Archives for December 2020

OVERVIEW:

The fall of Babylon (chapter 18); the Second Coming of Christ (chapter 19); the Millennium (chapter 20); the New Heaven, New Earth and New Jerusalem (chapters 21-22).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Beginning in chapter 6, John has brought us through four different accounts of the Tribulation Period which, of course, culminates with the Second Coming of Christ:

1^st account — The OPENING of 7 SEALS. (6:1-8:1)

2^nd account — The SOUNDING of 7 TRUMPETS. (8:2-11:19)

3^rd account — The REVEALING of 7 PERSONAGES. (12-14)

4^th account — The POURING of 7 VIALS. (15-16)

It is very important to recognize that chapters 17 and 18 do not advance the events of the book of Revelation beyond chapter 16. These two chapters actually provide the commentary and explanation of two key verses: 14:8 and 16:19. Chapter 17 is the explanation of 14:8 where John says, “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Chapter 18 is the explanation of 16:19 where John says, “And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.”

Perhaps we could understand it this way:

• Revelation 17 is a MYSTERY form of Babylon where she is a RELIGIOUS system.
• Revelation 18 is a LITERAL form of Babylon where she is a COMMERCIAL city (both a political and economic system).

Chapter 19 is the revelation of the greatest event in human history—the Second Coming of Christ, or “the day of the Lord”. Note some key biblical realities about this event:

IT IS THE EVENT TO WHICH ALL OF GOD’S WORD HAS BEEN POINTING.

We have seen this from the very beginning of our 365 Days of Pursuit. The theme of the Bible is “the day of the Lord”. We read about it in almost every single book of the Old Testament, either specifically, or in picture form. It is “that day” when the Lord Jesus Christ finally receives the glory that is due His name!

IT IS THE EVENT OF WHICH ALL OF GOD’S PROPHETS HAVE BEEN PREACHING.

That’s not just my guess or opinion! That is specifically what the Bible says in Acts 3:20-21: “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of ALL HIS HOLY PROPHETS since the world began.” It is the same event Jude 14 says Enoch was preaching about thousands of years before the first coming of Christ!

IT IS THE EVENT FOR WHICH ALL OF GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PRAYING.

In fact, Jesus said it is actually to be the first request of prayer: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2) It becomes the number one prayer of our heart when we recognize that Christ’s Second Coming will be the first time since Adam sinned in the Garden that the Lord Jesus Christ will receive the glory He deserves! In that day, every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father! (Philippians 2:9–11)

IT IS THE EVENT AT WHICH ALL OF GOD’S HOSTS WILL BE PRAISING.

That is what Revelation 19:1–7a describes. We will praise Him because:

• His SALVATION has been fully EXEMPLIFIED. (19:1)
• His JUSTICE has been fully EXECUTED. (19:2-4)
• His SOVEREIGNTY has been fully EXERCISED. (19:5-6)

IT IS THE EVENT FOR WHICH ALL OF GOD’S CHURCH HAS BEEN PREPARING.

This is the day when our marriage to the Lord Jesus Christ will be consummated. According to 19:7–8, we will be wearing the wedding garment that we prepared for ourselves through the righteous life we’re presently living! Notice, how we live on the earth right now does matter in eternity!

John takes the remainder of chapter 19 (verses 11-21) to give a further description of the “greatest event in human history.” By the time the chapter comes to a close, everyone gets exactly what they deserve. The Lord Jesus Christ finally gets the glory He deserves as King of kings and Lord of lords. The beast (Satan in a human body, the antichrist), his false prophet, and all of his followers will get exactly what they deserve as they are cast into the “lake of fire”. Again, in that day, everyone will get exactly what they deserve with one incredible exception…US!

Because God in His mercy and grace chose to place us “in Christ” (Ephesians 1:4) when we called upon His name, He accepts us and receives us as He does His very own Son! As undeserving as we are, we, because of Christ, get the glorious privilege of spending eternity with God!

Chapter 20 is awesome. It reveals the Lord Jesus Christ spanking the devil like a two-year old at Wal-Mart, exercising the power and authority that has always been His, as He establishes His millennial (1000 year) reign. (Note: This is the “seventh day” that the Father “blessed” and “sanctified” for Himself as a day of “rest” way back in Genesis 2:1–3! By comparing scripture with scripture, 2^nd Peter 3:8 reveals that that “day of rest” would be a 1000-year day that would come after 6000 years of toil.)

The remainder of chapter 20 describes the fierceness of the final judgment we commonly refer to as the Great White Throne Judgment. The description is terrifying, as will be the event itself. Politicians in these last days have been talking about a “New World Order”. Revelation chapter 21 describes “God’s New World Order”. There will be a New Heaven that will be inhabited by the “Gentiles”, a New Earth that will be inhabited by the “Jews”, and a New Jerusalem that will be inhabited by “the church of God”. (1^st Corinthians 10:32)

Chapter 22 concludes with seven practical responses to the book of Revelation, and to the conclusion of God’s revelation to man—the Bible!

