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Liberty Worship Center

Category: 2025 Messages

Notes from church service sermons, Bible studies, and other topics in 2025.

  • The Beauty of Sacrifice

    two human palms

    The Beauty of Sacrifice

    Christmas

    This is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of Jesus — the precious gift that was given to us. We traditionally celebrate by giving and receiving gifts. Too often, we miss the real meaning behind the whole thing. It becomes all about some material gift that we want or someone else wants. God wants us to understand that the real beauty is not in receiving. It’s not even in giving, if the giving is some material thing. The real beauty is when we give ourselves completely to serving God and others, in holiness.

    Sacrifice

    In Genesis chapter 3, we see that God sacrificed animals so He could make clothes for Adam and Eve after they sinned. In chapter 4, Cain and Abel bring sacrifices to God. Throughout the Old Testament, people brought offerings and sacrifices of animals and crops. They recognized that God’s justice required punishment for their sins. They also knew that God would accept sacrifices in their place.

    Soothing Aroma

    Exodus 29:18 (NASB)

    18 “You shall offer up in smoke the whole ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD: it is a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the LORD.

    We see this same phrase many times in the Old Testament — a “soothing aroma.” It is telling us that God is soothed, quieted, satisfied by the “aroma” of the burning sacrifices. It wasn’t the physical smell of the sacrifice; rather, it was the heart of the person who was offering the sacrifice. With this act, they were acknowledging their sin (that they had done wrong), as well as the fact that they deserved punishment for their sin. They also knew that this physical act, combined with their faith and repentant heart, would bring them back into a right relationship with their heavenly Father.

    Living Sacrifice

    Romans 12:1 (NASB)

    1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

    Today, we are told to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. Jesus paid the ultimate price. He gave His life so that we could live. God is still looking for our faith/trust in Him and a humble heart, longing to be in the presence of God.

    The Gift

    John 3:16 (NASB)

    16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

    We have probably heard this scripture so many times that it’s easy to skip over the real depth of its meaning. Because of God’s love for everyone in this world — past, present, and future — God gave His most precious gift, His “only begotten Son.” Why was this necessary? It was so that we should “not perish.” That means that we are perishing (dying) without His gift of sacrifice. Instead, He gave us His life, so we could have “eternal life” with Him (forever).
    Jesus satisfied the judgment that our sin required. It also made possible a closer relationship between us and God.

    God’s Love

    John 3:16 (NASB)

    16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

    Let’s not skip over the love part. It was God’s love that drove Him to give His most precious gift. It wasn’t loneliness, desperation, or anything that might cause some people to do difficult things. It was simply because of His love for us. He knew that we would fail (He knows all things), but He created us anyway. He knew that He would have to send Jesus to die for our sins, but He created us anyway. It’s just like parents who long to have children. They know that it will cost them money (a lot of money). They also know that there will be hard times, and their lives will be much more complicated. Because of the love that they already have for their children, which will only increase, they decide to make the sacrifices anyway. That is a small taste of God’s love for us.

    Jesus’ Reward

    Philippians 2:8-11 (NASB)

    8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
    9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
    10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
    11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

    Because of His humility and obedience, God the Father exalted Him. It might seem that this is how Jesus earned His position in heaven. In reality, though, He already created and owned everything.

    John 1:1-3 (NASB)

    1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
    2 He was in the beginning with God.
    3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

    “The Word” in this passage is Jesus. He was with God, and He was God. He created everything, along with His Father. His Father created nothing without Him. He already had all possible glory, power, and authority; He did not need to “earn” it. He endured all of the suffering for our sakes.

    Shame

    Hebrews 12:2 (NASB)

    2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

    Yes, God can and does feel emotions. Jesus felt the shame of being falsely accused in public, then beaten, mocked, and spit upon. He then had to carry His own cross, until He was took weak to continue. Then, they stripped Him of His clothes and nailed Him to a cross by a public road, for all to see. He was crucified and treated like a common criminal, being hung between two thieves.
    Jesus endured shame, but He did it out of His overwhelming love for us.

    Our Part

    Hebrews 12:1 (NASB)

    1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
    2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

    Jesus, of course, is our greatest witness and example. The Bible gives us many more. It’s true that living a godly life can be difficult, but it is worth every resistance to temptation, every hour of time spent in prayer and fellowship with God, every helping hand given to others, every loving word and act to those who mock or persecute us. Just like a runner in a race needs to keep focused on the prize at the end of the race, we need to do the same.

    Joy

    Jesus “endured the cross” because of the joy that was waiting for Him — being fully reunited with His Father, and knowing that He had purchased our salvation. At the same time, He spent His time here on earth loving people and touching lives. He also spent a lot of time praying and communicating with His Father. He did these things both as an example to us, and because He wanted to. Once again, we see His love overflowing to all those around Him. Now, it’s our turn.

    Encouragement

    Ephesians 5:18-21 (NASB)

    18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
    19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
    20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
    21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

    Many people will use alcohol as a way to have a “good time.” Paul tells us in Ephesians not to do that. It is a bad idea, and it doesn’t really provide us with what we need. We should be singing and speaking praises to God, along with encouraging each other. In verse 21, he reminds us to “be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” In this way, offering to God our sacrifice of praise (Romans 12:1), and submitting ourselves to each other, we will find we can live surrounded by love, even if it seems at times like we’re the only ones loving.

    We find the beauty of sacrifice when we live and love the way that Jesus did.

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  • Examples

    teacher

    Examples

    1 Corinthians 10:11 (NASB)

    11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

    Good and Bad

    God has given us many examples, both good and bad, of people in the Bible. Some did incredible things, because of their faith and trust in God. Others, did not do so well, because they did not put their faith in God. In this scripture, Paul is telling us that this is one of the major purposes of the Bible.

    Sports

    When I was a boy, someone showed me how to throw a football. I’m sure my first attempt, like most people, was pretty pathetic. After trying again, failing, being corrected and encouraged by others, I eventually learned how to throw a decent spiral pass. It’s the same with soccer, baseball, or even walking. At first, we were not good. Over time, with practice, we got better.

    Examples

    Something that has always helped me more than anything is watching someone else do what I want to do. To be a good baseball player, you watch good baseball players. To be a good gymnast, you watch good gymnasts. If you want to be a godly person, you watch godly people around you. You can also read about many in the Bible.
    I have also found that it’s easier to learn from the mistakes of others than to make them myself. These are all things we see in God’s word, the Bible. We see both good and bad examples. We also see people’s real personalities — how God can use us with all of our unique abilities and idiosyncracies.

    Peter

    Peter had been a fisherman, in business with his father and brother, Andrew. He was first introduced to Jesus by Andrew. Andrew had been a follower of John the Baptist. He heard John saying that Jesus was the Son of God, so he followed Jesus and spoke with Him, then brought his brother.

    1 Corinthians 10:11 (NASB)

    40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter s brother.
    41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ).
    42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

    Left His Business

    Later, we see Peter and Andrew at work, fishing.

    Mark 1:16-18 (NASB)

    16 As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.
    17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
    18 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

    Jesus told Peter and Andrew that He had a higher calling for them. He was calling them to become “fishers of men.” In other words, Jesus was calling them to first follow Him, then lead others to Jesus.

    Strong Faith

    One night, after ministering to crowds of people, Jesus told His disciples to get in a boat and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He went up on a mountain and prayed through the night. In the early hours of the next morning, a little before sunrise, the disciples were still trying to get across the Sea of Galilee, because they had strong winds and waves working against them. Jesus came by the disciples, walking on the water. They were all terrified, thinking it might be a ghost. Jesus said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matt. 14:27). Peter was always a man of action.

