Tag: life

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Psalms Devotionals 2

God’s favor

Bethlehem

For his anger endureth but a moment;
in his favour is life. (Psalm 30:5, KJV)

The word translated here “life” can also mean “lifetime,” but the King James really struck a chord with me this morning.

When God shows his favor to us, we find life.

And 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, God extended his favor to us.

As John put it,

God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him.

Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 5:9)

By God’s love and grace, we have become his favored ones.

That’s an awesome thought.

So let’s sing with the angels:

Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to people he favors! (Luke 2:14)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

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Deuteronomy Devotionals

Choose life!

Cut flower and potted flower

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse.

Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, love the Lord your God, obey him, and remain faithful (literally, “cling”) to him.

For he is your life… (Deuteronomy 30:19–20)

I’ve been thinking about our relationship with God lately, and I got the image of a cut flower and a potted flower.

Both are beautiful.

But one is already dead because it’s cut off from its source of life. It’s cursed, so to speak, because it’s cut off from its roots.

It’s the same with us and God.

Cut off from him, we are cursed and already dead.

But if we are connected to him, drawing life from him daily, we flourish.

How then do we remain connected to him?

When Paul quotes this passage in Romans 10, he points us to Jesus, admonishing us to trust in him and make him our Lord. (Romans 10:6-13).

So let’s choose life.

Choose Jesus, loving him, obeying him as our Lord, and clinging to him each day.

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Deuteronomy Devotionals

Empty words?

Deuteronomy

After singing a song warning the Israelites not to turn against God, Moses said them,

Take to heart all these words I am giving as a warning to you today, so that you may command your children to follow all the words of this law carefully.

For they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life…(Deuteronomy 32:46-47)

How do we see God’s words in our lives? Do we see them as words we can take or leave as we see fit?

Too many Christians live that way. The parts they like, they accept. The parts they don’t like, they reject.

But Moses tells us, “These are not just meaningless, empty words. They are your life.”

To reject God’s word turns us into people lacking sense, with no understanding at all. We think we are wise, but in fact we become fools. (28)

So let us take God’s words to heart. Follow them, no matter what our culture or others may try to teach us.

And even more importantly, let us pass his words on to our children.

His words are our life.

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Luke Devotionals

Our foundation

Luke

I’ve talked about Jesus’ baptism before in a previous blog about how when the Father looked upon Jesus, he said, “You are my Son. I love you. I am well pleased with you.”

And one of my points was that God essentially says the same thing to us as his children.

But there’s one thing I want you to note here: When did the Father say all these things to him?

After Jesus had started preaching? After he had started performing miracles? After the cross?

No, the Father said this before Jesus had done any of these things.

The foundation of the Father’s love for Jesus was not the ministry Jesus did. Rather, the foundation for Jesus’ ministry was the love the Father had for him.

That’s why it didn’t matter to Jesus what other people thought of him.

That’s why when others hurt or even betrayed him, he was able to forgive them.

His foundation in ministry and in life was the love the Father had for him.

What is the foundation of your ministry and life?

Is it the fact that the Father looks at you and says, “You are my son. You are my daughter. I love you. I am well pleased with you”?

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2 Timothy Devotionals

What we have in Jesus

2 Timothy

Paul wrote this letter not long before he was put to death by Nero. It’s that fact that makes his first words to Timothy more than a little meaningful.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, for the sake of the promise of life in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:1)

The promise of life in Christ Jesus.

So often when we go through trials and struggles in life, we focus on those trials and struggles instead of what we have in Jesus.

And we all have so much in Jesus.

Paul tells us three of those things we have in verse 2: grace, mercy, and peace.

Paul expands on what he means in verses 9-10:

The Father saved us and called us to be his own, not because we are somehow more innately special or different than anyone else, but because of his own purposes and grace.

Through Jesus’ work on the cross and the blood he shed there, we now have peace with God. And in him, God has now abolished death and given us life and immortality.

None of us know why God would choose us. I certainly don’t.

But there are two things we do know with certainty:

  1. We didn’t deserve to be chosen.
  2. God’s choice is not arbitrary.

It’s not as though God callously says, “I chose this one, but I don’t choose that one.”

Rather, according to purposes too mysterious and deep for any of us to fathom, he looked upon us in love, and said, “I choose you.”

That’s amazing.

So whatever you’re facing this day, whatever struggles, whatever tears, whatever worries, remember what you have in Jesus.

And be strong, not in yourself, but in the grace you have already received. (2:1)

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1 Timothy Devotionals

Setting our eyes on God

1 Timothy

Paul says in verse 17, to not set our hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God.

And as I read that, I thought about what Paul had just said in the previous verses about this God we are to set our eyes upon.

He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see, to him be honor and eternal power. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:15-16)

If we could only see God for who he really is, would we really set our hope on anything or anyone else?

When we set our eyes on money and the things of this world, we ultimately fall into “a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction.”

How much better would it be to set our eyes on the one who gives life?

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Ezekiel Devotionals

Falsely promising life

Ezekiel

I don’t typically read the New Living Translation, but I have been listening to an audio Bible using that translation recently.

And today, this word struck me:

And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins. (Ezekiel 13:22)

There is much turmoil in the church today, with a lot of people taking on standards, not of God, but of the world around us. (Ezekiel 11:12)

But throughout chapter 13, God condemns the “prophets” for whitewashing the sins of the people. For saying the people had peace with God, when in reality they had no peace at all.

Why didn’t these people have true peace with God? Because instead of repenting and turning from their sins, they continued in them.

We cannot do what these “prophets” did. We cannot encourage the wicked, promising them life when they have no life.

We cannot whitewash their sin, calling the evil they do “good.”

For if we do, God will not only judge them but will hold us responsible for those false promises we gave them.

So let us not falsely promise people life when they have no life.

Rather let us boldly proclaim the truth so that they might repent and find true life.

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Revelation

Because Jesus is coming soon

Revelation

If there is one theme throughout these final verses of Revelation, and indeed of the Bible itself, it’s that Jesus is coming soon.

He says it in verses 7, 12 and 22.

What should our response be to this? We see it in verse 17.

