christ. Do you? 

Jesus told His disciples to always be ready for His coming. In fact, it was to be a major focus of their lives. They were to live with the expectation of His imminent return. He is coming back. If disciples 2000 years ago were to be preparing for His coming, how much more should those of us who believe today be prepared? Maybe He will return today!

I used to be petrified at the thought of Jesus' return. Now I am eager to see Him come back. I was afraid when I knew I was not ready. I was afraid when I had doubts as to "if" I would be gathered with Him or eternally punished. Now those fears are gone. I know who I have put my faith in and I am living my days for Him. I hope to be living when He returns.

Are you confident in your faith? Are you ready for Christ return? It is the right way to live.

2Th1

You can learn a lot about a person by listening to what they pray for. That is, if you actually pray with people.

Paul was constantly praying for other believers. In this book his prayer was, "that God would consider you worthy of His calling and will, by His power, fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you, and you by Him."

Look closer at what Paul wanted for others. Specifically, that God would fulfill every desire they had for goodness and faith! Not that God would bless whatever they desired, but rather, that they would want what God wants and that God would do His work through them! Paul was not into selfish prayers. He prayed that we would be into living to please God.

What is your desire today? Is it to please God? Examine your personal prayers. Are they directed on asking God to increase your faith and help you to be pleasing to Him? Are they about what you want or what God wants? Selfish prayers will likely go unanswered. Prayers for goodness and faith will almost definitely be honored.

1Th5

Warn, comfort, and help! These are all specific commands that we are to apply to each other. All three are to be done with patience.
Warn the irresponsible. Comfort the discouraged. Help the weak.

Everyone needs something. Everyone needs something different. Some need a warning. Others need a listening ear. Still others need assistance. Paul's encouragement to the recipients of this letter would be to focus on others and take action to build their faith.

Are you in need of a warning? Do you need to be encouraged? Are you the one who needs help? I pray you will find whatever you need in the community of faith. That is what the church is to provide in our lives. On the other hand, are you warning others? Are you helping those in need? Are you an encouragement to those around you? This is what it means to be the church.

Live strong today. Live to please God.

1Th4

It is unacceptable for anyone who claims Christ to not pursue absolute purity in their lives! Our culture is being destroyed by our inability to control our sexual passions!

It is God's will for us to live free from all sexual impurity, from lustful desires to immoral relationships. We are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Any "so-called believer" who is not working hard to control his own body sexually (from thoughts to actions) is NOT living to please God.

Paul said many times and in many places, "Anyone who rejects purity in their life is rejecting God." There is no greater passion in one's life than sexual passion. There is no greater destroyer of one's soul than sexual impurity. And there is no greater joy in one's walk with Jesus than sexual purity! Live to please God. Live in absolute purity.

What a challenge! 

1Th3

Does the spiritual well being of the ones we love grip our hearts and minds? If not, I believe Paul would question the sincerity of our faith.

Twice in this chapter Paul talk about not being able to "stand it any longer". But what could he "not stand"? He couldn't stand not knowing how these new believers were doing in their faith. He couldn't stand the thought that possibly they had been sidelined by persecution or hardship. He couldn't stand the thought that they might not be growing and being fruitful in keeping with the gospel!

What a relief it was to Paul to discover that his fears were unfounded. These believers were doing great. They were not only enduring hardships, but they were actually advancing the gospel as a result of those hardships. The message was "ringing out" through them to the entire region. Paul's fears were turned to rejoicing.

There is nothing better than to hear that those we love are doing well in their faith. Pray for the ones we love today. That is what Paul did.

1Th2

Paul shared the gospel with others even "in spite of great opposition".  We struggle to share even when there is NO opposition. Why is it so easy to talk about meaningless things and so difficult to talk about the most important thing?

It is true that most people don't want to talk about Christ. It is also true that we are rarely persecuted for wanting to talk about Him. I think the problem is not with the hearers, it is with us. We should make it our goal to talk about what we believe today.

There is so much going on in our world! ISIS is seeking to destroy christianity in the middle east. Everyone is seeing the brutality on their TV's. Ebola is ravaging Africa. Every American who has been infected has been infected because of their love for Christ and others. These are layup topics to talk about Jesus.

Talk with someone about Christ today. Tell them what you believe.

1Th1

What kind of message is "ringing out" from our lives? If we were to ask people to share what matters most to us, what would they say?

Paul was encouraged by what people were saying about the Thessalonians. They clearly embraced the message and share the good news with others. Paul was encouraged by three things: 1.)Their work of faith, 2.)Their labor of love, and 3.)Their enduring hope! Clearly it wasn't easy to spread the gospel even back then.

My prayer for us today is that we will work, labor and endure in the same way these early believers did. The message needs to "ring out" from our lives as well.

It's never easy! It's always worth it.

Col4

Four words: Devote yourself to prayer.

We accomplish the things that we are devoted to doing. How high does prayer rank on our list of things we are devoted to? This is a constant challenge in my life and I desire to see God bring about a fresh work in me.

This is my desire for all of us…will we truly be people who pray?