When The Door Slams
"I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth."
Revelation 3:15
One of the characteristics of someone who is severely depressed is a flat affect. What this means is that they show little emotion. This kind of person does not respond with enthusiasm to anything. They are "lifeless." Even when surrounded by the celebrations of Christmas there is no display of emotion.
In Rev. 3:14-22 the Church in Laodicea had become complacent. They showed no vitality and no life. They were lukewarm spiritually. In their feasts as well as in their religious sacrifices, people in the ancient world customarily drank what was either hot or cold, never lukewarm.
Therefore this distasteful "lukewarm" label had a real impact. The imagery is sorrowful. They needed to find true richness, they needed to cover their shameful nakedness with clothes and put salve (ointment) on their eyes so they could have spiritual sight. The church was unconscious of its real need.
The warning comes to us today to be alert to our spiritual life, to see clearly our spiritual situation, and not to get complacent in our materialism. Lord, at this time of the year when we are bombarded by materialism, help us to have spiritual eyes to clearly evaluate our personal lives.
Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Facing Evil
When The Door Slams
Every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
I John 5:4-5
There is no doubt that evil exists in the world today. More than a concept or an intellectual point of argument, evil impacts us all in countless of ways. We can see the presence of evil in historical events, for example.
Wars have been fought because of evil man with evil ambitions. Entire cultures have been threatened through the evil of prejudice, discrimination, and hate. Even the natural world has lashed out with outbreaks of evil in the from of natural disasters and disease.
Today we can see evil on a large scale through practices such as sex trafficking, where millions of young people are abducted and sold into a life of slavery. We see evil when illegal drugs are distributed to children or when people rise up to oppress others because of greed or ambition and the love of power.
Evil does not exist exclusively on a large scale of its own, We are all intimately associated with evil in our own hearts. If we are honest under the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit, who knows we all think evil thoughts. We all take evil actions in our own self-interest. We all sin against God and against our neighbors.
How comforting, then, to know we are not forced to succumb to the evil of this world and to the evil in our hearts. We can fight back! The promise of 1 John 5:4-5 is that our choice to follow Jesus will strike a blow against evil. We are engaged in a battle against the evil of this world, and God has already promised victory for us even as we follow Him and lean on His strength.
Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
I John 5:4-5
There is no doubt that evil exists in the world today. More than a concept or an intellectual point of argument, evil impacts us all in countless of ways. We can see the presence of evil in historical events, for example.
Wars have been fought because of evil man with evil ambitions. Entire cultures have been threatened through the evil of prejudice, discrimination, and hate. Even the natural world has lashed out with outbreaks of evil in the from of natural disasters and disease.
Today we can see evil on a large scale through practices such as sex trafficking, where millions of young people are abducted and sold into a life of slavery. We see evil when illegal drugs are distributed to children or when people rise up to oppress others because of greed or ambition and the love of power.
Evil does not exist exclusively on a large scale of its own, We are all intimately associated with evil in our own hearts. If we are honest under the scrutiny of the Holy Spirit, who knows we all think evil thoughts. We all take evil actions in our own self-interest. We all sin against God and against our neighbors.
How comforting, then, to know we are not forced to succumb to the evil of this world and to the evil in our hearts. We can fight back! The promise of 1 John 5:4-5 is that our choice to follow Jesus will strike a blow against evil. We are engaged in a battle against the evil of this world, and God has already promised victory for us even as we follow Him and lean on His strength.
Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Common Sense
When The Door Slams
A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense.
Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.
Proverbs 24:3-4
When families are besieged on all sides by our secular culture, many want to know, How do I preserve my family? How do I keep us together? How do I protect everyone from the assaults of the world?
These verses provide a powerful answer: through wisdom, good sense, and knowledge. What are these abilities? Wisdom is the capacity to solve problems skillfully. Thus, a wise father will understand how to help a son learn to cope with taunts from classmates. A wise mother knows when to stoop down and give her little one a hug instead of a lecture.
Similarly, good sense might be better worded common sense, the ability to apply experience and wisdom God gives us all for difficult situations. As a result, parents will see when lax discipline would lead to further trouble, while a firm and steady hand would get everyone back on course.
Finally, knowledge is that reservoir of simple truth gleaned from the ages. Good families spend time in God's Word to gain that precious knowledge that will keep everyone safe through a storm. God clearly communicates the fact that if we cultivate and nurture such qualities in our home, God will fill it with every good thing.
Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.
A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense.
Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables.
Proverbs 24:3-4
When families are besieged on all sides by our secular culture, many want to know, How do I preserve my family? How do I keep us together? How do I protect everyone from the assaults of the world?
These verses provide a powerful answer: through wisdom, good sense, and knowledge. What are these abilities? Wisdom is the capacity to solve problems skillfully. Thus, a wise father will understand how to help a son learn to cope with taunts from classmates. A wise mother knows when to stoop down and give her little one a hug instead of a lecture.
Similarly, good sense might be better worded common sense, the ability to apply experience and wisdom God gives us all for difficult situations. As a result, parents will see when lax discipline would lead to further trouble, while a firm and steady hand would get everyone back on course.
Finally, knowledge is that reservoir of simple truth gleaned from the ages. Good families spend time in God's Word to gain that precious knowledge that will keep everyone safe through a storm. God clearly communicates the fact that if we cultivate and nurture such qualities in our home, God will fill it with every good thing.
Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)