Every Knee Shall Bowby Max Lucado �. . . whoever believes in him shall not perish . . .�
How could a loving God send sinners to hell? He doesn�t. They volunteer.
Once there, they don�t want to leave. The hearts of damned fools never soften; their minds never change. �Men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory� (Rev. 16:9 NKJV). Contrary to the idea that hell prompts remorse, it doesn�t. It intensifies blasphemy.
Remember the rich man in torment? He could see heaven but didn�t request a transfer. He wanted Lazarus to descend to him. Why not ask if he could join Lazarus? The rich man complained of thirst, not of injustice. He wanted water for the body, not water for the soul. Even the longing for God is a gift from God, and where there is no more of God�s goodness, there is no longing for him. Though every knee shall bow before God and every tongue confess his preeminence (Rom. 14:11), the hard-hearted will do so stubbornly and without worship. There will be no atheists in hell (Phil. 2:10�11), but there will be no God-seekers either.
But still we wonder, is the punishment fair? Such a penalty seems inconsistent with a God of love�overkill. A sinner�s rebellion doesn�t warrant an eternity of suffering, does it? Isn�t God overreacting?
Who are we to challenge God? Only he knows the full story, the number of invitations the stubborn-hearted have refused and the slander they�ve spewed.
Accuse God of unfairness? He has wrapped caution tape on hell�s porch and posted a million and one red flags outside the entrance. To descend its stairs, you�d have to cover your ears, blindfold your eyes, and, most of all, ignore the epic sacrifice of history: Christ, in God�s hell on humanity�s cross, crying out to the blackened sky, �My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?� (Matt. 27:46). The supreme surprise of hell is this: Christ went there so you won�t have to.
From 3:16, The Numbers of Hope
How could a loving God send sinners to hell? He doesn�t. They volunteer.
Once there, they don�t want to leave. The hearts of damned fools never soften; their minds never change. �Men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory� (Rev. 16:9 NKJV). Contrary to the idea that hell prompts remorse, it doesn�t. It intensifies blasphemy.
Remember the rich man in torment? He could see heaven but didn�t request a transfer. He wanted Lazarus to descend to him. Why not ask if he could join Lazarus? The rich man complained of thirst, not of injustice. He wanted water for the body, not water for the soul. Even the longing for God is a gift from God, and where there is no more of God�s goodness, there is no longing for him. Though every knee shall bow before God and every tongue confess his preeminence (Rom. 14:11), the hard-hearted will do so stubbornly and without worship. There will be no atheists in hell (Phil. 2:10�11), but there will be no God-seekers either.
But still we wonder, is the punishment fair? Such a penalty seems inconsistent with a God of love�overkill. A sinner�s rebellion doesn�t warrant an eternity of suffering, does it? Isn�t God overreacting?
Who are we to challenge God? Only he knows the full story, the number of invitations the stubborn-hearted have refused and the slander they�ve spewed.
From 3:16, The Numbers of Hope
God Is at Work
John 5:16-19Throughout the Bible, we observe God at work in people's lives. Sometimes He acts in dramatic fashion, as in parting the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to escape the Egyptian army. At other times it may appear as if He's not taking any action. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother needed His help, but Christ delayed before traveling to their home (John 11:3-6).
Our Father has given us the Holy Spirit to help us recognize His presence and handiwork. The Spirit cultivates spiritual discernment in us so we can understand when and where He's at work.
The Lord's efforts can bring delight, as was the case when Hannah bore a child (1 Sam. 1:27-2:1). His plan can also lead through painful times, which was Joseph's experience. Before the Lord elevated him to a position of authority to help his family, Joseph was sold into slavery and unjustly imprisoned.
Jesus told the disciples that His Father was always at work and so was He. We will be encouraged and strengthened in our faith when we recognize the ways in which God is operating. These glimpses of His handiwork will motivate us to stay the course and help us maintain a godly perspective on life.
Glorified and Perfected - by Greg Laurie -www.harvest.org
For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. - 1 Corinthians 13:12
One question we ask about the afterlife is, "Will we recognize each other in Heaven?" The simple answer is this: Do we recognize each other on earth? Generally we do. We will in Heaven, too, but even more so. All the clouding and damaging effects of sin will be removed.
