Without a Wedding Garment

Matthew 22:1-7 ESV

 

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.”

 

Originally this parable was intended, I believe, as a picture of the Jews’ rejection of Jesus Christ, their Messiah. They did indeed kill some of the prophets, as well as they put Jesus to death on a cross, although he had done no wrong, but only good. And so, the Lord sent the gospel to the Gentiles.

 

But is there an application that we can make to our lives today? To the church today? To the church in America today?

 

Who are the invited today? Well, according to Romans 1, God made himself known to all humankind. He revealed his invisible attributes, namely his eternal power and divine nature, to all humankind, through his created works. So, all humans are without excuse if they reject God/Jesus Christ, and if they suppress the truth which has been revealed to them.

 

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

 

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen” (Rom 1:21-25 ESV).

 

For, Jesus Christ, in his death on that cross, died for the sins of the whole world, not just for a select group of people, that whoever would be believing in him might not perish but have eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

But he didn’t die just so we would be forgiven our sins and just so we could go to heaven when we die. So, it is critical here that we understand what the invitation here is to, and how we are to come to the wedding feast. And Romans 1 gives us a really big hint on that, too. It is not an invitation to continue living in sin guilt free.

 

“For, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” Rom 1:18 ESV

 

Matthew 22:8-10 ESV

 

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.”

 

Many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ and who regularly attend gatherings of what is called “church,” have not, in truth, come to the wedding feast. Many have refused to come, in actuality. And many of them have closed their ears to the invitation and have refused to hear it.

 

They have not only rejected the invitation to the wedding feast, but they have rejected, hated, slandered, and pushed away those who are giving out the invitations. And they have sent some of them away, telling them that they should go someplace else where they will be a “better fit.”

 

For, what is the invitation to the wedding feast? It is, by faith in Jesus, to be crucified with Christ in death to sin, to be raised with Christ to newness of life in him, and it is, by God’s Spirit, to now walk according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24).

 

For, if we walk according to the flesh, and if we make sin our practice, we will die in our sins. We will not inherit eternal life with God (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; 1 Co 6:9-10; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8).

 

From my own personal experience, I can share with you that, because the church (the majority) rejected me and the truth of the gospel I was sharing, and they pushed me away, the Lord then sent me to the internet to share the gospel, and many people there are receiving it with open arms.

 

Perhaps some of you reading this can identify, for you have also been rejected by “the church” for holding to the truths of the gospel.

 

Matthew 22:11-14 ESV

 

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

 

We are either clothed in garments of righteousness or we are clothed in filthy garments of our sins and wickedness. But this is not just a status we wear because of “belief” in Jesus Christ. The Scriptures are clear on this subject. It is those who practice righteousness who are righteous. And those who make a practice of sin are still dead in their sins and will die, not live.

 

So, salvation from sin and eternal life with Christ are not guaranteed us on a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but on a walk of faith in Christ. It is what the Scriptures teach. These are not my words (Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9).

 

First, by faith, we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin, then be raised with Christ to new lives in him, and then we must walk (in lifestyle) no longer according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For, if we walk (in practice) according to the flesh, we will die in our sins (Rom 8:1-17).

 

All of us are going to be judged by our deeds/works. If we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction. But if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8).

 

God’s grace to us is not free license to continue living in sin without guilt. Jesus died on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. He died to deliver us out of our bondage to sin, not to put a Band-Aid over our serious sin wound (Rom 6:1-23; 1 Pet 2:24).

 

His Tender Mercies

 

An Original Work / January 26, 2014

 

Fear not! I’m with you.

Be not dismayed!

God watches o’er you.

Trust Him today.

He’ll lead and guide you;

Give you His aid.

He’ll love and keep you

With Him always.

 

Walk in His footsteps.

He’ll lead the way.

Trust in His love;

Believe that He cares.

He will not leave you.

Faithful He’ll be.

His tender mercies

Now you will see.

 

Fellowship with Him

Throughout the day.

Tell Him your heartaches.

He’ll heal always.

Rest in His comfort.

He is your friend.