    Matthew 14:28-32 (NASB)

    28 Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
    29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
    30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
    31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
    32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped.

    We can see a few things about Peter from this encounter.

    • He had a strong faith in Jesus — strong enough to believe that he could come to Jesus in the water.
    • He was the kind of person who would act before thinking.
    • Fear was not the first thing on his mind, but it was still there.

    Peter was doing well as long as he had his eyes on Jesus. When he looked at the wind and waves around him, that’s when he started to sink. This is a great example for us. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, instead of what things look like around us, we just might find ourselves doing the impossible.

    Not Perfect

    We see that even though Peter trusted Jesus enough to get out of a boat in the middle of a storm, he wasn’t perfect. After Jesus was arrested, Peter stood outside where Jesus was being tried. Some people started accusing him of being one of Jesus’ disciples. Afraid that he might also be arrested, Peter denied it.

    Mark 14:71-72 (NASB)

    71 But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!”
    72 Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep.

    Forgiveness

    Yes, Peter, who had walked with, lived with, and ministered with Jesus for over three years, denied that He knew Jesus. He immediately knew he made a mistake. Jesus forgave him and renewed his calling.
    After Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, Peter and some other disciples went fishing. Jesus appeared on the beach and called to them. He performed a miracle and let them catch 153 large fish, all at one time, without breaking their nets. Jesus then cooked some of the fish that they had just caught and gave it to them.

    John 21:17-19 (NASB)

    17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.
    18 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”
    19 Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”

    From what we see in the Bible and church history, Peter never again denied Jesus. In fact, some historical accounts (not in the Bible) tell us that when some evil people had decided that they were going to crucify Peter, he actually asked that they crucify him upside down. He told them that he was not worthy to be crucified the same way that his Lord was. Jesus predicted this in verse 19 above.

    John the Baptist

    John the Baptist had what most of us would consider a hard life. He was born to elderly parents, who probably died when he was young. Because his father was a Jewish priest, he should have been a priest. Instead, when it was time for him to enter the priesthood (at age 30), God called him to be a prophet in the wilderness.

    Mark 1:4-7 (NASB)

    4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
    5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
    6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.
    7 And he was preaching, and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals.”

    This was a hard life, but he had to come to prepare the way before Jesus could start his ministry. After a ministry of only about 6 months, he was arrested, simply for preaching righteousness and telling the king that he was living in sin, because he had married his brother’s wife. His wife plotted how to get rid of John the Baptist, using her own daughter.

    Matthew 14:8-11 (NASB)

    8 Having been prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.”
    9 Although he was grieved, the king commanded it to be given because of his oaths, and because of his dinner guests.
    10 He sent and had John beheaded in the prison.
    11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.

    A Waste?

    We might think that this was a waste of a precious, promising life. In God’s view, though, John was a faithful servant. This is what Jesus said about him.

    Luke 7:28 (NASB)

    28 “I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

    John the Apostle

    John the Apostle was not impetuous like Peter, but he loved and served Jesus just as much. He was one of Jesus’ closest disciples, along with Peter and James (his brother). While Jesus was dying on the cross, he looked at John there with Mary, the mother of Jesus. Since He could no longer do it, He entrusted John the Apostle with taking care of His own mother.

    John 19:26 (NASB)

    26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He *said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”

    Mary and Joseph

    Mary, the mother of Jesus also (obviously) had a critical ministry. She was entrusted with giving birth to the Son of God. Then, both she and her new husband, Joseph, were given the critical role of raising Jesus in a godly home, keeping Him safe as He grew, until He was prepared for His ministry, at the age of 30.

    Different People

    All of these people had different backgrounds, different personalities, different talents, and different shortcomings. They were all able to be used by God, though.
    Just because you look different or act differently does not mean that God can’t use you. He is calling everyone to come close, receive forgiveness, and reach out to everyone around you. You are unique, and God wants to and will use your unique abilities and weaknesses. All you have to do is let Him.

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  • Sin is Crouching

    a lion yawns in a field of tall grass

    Sin is Crouching

    Genesis 4:6-7 (NASB)

    6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
    7 “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

    Cain

    Many of us know this story. Adam and Eve’s sons, Cain and Abel, presented offerings to God. God accepted Abel’s offering, but He did not accept Cain’s offering. It’s not clear why, but it could be because of Cain’s attitude. We see in the scripture above how God is warning Cain. Cain could see the right and wrong. God told him specifically. Now, he had a choice to make.

    Justification

    How many times have we found ourselves in a similar situation? We know what we should do, but we don’t. We know what we should avoid, but we don’t. Afterwards, we could try to justify ourselves.

    • It was too much temptation.
    • It was the other person’s fault.
    • I’m only human.
    • Everyone does it.
    • God’s still working on me.
    • No one’s perfect.
    • I can ask God to forgive me later.

    Choice

    The bottom line is that we have choices. God gave us a free will. That is both a blessing and a responsibility. He expects (and demands) that we choose wisely. The point is that we have a choice. No one forces us to sin; it’s our choice.

    James 1:14-15 (NASB)

    14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
    15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

    Every day, we probably make hundreds of choices — some good, some bad. We all have good thoughts and bad thoughts. Sin is always there, waiting. Our own lust, greed, and selfishness can easily take over. It’s our job to resist temptation and overcome the sin.

    Satan

    1 Peter 5:8-9 (NASB)

    8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
    9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

    As if we didn’t have a hard enough time overcoming our own lust, we also have the devil trying to bring us down to his level. He knows that his destiny is sealed. He will never be spending eternity in the presence of God, and he wants to destroy as many of us as he can, as well.

    roaring lion

    The devil can seem intimidating, because he actually is powerful. Unfortunately for him, Jesus is stronger (unlimited power). If we depend on our relationship with Jesus, we don’t have to fear the devil.

    Greater

    Bullies can intimidate others, and get their own way for a while. If someone stronger comes along, they quickly find out they are no longer in charge.

    1 John 4:4 (NASB)

    4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

    The devil is the one who is “in the world.” If we have given Jesus control of our lives and received His forgiveness of our sins, we have the Holy Spirit (God) living in us. That’s why “greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” We don’t have to sin; we can resist and overcome. God has called us to be strong.

    Not Cowards

    Revelation 21:7-8 (NASB)

    7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
    8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

    It takes courage to overcome sin. It’s easy to give in and do whatever we want. To live a godly life can be hard.

    True strength is measured in godliness, not muscle.

    Slow to Anger

    Proverbs 16:32 (NASB)

    32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.

    It’s easy to think that because someone is strong physically, or rich, or even very smart, that’s what makes them a strong person; it’s not. Someone who is able to resist fighting back or reacting to someone else in anger has tremendous strength, because they have learned how to control their own human nature.

    James 3:2 (NASB)

    2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.

    Pride

    Romans 12:3 (NASB)

    3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

    We are told many times in scripture about the dangers of pride. I have often thought about how pride seems to be a part of every bad decision we make. If we would only do what Paul tells us here in Romans, we would be far better off. If someone challenges us or belittles us, we have a tendency to let our “flesh” (our sinful part) rise up and fight back. If we never let what someone else says bother us, we never give them control over our mood and behavior. We also can live a more godly life. Remember what Jesus said as people were crucifying Him.