The Bible says, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known" (1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV). I don't think this means that God will take everything He knows and put it into our brains the moment we enter eternity. Otherwise we would all look like bobbleheads, walking around with massive heads and little bodies.
What the Scriptures seem to be saying is that in eternity the Lord will, over time, unveil more and more great truths to us. Our knowledge will expand as we spend time in His presence, worshipping Him.
We also will be reunited with those who have gone before us who trusted in Jesus. If you have loved ones who have died and they believed in Jesus, then you will see them again. Heaven will be a family reunion without the weirdness. All the sin will be gone. All the selfishness will be gone.
You see, Heaven is the earthly life of the believer, glorified and perfected. When we pass to the other side, our minds and our memories will be clearer than they ever have been before. That is great to know, because we forget things. Our memories are not as sharp as they once were, perhaps. But all that is going to change. We will know things that we don't know now. And we will see things with a perspective that we don't have now.
Hell Is a Human Choice - by Greg Laurie -
And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. - Jude 1:22-23
Maybe you've been asked this question-or have asked it yourself: "How can a God of love send someone to Hell?" Let me respond by quoting J. I. Packer, who wrote, "Scripture sees hell as self-chosen. . . . Hell appears as God's gesture of respect for human choice."
C.S. Lewis summed it up this way: "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell."
And Timothy Keller noted, "In short, hell is simply one's freely chosen identity apart from God on a trajectory into infinity."
If someone ends up in Hell, it breaks the heart of God. They rejected God's solution, and they charted their own course.
General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, said that if he had his way he would, as part his training for evangelism, take his trainees and dangle them over Hell so they would be able to comprehend what awaits those who don't know the Lord.
I want to do everything I can to warn everyone I know so they won't end up in that horrible place. I'm not suggesting we should call every unbeliever we know and say, "You're going to Hell!" The Bible says, "The goodness of God leads [us] to repentance" (Romans 2:4 NKJV).
Tell them about what Christ has done for you. Tell them about the hope of Heaven. Tell them about the forgiveness of sin. And tell them what the repercussions are if they don't believe. Don't leave that out. Don't dilute it. We have the hope of Heaven, but we don't want anyone to go to Hell.
Commitment to God“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5)
Frustration must come as the saints of God battle with evil forces. The pain and pressure of torment are nonetheless real as these evil “devices” (Isaiah 32:7) take their toll on the people of God. The Lord will destroy the plans of the wicked (Psalm 33:10), but while those plans are active, they can cause much hurt.
Nevertheless, we must maintain trust in the Lord and commit our lives to Him if we are to be victorious. The unusual Hebrew word galal used here is more often translated as “roll on” or “roll with” something. It seems to imply a unity in the commitment, that the committed one is bound up in the actions or activities of the thing or person committed to—we “roll on” or “roll with” the Lord in our “way.”
Paul spends much of his letter to the Philippians describing the link between the Creator-Savior and the mind, heart, and lifestyle of the Christian who has given his life over to God. “Being confident of this very thing,” Paul says, “that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). We are to “work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13).
While admitting that he had not yet “attained,” Paul was so focused on the work of the Kingdom that he was “forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14). God’s promise to “bring it to pass” is conditioned on our being committed to His sovereign will for our “way.” HMM III
Asleep in Jesus
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
The hope of the Christian is the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the rapture of living believers at His second coming. This is the primary theme of this epistle—especially verses 4:13–5:10. In fact, it is significant that this book, possibly the first of Paul’s epistles chronologically, is also the one with the largest number of specific references to Christ’s second coming.
If it were not for this hope, we would have no hope for the future. “If in this life only we have hope in Christ,” Paul said, “we are of all men most miserable” (1 Corinthians 15:19). When an unbeliever dies, he dies without hope. When a believer dies, he is simply “asleep,” as far as his body is concerned. At the same time, his soul and spirit go to be with the Lord until the resurrection day. Perhaps it is analogous to the state of dreaming, when the body is asleep in bed, while the person’s consciousness seems to be engaged in varied activities far from where the body is resting.