Your faith He’ll strengthen,

True to the end.

 

https://vimeo.com/379513308

I Do Not Run Aimlessly

2 Peter 3:10-13 ESV

 

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

 

“Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

 

When I was much younger, I was taught things in the Scriptures a certain way, and I believed what I was taught. But, as I got older, and I began to study the Scriptures for myself, I began to realize that some things I was taught early on did not add up to what I was reading in the Scriptures.

 

So, I found that I was having a difficult time reconciling what I was taught with what the Scriptures appeared to be teaching. And I was not one who was satisfied with “We’ve always done it this way,” or “Don’t worry about that, dearie. Just believe what we tell you.”

 

I had seen far too much hypocrisy as I was growing up, and I wanted no part of it. I wanted the real thing. I wanted to know the truth, not what someone was telling me was the truth. So, I continued in my search to know the truth. And the Lord opened my eyes to much truth, too.

 

So, if what we were taught early on was that we could pray a prayer to receive Christ and that now eternal life with God was guaranteed us, and that nothing could take that away from us, no matter what, then how do we reconcile that with these teachings in the Scriptures that teach that how we live on this earth matters for where we spend eternity?

 

This will become clearer as we read further on in 2 Peter 3, but why tell the believers in Jesus that, because the world is going to be one day destroyed, they ought to be people who are living their lives in holiness and godliness while they are waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of the Lord? What is the correlation between holy and godly living and Jesus’ return?

 

2 Peter 3:14-16 ESV

 

“Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.”

 

Again, if we are saved (once), heaven is guaranteed us when we die, and nothing can take that away from us, then why all the pressure to make certain the believers would be found by our Lord without spot or blemish and at peace? And if we already have salvation, then why do we need to count the patience of our Lord as salvation?

 

Ah, now we can get to the bottom of this. The key to this mystery is found in the writings of Paul, but not in his teachings which are easy to understand, but in the ones that are hard to understand and that the ignorant and unstable twist to their destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. Now we are getting somewhere.

 

So, what did Paul have to say on this matter? Well, he said that we have to walk (conduct our lives, in practice) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. For, if we live by the flesh, we will die in our sins. We will not inherit eternal life with God no matter what (Rom 8:1-17; Gal 5:16-21).

 

He also taught that we are slaves of the one we obey. If it is sin, it leads to death. But if it is obedience, that leads to righteousness and sanctification, and that ends in eternal life with God. For, to be in Christ means we have died with Christ to sin and we are living to Christ and to his righteousness (Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24; Tit 2:11-14; Rom 12:1-2).

 

Paul also taught that we will reap what we sow. If we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction. But if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life. And he taught that we will be judged of God by our works (Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; 1 Co 6:9-10).

 

So, Paul didn’t teach “once saved always saved.” He taught a salvation that was contingent upon how we live. Now he didn’t teach that we can earn our own salvation by our own good works, but he did teach that we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God had planned ahead of time that we should walk in them (Eph 2:8-10).

 

2 Peter 3:17-18 ESV

 

“You, therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

 

Again, if we are saved once, and heaven is guaranteed us when we die, and nothing can take that away from us, then why teach that we should be careful that not one of us is carried away (led astray) by/with the error of lawless people and thus we lose our stability (steadfastness, firmness)?

 

Now, one could argue that this is merely talking about drifting from our pure devotion to Christ and therefore losing our steadfastness of spirit in our walks of faith. And, thus, this is an encouragement to guard against such as this. But this refers back to the previous section here which refers specifically to Paul’s hard to understand teachings.

 

Also, remember what Paul said about himself.

 

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Co 9:24-27; cf. Gal 6:7-8).

 

Love Lifted Me

 

Hymn lyrics by James Rowe, 1912

Music by Howard E. Smith

 

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,

But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

 

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling,

In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing,

Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,

Faithful, loving service, too, to Him belongs.

 

Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves,

He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves;

He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,

He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.