    Luke 23:34 (NASB)

    34 But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.

    Distance

    A number of years ago, I watched a movie where the teacher was telling the student that the best way to block a punch or kick from your opponent is to not be there. That works in the spiritual world, also. If we stay away from temptation, we can’t be “hit” by it.

    1 Timothy 6:10-11 (NASB)

    10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
    11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

    2 Timothy 22 (NASB)

    22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

    Paul is telling his disciple, who was also a pastor, to flee, run away, from the temptations of money and youthful lusts. Instead, he should “pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.” If we are chasing after (pursuing) godliness, we won’t be tempted to fall into sin.

    Transformation

    Romans 12:1-2 (NASB)

    1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
    2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

    We don’t need to just be a little better in our daily lives; we need a total transformation. In other words, we need a metamorphosis along the lines of a tadpole becoming a frog or a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. The only way that this can happen is for our minds to be renewed by God. We need to think and live differently, because God is now living inside of us.

    Discipline

    1 Corinthians 9:27 (NASB)

    27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

    Even though God will give us the strength, we still have to do this ourselves. We have to make the decision that we will resist the temptation to sin, whatever it is, even if we feel that we are “justified” in doing it.
    The apostle Paul lived a truly godly life, wholly dedicated to the service of God and His body, the church. He was making the point, though, that he had to deal with the same temptations and weaknesses that we all do. He wanted to make sure that he ran far away from sin.

    Cain

    If only Cain had listened to God, he (and his descendants) could have lived far different lives. God doesn’t want us to just “blend in” with the world around us. He wants us to be different. We are called to be lights in a dark world.
    Yes, sin is crouching right at our door every day, but so is God. He is right there to comfort us and give us strength to overcome all of life’s trials, tribulations, and challenges.
    It’s true that sin is waiting at the door, but so is Jesus.

    Revelation 3:20-21 (NASB)

    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 will dine with him, and he with Me.
    21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

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  • Are You Addicted to Unforgiveness?

    Couple standing back to back with arms crossed

    Are You Addicted to Unforgiveness?

    Debt

    In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of the “wicked slave.” Somehow, one of the master’s slaves owed his master 10,000 talents. Each talent was worth about 6,000 days wages for an average worker. That equals 60,000,000 days, or over 192,000 years (at 6 days a week). In other words, it was a debt so ridiculously high that no one (especially a slave) could ever come close to being able to pay. The master then forgave the slave the entire debt.

    Matthew 18:25-27 (NASB)

    25 “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.
    26 “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’
    27 “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.”

    Small Debt

    This slave leaves the master, after receiving forgiveness of his debt, and he finds a fellow slave who owes him the equivalent of 100 days’ wages, and he demands that he pay the debt. He even had the other slave thrown into prison, until he would pay the debt. His fellow slaves couldn’t believe what this guy had done, after having received so much himself. They told the master, and the master summoned the slave.

    Matthew 18:32-34 (NASB)

    32 “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
    33 Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?
    34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

    As we just saw, there was no way for this slave to repay the debt, especially from a prison, where he was being tortured. He would never leave this prison.

    Lesson for Us

    Jesus then told His disciples the meaning of the parable, and how it applies to all of us.

    Matthew 18:35 (NASB)

    35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

    This is a very definite statement. Jesus did not leave any room for doubt or exceptions. Every one of us has managed to build up a debt of sin every bit as great as the 10,000 talents in the parable, yet Jesus forgave us our debt. He took our debt and paid it on the cross, then rose from the dead to give us eternal life. Jesus not only freed us from an eternity separated from Him, but He then gave us eternal life, in His presence forever!

    Inevitable Hurt

    It is inevitable that people around you are going to say something or do something that hurts you. They might mean it, or they might not. They might apologize; they might not. This might even be something very major, that could affect you for the rest of your life.
    No matter how major or intentional the hurt, it can never compare to what we did to Jesus. What Jesus was saying in the parable was that we don’t have the right to even consider not forgiving someone else. In the parable, they were all slaves, under their master. We are all the same, under our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ. No one is more “entitled” than anyone else; no one is “better” than anyone else. We are all the same. We are all sinners.

    Romans 3:23 (NASB)

    23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

    Rights

    Someone might say, “What about my rights? What about my feelings? Why do I have to be the one to apologize/forgive?” They might also say, “I might forgive, but I won’t forget.” Is that true forgiveness? This is how God said that He forgives us:

    Psalm 103:10-12 (NASB)

    10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
    11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
    12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

    It’s because of God’s love for us that He forgives us. Look what Paul writes about love in 1 Corinthians.

    Love

    1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NASB)

    4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
    5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,

    True love is not keeping a record of all the ways that someone has offended you or hurt you. True love forgives and reaches out to help the other person.
    So, why is it so hard to forgive sometimes?

    Procrastination

    Matthew 5:23-24 (NASB)

    23 “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
    24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.

    Jesus said that even if you are about to worship God and bring Him and offering, if there is some unforgiveness between you and someone else, you need to go to that person and be reconciled with them first. Then, you can go back and worship God. The longer you put it off, the harder it will get.

    Addiction

    Just like a drug addict, we can enjoy the feeling when we are holding something against someone in our hearts. It might be that it makes us feel better about ourselves, or we think that it’s only right that they suffer at least as much as we did. Aren’t you glad that God doesn’t think that way?
    Drug addicts have a hard time quitting, because they like the feeling they get when they’re on drugs. It’s the same for unforgiveness addicts.

    Enablers

    Drug addicts build their “social circle” of friends and acquaintances who enable their activity and decisions. Likewise for unforgiveness addicts. Do you only have friends who tell you that it’s okay to feel the hurt and the pain that someone else caused? Maybe it’s even a counselor or minister. Is there someone in your life who is willing to risk your friendship, so that you can find freedom from the chains of your unforgiveness? Are you willing to be that person for someone else?

    Freedom

    John 8:36 (NASB)

    36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

    God is calling us to live in freedom, not in bondage. When we are holding unforgiveness in our hearts, we are holding ourselves in bondage. The only way to true freedom is to receive forgiveness from Jesus, then share that forgiveness with everyone around us.

    Brotherly Love

    1 John 4:20 (NASB)

    20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

    Once again, we see that the Bible “pulls no punches”; God’s Word is truth, and it tells the truth. If we think that we can love God but hold unforgiveness or hate for someone else in our hearts, we are lying to ourselves, people around us, and God.

    Reconciliation

    2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NASB)

    18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
    19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

    As we received forgiveness and reconciliation from God, we were also given a ministry — a ministry to reconcile ourselves to each other, and to reconcile people to Jesus.

    Unforgiveness separates.
    Love reconciles.
    Hate tears down.
    Love builds up.

    Anxiety

    1 Peter 5:6-7 (NASB)

    6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
    7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

    We can give God all of our anxieties and cares, because He cares for us. This is true freedom!

    Freedom

    Don’t let anything or anyone steal your freedom in Christ that Jesus paid for on the cross. Receive His forgiveness today. Let go of all of your hurt, pain, and unforgiveness. Watch all of your chains and heavy weights fall away, as you choose to walk and live in real freedom every day of your life.

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  • Step Into the Light

    empty concrete road surrounded by tall tress with sun rays

    Step Into the Light

    Darkness

    closed glass-panel window inside dark room

    Have you ever been in a dark room, maybe waking up in the middle of the night? When you look around, it’s surprising how many things you can actually see. Maybe the only light you have is peeking through your window blinds or curtains. You might only have the light from the little LED on your smoke alarm or digital clock. If this was all you knew, you might think it wasn’t too bad. You can see some things, and you can feel your way around what you can’t see.

