Come Lord Jesus

Revelation 22

20He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

What a fitting way to end the year in the Chronological One year Bible. As the book of Revelation and the year both come to an end, I echo the sentiments of John in asking Jesus to come. May it be soon. May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people until they are gathered by Jesus Himself. Amen.

New Life Resolution

Revelation 15

3 “Great and marvelous are your works,
O Lord God, the Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations.
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
for your righteous deeds have been revealed.”

I long for the day when I get to join with the angels around the Throne of God singing this and other songs of praise to the Creator of the Universe. When I think about all the stuff going on here on the planet, I simply ache to be in the presence of God. Yes, I know that God is with me here, but I truly do desire to be with Him there. Until such time as He calls me home, I will continue to do my best to be a light shining for Him daily. This is not simply a New year’s Resolution, but it is my New Life In Christ Resolution and has been for the 24 years I have lived in that newness of life!

The END of the Story

Revelation 12

10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short."

I LOVE the picture John paints in this passage! It is the END of the story. Satan is defeated, and in his fury is tossed into the abyss. Jesus reigns forever and ever and His Kingdom is fulfilled! Yeah, I want to be part of that Kingdom, and no I cannot wait for that day to come! Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

WOAH!

Revelation 10

1Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 2He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.

I love it when Scripture gives descriptions of angels. Nowhere in God’s Word are angels pictured as cute little cherubs with blonde hair and rosy cheeks. Everywhere angels are discussed there is fear among the people who see them. John describes this particular angel as having a face like the sun, burning pillars for legs, and a roaring lion voice like seven thunders. What a phenomenal looking creature! And he is simply a messenger of God! If this creature is the messenger, I can only imagine what the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth must look like (actually He is described in Revelation as a bejeweled Being with flaming eyes, a sword coming out of His mouth etc. WOAH!)!!

THAT'S the Jesus I Serve

Revelation 5

11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" 14The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped.

Quite a different reception for Jesus than the one we celebrate this time of year. No shepherds, no manger, no baby. Jesus in His glory is surrounded by countless angels, the elders who sit in the Throne Room of Heaven, and the winged creatures covered with eyes, and they all proclaim Jesus is worthy to receive power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and praise! Now THAT’S the Jesus I serve! To Him be praise and honor and glory forever and ever. Amen!

Forgetting Our First Love

Revelation 2

1"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

It is the day after Christmas. Shoppers are out bargain hunting and returning gifts. Radio stations are back to playing their “regular” music. Soon, tress will come down, decorations will be boxed up and stored again, and it will be as if Christmas never happened. May those of us who follow Christ never fall into that trap. May we never forget our first love, and may Jesus be glorified by our lives every day of the year.

Merry Christmas

1 John 4

7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

On this Christmas Day, may the Love of Jesus overflow in my life. What a blessed man I am. I am married to the most beautiful, godly woman ever. We have four children who love the Lord and serve Him daily. My Dad is here with us, so I am getting to share my love with him as I should scripturally. I live in paradise on earth (Vero Beach, FL). I serve God at a vibrant, growing church (Vero Christian). God has poured His love out on me in so many ways. How could I do any less than to share that love with others at every opportunity. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Wish

1 John 1

1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

I proclaim to you that the One being spoken of in this passage is none other than Jesus. On this Christmas Eve, may we all proclaim the Savior’s birth, celebrating God coming to earth in human form to save us from our sins. May the joy of Jesus fill your Christmas season and every day God grants you in the years to come.

Merry Christmas Everyone

2 Peter 3

11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12 looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

Peter doesn’t pull any punches, does he? Here’s the deal. The earth and everything in it will be destroyed. A new heaven and new earth will take its place, and those who belong to Jesus will inhabit that new earth. Those who reject Jesus will be destroyed. Merry Christmas, everyone!

I am a Goober

1 Peter 3

1 In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over 2 by observing your pure and reverent lives.
3 Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. 4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 5 This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. 6 For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, and called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.7 In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.

I am so blessed. I have a wife filled with both inner and outer beauty. I know that I do not treat her as she deserves, because she is a Princess of the Most High God. Me? I am a goober. Thank You, Lord for allowing me the privilege of being married to Peggy Ruth Dixon Blount anyway!

Praise Without Ceasing

Hebrews 13

15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

Just as we are to pray without ceasing, we are to praise without ceasing. Showing God our love for Him has to involve more than just our lip service, it requires our life service. Doing good and sharing with those in need, now that is how we praise God. Those are acceptable sacrifices in God’s sight. May my life be an acceptable sacrifice of praise to my Lord and Savior. May people in need benefit from that sacrificial lifestyle.

Focus...Focus

Hebrews 12

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Throwing off everything that hinders is a whole lot easier to say than to do. The sin that so easily entangles, does so easily. Running with perseverance takes every ounce of strength I can muster. Fixing my eyes on Jesus is the key. When I fix my eyes on Him, this other stuff is easier. I didn’t say it was easy, just that it is easier. My focus has not been what it should on several days here lately, and I praise God for His patience with me, as I stumble along in the race marked out for me.

