Hebrews 1:1-4 – “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”

In John 1:1-5 we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”  That was the apostle John’s description and definition of Jesus and here in Hebrews, the writer echoes the same thing with a direct application to you and me about who we are, our hope, and our manner of life.

The Bible reveals from Genesis through to Revelation that God is a speaking God!  He talks, He speaks, He uses words to convey His message, ministry, and purpose.  The writer of Hebrews addressed the truth that God had used the prophets of ages past to speak to man and reveal His plan and purposes.  He then reminds the readers that, in that present time the Last Days, God was speaking again through Jesus.  

But who was or is Jesus?  To many of that day, He was merely a carpenter’s son, a Jew, and some even recognized Him as a prophet but not all recognized Him as the Son of God and Messiah.  Yet, if His message is to resonate and have transforming power in our lives we must recognize and receive Him as Messiah, the only begotten Son of God, and Savior of the World.

Hebrews declares that this Jesus was appointed by the Father as ‘heir of all things’ and ‘creator of the world.’  He is described as the Light or the Radiance of God’s Glory and the exact representation of the Father in His nature.  He is the giver and sustainer of life and ‘upholds all things by the Word of His Power’.  Notice it did not say the Power of His Words but the Word of His Power!  He is more than Words! 

He came for the purpose to seek and save mankind, to provide Himself as a sinless sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and redeem mankind from the ownership of the devil.  Once He completed that task of purification He sat down at the right hand of the Father and was Lord of All. 

Romans 14:11 quotes Isaiah 45 and declares of Jesus, “…every knee shall bow… and every tongue shall praise God.”  Philippians 2:10refers to that same prophetic utterance and says of Jesus that He has a name exalted above all names and that one day at the name of Jesus Every Knee will Bow and Every Tongue will Confess that He is Lord! 

Isaiah 9:6 identifies Him as the coming one upon whom the government of God will rest, and His name will declare God’s Glory.  He is Emmanuel.  Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”  Who is Jesus?  He is the sinless Son of God who came and gave His life a ransom for you and me.  He is Messiah! 

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”  He invites us to Come!  He invites us to Call Upon Him!  He invites us to Enter into the New Birth through repentance and confession of sin.  It is by Grace through Faith that we become New Creations transformed from darkness into His marvelous light.  We are invited to depart from a life of sin and enter into a life of righteousness and enjoy the peace that the world cannot give and cannot take away.  We are invited to enjoy Abundant Life and in that have Eternal Life in and through Jesus.

Who is Jesus?  He is the Savior waiting for you to call.  Who is Jesus?  He is the healer waiting to restore you to health.  Who is Jesus?  He is your provider wanting to open heaven’s windows for you and pour out blessings beyond your ability to contain.  Who is Jesus?  He is the one who loves you enough to die for your sins.  Who is Jesus?  He is Savior.  Your savior and my savior.  He is the Light of the World.  He is JESUS!

God, bless you as you embark on today’s leg of life’s journey in Jesus!

Philemon 8-16 – “Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you — since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus —  10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel; 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. 15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.”  NASB

No matter what Paul thought of slavery he recognized it as a legal reality in his day and always sought to do right with a right heart and spirit.  The matter was Philemon, a believer’s slave or servant, Onesimus.  Paul had encountered this slave while in prison and Onesimus had ministered to Paul giving him immeasurable comfort and blessing.  Now Paul addresses the matter with Philemon and asks him to “do the right thing”.  Paul does not instruct him to free this slave but to DO WHAT IS RIGHT and that expresses confidence in God to move on the heart of this fellow believer in a positive manner.

Notice, Paul says, “…though I have enough confidence in Christ to Order You to do what is proper, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you…”  He did not come at Philemon with his gospel guns blazing as we are too often do but based his appeal on LOVE!  The love of Philemon for Paul, the love of people, and more importantly Love for God. 

Paul did the right thing the right way and, in that appeal, opened the door for the Spirit of God to move on Philemon’s heart and everyone could rejoice.  Had he demanded Philemon release Onesimus, Philemon might have done so because of his respect and love for Paul but there would have been a door open for a root of bitterness to spring up and resentment could have taken root.  Paul took the path of Love and Respect and appealed based on Love and Right.

He identified the service Onesimus had provided.  He identified the conversion of Onesimus to the faith.  He addressed the fact that the slave was a runaway and, in that condition, and attitude was of no value to Philemon but as a result of his spiritual experience he was now more valuable than ever. 