    Light

    Then, you turn on the light switch. At first, you can’t see anything, because your eyes are used to the darkness. You might even be tempted to turn off the light, because it’s hurting your eyes. If you keep the light on and let your eyes adjust, you start to see things that you missed before. Someone left their shoes in the middle of the floor, and you were about to trip over them. You never noticed the painting that was on the wall. The furniture that you could just make out before now is suddenly visible. Colors appear everywhere that weren’t there before, beautiful details that you just couldn’t see.

    Easier

    What if you had decided that turning on that light switch hurt your eyes too much, that the darkness was good enough? Think about all that you would miss — the tripping hazards, the vibrant colors, the beautiful details.

    Knowing God

    Our spiritual life is a lot like that light switch. It’s definitely easier to just stay in the dark. It takes work to live out a Christian life. When we first turn on the “light switch” by committing our lives to Jesus, we begin to see things more clearly. As we get closer to Jesus and become more like Him, we see even more.

    Tripping Hazards

    There are many “tripping hazards” in this life — things that we can’t see without God’s help.

    The Devil

    1 Peter 5:8-9 (NASB)

    8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
    9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

    Satan hates God, because he wants to be God. Thankfully, he never will be. We could get into the history of how and why, but for now, we just need to know that because we were created in the image of God, Satan also hates us and wants to destroy our lives.

    Angel of Light

    2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NASB)

    13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
    14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
    15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

    Satan doesn’t usually appear to someone and tell them what he is planning on doing. He usually disguises himself and pretends to be an “angel of light.” Unfortunately, there are many people who either knowingly or unknowingly choose to follow him and become his servants.
    These are tripping hazards. The only way to avoid them is by turning the light on them. Then, you will see them for who they really are. Otherwise, if all you listen to is what they say, it will begin to make sense. In reality, though, you are still stumbling around in the dark.

    False Prophets

    2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (NASB)

    6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,
    7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.

    2 Peter 2:1-3 (NASB)

    1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.
    2 Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
    3 and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

    There are many people who write books and give seminars about their own philosophies on life and the afterlife. Usually, the message will talk about how there are many ways to heaven, and we just need to be sincere and be a “good person.” Of course, they will define the “good” part however people will want to hear. These people are teaching others about things that they don’t even understand. They pretend to be experts or have some special revelation from God, but they are clueless to the true ways of God, teaching people their own false ideas, leading them further and further away from the truth.

    Tickling Ears

    2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NASB)

    3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
    4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

    It’s been said that people do the things that they want to do because that’s what they want to do. If I really want to keep living the way that I am living, I will find someone else to agree with me. If they tell me that God approves of what I’m doing, that’s even better.
    These “myths” come in many shapes and sizes. They might say that they have a “special revelation” from God. They could claim that an angel or a vision appeared to them.
    Many people say that they believe in “science” (however they define/twist that word), but they can’t believe in the supernatural.
    All of these are myths, because they are denying the truth of God.

    Open Our Eyes

    2 Kings 6:15-17 (NASB)

    15 Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
    16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
    17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the LORD opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

    Elisha and his servant were not men of war. All around them was an army with thousands of trained soldiers, with weapons and chariots. Understandably, the servant was more than a little fearful. The prophet Elisha, though, could see past the natural into the supernatural. He saw that he had nothing to fear.

    Lord, open our eyes to see You and what You are doing!

    God’s Riches

    Ephesians 1:18-19 (NASB)

    18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
    19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.

    Our eyes need to be “enlightened”, have more spiritual light. The more light that we have, the more of God’s “riches” we will see. There is so much more for us to see, if we could only see it. God’s glory, His greatness, His majesty are right there in front of us. How can we see them?

    Open Minds

    Some people define an open mind as someone who will believe and accept anything. That can be extremely dangerous. If I went out and ate anything and everything that I saw, I would probably get very sick. What we need is for God to open our minds to understand His ways and what He is doing.

    Luke 24:45 (NASB)

    45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

    Jesus’ disciples had spent over three years living with Him, but they still did not know who He really was. They needed Jesus to open their minds, so they could understand all of the Old Testament scriptures that had predicted His life, death, and resurrection. Without God’s help — His light — we cannot understand the Bible. There are people who read the Bible and consider it great literature, but they miss the whole point. The Bible is there to open our minds to understand and our spiritual eyes to see the incredible forgiveness we have available in Jesus Christ, and the riches of His presence in our lives today.

    Holy Spirit

    John 14:26 (NASB)

    26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

    Jesus said that He was sending the Holy Spirit, Who would teach us all things and help us to remember the words of Jesus. Without the Holy Spirit teaching us, we are stumbling in the dark. He is our guide, our companion, our tutor.

    Lamp

    Psalm 119:105 (NASB)

    105 Nun. Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.

    God’s word, the Bible, will help light the way. Like a flashlight on a hike in the woods, it can keep us from falling off of a cliff or running into a bear. If you are walking in an unfamiliar place in the darkest night with no moonlight and clouds obscuring the stars, you would be very thankful for the flashlight to guide you safely home.

    2 Peter 1:19 (NASB)

    19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

    Peter was an eyewitness of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. He was there on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell on him and others, like tongues of fire over each of their heads. He touched the Light of God — Jesus — every day for over three years. When he says that the Bible is a lamp shining in a dark place, we can believe Him.

    God’s Light

    Stepping into God’s light of salvation in Jesus is just like turning on the light switch in your room. All of a sudden, you can see things that might have tripped you up. You can see what lies ahead of you, and you can see the details and beauty that was impossible to see before.
    Trust in Jesus. Study His Word, the Bible. Spend time meeting with Him in prayer. Do this every day, and you will see your life suddenly getting brighter and brighter, until we are all standing in the presence of God forever.

    Revelation 21:23 (NASB)

    23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

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  • What Is Heaven?

    a view of the clouds

    What Is Heaven?

    Creation

    God has created many beautiful things. Sometimes, we might wonder if it can get any better than this, but is there more after this life? God wrote a lot about this in His message to us, the Bible, so it seems that it’s something that He really wants us to know. What is waiting for us after this life is over will greatly affect how we live our lives today.

    purple petaled flowers near mountain
    a group of people sitting in a park

    Personalized

    In movies, we see many different ideas of what heaven is like. Usually, they will say that it’s whatever a person loves the most. Everyone seems to get their own “personal” heaven.

    Religions

    People have made up their own religions where “heaven” is their idea of wonderful. Some say that if you are good enough, you can get to a state where you are part of nothing. I suppose that if you live in a very noisy area, that might seem nice.
    Others would say that if you fight for that religion, you will get many wives.
    Usually, heaven in these religions is for people who have done good things or lived good lives. What does God say about heaven?

    Jesus

    Jesus said this.

    John 14:2-3 (NASB)

    2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
    3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

    Jesus said that there are many places to live in His Father’s house (God’s house). He said that He was going there to prepare a place for His people. So, we see these things about this scripture.

    • There are many dwelling places (so we won’t run out of space or feel cramped).
    • Jesus went to prepare this place for His followers.
    • He will come back one day and take His followers there.
    • Jesus and His followers will be together.

    Earthly Bodies

    2 Corinthians 5:1-3 (NASB)

    1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
    2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,
    3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.