1. TRUST the Truth of God you hold in your hand. (22:6, 18–19)
2. LIVE with the imminent return of the God of Truth in your thinking. (22:7a, 12a, 20a)
3. DO the Truth of God you know in your mind. (22:7b,14–15)
4. WORSHIP the God of Truth you have in your heart. (22:8–9, 13, 16)
5. SHARE the Truth of God entrusted to your stewardship. (22:10–11, 17)
6. WORK in response to the Truth of God you have received. (22:12)  
7. WALK in the grace of the God of Truth until He comes for you. (22:20b–21)

May we all say with John, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” (22:20b) I say with John, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (22:21)

OVERVIEW:

The third account of the Tribulation and Second Coming through the revealing of the seven personages (chapters 12–14); the fourth account of the Tribulation and Second Coming through the pouring of the seven vials (chapters 15-16); the Babylonish mother (17:1–6); the Babylonish monster (17:7–18).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As we move into chapter 12 in today’s reading, John begins the description of the third account of the Tribulation and Second Coming that our Lord revealed to him. In this account, these events unfold through THE REVEALING OF SEVEN PERSONAGES that are found in chapters 12–14.

1. The first PERSON is the WOMAN, referred to in 12:1–2, 4–6, and 14–17. The WOMAN is clearly the NATION OF ISRAEL.
2. The second PERSON, mentioned in 12:2, 4–5, is the CHILD, and is none other than the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
3. The third PERSON, referred to in 12:3–4, 7–9, and 12–17, is the DRAGON. The DRAGON, as 12:9 leaves absolutely no question, is SATAN.
4. The fourth PERSON, the ARCHANGEL mentioned by name in 12:7–9, is MICHAEL.
5. The fifth PERSON is identified in 13:1–10 as the FIRST BEAST. This FIRST BEAST is none other than the infamous ANTICHRIST.
6. The SECOND BEAST is the sixth PERSON revealed in this tour of the Tribulation and the Second Coming, and is not mentioned by name, but is the FALSE PROPHET who will work in conjunction with the ANTICHRIST during the Tribulation. He is described in 13:10–18.
7. The seventh and final PERSON or PERSONAGE in this third account of the Tribulation and Second Coming is the 144,000 described in 14:1–5. The 144,000 are the TRUE JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES.

Once again, there are simply too many things unfolding in these chapters to provide adequate commentary. But because so many Laodicean cults have been spawned by a misunderstanding and false teaching concerning the 144,000 (the Jehovah’s FALSE Witnesses, the World-Wide Church of God, the Seventh-Day Adventists and the Mormons, the so-called “Latter Day Saints” and the “Reorganized Church of the Latter Day Saints”), perhaps a comment or two is necessary.

The 144,000 mentioned in chapter 14 are the same 144,000 that were mentioned in chapter 7. The only difference between the 144,000 in these two chapters is their location. In chapter 7 they are on the earth. In chapter 14 they are in heaven (i.e. “The Mount Sion”—14:1).

The big question, of course, is who are they? Chapter 7, verses 4-8 lets us know that they are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of the children of Israel. In other words, they are 144,000 literal, physical Jews. Much to the dismay of the aforementioned cults, there is not a Gentile in the bunch! The next time an antichrist (1^st John 2:22) comes to your door and tells you they are a part of the 144,000, just ask them from which of the 12 Tribes of ISRAEL are they! Some things are just pretty dog-gone simple, folks!

These 144,000 Jews will be miraculously converted sometime at the beginning of the Tribulation Period. (7:1–3) Note that 14:3 says they will be “redeemed from the earth,” and 14:4 says they will be “redeemed from among men.” It appears that their miraculous conversion will be like that of the Apostle Paul, Paul referring to himself in 1^st Corinthians 15:8 as “one born out of due time.”

After their conversion to Christ, the 144,000 will then be sealed in their foreheads (7:3) with what is called “the seal of the living God”, which is the Father’s name: JEHOVAH. (7:2–3; 14:1) They are sealed for three reasons:

1. TO MARK GOD’S PERSONAL POSSESSION. God marks them with His name for the same reason we put our name on what belongs to us. He is saying, “These are mine!”
2. TO GUARANTEE GOD’S PERSONAL PROTECTION. Placing our name on our possessions may not deter people from messing with it. The name of Jehovah on something, however, is completely different!
3. TO FULFILL GOD’S PERSONAL PURPOSE.