 

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help,

Love lifted me!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryS-njDaV_s 

The Plans He has for Us

Jeremiah 29:11-13 ESV

 

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

 

The Setting

 

The people of God were living in open rebellion against the Lord, living in idolatry and in immorality. The Lord sent Jeremiah, the prophet of God, to speak to the people about their sins, to call them to repentance, and to warn them of divine judgment if they did not repent.

 

The people mostly ignored Jeremiah’s warnings, and they continued in their rebellious ways, in idolatry, in immorality, and in wickedness. So, God did as he had promised, and he did send judgment upon them, and now they were in captivity (in exile) in Babylon. And the judgment was to last 70 years.

 

And, then we have verse 11 which is quoted often, but which is usually taken out of context and is used as a general promise for all Christians of some kind of financial prosperity and of no harm coming to any of them and of them only facing stuff that is good and nothing bad, etc.

 

But that isn’t what it is saying. It is saying that after the 70 years of judgment that God promised, and that he fulfilled, then he would release them from their captivity in Babylon and he would bring them home, for his intention was not for them to be in captivity forever but to give them a future and a hope.

 

Modern Application

 

So, can this be applied to the church today in some way? Is there a lesson in here for us? I believe there is. For one, I see multiple parallels between God’s people’s moral and spiritual condition of that day to the church’s (at large) moral and spiritual condition today.

 

So much of the church today, at least here in America, has gone the way of the world. They have forsaken the love they had for Jesus at first and now they are chasing after the idols of men. They have turned God’s house, his church, into a marketplace to be marketed to the world just like any other business, and thus they have altered the church to attract the world.

 

Thus, they have also diluted the gospel message to make it more attractive and appealing to the world and to the flesh of humans. Not much any more are they teaching death to sin and living to righteousness and walking in the Spirit and no longer in the flesh. Instead, many are teaching we don’t have to turn from our sins, submit to Christ or walk in obedience to his teachings.

 

So, the church is now filled with people, including pastors, who are living in sin, in gross immorality, in open rebellion against the Lord, doing what their wicked hearts desire, without guilt and without conscience, because they are being taught that God’s grace covers it all and that they don’t have to do anything, because that would be works-based salvation.

 

The Judgment

 

Just like in Jeremiah’s day, the Lord has been sending out his messengers to confront some people professing the name of Jesus with their sins, calling them to repentance, and warning of divine judgment if they do not repent. And just like in Jeremiah’s day, the vast majority have not repented.

 

They not only continued in their rebellious ways, in idolatry, in spiritual adultery, and in immorality, but they pretty much obliterated the gospel message to where it now teaches the exact opposite message as what Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught us. So, the people are convinced they don’t have to turn from their sins, but that God still smiles on them.

 

So, I believe, the judgment of God is now upon us. Look at what all is taking place in the world and in our individual nations. I believe this is a direct result of the moral and spiritual decline of the church and of her refusal to repent of her sins and to turn back to the Lord in obedience to his ways.

 

I also believe the Lord is judging his people who have turned their backs on him in order to get them to return to him with all their hearts before he returns for his bride. And I believe we will see revival take place in the church in order for the gospel to spread throughout the world and in order for the bride to purify herself and to get herself ready for her husband.

 

God’s Plans for Us

 

For, God’s plans for us are that we not live in idolatry, adultery, immorality, and rebellion against him. His plans for us are that we walk according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, that we die with him to sin that we might live to him and to his righteousness (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Lu 9:23-26; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 2:3-6).

 

The hope and the future he wants to give us is salvation from sin and eternal life with him. But these are only promised to those believing in him, who are dying with him to sin, and who are living to him and to his righteousness as a matter of life course, though not necessarily in absolute perfection (Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8).

 

So, if we want to have this hope and this future, then we need to die with Christ to sin and live to Christ and to his righteousness in the power of God’s Spirit now living within us. We must forsake our sins to follow our Lord Jesus in obedience to his ways. For, if we continue living in sin, making it our practice (habit, addiction), then we will die in our sins (Gal 5:16-21).

 

We will find the Lord when we seek him with our whole hearts, not by only giving him a passing nod or a cursory profession of faith in him. For, Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow him in obedience. Then we will have salvation from sin and the hope of eternal life (Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58).