    • This body in which we live is temporary, like a tent.
    • God has prepared a place for us that is eternal — it never goes away.
    • It is in the heavens.
    • It is so much better than what we have now, it’s like not even having clothes to wear or a place to stay.

    Heavenly City

    Hebrews 11:16 (NASB)

    16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

    • Our current country is not permanent.
    • God’s country is better.
    • It is a heavenly country.
    • God is not ashamed of His followers.
    • God prepared this city for them.

    Works

    As we said earlier, most religions say that you have to do certain things to earn a place in heaven. We all know ourselves, though. Do we honestly think that we can be good enough to deserve something as incredible as this heaven that we have been reading about? What does the Bible say?

    Romans 3:23 (NASB)

    23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

    Romans 7:18 (NASB)

    18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

    Ephesians 2:1 (NASB)

    1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

    If we don’t deserve heaven, and we can’t possibly earn it, what can we do?

    God’s Mercy

    Ephesians 2:4-7 (NASB)

    4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
    5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
    6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
    7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

    Because of God’s love and mercy, He took our place on the cross. This is not something that we deserved or could possibly earn. It’s a free gift.
    Notice that this is past tense. Paul is saying that God already did this. He already entitled us to having a place with Jesus, a place where He will show us “the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

    Danger

    There are dangers that we have to avoid, and challenges that we have to overcome. This life is not easy.

    Revelation 3:17-18 (NASB)

    17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
    18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

    There are times that we might be tempted to be satisfied with what we have, thinking that we are doing well. If only we could see things the way that God sees them, we would see things quite differently.
    We think we’re rich; God says we are poor.
    We think we can see everything clearly; God says that we are blind.
    God even tells us that the beautiful clothing of religion that we wear is actually like the emperor’s clothes in the old children’s story. Just because someone tells you that you’re okay doesn’t mean that you are.

    My opinion of myself is not accurate.
    The opinions of others are not accurate.
    Only God’s opinion is real.

    If God says that He is my only hope, I can believe Him.

    How We Live

    As we said earlier, what waits for us after this life will greatly affect how we live our lives. That’s because how we live our lives today greatly affects what happens to us after this life. We can’t earn heaven, but what we do makes a difference.

    Matthew 24:41,44-46 (NASB)

    41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
    44 “Then they themselves also will answer, Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?
    45 “Then He will answer them, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.
    46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

    Notice:

    • The “eternal fire” was prepared for the devil and his angels.
    • The punishment is eternal (never ends).
    • The reward (life) is also eternal.
    • There is a separation between the two groups.

    Lake of Fire

    Revelation 20:10,15 (NASB)

    10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
    15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

    As we saw in Matthew 24, this lake of fire and brimstone (sulfur) was created as a punishment for the devil and his angels, not originally for people. If people choose to follow the devil, and not God, they will follow him all the way into eternal, never-ending torment.

    Book of Life

    If our names are in the Lamb’s book of life, we will be spared that torment, as we see in verse 15 above.

    Revelation 3:5 (NASB)

    5 He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

    This is what we see in this passage.

    • There is a way to get our names in the “book of life.”
    • It is possible for our names to be erased from this book.
    • There is something for us to overcome.
    • If we overcome, Jesus will tell His Father and the angels that we belong to Him.

    Overcoming

    The only way for us to overcome is to depend on Jesus. He overcame death and the grave, because He paid for our sins by His sacrifice. As we have seen, it’s impossible for us to be “good enough” to earn heaven. Jesus had to do it, and He did. All we have to do is worship Him, trust Him, and follow what He tells us to do in the Bible. If we do, He says that we have a new city waiting for us.

    New Jerusalem

    Revelation 21:1-4 (NASB)

    1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
    2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
    3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
    4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

    God is going to wipe out heaven and earth, because we have corrupted it. He is preparing a new Jerusalem, His holy City.

    Revelation 21:16 (NASB)

    16 The city is laid out as a square, and its length is as great as the width; and he measured the city with the rod, fifteen hundred miles; its length and width and height are equal.

    To put this in perspective, 1500 miles is about the distance from Louisiana to New England. That’s how long, wide, and tall the city is. That leaves plenty of room for everyone who has ever existed.

    Light

    Revelation 21:22-23, 22:5 (NASB)

    22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.
    23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
    5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

    We won’t need to go somewhere special to meet with God, because He will always be there with us. We also won’t need the sun or any other light, because God Himself will be there. His glory will be brighter than our own sun.

    The Curse is Gone

    Revelation 22:1-4 (NASB)

    1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,
    2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
    3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;
    4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

    Everyone needs water to sustain life. God will give us pure water that comes straight from His throne, providing constant, renewing, refreshing, eternal life. There will also be a tree of life that will always be bearing fruit. The curse that we all received when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden is broken. The tree of life, from which they should have been eating, will be there for us.
    To show that we are children of God, we will have His name on our foreheads. This will be a constant reminder that we no longer have anything to fear. We are now part of the family of God, and that will never change — for all eternity!

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  • Hot Cold or Lukewarm?

    lukewarm

    Hot Cold or Lukewarm?

    Coffee

    person holding white ceramic cup with hot coffee
    clear glass filled ice coffee

    Ever hear someone walk into a coffee shop and ask for a lukewarm coffee? I’m sure it probably happens, but not very often. Usually, they will order either hot or iced coffee, nothing in between. That’s like what God told the church in Laodicea.

    Revelation 3:15-16 (NASB)

    15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
    16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

    These were people who probably started their Christian lives “on fire”, excited about serving Jesus. As time went by, things happened. They probably experienced persecution from the Roman government, the Jewish people, and other non-Christians. We see from other parts of the New Testament that they also had a number of false teachers coming in and telling them things that were not true. It’s easier to “go with the flow” than it is to swim against the current. Just because everyone around you says something doesn’t necessarily make it right.

    fish swimming against the flow

    Rich

    Revelation 3:17 (NASB)

    17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

    The church in Laodicea viewed themselves as rich, needing nothing. Jesus told them they were sadly mistaken. He said that they were “wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked”, the opposite of what they thought of themselves. How could they be so wrong? How could they be that blind to their actual condition?

    Spiritually Poor

    Jesus told a parable of a rich farmer who became so prosperous that his barns could not hold all of his crops, so he planned to tear down his current barns and build new ones. That was never going to happen, though

    Luke 2:18-21 (NASB)

    18 “Then he said, This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
    19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”
    20 “But God said to him, You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?
    21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

    This man had spent his whole life planning for his retirement. It seems that he had neglected his relationship with God, because he was working so hard. Many times, people convince themselves that what they are doing at the moment is vitally important. They might say that they can’t afford to take time to go to church or read their Bible. They might even convince themselves that saying a “few words in prayer” before they go to sleep will be enough for God.
    How many marriages would last if that’s how the husband and wife treated each other? Do we really think that God is okay with us neglecting Him all day long, then trying to “placate” Him with a few words as we fall asleep?

    First Love

    In Revelation, Jesus told the church in Ephesus that they were doing some things well, but they had a glaring problem — they had left their first love.

    Revelation 2:4-5 (NASB)

    4 But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
    5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place — unless you repent.

    About 30 or 40 years before this was written, the apostle Paul had been preaching and teaching in the city of Ephesus. There was a tremendous revival happening, and the people were definitely “on fire” for Jesus. Somewhere along the line, they had become complacent, and they had “fallen into a rut.”
    This can happen with friends, family members, or others. We might say things like, “they know I love them”, but do they really know that? When was the last time you told God you loved Him (not just singing words in a song)?