God’s purpose has always been to reach the whole world. That was the purpose God wanted to fulfill through Israel in the Old Testament, and it is the purpose He now wants to fulfill through the Church. It will, likewise, be His purpose through the 144,000 “servants of our God” (7:3) during the Tribulation Period. Matthew 24:14 says that during the Tribulation Period, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (i.e. the Second Coming). That prophecy will be fulfilled through the 144,000. They will be the “firstfruits” (14:4) of those saved during the Tribulation Period, and through their “witness” (Matthew 24:14), there will be an incredible harvest to follow! According to Revelation 7:9, those who respond will be from every nation, kindred, people, and tongue! The 144,000 will be like 144,000 invincible “Apostle Paul’s” roaming the earth, evangelizing everywhere they go! (Revelation 7:3; 1^st Corinthians 15:8)

Notice that when chapter 14 opens, the 144,000 have been raptured to heaven. (14:1–5) In 14:6–13, John reveals God’s last call to lost man. This will most likely take place in the final few months, weeks, or even days of the seven-year Tribulation. God gives His last call through four voices that John hears. (14:6–13) When chapter 14 closes, the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth in judgment. (14:14–20; 2^nd Thessalonians 1:7–9)

As we move into chapters 15 and 16, John reveals the fourth and final tour through the Tribulation and Second Coming, this time through the figure of THE POURING OF THE SEVEN VIALS. Perhaps the best way to comprehend what is happening in these chapters is to understand that for the last 6000 years of human history, God, Who is supremely loving, gracious, merciful, and kind has been storing up His wrath. In that 6000-year period, God’s name has been defied, disgraced, defamed, ridiculed, reproached, belittled, betrayed, and blasphemed. He has watched and listened from His throne as puny little humans have exalted themselves as if they were God. But be it known, that while God has been “longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2^nd Peter 3:9), day after day His wrath has been filling up, and is being stored in seven vials (15:1; 16:1) in the temple of the tabernacle in heaven. (15:5-6) The Tribulation Period is that time when God says, “That’s enough!” and His wrath is poured out of the vials upon the earth. (16:1)

Note that “the woman” described in chapter 17 (also referred to as “the great whore”), is a woman that has been seen throughout the entire Bible!

• She is the STRANGE WOMAN of the book of Proverbs.
• She is the RELIGIOUS WOMAN of the Tower of Babel.
• She is “THAT WOMAN, JEZEBEL” of the book of Revelation. (2:20)

Chapter 17 reveals that “the woman” is the false religious system that the antichrist will use during the Tribulation Period to unite the world religiously—the Roman Catholic Church.

Beware! The stage is being set right now in these last days of the Laodicean Church Period for the antichrist to use that false system to unify the world. Recognizing that fact will help us to interpret some of the events we are presently seeing and will be seeing in the world and in “Christianity” in the near future!

OVERVIEW:

The first account of the Tribulation and Second Coming through the opening of the seven seals (6:1-8:1); the second account of the Tribulation and Second Coming through the sounding of the seven trumpets (8:2-11:19).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Yesterday’s reading concluded with John revealing to us the SCENE IN HEAVEN immediately following the rapture of the redeemed Church of Jesus Christ (chapters 4 and 5). When we pick up in chapter 6 in today’s reading, John is revealing to us the SCENE ON THE EARTH immediately following the rapture.

This chapter begins the revelation of the Tribulation Period, which of course, culminates with the Second Coming of Christ. In fact, what we will see in chapters 6-19, are actually four accounts of these events. This is a point we need to fully grasp if we’re going to keep ourselves within the framework of how God has “divided” the book of Revelation! It is my belief that it is here that most commentators, theologians, and Bible “experts” lose their way in this book. They try to approach these chapters as if they were written linearly or sequentially (i.e. this happens, then this happens, and then that, etc.) That is how Westerners think, and usually dictates, not only our approach to life, but our approach to the Bible. The Bible, however, is an Asian book, and is written circularly as opposed to linearly. There is perhaps no place in the word of God where this is more clearly observed than in Revelation 6-19. Rather than one, continuous, sequential time-line in these chapters, God rather takes us through the same time period (the Tribulation Period which culminates with the Second Coming of Christ) four different times, from four different perspectives! Sure, commentators, theologians, and Bible “experts” balk at such a preposterous idea, reasoning, “Why in the world would God do something as unthinkable as that?” Granted, it is certainly a legitimate question! The question is best answered by pointing to the fact that God did it in the Gospels! The Gospels provide four accounts of the First Coming of Christ from four different perspectives, and because God is so unbelievably consistent, before He concludes His revelation to man, in the book of Revelation, He gives us four accounts of the Second Coming of Christ from four different perspectives!

If we fail to understand what God is actually doing in these chapters, the book of Revelation becomes a chaotic nightmare requiring a lot of doctrinal gymnastics to keep it making any kind of logical and chronological sense. Seeing that one simple factor (four accounts of the same events), however, keeps this seemingly complex book unbelievably simple and easy to understand.

God brings us through the first account of the Tribulation and Second Coming through THE OPENING OF THE SEVEN SEALS in Revelation 6:1-8:1. In fact, make a mental note as you read chapter 6 today, that this chapter alone provides the first complete account of the Tribulation and Second Coming. The opening of the first five seals (6:1-11) covers the entire seven years of the Tribulation Period, and the opening of the sixth seal (6:12-17) is the first account of the Second Coming of Christ.