The Bible uses the term “sleep” to describe death only in the case of Christians—never for non-Christians (see John 11:11; etc.). There is genuine sorrow, of course, when a believer dies, but that sorrow is softened and sublimated by the “blessed hope” of Christ’s return (Titus 2:13). “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). The souls of those whose bodies are asleep have gone to be with the Lord and will return with the Lord when He returns. “The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (vv. 16-17). HMM
Learning to Trust
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.” (Psalm 138:7)
David makes three simple points in his final admonition to those who struggle with trusting in God’s lovingkindness and truth.
First, God loves His saints, but those with a pride problem are not going to gain His attention (Psalm 138:6). This is somewhat basic to Christian doctrine. Pride is one of the seven things that God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19). God responds to the desire of the humble person (Psalm 10:17), and He stays near to those who have a broken heart or a contrite spirit (Psalm 34:17).
Second, God will revive us when we are in trouble (our text). The promise is about the reviving and the saving. That is, we may gain God’s sufficient grace to endure (as in the case of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” 2 Corinthians 12:7) rather than a physical cure. We may receive the ability to be victorious in the face of opposition (as during Paul’s ministry to Ephesus, 1 Corinthians 16:8-9) rather than relief from the circumstances. We may, indeed, be delivered from the pressure of the enemies or have God’s miracle performed in our lives, but whatever the circumstantial occasion, God will respond for our good.
Third, God will bring about our perfection (Psalm 138:8). That term, both in the Old and the New Testaments, relates to completing God’s work or purpose. Here, it is specifically related to that which concerns the saints of God. The sovereign Lord will see to it that His chosen will make it (1 Peter 2:9). There is no question about this. God’s mercy is always refreshed. There is no limit to His forgiveness. Nothing about who we are will defeat God’s plan for us (Philippians 2:13). HMM III
Contend for the Faith
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 1:3)
Jude long ago addressed a problem in his day that is still very real in our day among Christians. It is easier and more comfortable just to teach and preach about the blessings of our common salvation than it is to contend for the faith, but the latter is more “needful.” The word conveys the idea that he was so constrained, evidently by the Holy Spirit, as actually to be in distress about this compelling need. Similarly, his exhortation to “earnestly contend” does not mean to “be argumentative,” but rather, to “agonize with intense determination.” It is one word in the Greek, epagonizomai (literally, “agonize over”). Defending and contending for the faith is serious, urgent business.
That which we are to defend is “the faith”—the whole body of Christian truth, wherever it is under attack. It would, of course, be especially important to contend for the doctrine of special creation, which is the foundation of all others, and which is the doctrine perpetually under the most concerted and persistent attack by the adversary.
That faith has been, long ago, “once delivered” to the saints. The sense of these words is “once for all turned over for safekeeping.” The Lord has entrusted us with His Word, completed and inscripturated, and we must keep it, uncorrupted and intact, for every generation until He returns, preaching and teaching all of it to every creature, to the greatest extent we possibly can.
Finally, note that the safeguarding of the faith was not merely to specially trained theologians or other professionals, but to “the saints.” Every Christian believer is commanded to “earnestly contend for the faith.” HMM
Recognizing God's Handiwork
Psalms 33:3-11
The work God does is creative. He made heaven, earth, and all living creatures. He formed Adam and Eve in His image and knitted each of us in our mother's womb.
His work is also powerful. Through His Son Jesus, He accomplished a great salvation for all who trust in the Savior. Our heavenly Father worked mightily to open a way for us to be reconciled to Him and adopted into His family. Not only that, but God's work is ongoing, and Jesus is the One who holds all things together (Col. 1:17).
In order to recognize God's handiwork, we need to pray in an active, persistent manner. Christ-centered prayers narrow our focus to the Lord. Then we can more readily identify His actions and see how to join Him. Self-centered petitions serve to distract us from Him.
When we combine these disciplines with discernment and patience, we will have positioned ourselves to discover how God is working in our lives and in our world.
Our Lord is at work today--calling nonbelievers to saving faith and the redeemed to a closer walk with Him. His plans include individuals, families, and nations. Have you been too busy or distracted to notice what He's doing? Confess your inattention and refocus your heart and mind on Him.
The Priority of Relationship
Revelation 2:1-7
Ephesuswas the home of a tremendous ministry. Despite harsh persecution, the church planted by Paul endured opposition, spread the gospel, and was quick to challenge false prophets. But 30 years after the apostle left, John’s revelation included a stern warning for those believers.