    Holy Spirit Grief

    Ephesians 4:30 (NASB)

    30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

    It’s easy to think of God’s Holy Spirit as a thing, the way that we think of a “prideful spirit” or a “loving spirit” in a person. That’s not who He is, though. He is a person, the same as God the Father or Jesus. As a person, He also has emotions. When we do things that are wrong, He is grieved. In the same way, God the Father and Jesus show us their emotions.

    Love of God

    1 John 4:7-8 (NASB)

    7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
    8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

    God created us in His image, along with His emotions. He can love, get angry, be hurt, and long to spend time with us. I believe that is why He created us — because of His great love for us, even before we and the universe existed.
    We see in Genesis how God used to walk through the Garden of Eden with Adam, spending time with him, enjoying each other’s company — until Adam sinned. That created the first division between God and mankind. Ever since then, God has been calling us back to Himself.

    God Knocking

    Revelation 3:20 (NASB)

    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 will dine with him, and he with Me.

    God told the church in Laodicea that He was standing at the door of their hearts, wanting to come into their lives. If they did, God said that they would spiritually share a meal together and fellowship together.
    God doesn’t just want us to eventually open the door to Him, though; He wants us to seek Him out, as well.

    Our Knocking

    Luke 11:9-10 (NASB)

    9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
    10 “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.

    In the original language of the New Testament, Greek, the passage reads more like, “ask (and keep asking) and it will be given to you; seek (and keep seeking) and you will find; knock (and keep knocking) and it will be opened to you.” If all we do is pray one time, then if we don’t get exactly what we want, we say that God doesn’t exist, we have missed the whole point. God wants a friendship, even a marriage with us. Simply attending a church service and following a ritual (every denomination has them) won’t do. Praying a poem before you eat won’t do. Reading a quick devotional won’t do. All of these are good things, but they’re not enough.

    All Your Heart

    Deuteronomy 6:5 (NASB)

    5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

    God wants all of our heart, soul, and might. Just a little is not enough. What if we approached every relationship this way? I think we would all have far fewer problems.

    Anything short of everything
    is not enough.

    Lukewarm

    Revelation 3:15-16 (NASB)

    15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.
    16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

    Jesus said that He was going to spit these people out of His mouth. This is like what we would do if someone handed us a cup of motor oil and told us it was our favorite drink. One taste, and we would spit it out of our mouths. No matter what the other person said, we would know that what we just tasted was disgusting.
    The Laodicean church was still meeting together, praying, and doing “religious” things. They were telling themselves and God that this was His favorite drink. Jesus had to set them straight.

    Time for a Change

    Revelation 3:17-18 (NASB)

    17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
    18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

    The people thought that they were doing well, but they weren’t. They had nothing; they needed everything. All of what they thought was worthwhile was not. They needed to throw away everything they had spiritually, and buy everything new. Jesus said that they needed to buy this from Him. Most of what we consider valuable, He says is worthless. There is only one thing that we have that God considers valuable — ourselves.

    Living Sacrifice

    Romans 12:1-2 (NASB)

    1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
    2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

    Without Jesus’ sacrifice, we are hopeless. Without His riches, we are bankrupt. Without His love, we have nothing. The least we can do is offer ourselves to Him. He deserves all of our praise, glory, and honor.

    Forgiveness

    Something that we humans cannot fully comprehend is God’s forgiveness. Even when we totally blow it, He reaches out to correct us and draw us back to Himself.

    Revelation 3:19-20 (NASB)

    19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore 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 will dine with him, and he with Me.

    God loves us enough to discipline us and show us where we are going wrong. Even while disciplining us, He continues to tell us He loves us and wants to spend time with us. God never abandons His children.

    Eternity

    Revelation 3:21 (NASB)

    21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

    After His correction, Jesus tells them that if they will open the door of their hearts to Him, He will let them reign on His throne forever. In other words, He is promising us eternity in heaven with Him — forever!

    From Lukewarm to Hot

    Jesus is calling. Are we listening? Are we willing to take a good, honest look at our lives, and go all-in for Jesus?

    Lord, open our eyes to see what You see.
    Help us to return to our first love.
    Show us what we need to change,
    and give us the strength and courage to change.
    You are all we need and want.
    You are our all in all.
    In Jesus’ Name, amen.

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  • Light or Darkness?

    a person standing on a dirt path with the sun shining through clouds

    Light or Darkness?

    Hate

    1 John 2:9-11 (NASB)

    9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
    10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
    11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

    The word “hate” is being used a lot lately. It seems our world is becoming more and more polarized. When others constantly accuse you of being hateful or unloving, there is a tendency to doubt yourself. You begin asking yourself, “Is it true? Do I hate other people?” The apostle John saw some of the same things in his day. His words can help us to get back to the truth, and determine if we are in the Light or darkness.

    Truth

    The apostle John focuses quite a bit on truth. Jesus said that the devil is a liar and the father of lies.

    John 8:44 (NASB)

    44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

    When someone accuses of being a certain way or believing something, take a moment to stop and think about what they are saying. Is it really true? If not, then don’t receive it. In other words, don’t let it affect you.
    Next, choose how you are going to respond. Remember, always act, never react. How would Jesus respond to this type of accusation? You want to let the other person know that they are mistaken, but you want to say it in love.

    Love

    1 John 4:7-8 (NASB)

    7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
    8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

    John was known as the Apostle of Love. This is a major theme in his writings. We, as Christians, love others, because Jesus loved us first. He gave all that He had so that we could be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with Him. With that kind of love as our example, of course we are going to love others.

    1 John 4:9-11 (NASB)

    9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
    10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
    11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

    Evidence

    John 13:35 (NASB)

    35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

    These are the words of Jesus. True Christians have love for each other. Conversely, those without love are not true Christians. The apostle John said that there were people in his day who used to be among them, but they left, because they did not really believe in Christ, and they did not want to serve Him.

    1 John 2:19 (NASB)

    19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

    Just because someone claims to be a Christian doesn’t make it so. I could say that I’m the greatest basketball player ever (I’m not), but unless I prove it to you, you probably wouldn’t believe me. If someone tells me that they are a Christian, but they are yelling at me, telling me that I hate them (when I don’t), I’m not going to believe what they are saying.

    Fruit

    This is where we need to know who we are and what we believe. If we are speaking the truth in love, it is not hate! Jesus always spoke the truth in love, but he constantly had people angry with Him. The religious leaders even conspired together to lie and have Jesus put to death. They convinced themselves that they were doing what was best for the people. They knew that lying and murder was wrong, but they managed to justify it to themselves.

    1 John 3:10 (NASB)

    10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

    Don’t tell me you love me; show me.

    Matthew 7:20 (NASB)

    20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.

    Confidence

    Hebrews 10:19-22 (NASB)

    19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,
    20 by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,
    21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
    22 let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

    If we know that we are following Christ and love Him sincerely, we don’t need to doubt ourselves. We aren’t depending on our own good works or abilities. We are depending on His. Jesus did the work. He paid the price, made the way, showed us the way, then drew us to Himself. Look in verse 22: “having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” This is what Jesus did for us and to us. If God says that I am clean, who am I to disagree? Who is anyone else to disagree? What right does anyone else have to say that I’m not?

    Romans 8:31 (NASB)

    31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

    Humility

    At the same time, we need to guard our hearts, so that we don’t become prideful and think that we are better than anyone else. That’s what starts the whole downward spiral.