 

I Will Lift My Eyes 

 

An Original Work / December 12, 2012

Based off Psalms 121-125

 

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

He will not let your foot slip, and He who watches will not sleep.

Our Lord watches over you, and your life He will keep.

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

I give thanks to Him.

 

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n.

Because of His great love for us, He made us alive with Christ.

Through the kindness of our Savior, He gave us new life.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n;

My home, now in heav’n.

 

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

Those who trust will ne’er be shaken. God will supply all we need.

Our Lord has done great things for us. He’s our friend, indeed!

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

I can count on Him.

 

https://vimeo.com/379508241

A Truthful Witness Saves Lives

Proverbs 14 ESV

 

2 Whoever walks in uprightness fears the Lord,

    but he who is devious in his ways despises him.

3 By the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,

    but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

5 A faithful witness does not lie,

    but a false witness breathes out lies.

6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain,

    but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.

 

There are so many liars and deceivers now in the world, in the government, in the news media, and in the church, that it is hard to know sometimes who is lying and who is telling the truth unless we can test what they are saying against Scripture or unless we have a way to prove they are lying.

 

But it isn’t just that. Lying has become so commonplace among all people, including among Christians, that it has become an acceptable means of communication. Flattering tongues are everywhere. It is being promoted within the church to say to people what makes them feel good about themselves, even if they are steeped in sin, and they call that love.

 

Now, I am not saying we should not be kind to people or that we shouldn’t speak words of encouragement. We should. But we should not speak falsely to people. We should not deceive people. We shouldn’t say “peace, peace” when there is no peace. It is never kind to lie to people.

 

If we walk in the fear of the Lord, and if the Lord is our trust, and if we believe what his word teaches us, and if we love others as God loves us, we will not lie to them. We will be kind, but we will speak the truth in love to them for their good. We will not willfully withhold truth from them and in so doing knowingly cause them harm.

 

7 Leave the presence of a fool,

    for there you do not meet words of knowledge.

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,

    but the folly of fools is deceiving.

9 Fools mock at the guilt offering,

    but the upright enjoy acceptance.

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

    but the tent of the upright will flourish.

 

Sometimes we will have to part ways with some people who are foolish in their ways and who refuse to gain wisdom and understanding. For, they go headstrong in ways which are not wise and which are not proper (decent) and respectful towards God and others.

 

They are those who mock at repentance, who think they have the right to live however they want, and who do what is right in their own eyes regardless of who they hurt in the process. They have little to no regard for the Lord’s commandments (New Covenant), but it will not end well for them.

 

But we are to be those who are wise in the ways of the Lord, who are able to discern our ways, whether they be good or evil. We are to be those who take seriously the Lord’s commands to us in the New Testament, under the New Covenant. And we are to be those who walk in the ways of the Lord and who do not walk (in practice) in the ways of our sinful flesh.

 

For, God’s grace, which brings salvation, trains (instructs) us to say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return (Titus 2:11-14).

 

12 There is a way that seems right to a man,

    but its end is the way to death.

14 The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,

    and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

15 The simple believes everything,

    but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil,

    but a fool is reckless and careless.

 

Just because it looks good or feels good doesn’t mean it is good. It may have all the appearance of goodness but be filled to the brim with wickedness. Appearances can be deceptive. So, just because it feels right doesn’t mean it is right, for feelings can be so deceiving.

 

So, just because you feel good about something it doesn’t mean it is good or that it is right for you or that God approves of it. It may seem right to you, but be wrong, and therefore it ends in death, not in salvation from sin, and not in eternal life with God, for it is not God’s way, but the way of the flesh.

 

We are all going to reap what we sow on this earth. If we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction. But if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8).

 

The gospel of our salvation teaches us that we must die with Christ to sin and live to Christ and to his righteousness. We must walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. And we must no longer live to please our flesh, but to please God (1 Pet 2:24; Rom 8:1-17; 2 Co 5:15; Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Lu 9:23-26).

 

22 Do they not go astray who devise evil?

    Those who devise good meet steadfast love and faithfulness.

