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Monthly Archives: June 2013

Reckless abandonment

18 Jun

Reckless abandonment

Matthew 14:29-30   So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

I read this passage in My Utmost for His Highest devotional this morning. It is of the story of Peter in the great storm at sea; when they all were afraid they were going to die, and they saw Christ walking on water. Peter joined him in the example of reckless abandonment to Christ. There is so much to unpack in this story; of how Peter asked for Christ to call him out, of how he wanted to be in the center of His Will, of how when his eyes were on Christ, he was on the top of the waves; of how when he took his eyes off Christ, he began to sink and surely drown. Christ saved him and the sea was calmed.

Oswald writes of how to not question where we are in life, of to not question the circumstances that surround our lives, especially if we are abandoned to Christ in them. Do you feel that tug for more of Christ? Do you feel Christ calling you to something special, something that takes an act of obedience to that call? Do you understand that is a rock of Christianity; the acts of obedience to what our Lord is calling us to do? Christianity is not a religion where we set up our pleas for God to bless and join us in our plans we have laid out. Christianity is about joining God where He is already at work, and dedication of ones life to following Him in that work. Christ spoke the words “follow me” 21 times in the New Testament. John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

How can you follow Him if you do not hear him? How can you hear Him if you do not seek him? How can you say you seek Him if you only do so one day a week, or only when you have a need arise? Only a true heart for Christ can hear that still, small voice that comes from him. That still small voice is one that is heard only when one seeks to silence all the static the world provides. That still, small voice is heard in the alone times with Him; when all else sleeps, or when solitude is found. He hears your petitions and prayers; he discerns your heart and sees through the fluff. You will come to know and hear Him, the more your heart genuinely pursues him. Deuteronomy 6:5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. If you truly have a heart for Christ, you will live your life in pursuit of all that He is, and has laid out for you. You will live your life in pursuit of obtaining and remaining in the center of His Will for it. Reckless abandonment to all that he speaks to you.

 
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Posted by on June 18, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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It’s hard sometimes

17 Jun

It’s hard sometimes

1 Peter 5:8 -9  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

This summer has seemed to bring much more stress and problems than usual. Everything that can go wrong has; odd problems, problems rarely seen, things that just don’t happen, seem to happen anyhow. I have gotten to the breaking point over and over again, ready to lash out at the world and just scream. The flesh inside of me screams “why me?” I have even found myself curse; which by God’s hand he delivered me from that sin early in the sanctification process of my life. By God’s mercy and grace, I have not snapped yet; only through his provision and my hearts desire to stay abiding as his disciple have I not. It has been very hard…….

I read this passage above in my daily devotional this morning. I do understand and see much of my life through a spiritual lens; a lens of discernment from which many of my problems arise. My adversary knows my heart for God and his goal is to keep my heart from God; to cause me to lash out at God; to return to my old sinful self that he was proud of. When you turn your life over to Christ, you do not get to press the “Easy Button”. Satan has a real reason to pursue you with increased diligence, for you have “switched sides”. It is a lie from hell being preached in the world today of a life of ease as a Christian. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that. We are taught to live for eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. All that our outward man, that is all that we battle in the flesh, is the result of sin. Satan is in control of this world; the outward world, the one that is flesh and perishing. God has him on a leash, he can only go as far as God allows, but all his work is perishing. Only those that are in Christ are living for the world to come; a world perfect without Satan & sin, with renewed heavenly bodies, a world with Christ alone in his kingdom. Keeping our eyes on the eternal goal gives us the strength to understand all these problems are from a defeated enemy. Know that you are not alone in your struggles, but seek the brotherhood of faith to assist you in them.

 
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Posted by on June 17, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Get back up

16 Jun

Get back up

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Satan loves to find that which troubles us and press us there. He works his evil by continuing to strike us where is hurts. I could go down three or four roads where I am taking his blows right now. All of them hurt, and he seeks to take my eyes off Christ and concentrate on the pain. He wants me to lash out at God with the “why me”; or the anger that comes in it. He wants me to rebel against God and all that He has planned for me. Satan wants me to concentrate on the temporal situations, and not the eternal solution. God is allowing these trials to show me his work in them. I am so tired; mentally and physically in so many ways. I feel like the prize fighter who is entering the 12th round, battered and bruised but determined to win the fight.

I understand how lucky I am in so many ways compared to most. I know the blessings I have outweigh those that have not so much. I know that my troubles seem small to so many that face real struggles. I know that Satan is just as good at striking you as he is me. Paul was one who suffered immeasurably for Christ; yet through all of it he gave us most of the New Testament. When Ananias was called by God to go see Paul, the Lord told him the plans he had for Paul. Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Sometimes when I look at my life before Christ, I feel that I too should have to suffer for His name.