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears, say “Come.” (Revelation 22:17a)

I find it interesting that even the Holy Spirit cries to the Son, “Come!” Perhaps this in connection with his intercession for us that we see in Romans 8:18-27.

But we, the Bride of Christ, are also to long for his coming. We are to set our hearts on his return. How do we do that?

First, be faithful in all that God calls you to do.

Jesus tells us,

Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. (Revelation 22:12)

Like we saw in chapter 20, there are two books. One is the book of our deeds, and the other is the Lamb’s book of life.

But just because your name is written in the latter doesn’t mean the former has been wiped out. I do believe that we will stand before God and we will be judged according to what we have done. It’s a theme we see again and again in the gospels and the epistles.

God will judge us for how faithful we’ve been with what he’s given us. If we’ve been faithful, we will be rewarded. If we haven’t, we will be saved, but only as someone escaping flames (I Corinthians 3:10-15).

And so as Jesus warns: be ready. (Matthew 24:36-25:30).

Second, strive for holiness.

John tells us in his first epistle,

We know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3)

In other words, because we have the hope of Christ’s return, and that we will be like him someday, let us work to that end even while we are waiting.

And so Jesus says,

Let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy. (Revelation 22:11b)

Third, worship God.

There are so many things that can captivate us and our imaginations. Some of them are even good things. But they are not to be worshiped.

Twice, John nearly fell into that trap by starting to worship something that was good: an angel. (19:10; 22:8).

And twice the angel said,

Do not do it…Worship God! (Revelation 22:9)

Don’t worship the creation. Worship the Creator.

Finally, be faithful to the words of God.

We have seen many admonitions in this book. We saw them especially in chapters 2-3, but they are throughout the book. And Jesus calls us to be faithful and obey them.

He said,

Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophesy in this book. (Revelation 22:7)

And we are warned sternly to neither add to these words or take away from them. (22:18-19)

This then, is how we are to live until he returns.

But if you do not yet know Jesus, these next words are for you:

Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:17b)

God will not force you to come to him. If you choose to stay in your sin, he will let you. (22:11a)

But his desire is that you would come to him and be saved.

He says,

Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)

How do you wash your robes? By your own efforts to “clean up your act?”

No, you wash them in the blood of Christ shed on the cross. And when you put your trust in him, he purifies you from all sin. (I John 1:7)

Won’t you do so today? It starts with a prayer.

Lord Jesus, all my life, I have gone my own way, hurting you, hurting others, and hurting myself. Forgive me.

Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Make me clean of all my sins and failures. You are King of kings, and Lord of lords, and I give myself to you today. In your name I pray, amen.

I now close with the words of Jesus and John.

Jesus said,

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star…

Yes I am coming soon. (Revelation 22:16, 20)

And John responds,

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with God’s people. (21)

Amen and amen.

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1 John

A sin that leads to death

1 John

John has a somewhat curious thing to say in verses 16-17. He says,

If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life.

I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is a sin that leads to death. (1 John 5:16-17)

It seems to me that John is referring to something that James also talked about. James said,

Is any of you sick…The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. (James 5:14-15)

Most times, illness is not the result of a person’s sin, but is merely the result of living in a fallen world.

But James leaves room for the judgment of God as being a reason for a person getting sick. And he says that if you pray for such a person, God will not only heal them, but forgive their sin.

But in this passage, John adds a caveat to James’ words. He says don’t bother praying for people whose sin leads to death. What does he mean by that?

I think we find the answer in verses 18-19.

We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.

We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:18-19)

One thing that John warns us of again and again is willful, deliberate sin. Again and again he tells us that a true child of God does not make a practice of sin.

In verses 18-19, he says the reason for this is that Jesus himself works in us, and that though the whole world is under the control of Satan, we are not.

The world may not be able to resist the temptations Satan throws at them, but through the power of God, we can.

For the brother, then, that makes a constant practice of sin, with no sign or remorse or repentance, they are headed for death.

That can mean one of two things. First, that God will bring physical death upon them for their sin. We see this in more than a few places in scripture (Acts 5:1-10, I Corinthians 5:5, 11:27-30)

The other thing it could mean is that such people were not truly ever saved, and that they are headed for eternal death.

They knew the truth, they claimed to believe it, and yet by their lives proved they never belonged to God. And he holds them especially accountable because they know the truth. There is no excuse for their behavior. (Hebrews 10:26-31)

In short, not all sins are alike. All of us sin. And as John said, all wrongdoing is sin. But there is a difference between falling into sin and deliberately plunging ourselves into it.

If you fall into sin and repent, God will forgive you. But if you refuse to repent and turn from your ways, there can be no forgiveness for that, only judgment, either in this life or the next, and possibly both.

But John has better hopes for us. He says,

And we know that Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ.

He is the true God and eternal life. (20)

In other words, Jesus has come and has opened our hearts and minds to his truth. Now we know God and are in Jesus Christ. He abides in us and we in him, and because of that, we have life.

And so John concludes,

Little children, keep yourself from idols. (21)

John’s telling us, “You belong to the truth now. You belong to the true God. So don’t deliberately offer yourselves to sin and the things of this world. They are mere counterfeits of all that God wants to offer you.

Run from sin. And run to Jesus, offering yourself to the one who truly is Life.”

Who are you offering yourself to?

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1 John

Proclaiming the One who is life

John

And so we come to the last “long” letter of the New Testament. Or at least the last letter with multiple chapters, anyway.

And from the very beginning, you can almost hear the emotion coming from the apostle John who wrote this book. From this man who was called the beloved disciple.

He says,

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. (1 John 1:1-2)

It never really struck me until very recently that everything in here is pointing to Jesus himself. He is the Word of life. He is the very expression of life itself. All that life is supposed to be is found in him: whole and complete in every way, with no defects.

And he is the expression of Life himself. The Author of Life expresses himself to us in Jesus. And Jesus himself is Life.

So when John says in verse 2, that the “life” appeared,” he’s referring to Jesus in his incarnation. He came to earth as a man, and John and the other apostles were able to hear his voice, see him with their own eyes, and touch his nail-scarred hands after the resurrection.