Christ called the Ephesians to remember their love for Him and their delight in His salvation. Service is no substitute for an intimate relationship, but modern believers continue to fall into this subtle trap. The commendable things that we do count for nothing unless they stem from a vibrant personal connection with God. Our work can’t be effective or fruitful unless He is in it.
In fact, God is more interested in you and your personal relationship with Him than in a thousand lifetimes of good works. He desires to be the satisfaction and delight of His children so that their service is a result of loving devotion.
There are plenty of wrong reasons to labor for the kingdom. However, God is satisfied only with service motivated by love for Him. He wants those with selfish intentions to return to their first love. In that way, hearts and minds can be renewed, and service to the Lord will be more fruitful.
The Sufferings of His Broken Heart by Max Lucado
Go with me for a moment to witness what was perhaps the foggiest night in history. The scene is very simple; you’ll recognize it quickly. A grove of twisted olive trees. Ground cluttered with large rocks. A low stone fence. A dark, dark night.
Now, look into the picture. Look closely through the shadowy foliage. See that person? See that solitary figure? What’s he doing? Flat on the ground. Face stained with dirt and tears. Fists pounding the hard earth. Eyes wide with a stupor of fear. Hair matted with salty sweat. Is that blood on his forehead?
That’s Jesus. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Maybe you’ve seen the classic portrait of Christ in the garden. Kneeling beside a big rock. Snow-white robe. Hands peacefully folded in prayer. A look of serenity on his face. Halo over his head. A spotlight from heaven illuminating his golden-brown hair.
Now, I’m no artist, but I can tell you one thing. The man who painted that picture didn’t use the gospel of Mark as a pattern. When Mark wrote about that painful night, he used phrases like these: “Horror and dismay came over him.” “My heart is ready to break with grief.” “He went a little forward and threw himself on the ground.”
Does this look like the picture of a saintly Jesus resting in the palm of God? Hardly. Mark used black paint to describe this scene. We see an agonizing, straining, and struggling Jesus. We see a “man of sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:3 NASB) We see a man struggling with fear, wrestling with commitments, and yearning for relief.
We see Jesus in the fog of a broken heart.
The writer of Hebrews would later pen, “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.” (Hebrews 5:7 NIV)
The next time the fog finds you, you might do well to remember Jesus in the garden. The next time you think that no one understands, reread the fourteenth chapter of Mark. The next time your self-pity convinces you that no one cares, pay a visit to Gethsemane. And the next time you wonder if God really perceives the pain that prevails on this dusty planet, listen to him pleading among the twisted trees.
The next time you are called to suffer, pay attention. It may be the closest you’ll ever get to God. Watch closely. It could very well be that the hand that extends itself to lead you out of the fog is a pierced one.
From The Great House of God
Triumph in Tragedyby Max Lucado
What do you say we have a chat about graveclothes? Sound like fun? Sound like a cheery topic? Hardly. Make a list of depressing subjects, and burial garments is somewhere between IRS audits and long-term dental care.
No one likes graveclothes. No one discusses graveclothes. Have you ever spiced up dinner-table chat with the question, “What are you planning to wear in your casket?”
Most folks don’t discuss graveclothes.
The apostle John, however, was an exception. Ask him, and he’ll tell you how he came to see burial garments as a symbol of triumph. He didn’t always see them that way. A tangible reminder of the death of his best friend, Jesus, they used to seem like a symbol of tragedy. But on the first Easter Sunday, God took clothing of death and made it a symbol of life.
Could he do the same for you?
Could he take what today is a token of tragedy and turn it into a symbol of triumph?
We all face tragedy. What’s more, we’ve all received the symbols of tragedy. Yours might be a telegram from the war department, an ID bracelet from the hospital, a scar, or a court subpoena. We don’t like these symbols, nor do we want these symbols. Like wrecked cars in a junkyard, they clutter up our hearts with memories of bad days.
But could God use such things for something good? How far can we go with verses like Romans 8:28 that says, “In everything God works for the good of those who love him”? Does “everything” include tumors and tests and tempers and terminations? John would answer yes. John would tell you that God can turn any tragedy into a triumph, if only you will wait and watch.
Could I challenge you with a little exercise? Remove the word everything from Romans 8:28 and replace it with the symbol of your own tragedy. For the apostle John, the verse would read: “In burial clothing God works for the good of those who love him.” How would Romans 8:28 read in your life?