So much I read talks about suffering for Christ. Are you willing to suffer for Him? Are you wanting the life of ease and the blessings that all these false prophets preach today? Are you truly swept away by their feel good gospel that never talks of suffering? Do you believe that Christ paid the ultimate price for you to have everything you wanted on this temporal earth that Satan rules? Don’t you think that He is more concerned with your eternal destiny, than at best a 100 years here? Philippians 1:29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

 
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Posted by on June 16, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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T.G.I.F. > Today God Is First

14 Jun

T.G.I.F. > Today God Is First

Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made ; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

T: Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made ; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

My every morning prayer has one certain repetition: Thank you Lord for today. He grants me the breath for the day, and allows or designs all that will be in the day. He is the creator and sustainer of all of life to the smallest detail. He has granted me breath for another day to serve a purpose for that day. I seek to be in the center of his Will for each day.

G: Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

He is the creator, sustainer, judge, jury, and ruler of all. He will return to judge all of our lives in a holy court for how we have lived our lives according to his good Word. We must give account for all our thoughts, deeds, spoken and unspoken words. We must give account of how we treated the sacrifice He made for us at Calvary. Did we live the life of a disciple?

I: Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.

What is He really to you? Where does your daily life reflect your relationship with your Lord and Savior? Do those around you know that your are a Christian? Do they want to be a Christian because of you? If you have Christ at the center of your life because of the love you feel for him, you will naturally be an outpouring of his Spirit that lives inside of you. The love that you have will be known to all that come in contact with you.

F: Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Start your day out with God and all your day will be better. A heart for God seeks him early in the day, before the pressures of the day, try to take your eyes off Him. A heart for God spends time in his Word and prayer, seeking to abide with him for the day. A heart for God comes to the understanding that all the trials of life can draw you closer to Him, not take you away from Him as Satan desires to do. Preparing your day with God is the key to all you desire. Your life will not change until you start your day with God. In that effort is found all that you desire each and every day. It starts with today.

 
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Posted by on June 14, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Simple prayers

13 Jun

Simple prayers

Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Today is a little different. I am so tired from my workload and the heat, I don’t think my brain is connected to my fingers. I sat down this morning and prayed a simple prayer; I thanked God for another day as always, I thanked him for the work and all the blessings that come with it. I thanked him for the ministry opportunities through it. I thanked him for, and asked for more physical strength to continue in it. The physical side of my job is very demanding, and I pray for strength from the One who gives it. I knew where I wanted to read God’s Word this morning, and here was what I read.

Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

I don’t know how to start my day without prayer and some time in God’s Word. It is my daily spiritual breakfast to nourish me for the day. Some days it may be a big meal; others it may be a Pop Tart. But as we know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When you get up early, and all the house is quiet, it is just you and God; it is your alone time with Him. He does not want anything fancy, He wants to hear what is on your heart. This is The Message’s interpretation:

Matthew 6:5 “And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? 6 “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. 7 “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. 8 Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.

There is so much truth in that plain English of that scripture. Do you get it?

 
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Posted by on June 13, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Simple songs of praise

12 Jun

Simple songs of praise

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

I am really tired today; been putting in some very long hours for a couple of weeks getting ramped up for summer in the air conditioning business. I have also been wrapped up in a self-study of Revelation 3, and the Laodecian church that is a very heavy passage. The language is very strong, and the emotion and disgust that Christ shows towards indifference is painfully clear. I did not know if I had the “energy” for it this morning. As I sat down to pray, a bird began it’s morning praise song right outside my window; peace came over me with it’s song. A simple joy in life, to listen to it’s song of praise and and joy for the dawning of a new day. I thanked God for that little reminder He had placed before me this morning.

In the context of the passage above, it comes from the Sermon on the Mount when Christ is speaking to us about worry. It is also in the more direct context of worrying about money; this is especially relevant to me working 80hrs a week now in my busiest time of the year. 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? I will make 60-70% of my yearly income in the summer months. Brutally honest, I am in the pursuit of money during this time of the year; making hay when the sun shines, as they say. It pulls me away from so many things, and is incredibly demanding physically and mentally. Inside it is the pressures of a service business and all the worry that come with a business that can qualify many times as emergent with the heat. The worry can put great strain on my life in all areas of my life.

Then God gives me simple blessings to encourage me along the way. He gives me a bird singing this morning; He gives me front porch conversation with a pastor friend full of encouragement; He gives me opportunities to share my faith and pray with customers along the way. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. These little things that He places in my path give me the energy to press on to another day. Why should I worry? God has placed the smallest creatures under his care, and they sing praises to him as the day arises. I sing my praises to Him at this keyboard every morning. Thank you Jesus!