Jesus is Superior

Hebrews 8

1 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.
3 And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too. 4 If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law. 5 They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: “Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain.”
6 But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.

Here’s the main point: Jesus is the ONLY way to God the Father. Jesus is the ONLY way through which we can be saved. Jesus is the ONLY way for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is the One who mediates for us with a better covenant with God, based on better promises. Jesus IS SUPERIOR!

Grow Up!

Hebrews 5

11 There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

People are Spiritually lazy. Of that there is no doubt. It is not even up for debate. It takes discipline to study God’s Word on a daily basis. It takes work to pour through the Scriptures. So many people are content to sit in the pews on Sunday mornings, let the preacher tell them what the Bible says, then leave the church building to “live their own life” until the next time they come back to church. Those people are NOT Christ Followers. Jesus is pretty clear about His expectations for those who claim to follow Him. Jesus expects us to grow spiritually daily as we walk with Him. Been in church for a year or longer? Why aren’t you teaching? Hmmmm…

Undivided Attention

Hebrews 2

1 So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. 2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. 3 So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak?

I love the book of Hebrews. To be reminded that Christ is Superior and that we must not turn away from the Truth, is so vitally important. It is easy to get off track. It is not just the busyness of life, but our own selfish ambitions that can cause us to lose focus. These are extremely busy times, and there certainly are many issues vying for my undivided attention. Let me proclaim right now that I am interested in giving my undivided attention to only One Person: Jesus.

Teach the Truth

2 Timothy 4

1 I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you.

It is interesting to me to read Paul’s charge to Timothy here. People who claim to follow Jesus can easily get caught up in the mindset of just wanting their ears tickled. Large portions of those who claim to be Christians would trade the Word of God for manmade traditions. I don’t say these things with a holier-than-thou attitude, but rather with a heart that is broken because of such attitudes. Please, God, use me to teach Your Truth unencumbered by manmade myths or traditions.

Peaceable and Considerate

Titus 3

1Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

I failed in this regard to these instructions yesterday. I allowed anger to get the better of me in a discussion with Dad. My anger grew out of his denial and enabler mentality creeping back in. This anger was mistakenly directed towards my sister. I’m not angry with her, but I was very angry with Dad yesterday. That was not a good attitude for me to have, and it accomplished absolutely nothing! It is time for me to eat some humble pie, apologize to Dad while explaining my anger yesterday so we can move ahead. Man, this Christ-follower stuff can be hard work sometimes. It sure is worth it, though!

Content

James 6

6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

In the commercialized season known as “Christmas,” we are bombarded with advertisements attempting to entice us to get “stuff” that we simply cannot live without. How sad that so many who follow Christ fall into that trap. I have no needs at Christmas other than to be with the ones I love enjoying their company. I am a contented man: I have my salvation in Christ; I am married to the most beautiful woman on the planet; we have children who love and serve Jesus; I am blessed to minister at Vero Christian Church, working with people to want to glorify God always; and I live five miles from the beach in south central Florida! Yeah, baby, I am blessed beyond reason. How could I possibly desire anything else?

Submit to God

James 4

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Submission to God is one of the toughest things to do ever. I am one of those type A personalities who wants everything in place, and wants to be in control. When I was baptized into Christ, I had to forgo the “being in charge” of my life attitude. That part of me still flares up from time-to-time, and I do have to battle it. My desire is to be used by and to be usable by God. That can only happen when I submit myself to Him, resist the devil and live my life for Christ. It is my desire to submit to God daily and send the devil fleeing from my life.

Opportunity for Great Joy

James 1

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

In John 16:33 Jesus reminds us that in this world we will have troubles, but that we can take heart because Jesus has overcome the world. Here, Jesus’ half-brother, James reminds us that trouble is merely an opportunity for great joy. With the events of the past couple of days, there must be a season of unparalleled joy coming my way. I will cling to that thought, and I DO believe that. In the meantime, God, one good night’s sleep would come in handy. Thank You, Lord for being with me in the midst of the current trials in my life. May I lean that much more on You right now. I know that You will work things out for the good, because I do love You and I am called according to Your purpose. My desire is to let Jesus shine in me and through me always. I ask this in His precious Name. Amen.

Sigh

Philippians 4

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This is perhaps the most difficult Scripture passage to live out, ever. Circumstances in my family life involving my Dad and Sister, make it a challenge for me to rejoice, or to NOT be anxious. I know that I have to turn it all over to the Lord, and I am trying. I am trying. I do long for that peace of God, which transcends understanding to guard my heart and my mind. A good night’s sleep wouldn’t be too bad, either.

Begging for Discernment

Philippians 1

9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

I am struggling today. I am torn between forgiveness and mercy AND protecting my Dad for further disaster at the hands of my sister. I wish I could believe that she truly has changed, but I still see a conniving, working behind-backs modus operandi in her. While I want to forgive her, I don’t trust her. Recent moves on her part give me absolutely no reason to do so, but all Dad can say is, “she’s my daughter.” I am trying to discern what is best in this situation, and am seeking advice from people in a position to give me an informed, objective opinion. I am begging God for relief today, because I feel a heavy weight on my shoulders.