In divorce papers God works for the good.
In a prison term God works for the good.
If God can change John’s life through a tragedy, could it be he will use a tragedy to change yours?
From He Chose the Nails
The Source of Happiness - by Greg Laurie -
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. - Revelation 3:20
C.S. Lewis wrote, "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
Are you content? Are you a happy person? Or, are you thinking, "If I just had this, I would be happy"? You won't find happiness in the things this world offers. It won't be found in possessions. It won't be found in accomplishments. It won't be found in fame. It won't be found in any external thing. Happiness does not come from seeking it but from seeking God. Happiness will be found in a relationship with God.
Happiness is not about what I have; it's about who has me. It's the relationship I have with God that brings the ultimate contentment. As David wrote in Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" (verse 1 NKJV). When the Lord is your shepherd, you can find perfect contentment.
Tell me what you think you need, and I will tell you what you really want. What you're looking for in life is a relationship with God. Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20 NKJV).
Have you asked Jesus Christ to come into your life to be your Savior and your Lord? Jesus is ready to forgive you, but you must ask Him to come into your life. The day you do that, your questions will be answered. The day you do that, you will find the contentment you've been seeking in life. The day you do that is the day you literally will change your eternal address from Hell to Heaven.
Enslaved by Debt Proverbs 22:7
Personal debt has skyrocketed in our Western culture. Easy credit, a desire for material goods, and an unwillingness to save and wait have led many people down the path of financial bondage. The Bible doesn�t forbid borrowing, but it clearly warns us of its negative consequences. Our verse today describes the borrower as the lender�s slave.
Every dollar you borrow costs you a measure of freedom. Your paycheck is no longer entirely yours; a part of it must be set aside to repay your creditor. As the interest adds up, the financial burden may necessitate longer working hours. For Christians, the obligation to repay debt oftentimes hinders the ability to give to
the Lord�s work or help people in need. Instead of getting the first part, God gets leftovers or nothing at all.
The consequences of accumulating debtreach beyond monetary issues. The burden of mounting bills creates emotional and relational stress. In fact, financial problems are one of the leading causes of divorce. Even our relationship with the Lord is affected when we let our appetite for the world�s goods override our obedience to biblical principles. Although God promises to supply our needs, how often do we jump ahead of Him and provide for ourselves with �easy payment plans.�
The next time you are tempted to charge a purchase that you really can�t afford, stop! Go home and ask the Lord if He wants you to have it. If He does, ask Him to provide it. Then wait. True freedom comes to those who rely on the Lord�s promises instead of their credit cards.
Heaven Is for Forgiven People
�Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?� (Hebrews 1:14)
Although most Christians are aware of the biblical doctrine of angels, few appreciate what a tremendous resource this may be. Even though they are invisible to us, angels are real, and are more involved in our personal lives than we realize.
The primary purpose for which they were created by God was, according to our text, to be servants (i.e., �ministers�) to those who are to inherit salvation. They are beings of great wisdom, �to know all things that are in the earth� (2 Samuel 14:20). Furthermore, they �excel in strength� (Psalm 103:20). They can travel at tremendous speeds, �being caused to fly swiftly� (Daniel 9:21). Furthermore, there exists �an innumerable company of angels� (Hebrews 12:22), so God is able to dispatch any necessary number of them to �do his commandments� (Psalm 103:20) on behalf of His people.
Since their very existence is related to the heirs of salvation, they are intensely interested in all of God�s plans and in our own individual roles in those plans��which things the angels desire to look into� (1 Peter 1:12). They serve as guardian angels (Psalm 34:7; 91:11), especially in relation to children (Matthew 18:10). They are present in each local church (Revelation 2:1; etc.) and, while they minister to the church, they also themselves learn �by the church the manifold wisdom of God� (Ephesians 3:10). They are directly involved in the accomplishment of many providential miracles such as Daniel in the lion�s den (Daniel 6:22). Finally, they accompany each believer at death into the presence of the Lord (Luke 16:22; 2 Corinthians 5:8).