    Romans 12:3-5 (NASB)

    3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
    4 For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,
    5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

    The Bible says that as Christians, we are all part of the body of Christ. If a part of our body is hurting, we take care of it. We don’t hurt it more.
    We should always look for ways to help each other, not hurt each other.

    Forgiveness

    Ephesians 4:32 (NASB)

    32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

    Without forgiveness, there is no love. Love cannot exist where there is unforgiveness. We will inevitably say or do something to offend each other, even with the best intentions. If we are willing to forgive the other person, we are showing them true love. If we say that they need to pay or suffer for what they said or did, that’s not love.

    Matthew 6:14-15 (NASB)

    14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
    15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

    1 John 4:7 (NASB)

    7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

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  • Living Godly

    brown wooden cross on top of mountain during daytime

    Living Godly

    Following Jesus

    Jesus told us that we had to deny ourselves, take up our own crosses, and follow Him.

    Matthew 16:24 (NASB)

    24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

    Thankfully, these days, most of us don’t have to worry about being physically crucified, just because we choose to follow Jesus, but the principle still applies. In the book of 2 Peter, the apostle Peter gives us several practical examples of how we should live. This is for our own benefit (becoming more like Christ), the benefit of our family and friends, and the benefit of everyone else around us.

    More Like Christ

    2 Peter 1:2-3 (NASB)

    2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
    3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

    In the beginning of Peter’s second letter, he is offering a blessing to the recipients of the letter. He wishes “grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” Grace has been described as a free gift. It is something that we have not earned, nor do we have the ability to earn it. God gives us the free gift of grace because of His love for us.

    Peace

    Godly peace is more than just being able to relax after a hard day at work or school or watching the kids. Godly peace is what we can have when we realize that God has forgiven us of our sins — not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus has done.

    Ephesians 1:7-8a (NASB)

    7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
    8 which He lavished on us.

    This peace is special, obtained only through the grace of Jesus Christ. This is what He told His disciples shortly before He was crucified.

    John 14:27a (NASB)

    27 “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.

    This is not something that we can find on our own. It’s not something that we can make or buy. Only Jesus can give us this peace. The great thing is that Peter told us that we could have this peace abundantly, being multiplied in our lives.

    2 Peter 1:2 (NASB)

    2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;

    Life and Godliness

    God’s divine power “has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness.” We don’t have to try to be good enough to win a place in heaven; Jesus paid the price for us, and now His power, through the Holy Spirit, gives us everything we need to live an abundant and godly life. How? It’s “through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”

    2 Peter 1:3 (NASB)

    3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

    Divine Nature

    We all have a desire to be “special” in some way. God tells us that we can share in (“be partakers”) of His divine nature. When God created Adam, He breathed His own life into Adam, making him a living being.

    Genesis 2:7 (NASB)

    7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

    We are more than flesh and blood; we have God’s divine (godly) spirit (breath) inside of each one of us. At the same time, we have all inherited a sinful nature from our parents, Adam and Eve. There is nothing that we could possibly do on our own, so God Himself provides the way.

    2 Peter 1:4 (NASB)

    4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

    This is not just forgiveness of sin. He is making a way for us to avoid being destroyed by the world and its ways.

    Attributes

    2 Peter 1:5-7 (NASB)

    5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
    6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
    7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

    Peter now gives us a list of actions and attitudes that we can apply to our lives. He first tells us to apply “all diligence.” If we want to make a real change to be godly, we can’t do it half way; we have to be “all in” and be willing to do the hard work, striving toward our goal.

    Actions and Attitudes

    If we look carefully at Peter’s list, we will see certain actions — things we should be doing — along with attitudes — ways we should be thinking or feeling about ourselves, other people, and God. We could classify them this way.

    Actions

    moral excellence
    self-control
    godliness
    brotherly kindness

    Attitudes

    knowledge
    perseverance
    love

    When we take these actions, our attitudes or way of thinking will change. When we change our attitudes, our actions will also naturally change.

    Moral Excellence

    The word translated here “moral excellence” comes from a root word referring to a man or boy. In other words, manliness. God is saying that we should act the way that He originally created Adam — with virtue and morals, not with sinful actions. “Being a man” does not mean dominating other people. It means doing what is right and treating everyone with respect and love, seeking what is best for them, not ourselves.
    Note that in the Greek language of the day, this term derived from a masculine root, but it was applied to men, women, and children alike. Having moral excellence does not make someone weak. It makes them strong, and it shows their strength to others.

    Knowledge

    We have probably all heard someone say that they don’t believe in faith or religion, because they believe in science — facts. Many people that we think of as great contributors to modern scientific thought and processes were Christians. True knowledge looks for facts. There are some things that we can know for sure, and other things that we can’t. For example, there is no way to prove how the universe was created using the scientific method, because there is no way for anyone to perform an experiment to test their theory (by creating another universe).
    There are other things, however, that we can see. When I see someone living an unruly, ungodly life, I usually see pain, suffering, agony, and despair. When I see someone else living a godly life, I usually see peace, contentment, and joy. Everyone goes through hard times. Christians have the Holy Spirit to be there with them and comfort them. This knowledge can help us get through those hard times.

    Self-control

    Proverbs 16:32 (NASB)

    32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.

    It’s easy to fight back when someone says or does something that you don’t like. It’s much harder to control yourself. We should always act, never react. If we react to what other people do, we are letting them control our lives. If we choose to control our temper, our fleshly desires, and what we might want in this life, we will find that we can “overwhelmingly conquer” in this life (Romans 8:37).

    Perseverance

    Perseverance is more than continuing on when things are hard. It is an attitude of knowing that you will overcome, no matter what things look like right now.

    Galatians 6:9 (NASB)

    9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

    God promises us that we will eventually reap (harvest our crops) if we don’t grow weary (persevere). God’s riches and blessings (not always money) are waiting for us, if we don’t give up. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of standing on the promises that God has given you, even when everything around you says that it’s impossible.

    Ephesians 6:14-15 (NASB)

    14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS,
    15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;

    Godliness

    The Greek word used here for godliness means to act in a godly, pious way, both toward God and other people. It is an action word. It’s not just a matter of not doing wrong. It’s also a matter of doing what is right. Godliness is living, actively, the way that Jesus lived on this earth.

    Brotherly Kindness

    There are several words in the Greek language that are translated “love” in our Bibles. This word means “brotherly love”, the kind of love that someone would have for a brother or sister. This is how we should treat each other, not just our family members. If we are relating to another Christian, we actually are brothers and sisters, because we are part of the family of God.

    Love

    Peter then uses the word, “agape.” This is another Greek word for love. It carries the idea of more than just a brotherly love. It is a love for everyone, putting the needs and desires of others before ourselves. The Bible uses this word to describe the love that God has for us, as well as our love toward God and other people. It is truly a selfless love.

    Full Context

    Putting this all in context, we can see how Peter comes to his conclusion in verse 8.

    2 Peter 1:2-8 (NASB)

    2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
    3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
    4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
    5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
    6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
    7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
    8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Lord, help us to all be useful and fruitful to You and Your kingdom, in Jesus’ name!

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  • Community

    people in a community

    Community

    God’s Love

    In the beginning, there was God. He has always existed in the persons of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is all love – the very definition of love.

    1 John 4:7-8 (NASB)

    7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
    8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

    Because of God’s love that He had for us, even before we existed, He created us. From the very beginning, God knew that it was not good for us to be alone.