 
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Posted by on June 12, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Indifference found in religion

11 Jun

Indifference found in religion

Revelation 3:17-18   For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. (ESV)

I live in the land of excess; the country I live in, right down to the community I live in. The banking industry and wealth surround me. People that are consumed with all the worldly possessions they can attain; excess to a high degree, working to impress all those they do no know. I lived that life in the pursuit of happiness through “stuff” for most of my life. I grabbed for all I could attain; the temporal pleasure wore off, I moved to the next conquest. The cycle is endless, for just as the Laodecians are described here, I was spiritually blind to my lostness. That desire I was trying to fill, was a hole in my soul that could not be filled by anything found here. “The riches of the body will not enrich the soul; the sight of the body will not enlighten the soul; the most convenient house for the body will not afford rest nor safety to the soul. The soul is a different thing from the body, and must have accommodation suitable to its nature, or else in the midst of bodily prosperity it will be wretched and miserable.” (Matthew Henry)

The Laodecian’s thought they were at the peak of their lives in so many ways. They felt rich, and blessed by God in so many ways to a point that pride had creeped into their religion. Their chests were puffed out to the point their hearts were hardened and indifferent to God. They thought they had all they needed; they felt as though they had attained, forgetting about the power of God through provision and grace. They just became indifferent and seemingly numb to all that came to a true heart for God. Pride and humbleness are polar opposites; pride can creep into your religion and close the door to God. Christ saw their hearts and knew how far they were from him. He sees your heart and knows the level of your true religion; is it religion or is it relationship with Him? Religion kills the soul for it produces the acts that lead to works that save. Those works that save are built on pride in accomplishment; that pride grows indifference, a false security found in religion. The false security of religion found in weekly pew attendance, will become a south bound bus seat for your soul.

Have your eyes been opened? Do you desire to know that He has what you need for your soul? Do you understand that a true heart for him leads to paradise, and is only found with a humble repentant heart? “Doubtless there are many in hell that once thought themselves to be in the way to heaven. Let us daily beg of God that we may not be left to flatter and deceive ourselves in the concerns of our souls.” (Matthew Henry). Is Christ tugging at your heart? He provides the key in the next passage: 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. He can take your indifferent heart and save your soul eternally. He can provide you what you will never find in the pursuit of stuff, or the indifference found in religion. He can give you what truly satisfies your soul, and use you to draw others to Himself,  with your testimony of a changed life found in Him.

 
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Posted by on June 11, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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It should make you squirm

10 Jun

It should make you squirm

Revelation 3:14-16    Write to Laodicea, to the Angel of the church. God’s Yes, the Faithful and Accurate Witness, the First of God’s creation, says: 15 “I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot – far better to be either cold or hot! 16 You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. (The Message)

Those in the church of Laodicea are the worst of all; they are indifferent to all that is religion; they are content and stale in themselves and have no passion about them. The analogy of lukewarm water here; lukewarm serves no purpose of any kind. Cold water soothes from the heat, and warm water soothes from the cold; lukewarm does neither, it has no effect. Matthew Henry states, “Lukewarmness or indifference in religion is the worst temper in the world. If religion is a real thing, it is the most excellent thing, and therefore we should be in good earnest in it; if it is not a real thing, it is the vilest imposture, and we should be earnest against it. If religion is worth any thing, it is worth every thing; an indifference here is inexcusable: Why halt you between two opinions? If God be God, follow him; if Baal (be God), follow him. Here is no room for neutrality. An open enemy shall have a fairer quarter than a perfidious neuter; and there is more hope of a heathen than of such. Christ expects that men should declare themselves in earnest either for him or against him.” He is quoting from 1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. Elijah had challenged the followers of the satanic god Baal to an act of his supposed power; understandably their god failed; Elijah called down fire from heaven before everyone and consumed all the sacrifice in the power of the only true God.

A ho-hum attitude to all that is religion disgust God. The indifference to the One who created, sustained, and sacrificed all, is to spit in the face of Him. This is an elevation of pride that comes in the next passages; the feeling that oneself has attained all that they have. These hearts have not been humbled by the Lord. Are they so indecisive that they simply cannot make a decision? Are they so weak they are not able to make a stand for Baal or the Lord God? Do you have that attitude of indifference towards religion? Do you feel nothing either way; do you say “What does it matter anyhow?” This sicken’s the Lord; even those that take a stand against him have a better chance of being changed by the grace found through Him than a person who simply drifts.