Paul acknowledged the legal rights of Philemon in this matter and although he wanted Onesimus to stay with him he informed Philemon that “without his consent”, which recognized the legal rights, he would do nothing.  Then he appealed for Philemon to now regard Onesimus, not as a slave but a brother in Christ. 

Paul could have said, “Slavery is wrong and encouraged Onesimus to continue his desire to escape.”  He could have but instead, appealed to Philemon and Onesimus to Do the Right thing the Right Way.  This is not about slavery and its rightness or wrongness, it is about Love, Respect, and Honoring others.  It is about Loving God to the point that in all things and at all times we seek to Do the Right Thing in the Right Way! 

There is much more that could and should be said on this matter but hopefully, this will challenge your hearts to consider those things you do and consider why you do them.  Right is right, but right done in a wrong way or with a wrong attitude can be as destructive as wrong.  God help us to do right and be right in our attitudes as well as our actions!

God, bless you richly is my desire and prayer!

Titus 3:5-11 – “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. 9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.”  NASB

Interesting translation of the word in v 10 “hairetikos”.  The KJV translates it heretic and the NASB uses factious.  On the surface, they do not seem the same but when you examine the word in the Greek the word is “itself and schismatic” coming from the word that means ‘to make a choice’ or ‘prefer’.  In that light, I can see both renderings for this individual is one who has made the choice to make self, more important than truth and promotes schisms in the Body of Christ. 

Titus was instructed to ‘reject’ which would be to ‘shun’ or ‘avoid.’  That identifies a root problem in the Church that is too often avoided rather than confronted.  That was one of the purposes of Paul leaving Titus behind.  He was to ‘set in order’ the church and establish godly leadership which included church discipline, a foreign element in the modern church world.  We are too busy trying to keep everybody happy to address issues that separate, divide, and diminish the testimony of the church and hinders the spiritual progress of the members.

We are Saved not based on ‘what we have done’ even righteous acts but by Grace through God’s incredible Mercy!  We have experienced the washing of regeneration and renewal by the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  It is by Grace that we become heirs of God and granted the Hope of Eternal Life.  In our pursuit of God there are times when we must ‘separate’ from people and things in order to pursue God and His righteousness and to maintain a testimony before the world.

The devil likes nothing better than the church or churches to engage in unanswerable questions, hair-splitting, straining at gnats, and debates that do not produce life or win souls.  Thus, we come to the issue of church discipline and marking individuals who continually engage in division. 

Notice, he said that this person was to be warned twice before this drastic action took place and that is in perfect harmony with the instructions of Jesus in Matthew 18:14-20 as He gives the directive on dealing with divisions.  You go to the one who sins or offends and, with a heart of love with the objective or restoration in mind, discuss the matter with him/her.  If that is rejected, you take one or two more with you.  You do not take people on your side but on God’s side who meet the qualifications

Paul lists early in his instructions for leadership.  If that is rejected, you then (third time) take it to the church and if that admonition or plea is rejected and not repentance results you “reject” or “shun” that individual.  Your purpose is never to prove a point but with a heart of redemption.

We need godly people speaking into our lives to reveal our blind spots or in those times we drift from the pathway God has designed and become factious or heretical and cause division and disruption.  We are The Body of Christ and the Body needs all its members to function in a manner that builds up the entire body in love.

God, bless you as you enjoy this day in Jesus!

2 Timothy 1:3-7 – “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.”  NASB

There are several sermons or devotionals in these few verses so I will lump them together and hopefully encourage you in your daily walk and pursuit of your ministry and assignment in life.  Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son and someone he had learned to rely on for encouragement, loyalty, faithfulness, and prayer support to name a few.  In Paul’s address to Timothy, he reveals his heart and the upbringing of Timothy and how important godly examples are in life.

Paul expresses his overflowing heart of thanksgiving declaring that he serves God with a Clear Conscience.  I could spend enough time here to write chapters on the matter of conscience and how powerful this declaration is especially when coupled with a demonstrated life of faithfulness and godliness.  Paul not only addressed his own heart but reminded Timothy of the importance and power of Prayer telling him, “I constantly remember you in my prayers day and night.”  It was not a “God bless Timothy” passing mention but testifies of intercession out of love and longing to be reunited with him. 

He reminded Timothy of how powerful Timothy’s own tears and love touched the great apostle.  Then, Paul called to remembrance the heritage of faith that Timothy had in his mother and grandmother.  He was raised in a godly home and that is a powerful testimony to the directive of Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”  Your influence and impact on your children are far greater than you might imagine or believe.  You are sowing seeds in them that will produce a harvest so ensure you are sowing to godliness.

