Anyone?
Anyone ever felt panic? That moment where you panic about the outcome. What to do. What not to do. I know I have, despite my faith in God, in my humanness, there are times when panic creeps in. Let me share a true story that will hopefully paint a picture, and will most likely make you giggle at me, but if the larger point is made that’s perfectly alright. It was the weekend and my car needed to be cleaned. I washed it, vacuumed it, and decided to Windex the windows and Armor All it. Productivity at its finest. I started at the front of the car and moved to the back. Literally the very back. I’m sitting in my SUV with the hatch up, cleaning the side windows and think “I’ll be able to really clean the back window if I close the hatch.” Without a second thought I hit the button that auto shuts the hatch. I clean the back window, Armor All the back door and think “whew, done!”. I hit the button that auto shuts the hatch, because surely it will also auto open. Surely. Imagine my surprise when it doesn’t work. The hatch doesn’t budge. I sit for a second and think, “ok maybe my hubby will hear me if I holler.” Nope. I hit the button again. Nothing. At this point I start to slowly panic. When it dawns on me “I can crawl over the backseat!” However, once I’ve begun to do this, I realize my full figure self may actually get stuck between the roof of the car and the backseat. Full on panic starts to creep in. As I squirm, wiggle and quite frankly panic. I fall through the space bumping my hip and falling on my neck. It hurt! I quickly open the backseat passenger door, get out, go in house, and try not to cry and laugh simultaneously as I recount the story to my husband. Here’s the point of this true tale. A few days later God spoke to me and said, “the answer was in front of you, but you panicked, this is how you and others go thru life sometimes.” See in my moment of panic I didn’t see the answer. There’s a second button. One that when pushed will lay down the back seat. I could’ve easily slid out of the car. Instead, my panic gave way to me choosing the more difficult path. The one where I squirmed and wiggled and ended up getting hurt. This is how we operate in our lives sometimes. Panicking before pausing, and possibly missing what’s right in front of us. God’s faithfulness and his answers. Now I know there are areas of life deemed more serious than a woman being stuck in the back of her car for a short time. Anyone lose a job? Anyone with kids? Anyone with grandkids? Anyone with relationships? Anyone have an ailing family member? If you answered yes to any of these or numerous other areas, then you know there are more serious issues possible, but panic should not be our response to any of them. Philippians 4:6 gives us instruction, saying, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” One translation says “Never worry…” Never? Yes, never. Why? Because ultimately neither panic nor worry will change a single thing. God knew His children would struggle and that’s why He talks about it throughout the bible. “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:27 “The seeds that were planted among thornbushes are people who hear the word, but as life goes on the worries, riches, and pleasures of life choke them. So they don’t produce anything good.” Luke 8:14 “May the Lord of peace give you his peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.” 2 Thessalonians 3:16 He also tells us that He is with us and gives us His peace. The rest is up to us. We must pause and not panic in order to see what is already right in front of us, his faithfulness and his answers. Abba, thank you for wanting a relationship with each of us. When we find ourselves headed toward panic, may we pause and pray, seeking to exhale in your presence and listen to your guidance. Help us see what’s right in front of us and remember You are always with us, that You are faithful and already have the answers no matter what concerning situations we may find ourselves in. In Jesus Name. Amen. This weeks playlist: Never Been A Moment Micah Tyler You’re Gonna Be Ok Brian and Jenn Johnson Not Today Hillsong
Revelation: The Seven Lampstands, Stars, Churches
The Apostle John, the last living apostle of Jesus, was exiled to the island of Patmos by the Roman authorities for the faithful preaching of the Gospel (Revelation 1:9). While on the island of Patmos, he had a series of visions which he wrote down and now form the Book of Revelation. This book is divided into three parts: “the things John has seen,” which relates to John’s vision in Revelation 1, the “things which are” that refers to John’s letters to the seven churches, and the things that will occur, the remainder of the Book of Revelation. The word revelation is from the Greek word “apokalypsis,” which means to uncover, remove a veil, to have an unobstructed view. The uncovering, the removal of the veil here is the revelation of Jesus Christ as we have never seen Him before. This is not a new Jesus, just an element of Jesus that was not made known to us in the Gospels. The prophecy of the book of Revelation is from Father God to His Son Jesus to give to us, his followers to show us “what soon must take place.” This is the only book of the Bible that says that those who read and hear its words will be blessed if they pay attention to what it says. This book is a revelation of Jesus in all His glory! John’s Vision The apostle John knew Jesus intimately. He walked with Him, and He talked with Him; he saw Him transfigured right before his eyes on the Mount of Transfiguration. He was there when Jesus died on the cross and saw Him in His resurrected state. John knew Jesus and believed His message with such an unwavering tenacity that He was exiled by the Roman authorities to a remote, barren island for his relentless preaching of Jesus. While exiled, Jesus appeared to John in a vision. John heard a voice, and when he turned to “see the voice,” he saw seven golden lampstands and Jesus in all His glory holding seven stars in His right hand. Every detail of John’s vision has significance, from the lampstands to the detailed description of Jesus’ appearance. Let’s explore Revelation 1. Seven Golden Lampstands