In chapters 8:2—11:19, God brings us through the Tribulation and Second Coming for the second complete time; this time through THE SOUNDING OF SEVEN TRUMPETS.

The third account is found in chapters 12-14, as God brings us through the same events in this time period through THE REVEALING OF SEVEN PERSONAGES (or PERSONALITIES).

Then, the fourth and final time through the Tribulation and Second Coming is found in chapters 15-19, through THE POURING OF THE SEVEN VIALS.

As we are reading chapters 6–11 today, be sure to keep in mind that one of the keys to understanding this incredible book is recognizing that John’s record of these events is not symbolism that needs to be unraveled or interpreted. Just believe what you’re reading, understanding that John is a man living in the 1^st century, using 1^st century terminology, trying to describe events happening in the world in the 21^st century!

OVERVIEW:

John’s description of the risen and glorified Christ and our Lord’s instruction concerning the “Revelation” (chapter 1); the seven letters to the seven churches representing seven periods of church history (chapters 2 and 3); the scene in heaven following the Rapture and during the Tribulation (chapters 4 and 5).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

We embark today into one of the most incredible books of the entire Bible, the book of Revelation. Many through the centuries have thought that this book was so shrouded with mysteries that it could never fully, or perhaps even remotely be understood. Actually, there is really very little in this book that is a mystery, and when it is, it is clearly presented as such, and is clearly explained in the passage. (1:12, 16, 20) The difficulty in understanding the book of Revelation stems from two basic problems:

1. Not believing what we read.

In other words, reading it, but asking the wrong question. Asking, “What does the verse or passage MEAN?” rather than asking “What does it SAY?” and simply believing it!

2. Not “rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2^nd Timothy 2:15)

In other words, not recognizing some of the key statements and events in the book that reveal to us where we actually are on God’s prophetic timeline in a particular chapter, passage or verse.

Let’s take a couple of minutes to allow the Lord to reveal to us (1^st Corinthians 2:7-14) the divisions He clearly makes in this intriguing book.

Within the context of the 22 chapters of this book, something significant happens two times: heaven opens. When heaven opens the first time in 4:1-2, somebody GOES UP. When heaven opens the second time in 19:11, somebody COMES DOWN. In 4:1, when somebody goes up, heaven opens and John, who is a picture of the church, hears a voice, the sound of a trumpet, and in the moment in the twinkling of an eye, finds himself in heaven at the very throne of God. It is clearly identifying the Rapture, because it describes exactly what Paul detailed in 1^st Thessalonians 4:13-17.

In 19:11, when somebody comes down, heaven opens, and the Lord Jesus Christ comes out of heaven on a white horse with His armies following behind, also on “white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.” (19:14) The “armies” that are with Him are clearly the church (See 19:7-8), and the event is unmistakably the Second Coming of Christ. A simple way to distinguish between these two events is that at the Rapture, Jesus comes in the CLOUDS —FOR His saints (1^st Thessalonians 4:17), and at the Second Coming, Jesus comes to the EARTH—WITH His saints. Whereas the Rapture ends the Church Age and ushers in the Tribulation, the Second Coming ends the Tribulation period and ushers in the Millennium (“milli” = 1,000, “anum” = years). (Revelation 20:1-6).

So, these two significant events (heaven opening) “divide” the book into three sections:

1. Chapters 1-3
2. Chapters 4-19
3. Chapters 20-22

Interestingly enough, in chapter 1 and verse 19, God told John that there would be three sections to the Revelation he would receive:

1. “The things which thou HAST SEEN” (past)
2. “The things WHICH ARE” (present)
3. “The things which SHALL BE hereafter” (future)

If we will “rightly divide” this book, it is imperative that we make the obvious connection between the three divisions of the book created by the two times heaven opens, and the three tenses in which God told John to write in 1:19. However, there is a key that many fail to see when making these connections! Notice what John says in chapter 1 and verse 10: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” Now, most assume that John is talking about the fact that one Sunday afternoon he was simply “walking in the Spirit” as all of us have been commanded to do (Galatians 5:16), when all of a sudden, he received an incredible “revelation” from God. But that is not what the verse is communicating!

As we’ve talked about since the very beginning of the 365 Days of Pursuit, the phrase “the Lord’s day” that John references in verse 10 is not talking about “Sunday” but is the phrase God uses to refer to the theme of the Bible! It is that 1,000-year “day” that God set aside for Himself way back in Genesis 2:3! (c.f. 2^nd Peter 3:8) What John is trying to get us to understand in verse 10 is that the Spirit of God had picked him up and catapulted him forward in time to the “Day of the Lord”, and from the vantage point of someone way out in the 21^st century at the time of the Lord’s Second Coming, he was told to write in the three tenses described in 1:19.