And John calls Jesus, the “eternal life.”

He was with the Father before time began, having no beginning or end. And now he gives life to those who are dead. He gives life to those who are spiritually dead, living apart from God.

And the day will come when he will give life to those who are physically dead, giving them new bodies that are like his own.

With that in mind, John says,

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

We write this to make our joy complete. (3-4)

In short, John and the other apostles weren’t content to revel in the joy they had because of their fellowship with God.

Rather, they didn’t consider their joy complete until others could join them in that fellowship. And so they were bold to proclaim all that they had seen and heard.

In that, as well as many other things, we are to follow in their footsteps.

Too many Christians are just happy to be saved. To revel in the love that God has for them and the forgiveness he has imparted to them. To rejoice in the healing God has brought in their lives.

But we can’t simply be satisfied with that. To be satisfied with that and that alone is pure selfishness when many other people are dying apart from Christ.

They don’t know his love. They don’t know his forgiveness. They don’t know his healing in their lives. How can we not weep for them?

And so like John and the other apostles, we need to go out and proclaim this Life that has been given to us that they may share in that fellowship with Him too.

How about you? Are you so focused on rejoicing at your own salvation that you can’t see those around you that need that salvation just as badly?

Let us go out. Let us proclaim the gospel to our loved ones. To those in our neighborhood, workplace, and schools. And when we do and see people come into God’s kingdom, that’s when our joy will be made complete.

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2 TImothy

Because we have hope

Paul

Although there are two more letters from Paul to go through after this one, this was the last letter Paul ever wrote.

And it’s a very poignant one, because it came at a time when Paul knew he was going to die.

Unlike other times when he was in prison, and he was reasonably sure he would be set free (Philippians 1:23-26), he had no such hopes this time.

Nero had started his persecution of the church, and it looked like Paul himself was going to be executed. And in fact, he was.

And so he wrote this letter to a young man he had mentored for many years.

One purpose was to ask Timothy to visit him before he died.

But it was also to encourage him not to be discouraged by all the persecution and trials that were going on, and to continue to be faithful in his love and service toward God.

From the very beginning of this letter you see this. Here was a man on death row for preaching the gospel. And in the very first line, he says,

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 1:1)

The promise of life.

In the face of death, Paul had the promise of life.

Why?

He tells us in verse 9-10 as he talks about how God displayed his own purpose and his grace toward us through Jesus Christ. And now through Jesus, he has “abolished death and brought life and immortality to life through the gospel.”

So many people fear death because they don’t know what lies beyond it. But Paul knew. He had seen heaven itself (II Corinthians 12:1-4).

And he knew that there was life beyond the grave. That just as Christ was raised from the dead, so will we, and we will be clothed with immortality.

And on that day, we will sing, “”Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (I Corinthians 15:55)

It was because of this hope that he preached this gospel he had been entrusted with. And it was why, though he suffered for the gospel, he could say,

Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. (2 Timothy 1:12)

Paul knew his work and his suffering were not in vain. But he laid all these things in God’s hands, knowing that he would be rewarded someday.

Because of this assurance, and because he was certain that Timothy had the same faith, and the same Spirit dwelling within him, he told Timothy,

I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (6-7)

Perhaps Timothy was feeling somewhat overwhelmed by everything, by the problems he was facing in the Ephesian church, by his mentor facing his death. Perhaps he was tempted to just give up.

But Paul encouraged him, “Hey, God gave you the Holy Spirit in your life. And he is not a spirit of weakness or timidity. Rather, he is the Spirit that gives power, fills you with love, and the ability to be faithful to Christ in your work and your life.

Because of this, Paul charged Timothy,

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. (8)

And again.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you–guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. (13-14)

In other words, keep on keeping on. And know that you don’t have to do it alone. I may soon leave you. But the Holy Spirit is living in you and he will help you.

How about you? Are you discouraged by the way this world is going? By how ungodly it is becoming? By the troubles that are coming into your life because of your faith in God?

Don’t lose heart. God has his purposes and they will not be thwarted. Satan tried to thwart them and thought he had done so at the cross, only to find out that it was his ultimate defeat.

Now we have the hope of life. More, we have God’s promise of life. So let us hold on to what we have been taught, and continue walking in faith, filled with the love of Christ, and sharing that love with all we meet.

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Philippians

That Christ may be exalted

PhilippiansHope

For me, death seems kind of far away. I still see myself as young, although I guess I’m technically classified as middle-aged.

But for Paul as he wrote this letter, he really had no idea how much longer he would live. He was reasonably confident that his trial before Nero would go well and he would be released, but he wasn’t sure.

And so he said,

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. (Philippians 1:20)

To Paul, ultimately, he didn’t care one way or another whether he was set free or condemned to death by Nero.

What was important to Paul was that in life or death that Christ would be exalted in him.

So every moment he lived, with every breath he took, he desired to glorify Christ. And should he die, he wanted Christ to be glorified in that too.

That should be our attitude as well. To live each day for the glory of Christ. But how many days go by when that thought never crosses our minds?

We get so wrapped up in our jobs, our lives, our troubles. In short, we get so focused on the things of this world that Christ gets forgotten entirely.

That’s not how our Christian lives should be. Rather, our attitude should be the same as Paul’s.

For to me, to live is Christ.  (21a)

Can you say that? Or are you living for other things?

There may be some of you, though, for whom death is nearer.

Right now my wife’s grandmother is near that time. She’s 102 years old now, and as of two weeks ago is no longer eating, but is only on IVs, although she is still conscious.

How do you face death? Can you say as Paul did,

To die is gain.  (Philippians 1:21b)

Do you have confidence as Paul did that while life on this earth is a gift, and each day is a chance to glorify God with our lives, that heaven is so much better?

Are you torn between serving Christ here on earth and touching the lives of others, and being with Christ at last?

Or are you clinging to life here, living for yourself, and in utter fear of what lies on the other side of death?

You don’t have to fear. Stop living for yourself, and put your faith in Christ. He died on a cross that your sins may be forgiven.