Then the apostle reminds Timothy of the gift or gifts of God in him and the power of being ordained of God to function in a particular area of ministry and life.  Then, Paul calls to attention the gravity of this ministry and the reality that not everyone will willingly accept the Gospel message.  He says, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and discipline.”  The KJV says, “sound mind” or “committed/fixed mind” which can be understood in Isaiah 26:3, “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace because he trusts in You.”  We become like a nail driven in a sure place because of our commitment to and devotion to the Lord.  Our minds are stayed on Him and we are bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

We are more than conquerors in Christ and as we are nurtured and developed by godly parents and godly mentors, we find that we gain strength for the struggle and power to overcome.  Righteousness begets righteousness and faithfulness begets faithfulness.  We can learn both as the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  So, allow your heart to be nurtured and become a nurturing example to those under your care.

God, bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

1 Timothy 1:3-5 – “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. 5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”  NASB

In Church, I have witnessed some incredibly zealous people who believed it was their God-given assignment to ‘Set People Straight’ when in doctrinal error or perceived doctrinal error.  They were not wholly as the Church of Ephesus of Revelation 2 where they could not tolerate evil men and put to test those who claimed to be apostles and found them false.  No, they were equal opportunity correctors of anyone and everyone who strayed from their doctrinal trail and they SET THEM STRAIGHT.  There were times they would use Paul’s instructions to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1 to justify their actions as well as using the words of Jesus.

However, before we condemn this action or defend it, we should consider a key statement by Paul regarding Timothy’s assignment and their ministry.  In verse 5 Paul says, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”  Simply, the objective in correction is not SETTING THEM STRAIGHT but leading them to the truth so that restoration can transpire. 

That is always the objective in dealing with sin or error.  It is not simply putting people in their place it is leading them to the light.  I am reminded of the ministry of Priscilla and Aquila in dealing with Apollos in Acts 18.  They led him to a more full understanding rather than attempting to put him in his place or set him straight.  The objective as in all ministry is reconciliation and restoration.  It is bringing people to their fullest potential in Christ and the Gospel.

Paul addressed some of the areas these false or deceived teachers were engaging in and identified their ignorance as well as malice.  He does not trash the Law but identifies the truth that the Law is not for the Righteous but the Unrighteous.  He testifies of his own ignorance and persecution of those who believed and rejoiced in the Mercy of God.  He recognized that it is possible for a person to drift into error and through love be led back to the right path and restored. 

I have heard preachers preach hell and judgment so powerfully that one could almost feel the flames of hell leaping at their feet.  When that transpires under the anointing of the Holy Spirit out of a heartbroken in love it is incredibly powerful and beneficial.  However, I have known some who preach hell as though they enjoyed it and demonstrated a Pharisaical attitude looking down their noses as SINNERS!  That is not the heart of God nor was can it be found in Paul’s instruction to Timothy. 

Timothy was given an assignment that would be difficult.  Often false teachers have a devoted following and when you counter their tenets you encounter the wrath of the devotees.  However, if we walk, as Jesus walked and manifest His heart, character, love, and righteousness the Holy Spirit brings conviction to hearts and people are brought back to the right path and enjoy restoration.  Our objective is not to present ourselves as ‘holier than thou’ and our assignment is not to SET THEM STRAIGHT but to speak the truth in love and lift up Jesus!

God, bless you as you embark on today’s leg of your life’s journey in Christ!

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 – “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”  NASB

Through the years, the church has branded various world figures as “The Antichrist” only to be proven wrong.  Some have insisted that Barack Obama, the former president of the United States was the “Antichrist” but again, they are wrong.  “The Man of Sin, The Lawless One, or the Antichrist” is probably alive today somewhere on the planet.  Regardless of your belief as to who he might be or where he might come from, the fact that He will come should be foreboding. 

The former President Obama moved to allow a UN Resolution that would return Israel to Pre-1967 borders and effectively cripple the nation’s ability to defend itself.  I believe that any such action would not be in the best interest of Israel or the Free World including the United States of America.

The Door to Lawlessness is open in today’s world and it has largely resulted from Silence by the Church on too many fronts.  Paul advised or prophesied in our text that this one will not ascend to his ultimate position of power Until or Unless there is widespread ‘apostasy’ in the church and the world.  I have contended for a long time, based on my understanding of the Bible and observation of human nature, that when the Church is silent evil grows strong and often prevails.  When the Church is a strong force in voice and demonstration of purity, righteousness, and holiness evil is suppressed. 