So, from John writing the “Revelation” from the standpoint of “the Lord’s Day”, the book of Revelation actually “divides” (2^nd Timothy 2:15) like this:

• Chapters 1-3 are “the things which John HAST SEEN” (1:19a), or the things which from the standpoint of “the Lord’s Day” were in the PAST. Namely, the events of the Church Age to the Rapture.
• Chapters 4-19 are “the things which ARE” (1:19b), or the things which from the standpoint of “the Lord’s Day” were in the PRESENT. Namely, the events of the Tribulation to the Second Coming.
• Chapters 20-22 are “the things which SHALL BE” (1:19c), or the things which from the standpoint of “the Lord’s Day” were yet in the FUTURE. Namely, the events of the Millennium on into Eternity.

It should be noted that because this book is “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1a), it actually necessitated that it be “divided” into these three tenses because our Lord Jesus Christ is He “which is, and which was, and which is to come!” (Revelation 1:8)

With these basic guide posts, the book of Revelation is really not very difficult to understand if we simply take it LITERALLY and BELIEVE what it SAYS. Understanding how to “rightly divide” the book allows us to know what each chapter is detailing, and begins to open our eyes to truths (Psalm 119:18) that are nothing short of astounding.

For example, when we place the seven letters written to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 in today’s reading into the “right divisions” of the book, we find that they actually represent seven periods of history within the Church Age. In other words, the seven letters actually outline the history of the church, where the book of Acts leaves off, and takes us all the way up to the Rapture, which again, is found in Revelation 4:1, immediately after the seventh and final letter to the churches. Sure, the seven letters were addressed to real churches that existed historically in Asia Minor in 95 A.D. and addressed real needs that these churches were really facing when John received the revelation, but in their context, they also provide an absolutely perfect outline to help us interpret the events that have taken place in the history of the Church Age. The following is a brief overview of church history as defined by Revelation 2 and 3:

CHURCH	REFERENCE	APPROX. DATES	MEANING
Ephesus	Revelation 2:1-7	90 A.D.– 200 A.D.	“Fully Purposed”
Smyrna	Revelation 2:8-11	200 A.D.– 325 A.D.	“Bitterness” or “Death”
Pergamos	Revelation 2:12-17	325 A.D.– 500 A.D.	“Much Marriage”
Thyatira	Revelation 2:18-29	500 A.D.– 1000 A.D.	“Odor of Affliction”
Sardis	Revelation 3:1-6	1000 A.D.– 1500 A.D.	“Red Ones”
Philadelphia	Revelation 3:7-13	1500 A.D.– 1900 A.D.	“Brotherly Love”
Laodicea	Revelation 3:14-22	1900– Rapture of the Church	“Rights of the People”

OVERVIEW:

2^nd JOHN: The basis of love (1-3); the behavior of love (4-6); the bounds of love (7-13).

3^rd JOHN: The excellence of Gaius (1-8); the evil of Diotrephes (9-10); the elevation of Demetrius (11-14).

JUDE: The command to contend for the faith (1-4); the condemnation of the counterfeits of the faith (5-16); the call to surrender in our faith (17-25).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The book of 2^nd John is a very important book of the Bible for those of us living in the last days. It seems that the heed and call in “Christian” circles today is, “Let’s drop our petty doctrines for the sake of love.” The book of 2^nd John is in our Bible to tell us the exact opposite!

As John begins this book, he refers to himself as “the elder”. He is not referring to a position or office he held in the church, but rather to his age. John is an old man by the time he writes this book, probably somewhere between 80–90 years old.

He is writing to “the elect lady”. She is not mentioned by name, but is obviously someone with whom John has a very close relationship, as he affirms his love for both she and her children in the opening verses. Several things we surmise from this little book is that this lady’s husband had apparently passed away and that her children were now grown. She has a passion for ministry, compassion for people, and wanted to use her home as a tool for the Lord to use to house itinerant preachers and teachers on their journeys. She is obviously a very goodhearted and loving lady.

In John’s travels, however, he has come in contact with this “elect lady’s” nieces and nephews (vs. 13), and they’ve informed him of something that was very alarming and upsetting to him. They inform him of how their Aunt’s so called “love” was causing her to show hospitality to false prophets and teachers. (vs. 10) John immediately takes a piece of paper and ink (vs.12) and writes to instruct this extremely loving, benevolent, and hospitable lady that the Lord wanted her to be discriminate in her demonstration and expression of love.

We are able to detect the urgency of John’s message to this special lady in verse 12: “Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.” We don’t know the things John spoke to her face to face. Obviously, we don’t need to know, or the Spirit of God would have inspired John to record them for us. But we do have the words of the first 11 verses, and the Spirit of God definitely wanted us to have these words so that God’s people through the centuries would understand exactly how God wants us to respond to false prophets and teachers. This little letter actually shows us how biblical love is to operate when it encounters false doctrine, prophets, and teachers.