More than that, he showed that he had power over the grave by rising from the dead. And now he promises, “Because I live, you also will live.”  (John 14:19)

All you need to do is give your life to him. And in doing so, you will find life.

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2 Corinthians

The fragrance of life, the stench of death

Fork in the road

As Christians, there will never be a point in time when everyone will like us.

Jesus was perfect, and still people hated him. Why?

Because of the aroma that flows out from Christ.

Paul says something very interesting here in this passage.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)

The picture here is of a Roman general leading his troops in a victory parade. And among those following him were the priests who would scatter sweet smelling incense out onto the streets.

For those celebrating the victory, it was the fragrance of life and victory. But to those who were in chains, it was the stench of their own death staring them in the face.

In the same way, we are God’s priests, following our General who won the victory at the cross.

And as we spread the fragrance of the knowledge of him, to those who are saved and to those who hear the message and believe, we are the smell of ultimate victory and life.

But there are many others who hear what we say, and to them, it has the stench of death.

Why? Because it shows them their sin, and it shows them where their sin is leading them: to eternal damnation in hell. And they hate it.

They hate their sin being called sin. And they hate the idea that they will be held accountable for it. To them, Jesus is the stench of death leading them to their own death (HCSB).

And because Jesus is in us, we become that stench to them as well.

To many others, however, Jesus is the fragrance of life leading to life eternal (HCSB). And so when they see Christ in us, we become the fragrance of life to them as well.

I love the words of Jim Elliot who once said,

Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision.

Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.

How about you? When people see you, do they encounter the fragrance of Christ?

And are they forced to make a choice, turning one way or another, to eternal life or eternal death, on facing Christ in you?

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1 Corinthians

Come, Lord Jesus

1 Corinthians

It’s easy to look at this world and all the evil in it and get discouraged. But as Christians we can have hope. Why?

Paul writes,

If anyone does not love the Lord –a curse be on him. Come, O Lord! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. (1 Corinthians 16:22-23)

Those first words seem pretty harsh, but the truth is, anyone who doesn’t love the Lord is under a curse.

They have broken God’s law, and what’s more, have rejected their only hope of salvation in Jesus, some even going so far as to curse him (1 Corinthians 12:3).

But for those of us who do love the Lord, Jesus has taken our curse for us. Paul wrote in Galatians,

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” (Galatians 3:13)

By dying on the cross, he paid for our sin, and fulfilled the requirements of the law, namely the justice it required for our sins.

But not only did he die, he conquered death and rose from the dead.

And because he lives, we know that we also will live (John 14:19).

The day will come when Jesus will return, and on that day, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we will all be changed, and we will be like him.

Every tear will be wiped from our eyes, and all sorrow and mourning will be gone forever.

So along with Paul, we now cry out “Maranatha,” or, “Come Lord Jesus.”

The other hope that we have, though, is that until that day comes, Jesus gives us his grace.

Day by day, through our failings and sin, he intercedes for us.

Through our trials, he gives us the strength to carry on. And what he has started in us, he will bring to completion. (Philippians 1:6)

So whatever you’re going through, don’t ever give up hope.

Rather, each day let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, knowing that in him, we have hope, and we have life.

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Acts

Not about us

Acts

As the man Peter and John had healed was making a ruckus in the temple courts, all the people gathered around.

They were amazed that this man who had been crippled for 40 years was walking. But then, they started looking at Peter and John in wonder as well.

But Peter told the people,

Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk…

By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.

It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. (Acts 3:12, 16)

And here we see something that I think is really important to remember. This life is not about us. It’s not about who we are. It’s not about what we can do.

Rather it’s all about who Jesus is, what he has done, and what he is doing around us now.

It would have been so easy for Peter and John to strut in front of the crowd, and say, “Look at what we did. See how God’s favor and power rests on us?”

But instead, they pointed everyone to Jesus. They noted that it was Jesus who performed the healing, not them. And it was Jesus who they should direct their attention and faith to, not them.

After all, it was Jesus who suffered on the cross for them. It was Jesus that Moses and all the prophets had pointed to saying, “Listen to him!”

Too often, however, Christians are not focused on Jesus.

They are focused on themselves. They are focused on their gifts. They are focused on what they can do. They are focused on the attention they get.

And in doing so, they miss the whole point of life.

The whole point of life is to know Jesus and point others to a relationship with him. But as long as we’re focused on ourselves, we’ll never know the life or the joy that God intends us to have.

How about you? Who are you focused on? Who and what are you living for?

Categories
John John 14

The Way

John

This is the one passage that provides such a stumbling block to so many people in the world today.

Many people simply refuse to believe it because the implications of what Jesus said are so deep, and they are simply not willing to accept them.

What did Jesus say?

He had just told the disciples that he was going away to prepare a place for them and that they knew the way to where he was going.

Thomas, who had no idea what he was talking about, then asked the obvious question.

Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way? (John 14:5)

Jesus replied,

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Jesus didn’t say, “I will show you the way to the Father.”

He didn’t say, “I’ll show you the things you need to do to get to the Father.”

He said, “I AM the way to the Father. If you want to go to heaven and see the Father, you need to go through me.”

That’s an amazing statement. But let’s put it this way.

If you want to see the President of the United States, you can’t just walk into the White House and into the Oval Office.

Assuming you have an invitation, someone will meet you at the door and escort you in. Without that escort, there’s no way you’re getting in to see the President. That escort is your path to the President.

Well, Jesus is much more than an escort. He is God’s Son. And it is only because he paid the price for our sin by dying on the cross that we now can have access to the Father.

He takes us in before the Father and he intercedes for us as our high priest. (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 10:19-22).

But without his sacrifice on the cross, and without him by our side, there is no way we’re ever going to heaven, no less see the Father.

Jesus also told Thomas, “I am the truth.”

Many people are looking for truth. Others are convinced that truth really does not exist, particularly when it comes to spiritual matters.

But Jesus says, “I am truth. My words are truth. Truth is not relative. All that I say is absolute truth. And you will never find truth apart from me.”

More, Jesus said, “I am the life.”

So many people seek for the meaning of life. They’re seeking a life that matters. They’re seeking a life that’s worthwhile. And ultimately, they seek life beyond the grave.