Perhaps, in that day, we�ll meet the particular angels who have been assigned to our own protection and guidance and can thank them properly. HMM
True Spiritual Growth
James 1:17-27
If you want to genuinely grow in spiritual maturity, it is not enough to simply be instructed by the Word of God. You may love going to church or listening to Christian radio programs. You might talk about everything you hear and assume you're growing because your knowledge is increasing. However, if you don't actually grow closer to God by allowing His Word to change you from the inside out, your head will merely continue to fill with information. You might even sound like a godly person who is admired for the ability to quote chapter and verse. But if you don't take the next step and allow God to touch others' lives through you, you're missing the point.
Spiritual growth is the result of practicing the truth you receive from God. He wants you to give away what He gives you--that is, by loving and serving others and sharing the truth of the gospel. Our example is Jesus, who said that He did not come to be served, but to serve even the lowest outcasts in His society (Matt. 20:28). He could have exalted Himself and spent all His time preaching and teaching. Instead, Jesus did only the Father's will, which was to reveal His heart of love to a broken world. The Lord sacrificially involved Himself in people's lives, and He calls us to follow in His footsteps.
God's plan is to reach the world through you. If that weren't the case, He would have taken you to heaven as soon as you were saved. But you are here for a purpose--to live out Christ's life alongside hurting people who desperately need to experience His love.
The Doctrine of Christ
�If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.� (2 John 1:10)
This apparently harsh instruction seems at first to conflict with the many biblical exhortations to show hospitality, but it needs to be placed in context. The one-chapter epistle of 2 John was addressed to �the elect lady and her children� by John, who also extended greetings from �the children of thy elect sister� (vv. 1, 13). These unusual phrases, together with the general tone of the epistle, make it almost certain that John was not referring simply to two individual Christian women, but to two churches, symbolically personified as two noble ladies with the �children� being the new converts in the churches.
The warning, then, is primarily against the danger of allowing a false teacher to come into the church, as a pastor or a teacher or even as a visiting speaker, who would not bring �this doctrine.� The doctrine mentioned is obviously �the doctrine of Christ� (v. 9). This doctrine of Christ is not, however, simply a set of doctrinal tenets about the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is not the doctrine about Christ, but of Christ�belonging to Him�His doctrine. The word �doctrine� is didache, meaning literally �teachings.� The meaning clearly is �the teachings of Christ,� that is, not just one or two least-common-denominator statements about Christ to which all nominal Christians could give assent, but the entire body of teachings that had come from Jesus.
Further, since He taught that all the Old Testament is inspired and authoritative and also promised the same to the writers of the New Testament, this �doctrine of Christ� includes �all the counsel of God� (Acts 20:27), from Genesis through Revelation. How important it is not to allow false teaching to get a foothold in a local church. HMM
Personal debt has skyrocketed in our Western culture. Easy credit, a desire for material goods, and an unwillingness to save and wait have led many people down the path of financial bondage. The Bible doesn�t forbid borrowing, but it clearly warns us of its negative consequences. Our verse today describes the borrower as the lender�s slave.
the Lord�s work or help people in need. Instead of getting the first part, God gets leftovers or nothing at all.
The consequences of accumulating debtreach beyond monetary issues. The burden of mounting bills creates emotional and relational stress. In fact, financial problems are one of the leading causes of divorce. Even our relationship with the Lord is affected when we let our appetite for the world�s goods override our obedience to biblical principles. Although God promises to supply our needs, how often do we jump ahead of Him and provide for ourselves with �easy payment plans.�
The next time you are tempted to charge a purchase that you really can�t afford, stop! Go home and ask the Lord if He wants you to have it. If He does, ask Him to provide it. Then wait. True freedom comes to those who rely on the Lord�s promises instead of their credit cards.
Heaven Is for Forgiven People
- by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. - John 3:18
There will be "bad" people in Heaven-and by "bad" I mean garden-variety sinners who admit their sin and ask God to forgive them. There also will be "good" people in Hell-people who were moral to some degree but thought they didn't need Jesus Christ. They lived by their own rules and deceived themselves, thinking their good deeds would save them.
You don't get to Heaven by living a good life. And you don't end up in Hell by living a bad life. Heaven is not for good people; Heaven is for forgiven people. Everyone who turns from their sin can go to Heaven. This is why God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us on the cross.