In verses 1-3, John lets us know that the BASIS of genuine, biblical love is TRUTH. (Note that the word “truth” is repeated five times in the first four verses!) He shows us that LOVE and TRUTH are inseparably linked in Christianity, and that our love cannot be permitted to be governed by anything other than TRUTH! The whole point in verses 1-3 is that we are not to indiscriminately share love for the sake of love. Rather, we share LOVE for the sake of TRUTH! When truth is violated, love is to be redirected. Wow! You talk about going against the teaching of Laodicean Christianity! But that is the crystal-clear teaching of God’s word!

In verses 4-6, John lets us know that whereas the BASIS of love is TRUTH, the BEHAVIOR of love is OBEDIENCE. John sets the “elect lady’s” children as an example for sharing love: the fact that they were “walking in truth”. He really brings it back to the same point he had just made: Walking in LOVE is walking in TRUTH; and, walking in TRUTH is walking in LOVE! The simple fact is, love obeys! It obeys the truth. When truth is violated, love is not unleashed. The love of the truth keeps love in bounds. Yes, folks, love, true biblical love, has boundaries! That’s what John shows us in verses 7-11: the BOUNDARIES OF LOVE.

In verse 7, John gives us the reason we must walk in love AND walk in truth. He says “FOR (!) many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” John is trying to get us to see that unless we understand the biblical connection between truth and love, and unless we are walking in truth and in love, we will never respond to these deceivers and antichrists as God intends. John shows us that our response to them is extremely important to God! So important, that a wrong response will even have a profound impact on us at the Judgment Seat of Christ!

Verse 8 says that we put ourselves in a position of losing rewards that we have already wrought, or rewards that we have already attained through our previous work!

Verse 9 actually lets us know who and when TO love, and who and when NOT TO love. He tells us specifically that truth limits the expression of our love toward those who “transgress” the “doctrine of Christ”. In other words, when dealing with those who do not teach that Jesus Christ is God in a sinless human body, we are to apply the teaching of verse 10: not letting them in our house and not telling them “God bless you.” To do otherwise, John says in verse 11, is to become a “partaker” in their “evil deeds.” (These verses are obviously in reference to someone who comes to you on a mission to propagate false doctrine, and not simply those who may have been deceived by false teachers.)

As we move into the book of 3^rd John, we observe three main characters: Gaius, Diotrephes, and Demetrius. John shows us:

• The EXCELLENCE of GAIUS in verses 1-8
• The EVIL OF DIOTREPHES in verses 9-10, and
• The ELEVATION OF DEMETRIUS in verses 11-14.

As we read this little book today, perhaps a question each of us needs to consider is: “Which of these three characters am I most like: Gaius, Diotrephes, or Demetrius?

As we then make our way into the book of Jude, recognize that from an HISTORICAL standpoint, this little book was written to Jewish believers, charging them to “earnestly contend for the faith,” and to endure until the coming of the Lord Jesus, their Messiah.

From a DOCTRINAL (prophetic) standpoint, it is written to Tribulation saints to help them identify the antichrist and his “ministers”, and to “earnestly contend for the faith” as they await the Second Coming of their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

From a DEVOTIONAL (practical) standpoint, the book of Jude teaches us that if we are eagerly awaiting the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will also be “earnestly contend[ing] for the faith.” May that be our testimony in these dark and perilous last days!

OVERVIEW:

People with the assurance of their salvation confess sin (chapter 1); people with the assurance of their salvation don’t love the world’s system (chapter 2); people with the assurance of their salvation purify their lives (chapter 3); people with the assurance of their salvation love God and His children (chapter 4); people with the assurance of their salvation believe the Bible (chapter 5).

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

There are three things every person on this planet wants:

1. PEACE.
2. JOY.
3. SECURITY.

Interestingly enough, from a DEVOTIONAL standpoint, it is precisely those three things for which the book of 1^st John was written and included into the canon of Scripture!

1. Peace with God.

First of all, chapter 1 and verse 3 says, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, THAT (or in other words, “FOR THIS PURPOSE”) ye also may have FELLOWSHIP with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” PEACE with God is the result of our FELLOWSHIP, or our RELATIONSHIP with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

• Fullness of Joy.

Secondly, chapter 1 and verse 4 says, “And these things write we unto you, THAT (again, “FOR THIS PURPOSE”) your JOY may be full,” which is actually the result of the first purpose (PEACE with God) and the third purpose…

• Security for the Future.