25 A truthful witness saves lives,

    but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.

26 In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence,

    and his children will have a refuge.

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,

    that one may turn away from the snares of death.

 

Verse 25 is what really jumped out at me here. Too many people today who call themselves Christians are being encouraged to lie to people to make them feel good about themselves, and they are being discouraged from speaking the truth in love to people for their salvation.

 

They are being taught that it is unkind to speak the truth in love, and that it offends people when we present to them the gospel as Jesus taught it and as the apostles taught it, so we are to “stay in your own lane” and not talk with people about sin, repentance, judgment, or obedience to Christ.

 

Church has become more of a business being marketed to the world and so they don’t want to offend the world with the truth for they may not come back. And they want them coming back. So, they dilute the truth of the gospel to make it more acceptable to the world and to flesh.

 

But we are to be people of truth and integrity. We are to be truthful witnesses who speak the whole counsel of God because it is the truth that saves people from their sins, not the lies. And we are to be those who walk in the fear (honor, respect, reverence) of God and not in the fear of man.

 

Songs in the Night  

 

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

 

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

 

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

 

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

 

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

 

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

 

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

 

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

 

https://vimeo.com/379484387

Persecution of Christians in the Last Days

The Book of Revelation

 

The book of Revelation is written to the church, the body of Christ. In chapters 2 and 3 Jesus addressed the 7 churches in Asia. Seven is a number of completeness, so this is to the complete church (the universal church).

 

Some people see the seven churches as the church throughout the ages, ending with the church in Laodicea, which many see as the apostate church of the last days. I believe that the seven letters are to be applied to the church of today as they apply, i.e., according to where the message fits.

 

In five out of the seven letters Jesus chastised the church for some failure on their part to live up to their calling in Christ Jesus. In four out of the five letters he had both positive and negative remarks. But to the church in Laodicea, he had nothing good to say about them.

 

The kinds of things he had against the five (the majority) are that 1) they had abandoned the love for Jesus they had at first, 2) they had people among them who were following false gods and false teachers/prophets who were leading the people into sin, 3) they were tolerating false teaching and doctrines which were seducing people into sexual immorality, 4) they had a reputation of being spiritually alive, but they were mostly dead spiritually, and 5) they were neither hot nor cold spiritually but were lukewarm.

 

To the five churches where Jesus chastised them, he also called them to repent of their sins or else to face divine judgment of some kind. If they did repent, then he promised them eternal rewards. And then in chapters 6 through 19 we have the declaration of the judgments, which include the persecution of the saints of God. Quoting from the ESV:

 

Revelation 6:9-11: “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, ‘O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”

 

Revelation 12:17: “Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.”

 

Revelation 13:6-7: [The beast] “opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also, it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them.”

 

Revelation 14:12: “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”

 

To the other two churches Jesus spoke tenderly words of comfort and encouragement.

 

To #1: He knew their tribulation and their poverty (could be poverty of spirit – humility), but they were rich in faith in Christ Jesus. He knew those who claimed to be God’s children, but who were not, but were of the synagogue of Satan and were guilty of slandering the Lord’s saints.

 

So, he encouraged the saints with these words:

 

“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev 2:10 ESV).

 

To #2: He said, “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown” (Rev 3:10-11 ESV).

 

If I were to apply these two to the church today, to the church that is in the minority, not the majority – to the church that is following Jesus Christ with their lives wholeheartedly and who are not denying Jesus by their lives –

 

I would say that this is an indication that some genuine followers of Christ will remain during the tribulation, and they will be persecuted, while others, perhaps those who have already suffered much persecution, will be removed, probably through death before the time of tribulation.

 

Matthew 24 ESV

 

Someone today asked me if I would explain Matthew 24. This person had heard from someone that Matthew 24 only applied to the Jews. So, I said I would get back to her on this, but the Lord led me to Revelation first, then to discuss Matthew 24 in light of the book of Revelation.