and Seven Stars Jesus doesn’t leave us guessing about the meaning of the seven golden lampstands and the seven stars. He tells John that the seven golden lampstands represent seven churches and the seven stars, each church’s angel. The lampstands are golden, which shows the churches are valuable and precious to Jesus. To fulfill their purpose of giving off light, these lampstands but be filled with oil. Oil in the Bible represents Holy Spirit. Likewise, the churches must be filled with Holy Spirit so that their purpose can be achieved, to illuminate Jesus to the world. John is told to write letters to the “angels” of the seven churches. The seven stars represent these angels. The word angels in Greek describes either a human messenger or an angel sent on a specific mission. In this case, the term most likely refers to the pastors of the churches who have a specific mission to pastor their church. Additionally, Jesus holds each of the seven stars in His hands, symbolizing that He has power and control over the churches. When John sees Jesus, He is in the middle of the lampstands. Although the letters from Jesus point out serious flaws and imperfections in the churches, Jesus still loves the churches and walks among them. It is reassuring to know that flaws and imperfections don’t cause Jesus’ love to wane for us. He still wants to be in our midst. Message to the Seven Churches The churches that Jesus chose to write letters to were real churches located in Asia Minor, now western Turkey. There are two explanations of why Jesus chose these specific seven churches. One is that these churches represent the varying spiritual conditions of churches throughout the church age. Another is that each of these churches represents the seven stages of church history, with Laodicea, the apostate church representing the current stage of church history. Regardless of how we view these churches, we can learn much about the present from Jesus’ letters. In each letter, Jesus would begin by identifying Himself with a title related to John’s earlier vision in the first chapter of Revelation. This title pertained to the spiritual condition of the church that He was addressing. Jesus would then inform each church thatHe knows all about them and their deeds. He would then assess the church’s spiritual condition and appeal to each church to listen to his assessment and take action. Although each letter addressed a specific church’s spiritual condition, the letter was for all the churches to heed as indicated by Jesus saying at the end of each letter, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Additionally, He would end each letter with a promise to those who overcome. John tells us in 1 John 5:4 who the overcomers are. He says, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” Another version puts it this way, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” As children of God, we are overcomers! Jesus’ promise to the churches is a promise to us today. Next time we will explore each of the seven churches.
Lies
“Don’t let one lie spoil a thousand truths.” ~unknown When I read that, it struck a chord with me. Any of these lies sound familiar? That healing will never come. They always… They never… That relationship is too broken. I’m alone. No one understands. I’m not good enough. The list of lies Satan uses is extensive. He is a liar. Period, no wiggle room because scripture tells us so in John 8:44. And one day quite literally his pants will catch fire. Well, maybe not his pants but you get the idea. Ok, back to the point. The enemy of our souls, he thrives when we start to believe the lie. He likes to use the same hurts and old triggers to start us down a slippery slope of believing the lie. He isn’t picky, he’ll use the one that strikes us, the one that causes discomfort, pain or doubt. That’s the one he’ll keep coming at. In his limited abilities and limited creativity, he may use a slightly tweaked version, a different person, a new hurt that feels like an old one, a circumstance that feeds the word “always/never”. But God, He is unlimited in his ability and creativity. That’s the truth we each need to stand on… We need to remember what God has already healed, in body, heart, or spirit. Praise Him for the relationship already restored and blossoming. Believe we are called His, we are enough and never alone. He is always there for us but in His unlimited wisdom gave us family and friends to share life with. Understand that “always” and “never” are strong words when it comes to imperfect and flawed humans because each one of us needs God’s grace, daily. Pause for just a moment and look at this image. For the most part they look the same, however, if you really looked, you may have noticed one is slightly different. The image on the right is courser, not as refined as the one on the left. However, here’s the full picture and a reminder that our God is always a truth teller. It’s up to us to not trust everything we see or feel. Even sugar looks like salt sometimes. Or as a friend recently said to me “Shahla, your feelings are real, but that doesn’t make them reality.” So, what lie do you need to stop in its tracks? What one lie are we allowing to destroy a thousand truths? Let’s allow the truth to push back the lie. That’s where the enemy loses, that’s where victory is found. “Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.” Mark 9:50 “Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together.” Ephesians 2:4-5 Oh Jesus, thank you for being unlimited in power, grace, and mercy. Thank you for being the ultimate truth-teller. Lord, for any lie being believed or any crack the enemy is trying to sneak into, may Your word make him flee, may the salt you offer and call us to be make the enemy shrivel as we stand firm and hold tightly to Your truth. Help give us discernment to recognize lies, to see clearly the liar the enemy is and know the difference between the enemy’s course false sugar and Your refined truth giving salt. In Jesus Name. Amen. This weeks playlist: Haven’t Seen It Yet Danny Gokey See A Victory Caleb and Kelsey Cover (Elevation Worship) Raise A Hallelujah Bethel
Good Deeds, Bad Deeds: What Deeds Will Be Judged?