Chapter 5 and verse 13 says, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; THAT (and there it is again, “FOR THIS PURPOSE”) ye may KNOW that ye have ETERNAL LIFE.” This third reason is really the key to the other two, because we will never really experience the PEACE of God or PEACE with God, nor the fullness of JOY, until we know beyond any shadow of a doubt that we have genuinely been born again. Again, from a DEVOTIONAL standpoint, the book of 1^st John is in the Bible for that specific purpose: to provide the ASSURANCE of our salvation. (Note: Do recognize that there are people who are genuinely saved that simply don’t have the ASSURANCE that they are!) This book is about PEACE with God and the fullness of JOY that comes from the ASSURANCE of our salvation. It is written so we can KNOW we’re saved. In fact, the word “KNOW”, or some form of it, is found 27 times in this book.

Be it known, the Bible is very clear that every person that is genuinely born again is eternally secure. The book of Ephesians was written to teach us that as members of the body of Christ, upon our salvation, we were actually placed “IN CHRIST”, and then “SEALED with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest (i.e. down-payment, literally, “engagement ring”) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14) If we have genuinely been born again, there is no question about it, we are eternally secure. The only question is, “Have we genuinely been born again?” And if we have, how can we have the ASSURANCE that we have?

God tells us in 1^st John 5:13 that the criteria we are to use to provide the ASSURANCE of our salvation is the book of 1^st John. The verse says, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” Understand that the “THESE THINGS” that John said were “WRITTEN” to let us “KNOW” that we have “ETERNAL LIFE”, are specifically, chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of the book God was using him to write!

What the book of 1^st John actually does is present two simple tests that provide us what we need to give to us the ASSURANCE of our salvation. There is both a DOCTRINAL test, and a MORAL test. Basically, all John does throughout this entire book is present and expound upon these two tests.

Let’s talk, first of all, about the DOCTRINAL TEST. The Doctrinal Test has two parts, or asks two questions:

1. What did you say about SIN?

Chapter 1 is clear that those who are born again are those who have confessed that they are sinners. John says, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and HIS WORD IS NOT IN US.” (1:10) Salvation is dependent upon the Spirit of God reproving or convicting us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8–11), and us responding to the Spirit’s conviction by confessing to God that we are helpless and hopeless sinners before Him.

2. What did you say about CHRIST?

To be saved, God says that you must believe that “Jesus is the Christ.” (2:22) “The Christ” means “anointed”. The Hebrew word “anointed” is the word “Messiah”. The Jews understood that Messiah (“the Christ”) would be God in a human body (Isaiah 9:6 “THE MIGHTY GOD”). To be saved, one must believe that Jesus Christ is GOD, not “A” God… and not One who was created at a point in time by God, but “THE” one true GOD that alone can take away sin. (2:22-23)

In short, the DOCTRINAL TEST says that those who are saved are those who believed that God became a man in the Person of Jesus Christ because mankind was hopelessly separated from Him by their sin, and that He is the only hope for the forgiveness of sin through the confession of sin. If you (or any other person, regardless of their “profession”) did not believe those two things, you very simply are not saved.

So, first of all, there is the DOCTRINAL TEST, which asks, “WHAT DID YOU BELIEVE?” Then, there is the second test, the MORAL TEST, which asks, “HOW DO YOU BEHAVE? The Moral Test, likewise, has two parts:

1. The OBEDIENCE test.

This entire book is screaming out that you can “KNOW” that you are genuinely saved by your OBEDIENCE. Make sure that you understand that your obedience doesn’t MAKE you saved, or KEEP you saved, the blood of Jesus Christ applied to your sin secured that! (1:7) Again, the issue here, from a devotional standpoint, is that your obedience provides you the ASSURANCE that you are saved! John says in chapter 2, verses 4-6, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” Certainly, Christians do sin (2:1), and are capable of walking in disobedience (as did the Corinthians!), but when they do, they will find that they struggle to have the ASSURANCE of their salvation, and thus, will likewise struggle to experience PEACE and JOY.

2. The LOVE test.

The love test has three parts. John says, first of all, that those who are saved LOVE GOD. Again, this is repeated in various ways throughout the book, but is put very succinctly in 4:19, “WE LOVE HIM, because he first loved us.” Secondly, John says that those who are saved will LOVE THEIR BROTHERS (AND SISTERS). As with each of these tests, it is repeated throughout the book. One of the clearest examples of this reality is found in 2:9-11: “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” Then thirdly, John lets us know that those who are born again will NOT LOVE THE WORLD. Chapter 2, verses 15-17 say, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

But CAN truly born-again people, and DO truly born-again people at times, wane in their love for God, or struggle at times to love their brothers and/or sisters, or struggle to not love the world and the things in it? Absolutely! But when we do, the result will be lack of ASSURANCE, which inevitably leads to lack of PEACE and JOY.

OVERVIEW:

The divine strategy for our spiritual growth and development; the superiority of God’s word to experience; false prophets and teachers; the Second Coming of Christ.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Peter writes his second epistle to remind these believers of truths they already KNEW, but needed to always have in REMEMBRANCE. Do you ever need to be reminded of what you already know? There is a major difference between knowing something in our minds, and seeing it become operative in our lives. That’s what Peter is driving at in this book.