Attending church will not make you a Christian. In fact, attending church will make you accountable for what you've heard. If you listen to God's Word being taught and then disregard it, that is almost worse than garden-variety sinners. At least they know they're sinners and admit it. Church attendance or having your name on a church membership roll won't get you to Heaven.
John 3:18 says, "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (NKJV). It is not just that someone is a sinner; it's that he or she rejected God's solution.
God is saying, "I love you. I don't want you to go to Hell. I put My own wrath on my Son, whom I love, so you can be forgiven."
That rejection of Jesus is what brings judgment. It isn't going to be a sin question in the final day. It's going to be a Son question: What did you do with Jesus?
Ministering Spirits�Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?� (Hebrews 1:14)
Although most Christians are aware of the biblical doctrine of angels, few appreciate what a tremendous resource this may be. Even though they are invisible to us, angels are real, and are more involved in our personal lives than we realize.
The primary purpose for which they were created by God was, according to our text, to be servants (i.e., �ministers�) to those who are to inherit salvation. They are beings of great wisdom, �to know all things that are in the earth� (2 Samuel 14:20). Furthermore, they �excel in strength� (Psalm 103:20). They can travel at tremendous speeds, �being caused to fly swiftly� (Daniel 9:21). Furthermore, there exists �an innumerable company of angels� (Hebrews 12:22), so God is able to dispatch any necessary number of them to �do his commandments� (Psalm 103:20) on behalf of His people.
Since their very existence is related to the heirs of salvation, they are intensely interested in all of God�s plans and in our own individual roles in those plans��which things the angels desire to look into� (1 Peter 1:12). They serve as guardian angels (Psalm 34:7; 91:11), especially in relation to children (Matthew 18:10). They are present in each local church (Revelation 2:1; etc.) and, while they minister to the church, they also themselves learn �by the church the manifold wisdom of God� (Ephesians 3:10). They are directly involved in the accomplishment of many providential miracles such as Daniel in the lion�s den (Daniel 6:22). Finally, they accompany each believer at death into the presence of the Lord (Luke 16:22; 2 Corinthians 5:8).
Perhaps, in that day, we�ll meet the particular angels who have been assigned to our own protection and guidance and can thank them properly. HMM
True Spiritual Growth
James 1:17-27
If you want to genuinely grow in spiritual maturity, it is not enough to simply be instructed by the Word of God. You may love going to church or listening to Christian radio programs. You might talk about everything you hear and assume you're growing because your knowledge is increasing. However, if you don't actually grow closer to God by allowing His Word to change you from the inside out, your head will merely continue to fill with information. You might even sound like a godly person who is admired for the ability to quote chapter and verse. But if you don't take the next step and allow God to touch others' lives through you, you're missing the point.
God's plan is to reach the world through you. If that weren't the case, He would have taken you to heaven as soon as you were saved. But you are here for a purpose--to live out Christ's life alongside hurting people who desperately need to experience His love.
The Doctrine of Christ
�If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.� (2 John 1:10)
This apparently harsh instruction seems at first to conflict with the many biblical exhortations to show hospitality, but it needs to be placed in context. The one-chapter epistle of 2 John was addressed to �the elect lady and her children� by John, who also extended greetings from �the children of thy elect sister� (vv. 1, 13). These unusual phrases, together with the general tone of the epistle, make it almost certain that John was not referring simply to two individual Christian women, but to two churches, symbolically personified as two noble ladies with the �children� being the new converts in the churches.
The warning, then, is primarily against the danger of allowing a false teacher to come into the church, as a pastor or a teacher or even as a visiting speaker, who would not bring �this doctrine.� The doctrine mentioned is obviously �the doctrine of Christ� (v. 9). This doctrine of Christ is not, however, simply a set of doctrinal tenets about the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is not the doctrine about Christ, but of Christ�belonging to Him�His doctrine. The word �doctrine� is didache, meaning literally �teachings.� The meaning clearly is �the teachings of Christ,� that is, not just one or two least-common-denominator statements about Christ to which all nominal Christians could give assent, but the entire body of teachings that had come from Jesus.
Further, since He taught that all the Old Testament is inspired and authoritative and also promised the same to the writers of the New Testament, this �doctrine of Christ� includes �all the counsel of God� (Acts 20:27), from Genesis through Revelation. How important it is not to allow false teaching to get a foothold in a local church. HMM
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