To that, Jesus says, “I am life. Do you want the meaning of life? It’s found in me.

Do you want a life that matters? A life worth living? You can try finding life in money, possessions, power, marriage, children, sex, or a thousand different things.

But you will not find life in any of these things. Ultimately, these things will leave you empty. I’m the only one that makes life worth living.

And if you want life beyond the grave, you won’t find it in Buddha, or Muhammad, or any other religious leader. Only in me can your sins be forgiven, and you can find eternal life.”

But like I said, people don’t want to accept this. The implications are too deep.

It means casting aside the things they value most highly. It means that they can no longer simply live as they want to.

And so they say Jesus was a liar. Or misguided. Or misquoted.

But if you want to find true life, you can only find it in Jesus.

Truth is absolute and it is found in him. And if you’re ever going to see heaven and meet the Father, you can only do so with Jesus by your side.

I can’t make you believe that. You need to find that out for yourself. And you will, one way or another.

So as Isaiah urged the Israelites, I urge you now.

Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.

Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7)

Categories
John John 11

The one who calls forth the dead

John

Yes, we will eventually finish this chapter. But not today. It’s a passage that is so totally rich in truth.

When Jesus told Martha that her brother would rise again, she said,

I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day. (John 11:24)

But Jesus answered,

I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. (John 11:25-26)

In other words, “The resurrection is not simply a time in the future when the dead will be raised. I am the resurrection. I am the one that raises the dead and gives them life. And if you believe in me, you will never truly die.”

Jesus proved that moments later by raising Lazarus from the dead. And just as he called Lazarus out from the grave, so will he call all who have put their faith in him.

The apostle Paul tells us,

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

And again,

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed– in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)

Lazarus was only raised temporarily. He would die again.

But when Jesus raises us, we will be raised in an immortal and incorruptible body.

How about you? Do you know what will happen after you die? Do you know that you have eternal life?

Jesus is the resurrection and the life. If you believe in him, you will never truly know death. Only a new beginning.

Jesus asks you the same question he asks Martha. “Do you believe this?”

May you answer as she did,

I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. (John 11:27)

Categories
Luke Luke 16

The rich man and Lazarus: The reality of hell

Luke

Hell. It is not the most pleasant of topics. And yet Jesus taught on it. And in this passage, he makes it very clear that it exists, and what’s more, describes what it is like.

First, it’s a place of torment. You see this idea all throughout the passage from beginning to end. More, it’s a place of conscious torment.

There’s no idea in this passage that people’s consciousness is wiped out upon entry to hell. Rather, people are conscious of their situation and just how awful it is.

Second, there is a chasm that cannot be crossed between the righteous and the unrighteous. Once you are in hell, there is no way out. There can be no repentance at that point.

Third, it’s so awful that no one wants to be there, nor do they want their loved ones there.

Sometimes, in Japan, people don’t want to become Christians because if they do, they have to face the reality that their grandparents or parents that have already passed away are in hell. But listen to the rich man’s plea.

Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment. (Luke 16:27-28)

Abraham told him this was impossible. That even if he allowed it, his brothers had already rejected God’s word to them, and they still wouldn’t believe even if someone came from the dead to warn them.

Ironically, another man named Lazarus did rise from the dead as a testimony to the people that Jesus was truly the Son of God. But Jesus’ enemies rejected him anyway, and plotted to kill not only Jesus, but Lazarus as well.

But the point is, this man did not want his family to join him there. And I don’t think anyone wants their loved ones to join them in hell either.

So if you or your friends are refusing God’s salvation because your loved ones are in hell, remember this man’s words. They don’t want you to join them.

How can we avoid hell? Only by putting our faith in Jesus. By believing that he died on the cross for our sins and that he rose again. By making him your Lord and Savior.

Some people say, “How can a loving God send people to hell?”

What they don’t understand is life without God is hell. Without the Source of life, love, joy, and peace, how can you call that situation anything but hell?

God doesn’t send people to hell so much as people choose to go there. They choose to turn their backs on the Source of all that makes life worth living.

And when they do, when they cut themselves off from Him, what do they have left?

Only despair. And that is hell.

How about you? Will you turn to the Source of life? Or will you turn your back on Him? It’s your choice.

Categories
John John 8

The one who brings light and life

John

A lot of people in this world are lost. They seek a good life. A good marriage. A good job. And most of all, joy and peace.

And yet, somehow, these things elude them. People have been like this ever since Adam and Eve left the garden of Eden.

Then Jesus came. And when he did, he declared,

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)

In other words, “Do you want a good life? A life that works? A life filled with joy and peace? Are you stumbling around because you simply cannot see how to achieve these things.

Look to me. I will give you the light you need to see. You won’t stumble around, lost in the dark anymore. You’ll have life.”

Yet so many people like the Pharisees and teachers of the law question Jesus’ qualifications. Just who is he? What gives him the right to say something like that?

If he were just a man, he wouldn’t have any right. Because none of us is all-wise or all-knowing. But Jesus is more than just a man. He is God himself.

Jesus told the Jews as much, saying,

Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad. (John 8:56)

The Jews responded, “What are you talking about? You’re not even 50 years old and you have seen Abraham?”

Jesus replied,

I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am! (John 8:58)

What exactly was Jesus saying? He was pointing the Jews back to Exodus chapter 3, where God appeared to Moses in the burning bush. And when Moses asked God’s name, God replied,

I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ (Exodus 3:14)

In short, God was saying, “I am. I have always been. And I will always be. I am the eternal one. And there is none besides me.”

Jesus took that phrase and applied it to himself.

The Jews understood it. They immediately picked up stones to kill him. Why? Because they didn’t believe he was God. And if Jesus wasn’t God, to say that he was God was blasphemy and worthy of death.

How about you? Is Jesus just a man to you? Just a good man? A prophet perhaps? Or simply a great teacher? If he is, then you can take what he says or leave it.

But if he is God, then you need to take what he says seriously. Because if you’re ever going to have light in your life, you can only find it in him.

And if you reject him, in the end, you will find only death. Not just physical death, but spiritual death. Eternity apart from God, and all the darkness, suffering, and sorrow that goes with it.