There is much more to unpack in the half-hearted Christian found in this church. This is where many of us find ourselves today; I found myself living for the world but thinking I was just good enough to get into heaven. I felt my good deeds outweighed my bad; I felt that my upbringing and my sporadic church attendance would pay my way. The scariest passage in the Bible grabbed me; Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!‘ A glimpse of that understanding awoke me; a glimpse of reverent fear found there put a passion in me. These two passages should spark that same fear and produce a changed life that is far from indifferent to all that is religion; they should produce the life of a disciple; a life dedicated to the One who gives it eternally. Do they stir your soul too?

 
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Posted by on June 10, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Holy Mirror

09 Jun

Holy Mirror

Revelation 2:23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

In the midst of all the letters to the seven churches, Christ is proving that He knows the heart. Here He is speaking to the church at Thyatira, where a seductress is leading the church and leading the men of the church into sexual sin with her. She has been called to repent, but turned her back on God. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Christ is pronouncing the judgement due for the un-repented hearts that live in this great sin. What must be seen in all of these pronouncements to the churches, is that only God knows our true hearts, which drives our motives and actions in all that we do; Pslam 44:21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. There should be a reverent fear in us with the understanding that there are no secrets with God. These letters to the seven churches reveal the evidences of that Sovereignty, and with it should come holy fear.

When you look at your life in the mirror, what evidence do you see of Christ? These letters to the churches are a mirror to the churches of their good, bad, false, and true traits only known by God. This is a holy mirror that will reveal all is known of their hearts. When you look at your life as a student; what was the assignment of the teacher? Christ called you to be a disciple, to spread the hope found in him to all that would hear. Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. These were Christ’s last words as he ascended into heaven; when he returns he will ask (and already know), how did you do with the assignment. What evidences are in your life of the price He paid for your life?

Only two of the seven churches received no condemnation; Smyrna and Philadelphia. They exhibited grace and endured persecution all while keeping His Word and and honoring His name. They lived lives focused on eternity, and the promises found in the price He had paid for that eternity for them. They endured the trials of life for their short time here; they sought to keep true to the faith in the face of evil and persecution. As the faithful in Smyrna were told, they understood the promise to those that lived their lives faithfully to Him. They understood that this life was temporary, but what awaited them was eternal paradise after this one. Revelation 2:11b :He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. A life that truly grasps this temporal, and the coming eternal, is a life that will reflect Christ. If you understand the price that was paid with a Holy sacrifice, you will do all that you can to live your life to honor that sacrifice. Anything less is found in these letters to the seven churches.

 
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Posted by on June 9, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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Butterflies….

08 Jun

Butterflies…..

Revelation 1:1-3    The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

I get really nervous about writing from the book of Revelation. I don’t much to be honest, but I feel led so strongly to write about what God is laying on my heart there, I feel as though I must. Revelation is a book by Jesus Christ himself; he is giving us a glimpse into the future of time as we know it, a glimpse of the battle of good and evil, and an assurance that good has and will prevail.  Is is an apocalyptic book, foretelling of things to come, and its author John describes himself as recorder and writer of these visions he is witnessing. He is doing as he is told to do; recording what he sees to present to those that will hear.

Revelation is written to the seven churches in Asia. They represent the types of different churches, and these same types exist today. They are addressed with their both their good and bad attributes; they are warned of their faults. They must be both encouraged and disciplined in this book. We all can find ourselves in the description of one of these churches, and we all must heed the warnings given in these descriptions. All of this letters to these seven churches are to encourage believers to draw closer to Christ and away from the temptations and false teachings that Satan has planted in the world and the church. “God’s overriding purpose in all of history is the establishment of the promised messianic kingdom. Associated with this ultimate divine objective is the opportunity for believers to persevere by faith in a life of obedience. The prospect for these overcomers or victors is the destiny of realigning with Christ as coheirs in His kingdom. (Study Bible)

So if this book is the words of Christ given to likely his favorite apostle both as a warning and a promise, can you understand the importance of spending time there? Can you dig deep to find yourself as described in one of the seven churches? Will you ask God to speak to you as we spend time looking at where He has spoken to me? I know where my heart lied before Christ saved me; it lied in a lukewarm faith that sickened Christ as in the church of Laodecia. I pretended to be a Christian, yet lived with a heart for the world. I was going to be vomited from Christ’s mouth if He had not opened my eyes through my heart of this sin. I have repented of my sin and by the grace of God I ask you to do the same. Revelation should be a book that stirs you; makes you feel nervous too,  and makes you reflect on your own faith and the outcome of it.

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

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