The Antichrist, the Man of Sin that Lawless One, cannot find acceptance without the Church drifting from its biblical and moral mooring.  Tragically, too often, that is visible in today’s world.  Deception cannot prevail when there is diligence in prayer and commitment to God, His Kingdom, and His Word.  When the Church’s voice is strong, society, as a whole, resists deception, suppresses selfishness, and maintains moral sensibility.  That is not a breeding ground for the devil, so he has worked tirelessly to erode our commitment, tarnish our convictions, and encourage us to adopt the worldview of ‘tolerance.’  

Tolerance is a biblical concept but only to the degree that it does not violate the core principles of God’s Word and Righteousness.  The Bible is not Tolerant of Sin!  We are tolerant of sinners but not sin!  We are tolerant of differing views but not the Core Foundational Principles of God’s Word.  Jesus is the Door to Salvation.  Jesus is the Messiah who gave His life a ransom for whosoever will.  Jesus is the only begotten, sinless Son of God. 

There are not many roads leading to heaven and there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved but the Name of Jesus.  Trying to be inclusive at the expense of conviction is not inclusive it is destructive.  Therefore, the coming chaos is coming because the Church has opened the door.  The Spirit of Antichrist is and has been at work in the world and it is high time that we The Church, Believers, members of the Family of God, and the Body of Christ stand firm and “seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.” 

God, bless you as you dedicate, rededicate, and anchor your hope in God through His Son, Jesus Christ.  

Jonah 1:1-3 – “The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me.” 3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.”  NASB

The story of Jonah is more than a little interesting and informative.  The word of the Lord came to Jonah giving him the assignment of going to a major city in Nineveh and decry their wickedness.  He was to go pronounce judgment on that wicked city.  There are any number of possible reasons that Jonah found this assignment less than desirable and among them could be fear and his desire to not be identified as a naysayer. 

Rather than doing what God told him, he booked passage on a ship to Tarshish.  During his journey the ship he was on came under siege from the elements and those aboard recognized that this was the hand of God, therefore they sought to determine who was the culprit.  In the process, they determined that it was Jonah.  Jonah instructed them to throw him overboard and they would be spared.

Had God relented of His call to Jonah that would have been the end of the story, but it was not.  The great fish God had prepared swallowed him and for three days and nights, he was in the belly of that beast.  Then, after such a time and Jonah realizing he had been spared, repented, and prayed.  God then prompted the fish to vomit him onto the shore and at that point, the Spirit of God came to Jonah a second time instructing him to go to Nineveh.  This time he obeyed and preached the impending judgment on the city.  To Jonah’s chagrin, they repented! 

That should have been his hope but after his pathway to obedience, he now considered this a slap in his face, that he had preached judgment and no judgment would come.  He got angry with God and complained about the long-suffering nature of God and lamented, “This is what I feared would happen.”  What a man of God!  Rather than having redemption as his end view, he had the accuracy of his word as the most important element.  Preaching hell without a broken heart is a tragedy.

God came to Jonah and used a worm and a plant to communicate His grace and remind him of the value of forgiveness and the power of love.  If you have ever experienced the Holy Spirit prompt you to deliver a message that you knew would not be well received, you know a little of Jonah’s plight.  If you have watched those you considered wicked receive God’s mercy you have tasted Jonah’s plight.  God is not a man, does not operate according to the ideology of man or in the timing of man.  God’s ultimate desire is for us to be reconciled to Him and if He sends forth a word of judgment and repentance takes place we should rejoice in His mercy and the restoration. 

I have uttered warnings that were heeded, and repentance brought about restoration and I have uttered warnings that were scorned and ignored and watched the impending destruction that ensued.  I know what it is to rejoice in restoration and weep in destruction. I know what it is to hear a word from the Spirit of God and find the assignment so troubling I resisted and suffered in my heart, mind, and spirit Until I repented and fulfilled my assignment. 

In nearly all those cases my desire was to see the restoration, even when I did not fully trust those appearing to repent.  I was simply the messenger not the judge and trusted God enough to respect His assessment of the situation.  If you have or are running from your assignment, I call upon you to find a place to pray and repent before God for your rebellion.  Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you forth into the pace of obedience and rejoice in what God does.  You bring needless pain and suffering to yourself and those you were assigned to minister to in your disobedience.

God, bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!