Fall to my knees

Okay, so I got out of order in my reading, having read today's passages yesterday (and subsequently having blogged on them), so here is a portion of the reading from Dec. 8th, and my thoughts on that portion of the reading from God's Word:

Colossians 1

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.[f]
So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

As I read this passage, I cannot help but want to fall on my knees and worship the Lord Jesus! He alone is worthy of my praise, glory and honor. He alone is worth of my worship. I pray that God will protect me from the evil thoughts that would diminish the role of Jesus. I pray that God would help me to be strong in my passion for proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ, the ONLY Son of the Living God. I am amazed that God would want to declare me without a single fault, and awestruck at the thought that Jesus did that for ME!

Growing Deep Roots In Christ

Colossians 2

6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Continuing to follow Christ includes doing what is necessary to let your roots grow down into Him. Spending daily time in His Word is the BEST way to grow those roots deeply. Being actively involved with the local church is next. Having an attitude of gratitude is the only way to be. Learning to get along with others is best grasped when you have to get along with brothers and sisters in Christ. Oh yeah, did I mention staying in the Word of God daily? Lord, help my roots to grow even deeper in You this day. Thank You for the local church, for brothers and sisters in Christ, and most of all for the Bible!

Unity In The Body

Ephesians 4

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. 2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

It is my desire that all who are united with Christ would unite with one another in spirit and in purpose. We may disagree over non-essentials, but in matters of eternal significance, we should stand as one. May the peace of Christ bind us together not just in this Holy Season of Christmas, but every day of the year.

How and Why We Are Saved

Ephesians 2

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

We are saved by grace through faith, in baptism for good works. It really is that simple. It is through nothing we have done, nor could do that we are saved. It is for the reason of bringing glory and honor and praise to God the Father by proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel of Christ. And yes, we were each created to DO good things for God. Not just tell people about Jesus, but live in such a way as to draw people closer to Him!

Share The Gospel Anyway

Acts 26

28Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?"
29Paul replied, "Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains."

When I read this passage, I am struck by several thoughts. First, Paul, the great evangelist that he was, didn’t have a 100% conversion rate. Second, he didn’t let that stop him from sharing the Gospel with everyone anyway. Third, why do I let my fear of not having a 100% conversion rate slow me down in my desire to share the Gospel with a lost, dying world? It is my desire to have everyone with whom I come in contact become what I am except for my sins. May they see Christ in me and want that for themselves!

Not Convewnient

Acts 24
24Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. 25As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you."

How sad. But, that is the attitude of those caught up in worldly thinking…”I deal with this Jesus when I find it convenient.” Jesus didn’t say it would be convenient, or even easy. He was right, it is neither, but it is worth it to follow Him!

Paul's Salvation Story

Acts 22

6 “As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
8 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.
“And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene,[c] the one you are persecuting.’ 9 The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me.
10 “I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’
“And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’
11 “I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions. 12 A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus. 13 He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see him!
14 “Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. 15 For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’

This is Paul’s conversion account in his own words. So many well-intentioned people want to claim that Saul of Tsarus (who later changed his name to Paul), was “saved” on the road to Damascus. But read what Paul says. On the road, he had an encounter with Jesus, and was instructed to go into the city, “and there you will be told everything you are to do.” He obeys those instructions, and when Ananias comes to see him in Damascus, Paul’s sight is restored, he is told that he will be an Apostle to the Gentiles, and he is instructed in verse 16 to get up, be baptized, having his sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.” I guess that whole baptism thing really IS part of the salvation process, now isn’t it?

Where my worth comes from

Acts 20

24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Paul knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that his return to Jerusalem will result in prison, and possibly even physical death. Yet, he presses on because of the attitude expressed in Acts 20:24. As I read this entire passage today, seeing how others who loved Christ and loved Paul begged Paul not to go, how others prophesied Paul’s arrest, etc. and how Paul is resolved to follow the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit in his life, it humbles me to no end. What would my life be like if I was as bold as Paul? I mean, I am trying to follow the Spirit’s leading in my life, but I cannot say that I am singularly focused on that as Paul obviously was. I fall way short in that department. Repentance needs to be my next step, so that I too, may proclaim that my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus!

Take the Bible at its Word

2 Corinthians 11

1 I hope you will put up with a little more of my foolishness. Please bear with me. 2 For I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ. 3 But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. 4 You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

I’ve been in a Facebook conversation with a recent graduate of a Bible college who does not believe that hell is an eternal place. Yeah, it is complicated, but it makes me sad that a guy can graduate from a Bible college without a full understanding of Scripture. He wants to lean toward the liberal, God-is-only-love side of things without considering the Righteous and Holy side of God. The sad thing is that this guy is working with teens in the church. Let me just say this: I will take God’s Word at its Word. When Jesus says (in Mt. 25:41) there is a place of eternal fire set aside for folks, and the Greek word translated in that verse means “without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be” well, I guess I’ll believe Jesus and not some puffed up college graduate. Take the Bible at its Word, don’t let anyone lead you astray!