While salvation is a gift from God that all believers receive, there are also rewards for faithfulness and a loss of rewards for unfaithfulness. Because of this, our ambition should be to please Christ (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). As our righteous judge, Jesus will look at our deeds and reward us based not just on external service but on inward devotion. He will judge our deeds, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10). Good deeds are those that have eternal value and are accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit. Bad deeds do not have lasting value and are done through our own volition and without the Holy Spirit’s power. Throughout the Bible, we see example after example of deeds that pleased God. Look at the woman with the alabaster vial of costly perfume who didn’t consider the cost when she poured the expensive oil over Jesus’ head (Matthew 26:7-10) or Enoch who never experienced death but was taken straight to Heaven because he pleased God (Hebrews 11:5-6). Jesus talks about deeds in Matthew 10:40-42 when He says that we are to treat other believers well, and then we will be rewarded. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he instructs him to teach others to do good, be rich in good works and be generous and ready to share (1 Timothy 6:18). Deeds Can Diminish Rewards Not every believer will receive the same reward in Heaven. At the judgment seat of Christ, there will be those who suffer loss. However, regardless of the outcome on the judgment seat, believers can be assured that they will not lose their salvation. Don Stewart, writing for blueletterbible.org, illustrates this concept as follows: “Let us say you have recently built a new two story house. While on the second floor, you smell smoke. Looking downstairs you see that the first floor is on fire. You jump out the second story window to save your life. You then watch your new house burn to the ground. Obviously you will have mixed emotions. You’re thankful that you were able to jump and save your life, but you sad because your new house is destroyed. This is similar to those believers who are saved but have nothing to show for it. They squandered their opportunities to live for Christ yet they are enjoying the benefits of Heaven with Jesus.” The Bible also tells us that believers’ rewards can be diminished for not adhering to the truth and entertaining those who deceive (2 John 1:7-11). Sin, in general, can diminish our rewards. The choices we make now determine what rewards we receive in Heaven. Crowns for the Victors All who experience the judgment seat of Christ will possess the privileges and honors as children of God. Jesus tells us that He will acknowledge those who have acknowledged Him before the Father. His acknowledgment includes rewarding us in proportion to the faithfulness we show in life. The Greek word translated to “crowns” in English refers to wreaths of garlands placed on the heads of dignitaries and victorious military officers’ to honor them. Five crowns are mentioned in the Bible. The first crown is the crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:7-8) which is given to those who don’t allow earthly things to distract them to the point that they forget that their true citizenship is in Heaven. These victors look forward to Christ’s Second Coming and live holy lives in expectancy of His return. The second crown is the crown of victory (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). This crown is given to those who exercise self-discipline in their spiritual race and refuse to let their flesh dominate their life. The third crown is the crown of life (James 1:12, Revelation 2:10) given to those who persevere under trial and are faithful no matter the difficulties and persecutions they face in this life. The fourth crown is the crown of rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, Philippians 4:1), often called the soul winner crown. This crown is awarded for bringing people to Christ. The fifth crown is the crown of glory (1 Peter 5:1, 4), often called the Pastor’s crown because it is a reward given to those who shepherd others. Other Rewards in Heaven Believers will receive other rewards in Heaven. Some believers will receive thrones (Revelation 20:4, Matthew 19:27-30), others will be put in charge of many things (Matthew 25:21). All of us will receive new names, a name which only He knows (Revelation 2:17, 3:12). We will have jobs serving God (Matthew 6:20). Rewards are a wonderful benefit of serving Christ here on earth. However, they never should be the reason we serve Him. The reason we serve Christ should be because we want to please Him above all else – if loving Him and serving Him means we get rewards in Heaven that is an added benefit! Amen!
The Four W’s
God knew what this world would bring. He knew that we would have situations where we would feel weary, weak, woeful, and worried. He knew we would need warnings, instruction, encouragement, and guidance.
Will Christians Be Judged?
When we think of judgment in the Bible, we often think of the fiery pits of Hell and gnashing of teeth. However, “to judge” in the Bible has two different meanings: one to condemn and the other to give out rewards. Judges can decide whether you deserve punishment or freedom, a blue ribbon or a red one. Not all judgment is about punishment. Some is about reward.