My first response to her was this: “One of the biggest keys to correct biblical interpretation is context. To whom is it written? When was it written? What is the context? In this case Jesus is talking to his disciples, and he says, ‘then they will deliver YOU’ (Christians) ‘up to tribulation.’" He said,

 

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

 

But this wasn’t just about the Great Tribulation. Jesus taught this and his apostles taught this all throughout the New Testament that the life of the follower of Jesus Christ is a life of suffering, and that we will be hated and persecuted as Jesus was hated and persecuted and was put to death.

 

[1 Pet 4:12-17; Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-30; Lu 6:22; Lu 21:10-19; Jn 15:18-20; 2 Tim 3:11-12; Ac 8:1; Ac 11:19; Ac 13:50; 2 Thes 1:4; Matt 24:9-10; 1 Jn 3:13]

 

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short” (Matt 24:21-22 ESV).

 

Oceans / Hillsong United

 

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown…

 

And I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

 

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9nwe9_xzw

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The Good Portion

Luke 10:38-42 ESV

 

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.’”

 

All About Priorities

 

Now, before we get into what this is teaching us, I want to talk a little about what this is not teaching. This is not teaching us that we can be derelict of duty, lazy, slothful, and idle. If we don’t work, we don’t eat, unless we are independently wealthy, or unless we are living on retirement savings. But, even there, we should be working full-time for the Lord who provided for us.

 

I believe this lesson is more about priorities, putting first things first and last things last, not neglecting the necessities of this life here on earth, but not letting them be our god and consuming our time and attention in place of time we should be spending with the Lord, focusing on him and on his word and doing what it says.

 

Martha wasn’t doing a bad thing. What she was doing was good. She was being a good hostess. But she wasn’t doing what was best, which is what Mary had chosen, to sit at Jesus’ feet and to hear him speak his words to her heart so that she could then do what he taught her – so she could apply his words to her daily life.

 

Martha was distracted by the cares of this world, more concerned with the physical than she was with the spiritual. I’m certain she meant well by her actions. She thought she was doing a good thing for the Lord, but it wasn’t what he required, at least not at that moment. He had something more important in mind for her if she would just be still and listen to him.

 

And you know what? He is saying the same thing to us today. Yes, we need to take care of what has been entrusted to us, but not to the neglect of what is most important. We are not to be more concerned about the cares of this world than we care about spending time with our Lord in his word, listening to what he has to tell us, and then doing what his word says to do.

 

Our All in All

 

And this is not about taking 5 to 15 minutes a day out of our busy schedules to read a short devotional and to say our prayers and then to go about our normal days’ routines. For, we are to be constant in prayer. We are to be abiding in Christ and him in us 24/7. Our ears and hearts should be attentive to hear him speaking to us any time of the day or night.

 

Jesus is not just our “get-out-of-jail-free-card.” He is not just our Savior from sin so that we can go to heaven when we die. He is to be our life. He is to be our all. And our lives are to be surrendered to him, to doing his will for our lives all throughout the day, every day of the week. So, our ears must be attentive to hearing him throughout the day, too.

 

But for us to have ears to hear him, we need to bathe our minds with the word of God and we need to be those who are putting the word of God into practice in our daily lives. We can’t set aside a certain amount of time for God each day and then feel the rest of the day is ours to do whatever it is we want to do or to do what is required of us to feed our families, etc.

 

The Lord needs to be in everything that we do, and he needs to be the one who is guiding our steps each day. This doesn’t mean that we have to ask him permission to do normal everyday things, but that we should always have open communication with him to where we are seeking his counsel throughout the day and to where we are following him in where he leads us.

 

So, we also need to guard against those things which distract us from our purity of devotion to Christ or which end up consuming the time which should be dedicated to our Lord, which is all our time, in reality. We need to guard our minds and our hearts against taking in the garbage of the world, too, and against it having an influence in our lives.

 

Because of what I do (writing/posting devotions), I am on social media every day. I like to hear/read Scripture which people post. I like to read people's original (decent) thoughts, or to hear what God is teaching them, or to read about their lives and experiences (in decency).