Jesus tells us,

If you do not believe that I am, you will indeed die in your sins. (John 8:24)

Do you believe Jesus is God? More importantly, are you following him?

Categories
John John 5

When we seek the praise of man

John

When you think about Jesus’ life, the thing that would probably surprise you if you never heard the story before is that the religious leaders, the people that should have been the quickest to embrace him, didn’t.

Instead, they rejected him, and eventually were responsible for his death. How could that possibly happen?

These were people that Jesus said constantly searched the scriptures. Now that in itself is a good thing.

But the problem was they sought the praise of others, namely their peers, rather than the praise of God.

As a result, their study of scriptures was more to impress their peers than to really seek God. Jesus said to them,

I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.

How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? (John 5:43-44)

When we get so focused on getting the praise from others and the pride that comes from that, we become blind to what God is doing and saying. We may see and hear what God is doing, but we can’t take it in.

You see this with these religious leaders. They heard John the Baptist speak. They heard Jesus speak. And not only did they hear him speak, they saw him validate those words with the miracles he performed.

But for some reason, they couldn’t take it in. As a result, they missed out on what truly brings life.

Because life, true life, is living in accord with God’s purpose.

It’s walking in step with what he’s doing in your life, and the world around you, and joining in with his work. If we truly love God, that’s what our focus will be on.

But these leaders lacked that love for God because they were too focused on themselves. And so Jesus told them,

I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. (John 5:42)

How about you? What would Jesus say about you? Could he say that you truly have the love of God in your life? That your love is such that your main goal is to please him?

Are you seeking the praise of God? Or the praise of man?

As you do ministry in the church, who are you seeking validation from? From your pastor? From the other people at church?

When that starts to become your focus, your ministry becomes as self-centered as these religious leaders’ studies of the scripture. And we become blind to what Jesus is truly trying to do.

I’ll be honest, as a public speaker and teacher in my church, it’s something I have to constantly battle. Pride is a killer to any ministry that we do.

So we constantly have to ask ourselves this question: “Who am I trying to please?”

Whose praise are you seeking?

Categories
John John 1

Light in a darkened world

John

I once read about a young teenage girl in the United States.

She had perfect grades in high school. She had a perfect score for the SAT. She had a perfect score for the University of California acceptance exam. She was a brilliant young woman.

But in an interview, a reporter asked her, “What is the meaning of life?”

Her answer?

“I have no idea. I would like to know myself.”

That’s the kind of world that we’re living in. A world where people are separated from God, and because they are, they are walking around in darkness.

They’re stumbling around looking for meaning in life. Even worse, they are blinded by their sin and where that sin is leading them.

And it was into this world that Jesus stepped into 2000 years ago as a little baby. It says in verse 4 of this passage,

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. (John 1:4)

When Jesus came into this world, he became light in a darkened world. How did he become light?

He showed us who God is.

As we saw in my last post, he explained who God is to us. God is invisible, but when Jesus appeared, God became visible. All that God is, we see in Jesus.

We no longer have to guess what God is like. We can look at Jesus and know.

He showed us the meaning of life.

What is the meaning of life? Ultimately, it is to have a relationship with God.

It says in verse 3 that he created all things, including us. But when Jesus came, the very people that he created didn’t recognize him. More than that, they rejected him. (John 1:10-11)

But it says in verse 12-13,

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13)

In other words, when we receive Jesus as our Savior and as our Lord, we become adopted into his family.

Nobody is physically born into God’s family. Just because your parents are Christians does not make you one. You need to be born of God.

In other words, you need to respond to God’s work in your heart and say “Yes” to Jesus.

“Yes Jesus. I want you to be my King. I want you to be my Lord.”

When you do that, you become part of God’s family. And in doing so, you find the main purpose for which you were created. A relationship with your heavenly Father.

He showed us the way to life.

Just as he gave life and breath to all that live, he gives eternal life to all who believe in him.

It says in verse 5,

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood (or overcome) it.

When Jesus came into the world, the sinful people around him could not understand him, even the religious ones. And because of that they tried to kill him.

But even in killing him, they could not overcome him. Rather, through his death, he took the punishment for our sin.

More than that, he conquered death and the grave by rising again three days later, and now he gives life to all who come to him.

And so John writes,

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:16-17)

Moses gave us the law that showed us what God required of us. But the law couldn’t save us. All it could do was show us our shortcomings. That we’re all sinners deserving death.

But through Jesus, we find grace and truth. We see the truth of our sinfulness. But we also see the truth of God’s love for us shown on the cross.

And when we receive him, we receive “grace upon grace.” A grace that never runs out and covers all our sin. A grace that gives us life.

May the light of Christ shine in your hearts this Christmas.

Categories
Proverbs

Wisdom: A willingness to change

Some people mistake God’s love and acceptance of us with a license to sin. They think, “God accepts me anyway, so why change? Why not live the way I want?”

But in this passage, we see that a wise person is willing to change.

This chapter starts and ends with two calls. One is a call from Wisdom, who prepares her house for us and invites us in, saying,

Let all who are simple come in here…

Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.

Leave your simple ways and you will live;
walk in the way of understanding. (Proverbs 9:4–5)

So many people are living ignorant of the consequences of their actions. They naively think that everything will work out all right just living the way that they are.

But all the while, the path they’re taking is leading them to pain and ultimately, death.

Wisdom cries out, “Don’t just stay the way you are! Leave your naive ways. I’ve got something better for you, that will give you life.”

The woman Folly, however, says,

Let all who are simple come in here…

Stolen water is sweet;
food eaten in secret is delicious! (16–17)

In other words, “Continue living the way you are. Sin is sweet. It’s tasty and brings delight.”

What kind of person are you? Are you willing to change?

God does indeed love you as you are. But he loves you far too much to just leave you in the mud pile that you have been living in.

Solomon writes,

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult;
whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.

Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you;
rebuke a wise man and he will love you.

Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;
teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. (7–9)

Jesus put it this way,

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 7:6)

Jesus says don’t give the mocker (“dogs” or “pigs”) the pearls of wisdom you have, because they won’t appreciate it. Rather, they’ll just tear into you.