    Genesis 2:18 (NASB)

    18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

    God created all of the animals and brought them to Adam. I’m sure they were all very friendly, but they still didn’t meet a need that Adam had for true fellowship, so God created Eve.

    Genesis 2:20-24 (NASB)

    20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.
    21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
    22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
    23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.”
    24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

    We now had the beginning of the first family, and the first community. It seems that God used to walk and commune with Adam and Eve on a regular basis (Gen.3:8-9). This was the perfect world that God had created — Adam and Eve enjoying each other’s company and the world that God had given them, while God fellowshipped with and enjoyed their company.

    Fellowship

    The word “fellowship” means two or more people talking and sharing with each other. It’s not where one person talks and the other always listens. In a good friendship, both people feel comfortable with the other person, and they both take turns talking, listening, sympathizing, and loving.
    God created Adam and Eve in His own image. Because God has always existed in three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and we were created in His image, we have the same desire and even need to be with other people.

    Genesis 1:26-28 (NASB)

    26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
    27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
    28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

    More than just being created in His image, we even have His Spirit.

    Genesis 2:7 (NASB)

    7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

    Family

    The family is the beginning and foundation of every godly community. It is what God established and what He commanded from the very beginning.

    Genesis 1:28 (NASB)

    28 God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

    Today, we see many people attacking the traditional family (husband, wife, children). They might say that the Bible’s definition of a family is old-fashioned and outdated. These arguments are nothing new. We have seen throughout history where people have tried creating other “societies” where they refuse to follow the traditional pattern of marriage. Every culture that has tried this has failed. God created us to live as families. We can even see in every study that has looked at the subject, people in jail are overwhelmingly from a home where the father is not there. We also see increased poverty, teenage pregnancy, and emotional issues.
    Keeping a family together takes work. It starts by putting God in the center of it, and teaching/leading your family in His ways.

    Tribes, Villages, Towns, Cities

    We see throughout history that people have formed communities. This way, they can be there to help each other and enjoy the company of each other. Some people prefer smaller towns, and others prefer large cities. We all have a need to be with others in some capacity.

    Emotional Hurt

    Whenever you have two or more people together, eventually someone will say or do something that will hurt the other person. It might be intentional or unintentional. That’s what usually breaks up marriages. A marriage usually starts with two people deeply in love, willing to commit themselves to each other for the rest of their lives. Over time, things will happen. People, by our nature, are selfish. We want our own way. When we don’t get it, we get upset. This can cause distrust, jealousy, anger, and pain. This is not just with marriages. Every relationship between two people (friendship, work, etc.) will have these pressures. How can we avoid them? If the relationship is already damaged, how can we fix it?

    Forgiveness

    Jesus loved us so much, He died on the cross, taking our sins on Himself, so that our sins could be forgiven. This made the way for our relationship with Him to be restored. At the same time, He expects us to be willing to forgive each other.

    Matthew 18:23-35 (NASB)

    23 “For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.
    24 “When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.
    25 “But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.
    26 “So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.
    27 “And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.
    28 “But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, Pay back what you owe.
    29 “So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, Have patience with me and I will repay you.
    30 “But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.
    31 “So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.
    32 “Then summoning him, his lord said to him, You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.
    33 Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?
    34 “And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.
    35 “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

    What the first slave owed was more than he could have possibly earned in over 10,000 years! By comparison, his fellow slave owed him about five months wages. That is a lot of money, but compared to what he was just forgiven, it was nothing. Jesus was saying that it is the same way with us. God has forgiven us more than we can ever imagine. If we are unwilling to forgive someone else, even if it was an intentional, horrible offense, we are not worthy of Christ’s forgiveness.
    As Jesus taught us to pray:

    Luke 11:4 (NASB)

    4 And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation. “

    Just in case we had any doubts, Jesus laid it out clearly.

    Matthew 6:14-15 (NASB)

    14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
    15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

    The forgiveness of our own sins is contingent on our forgiveness of others. I have had people try to justify their own unforgiveness — what the other person did was “unforgivable”; what they did hurt me too much; why should I forgive them if they aren’t even sorry?

    Romans 5:8 (NASB)

    8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

    Jesus did not wait for us to make the first move. He died for us first, showing us what true love truly was.

    Communities

    Think about the communities we form:

    • Clubs (Rotary Club, golf club, sports club)
    • Bars
    • Social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, etc.)
    • Churches

    Communities can be good or bad. They can either help reinforce good, godly ideals in us, or they can help us justify sinful, evil thoughts and intentions. Remember the definition of fellowship. Both people are sharing and receiving ideas. The people with whom we associate will definitely have an effect on us, and will probably dictate who we become. If you want to be a better person, hang out with better people, read better things, discuss better ideas.

    Community of God

    In the Old Testament, God chose a family of people — the Israelites — and made a nation out of them. Other people could join them, but they had to become part of that nation, agreeing to abide by the laws that God had established for them.
    When Jesus came, He died for everyone, not just the Jewish people. He gave His life for many, not the few. Everyone who comes to Him can find forgiveness of their sins (for more information, click here). You can then become part of the family and body of Christ — the church.

    Church

    The church actually refers to the people of God, not a particular building or religion. After Jesus was raised from the dead and people started believing in Him and following Him, look what the early believers were doing.

    Acts 2:46-47 (NASB)

    46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
    47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

    This was the natural outpouring of the incredible experience they all just had. When something good happens to you, you want to share it with others. That’s what they were doing. As time went on, the people who did not want to repent of their sins started to persecute them. Since they had already been meeting together and sharing with each other, they could now lean on each other and strengthen each other. People who try to stand alone have a much harder time.

    Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NASB)

    12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

    Meeting Together

    The early church people went through a lot of persecution, including being thrown in prison, having all of their possessions taken, and even being killed. Non-Christians might not hire them. They might not even sell them food or buy things from them. By meeting with other Christians, people in their community knew that they were Christians. To avoid persecution, some people stopped meeting together. The writer of Hebrews warned of the danger of that practice.

    Hebrews 10:23-25 (NASB)

    23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;
    24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
    25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

    God intended for the church to be a place where people could encourage each other to live godly lives, even while being persecuted by others. This is also what marriages and families are supposed to be — places of encouragement.
    We see the same thing happening today. Many people have been hurt by what someone else said or did. They will let this experience leave them thinking that’s just the way that churches are. Unfortunately, that’s just the way that people are, not just people in church. As we saw above, this is why we need to freely and openly forgive each other, constantly. What else can we do?

    Serving

    Why do we have problems with other people? Because we all want our own way (even Christians).

    James 4:1 (NASB)

    1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?

    How do we overcome this? By humbling ourselves like Jesus did and putting the interests of others before our own interests.

    Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)

    3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
    4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

    If everyone did this, we would have no conflict in our churches. We would have no conflict at work. We would have no wars.
    The place to start, as always, is with ourselves. It’s been said that if you want a friend, be a friend.

    Luke 6:31 (NASB)

    31 “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.

    This is what we call the golden rule. If we want to be treated nicely, treat others nicely, even if they don’t treat you the same.
    Notice, also, that Jesus here is assuming that we will be in a community, not shutting ourselves off from the rest of the world.

    God has called us to be a godly community, encouraging each other, putting our own interests last, and being an example to the rest of the world. Don’t let anything steal your joy and fellowship. The church, like a good marriage, is not perfect, but it is worth fighting for.

    More…

    We would love to speak with you or have you worship the Lord with us. Please let us know how we can serve you.

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