 

But I don't care much for memes. They seem so artificial. And I believe they have much power to influence people's thinking and opinions. Yet not all memes are bad. But I think there is a danger in their overuse. For, they can begin to mold our thinking to conform to the thinking of the meme creators. Yet, as Christians, our thinking needs to be conformed to the mind of Christ, which comes through studying and obeying the Word of God.

 

Songs in the Night  

 

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

 

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

 

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

 

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

 

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

 

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

 

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

 

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

 

https://vimeo.com/379484387

Abiding in God's Love

Recap 1 John 1-3

 

John testified that Jesus Christ was from the beginning, he was the word of life, the eternal life who was with the Father from the beginning, who became man, who the apostles/disciples saw and touched and heard. John was proclaiming the message they had heard from Jesus.

 

“God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn 1).

 

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected” (1 Jn 2).

 

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 Jn 2).

 

“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous” (1 Jn 3).

 

1 John 4:13-15 ESV

 

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”

 

If you read these verses here out of context of 1 John, as a whole, you might get a different impression of what the author is saying here than you would if you read these words in the whole context of 1 John. For, you can’t just claim you have the Spirit and therefore you have Christ. You can’t just make a verbal confession that Jesus is the Son of God, and therefore that means God abides in you and you in him.

 

We must NOT walk (conduct our lives, in practice) in darkness (sin), but we must walk (live our lives) in the light (truth, righteousness, Jesus Christ). For if we claim to have fellowship with God, but we are still walking (habitually) in sin, then we are liars who don’t live by the truth.

 

We must keep (obey, put into practice) his commandments (his instructions to us under the New Covenant in the New Testament). For, if we say we know Jesus, but it is not our practice to obey his instructions to us, which are written down for us, his followers, in the New Testament, then we are liars if we say we know him. A verbal confession of him is not enough.

 

If we love (prefer, choose) the world of sin over Jesus Christ by how we live our lives – if we hunger after what is of the flesh over that which is of God and of his righteousness, then the love of God is NOT in us. But it is whoever is doing the will of God who abides with Christ forever.

 

If we make sinning our practice, then we don’t know the Lord, and he does not abide in us or us in him. Now, this is not saying that we will never sin again (see 1 Jn 2:1-2), and it isn’t saying that we can’t ever wander from our pure devotion to Jesus Christ, for a time (see Rev 2-3), and need to be brought back to repentance. But if we confess Jesus as Lord and yet we keep on living in sin, then we don’t know him.

 

Also, our righteousness is not just a status we have now that we are saved from our sins and we have eternal life with God. It is he who practices righteousness who is righteous in God’s sight. But this is not self-righteousness. This is putting Christ’s righteousness into practice in our daily lives by the Spirit, by God’s grace, in his strength and power.

 

1 John 4:16-18 ESV

 

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

 

So, the word “love” here is not human love but divine love. It is a love which prefers what God prefers and which centers in moral preference. Since it comes from God, it is a love which is pure, honest, unadulterated, just, righteous, holy, unselfish, and giving of oneself to the needs of others.

 

If we are in genuine relationship with Jesus Christ by God-given and God-persuaded faith in him, then God abides in us, and thus his love also abides in us, and we can and should put that love into practice in our daily lives.

 

So, when this says that whoever abides in love abides in God, this is speaking of those who live in God’s love, who love others with the love of Christ, who do not make sin their practice, but whose practice is righteousness and godliness, by God’s Spirit.

 

It is speaking of those who love others as God loves us and gave his life up for us. This is not human love which makes compromises with the world and which will lie to people to make them feel good about themselves. This is a love which speaks the truth in love and which has the same concern for the salvation of human lives as God does.

 

Therefore, we can have confidence on the day of judgment because we are living in obedience to our Lord, we are not walking in sin, our passions (preferences) are for the things of God and not for the things of this world, and because righteousness is what we practice, by God’s Spirit. For this is what it means to abide in love, to be like Jesus in the world.

 

[Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-32; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; Tit 2:11-14; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; 2 Co 5:10]

 

Songs in the Night  

 

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

 

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

 

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

 

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

 

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

 

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

 

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

 

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

 

https://vimeo.com/379484387