If on the other hand, you give your pearls to the wise, Solomon says that they’ll become wiser still.

The question we need to ask ourselves, however, is, “Are we wise? Or are we mere dogs and pigs?”

When people rebuke you, how do you take it? Do you take some time to reflect on what they say? Or do you just throw it back in their faces?

Are you humble enough to accept correction from others? More than that, are you humble enough to accept correction from God?

Only in humbling ourselves before him and accepting his correction will we find true wisdom and true life.

As Solomon wrote,

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For through wisdom your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.

If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;
if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. (Proverbs 9:10–12)

Categories
Proverbs

Love and faithfulness

Love and faithfulness. Two things that are sorely lacking in this world. It’s the reason why relationships, and particularly marriages, fall apart in this world.

Solomon writes in verses 3–4,

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will win favor
and a good name in the sight of God and man. (Proverbs 3:3–4)

What does love and faithfulness toward God mean? A lot of it has to do with trusting him enough to obey him. To be so sure of God’s love for you that you trust him implicitly and show it by the way that you live.

Solomon expounds on this in verses 5–7,

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.

When we love God, we put our complete trust in him. In all that we do, wherever we are, we acknowledge that he is the center of our lives, not ourselves. And we lean on his wisdom and not our own understanding.

That’s hard sometimes. Let’s be honest. It’s hard a lot of times.

One area that is especially hard is in the area of finances. Solomon writes,

Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine. (9–10)

Whether you believe in tithing or not, one thing is crystal clear. Your money is NOT your own.

Jesus Christ bought you with a price. And if we are to honor God with our body (1 Corinthians 6:19–20), how much more should we honor God with our wealth?

Oftentimes, people who object to the practice of tithing are people who object because deep down, they’re saying, “It’s my money. I have a right to do with it what I want.”

I would agree that 10% of your money doesn’t belong to God. Actually 100% of your money belongs to God. You are merely a manager of the money that God has given you.

So whether you tithe or not, you should be asking, “God, how do YOU want me to use this money? It’s yours. How should I use it?”

We are also to submit ourselves to God’s discipline. Solomon writes,

My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
because the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in. (11–12)

Sometimes as we read his Word, or as we listen to the Sunday message, we hear things that are hard. The Holy Spirit rebukes us for something in our lives.

The way we treat our wives or children. The way we use our finances. The way we act at work.

And it’s painful. We want to close our ears to it. But if we truly love God, we will submit ourselves to him, leaning not on our own understanding and following our own ways, but following his.

And God says when we do, we’ll find life and peace (16–18). And if we cling to his wisdom, fearing him, then we’ll have no need to fear anything else (21–26).

But not only are we to show love and faithfulness to God, but to each other.

Solomon says that we are not to withhold good from others when we have the power to act. In other words, whenever you have opportunity to do good, whether at home or work or wherever you are, do it. Don’t wait.

Solomon also says not to act treacherously against your neighbor either, for God is watching, and he is against such people.

Solomon concludes the chapter by saying,

He mocks proud mockers
but gives grace to the humble.

The wise inherit honor,
but fools he holds up to shame. (34–35)

When we mock God’s wisdom and hold to our own ways, he will let us reap what we sow. What do we reap? Sorrow, shame, and ultimately death.

But God gives grace, honor, life, and peace to those who humble themselves, submit themselves to his discipline, and follow him in all his ways.

What will you do?

Categories
Psalms

The goodness of God

Psalms

In the first half of Psalm 36, we saw the evil of mankind. In the second half, we see the goodness of God.

I love how David describes the character of God here.

Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your justice like the great deep. (Psalm 36:5–6)

In this world we see so many whose love is shallow. Who prove to be unworthy of our trust. Who do what is good and just only when it suits them.

But God is not like that. His love extends to the heavens, and his faithfulness has no bounds. His righteousness stands firm no matter the situation, and his justice swallows up all who would do evil.

Yet within his justice, there is room for mercy and grace.

O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.
How priceless is your unfailing love!

Both high and low among men
find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.

For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light. (6–9)

After the flood, God promised never to destroy the world through water again. And despite our sin, he shows us mercy, waiting for us to repent.

More, in his unfailing love, he didn’t wait for us to turn to him, but he reached down to us, sending his Son to provide the way of salvation.

Now, everyone, both rich and poor, powerful and weak, can find refuge and salvation in him. And in him, he not only provides our needs, but fills us with joy, life, and light.

Lord, I thank you for your goodness. You were the fountain of life to me when I was dying. You brought light to my darkness.

Lord, reveal my sin to me and forgive me. Extend your mercy, grace, and goodness to me that I might know true joy and life. And help me to extend all you’ve given me to those around me.

Let me be your vessel. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Zechariah

The bringer of victory, life, and light

Zechariah

As we come to the conclusion of Zechariah, we see the second coming of Christ and the time of the Millennium.

It starts once again with the nations rising up against Jerusalem to crush it, and in so doing, half of its inhabitants will be sent into exile.

But then, Jesus will return, and as he sets foot on the Mount of Olives, it will split in two.

The lights will dwindle, but God himself will bring light to the earth, so that even at night, it will be light. As it says in Revelation,

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. (Revelation 21:23)

Not only that, but from Jerusalem will flow living water. This is probably the same thing that was written about in Ezekiel 47:3–11 which we have looked at earlier.

God will then fight for Israel, casting down its enemies through plagues.

I kind of wonder from verse 12 if God will turn the nations’ nuclear weapons against themselves. It certainly sounds like some kind of nuclear disaster, anyway. But this is pure speculation on my part.

But anyway, from that point on, people from all over the earth will acknowledge him as King, rejoicing in his goodness.

The Feast of Tabernacles was one of rejoicing out of gratefulness towards God. Rejoicing in how God brought his people out of slavery to Egypt, and gratefulness for his presence with them as he kept them safe through their time in the desert.

We too, will rejoice at how God brought us out of slavery to Satan’s kingdom, and brought us through the trials of life until the day he finally makes all things new.

For all those who refuse to turn to God, however, they will only find judgment.

What can we get from all this?

God is the bringer of victory. Though Satan fights against God and us, God will triumph.

He actually has already triumphed. He triumphed when Jesus died on the cross, but Satan just doesn’t want to admit it.

But whatever trials we may go through, we know that we have victory. And not only will we have victory over our trials, but we’ll have victory over sin and death itself.

As Paul said,

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57)

God is the giver of life. Just as the water will flow out from Jerusalem and make even the Dead Sea fresh and alive, God’s Spirit will flow into our lives and give us life.

But for all those who are apart from God, they will be cut off from life, and find only misery.

Finally, God is the giver of light. When all is dark, and we have no hope, he gives us light to see and restores our hope once more. When we can’t see our way and which path we should take, he shines the light on the right path.

Lord, thank you that you give us victory, life, and light.

Let us cling to you every day, and as we do, make us holy unto you. May we be pure before you, set apart for your purposes as we live our lives each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
Ezekiel

How then shall we live?

Ezekiel

In this passage, Ezekiel repeats some themes from earlier in the book.

God once again warns Ezekiel, “Don’t be silent when I tell you to speak. I will hold you accountable if a person dies in their sin and you didn’t warn them.”

Then he told Ezekiel what the Israelites were saying among themselves.

Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live? (Ezekiel 33:10)

So many times, we look at our own lives and we say the same thing.

We see the sin that is chaining us down and destroying us. And we say, “I’ve made such a mess of my life and God is punishing me for it. How can I live when God is so against me?”

But God told the people,

Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.

Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?’ (Ezekiel 33:11)

He says the same to us.

“Do you think I like seeing you suffer? Do you think I like it when people go to hell? Turn! The reason that I’m doing these things is so that you can find true life. Why keep living a life that leads to death?”

But the problem with these Jews is clearly seen in the latter part of the chapter.

Word had just come to Ezekiel and his fellow expatriates that Jerusalem had finally fallen. Even so, the people were certain that they would someday return, not because of God, but because of their own efforts.

And so God told them, “It’s not going to happen. You continue to live in rebellion against me and you will perish for it.”

Then he told Ezekiel,

My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice.

With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.

Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. (Ezekiel 33:31–32)

The problem with these Jews was that though they made a pretense of wanting to hear God’s word and of worshiping him, their hearts were far from him.

Hearing Ezekiel’s words was like a kind of entertainment for them, but they would not put those words into practice.

Sometimes people go to church with the same attitude.

They go to get a good show. They go because they are entertained. They go because it makes them feel good.

But when it comes to the Word of God, they fail to put it into practice. As a result, they are walking dead men and women because they are still steeped in their sin. And one day they will be judged.

How about you? Are you suffering because of your sin?

God doesn’t desire that you perish but that you be saved. That you be set free from a lifestyle that is destroying you and that you would find true life.

Jesus came 2000 years ago, dying on a cross that your sins might be forgiven, and three days later he rose again, conquering death. Now he offers life to you.

Don’t think that playing the Christian will save you.

God sees your heart. He sees the sin that is there and he calls you to repent and follow him. Will you? It starts with a prayer.

Jesus, I’ve made a mess of my life through my sin. I’ve gone my own way and paid for it. Please forgive me.

I believe you died on the cross for my sins. Wash me clean. Change me. Make me new.

Teach me what it is to truly live. I want to follow you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Categories
2 Chronicles 2 Kings Jeremiah

Reasons for the fall

Kings,Chronicles, and Jeremiah

This is one of the few times in scripture that the same event is talked about in four different places.

Jeremiah 52 appears to be a historical appendix, however, and seems to have been added by someone other than Jeremiah. It’s an almost word-for-word repetition of the Kings’ account.

Basically Zedekiah had rebelled against Babylon, despite taking an oath in God’s name to be a vassal under him, so Nebuchadnezzar put Jerusalem under siege for 2 years.

As a result, there was famine in the city, and at last, the walls were broken through.

Though Zedekiah fled, he was eventually captured. His sons were put to death, after which he was blinded and taken into captivity until he died.

Nebuchadnezzar killed the officials of Judah, and also the chief priest and the next in rank.

Everything of value in the temple was taken away, and then the temple itself, the palace, and the houses of the land were all burned down.

Why? 2 Chronicles makes the reasons crystal clear.

[Zedekiah] did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke the word of the Lord… He became stiff-necked and hardened his heart and would not turn to the Lord, the God of Israel.

Furthermore, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful, following all the detestable practices of the nations and defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated in Jerusalem.

The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place.

But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. (2 Chronicles 36:12–16)

What can we learn from this? Why did Jerusalem fall?

First, they did what was evil in God’s sight. It goes without saying that when we do evil, we bring evil upon ourselves.

Second, when they heard God’s words of rebuke, they didn’t humble themselves and repent. Rather, they hardened their hearts, not only continuing their evil deeds, but becoming even more unfaithful to God.

Third, they followed the religious practices of the nations around them, and in doing so defiled the temple of God.

Finally, they continually mocked the words of God and scoffed at his messengers until finally there was no remedy for the evil in their hearts. It is possible to so harden ourselves that we make it impossible for ourselves to return.

How about you? What path are you going down?

Are you unrepentedly doing what God has called evil? When you hear God’s words of rebuke in his Word or through messages at church, do you just close your eyes and ears?

Are you following the religious practices and beliefs of the people around you, and in so doing defiling the temple of the Holy Spirit within you?

I’m not just talking about following other religions. I’m talking about following the gods of money, sex, and materialism as well. These things will defile your lives.

Worst of all, have you become so hardened to God’s word, that you actually scoff at it and anyone who would preach it?

These are what caused Israel to fall into destruction. And it will cause you to fall to destruction too.

I’m not saying that you’ll lose your salvation. But you will eventually destroy all the good things in your life. And you’ll wreck all the good plans God intended for your life.

Instead of having a life worth living, you’ll be left with a wasted life full of regret.

Let us not be like the Israelites who lost everything. Let us keep hearts that are soft and humble before God. For only in doing that can we find the way of life.