Obviously, the most important decision any person will ever make is the decision to come to Christ, or as Peter refers to it in verse 1 of chapter 1, to “obtain like precious faith with us”. What an incredible reality, that the faith each of us has in Christ today is the same exact faith the apostles, like Peter, had; and the power that saved the apostles, is the same exact power that saved us!

You know, sometimes the journey to get to the place of expressing faith in Christ can be long and hard. By the time many people get to the place of calling on the name of the Lord by faith, they feel such a sense of relief and release, they feel the journey is over. What Peter lets us know in chapter 1, is that the journey of coming to faith in Christ isn’t the END of anything; it’s actually just the BEGINNING! God has a whole lot more in mind for our lives than simply our coming to faith, as vital and important as that is! He intends for the “grace and peace” we experienced in salvation to be “multiplied” throughout our lifetime (1:2), all the way until we make our entrance into His “everlasting kingdom”. (1:11)

Peter tells us in verses 5-7 of chapter 1, that after coming to faith in Christ, we are to “give all diligence” to add seven things to that faith. Notice, adding these seven things is so important, he doesn’t admonish or command us to simply “give diligence” to add them to our lives, but to “give ALL diligence” to add them! In other words, this is something to which we are to make the focus and pursuit of our lives, for the remainder of our lives!

Notice also, that the seven things Peter tells us to “give ALL diligence” to add are SEQUENTIAL. This is not just a random list of seven things that we are to make sure get added to our lives (or, our faith) over the course of our lifetime. The grammar in verses 5-7 dictates that these seven things be added sequentially. In other words, the first thing we are to “give ALL diligence” to add to our faith is virtue. He is careful to word verses 5-7 in such a way, so that we understand that once virtue has been established, then we begin the process of adding the second thing, knowledge. But notice, when knowledge gets added, it doesn’t get added to faith, it actually gets added to virtue. Then when we add the third thing, temperance, it likewise, doesn’t get added to faith, it gets added to knowledge. The remainder of verses 5-7 follow this same pattern. This pattern that is laid out in these verses is what I like to refer to as “The Divine Strategy For Spiritual Growth.” This strategy will never be improved upon, and should not only be the strategy we build our lives upon, but should be the strategy every church should employ for growing its people!

Now, the very command in verses 5-7 that we are to “give ALL diligence” to add these seven things is certainly enough in itself for each of us to drop our present pursuits and set our lives totally to adding them to our lives. However, Peter goes on in verses 8-11 to push the importance of these things into an entirely different realm!

First of all, Peter gives us three incredible POSITIVE GUARANTEES for what will happen in our lives if we will “give ALL diligence” to add these seven things:

1. We will truly KNOW Jesus.

Wow! How awesome is that?! Note in John 17:3, Jesus lets us know that knowing Him is what this thing of “life eternal” is really all about!

2. We will never FALL.

What a tremendous promise that is, especially when you stop to consider that:

• Adam, the most perfect man who ever lived other than Christ Himself, FELL!
• David, “the man after God’s own heart”, FELL!
• Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, FELL!
• Samson, the strongest man who ever lived, FELL!
• Thousands and thousands of others through the centuries who were just as sincere in their faith as any of us are in ours, FELL!

Here, Peter tells us that if we will “give ALL diligence” to adding these seven things to our lives, we will NEVER FALL! Wow! That is quite the guarantee! Let’s do this thing!

3. Our entrance into the everlasting kingdom will be ABUNDANT.

In other words, when it’s all been said and done—when our life is over, and we walk OUT of the Judgment Seat of Christ and IN to the everlasting kingdom, if we added these seven things, our ENTRANCE into that kingdom is going to be everything God intended for it to be! It will be ABUNDANT! Can you imagine any three guarantees that could possibly be more powerful and positive then these?

Yet, realize, that Peter also gives three incredible NEGATIVE GUARANTEES if we neglect to add the seven things he listed in verses 5-7.

1. We will become BLIND.

How interesting it is that Jesus said that in Revelation 3:17 that one of the chief characteristics of believers in the last days is that they are spiritually BLIND. Blind to the WORD of God, blind to the WORK and WORKING of God, and blind to the WILL of God.

2. We will be unable to see into the ETERNAL REALM.

Peter says that we won’t be able to “see afar off”. (1:9b) In other words, we won’t be able to see the things Paul said he was looking at in 2^nd Corinthians 4:18, “the things which are not seen”, or, in other words, the things in the eternal realm that are seen only through the eyes of faith!

3. We will end up LIVING LIKE WE DID BEFORE WE WERE SAVED.

The way Peter says it is, we will forget that we were “purged from [our] old sins”, or, we will end up living like we did before we came to faith!

With those six guarantees (three extremely positive and three extremely negative!), how could we not take the rest of our lives and set it to “giving ALL diligence” to add these seven things? Peter was so sure that this was what we were to give the rest of our lives to that he basically says this in verses 12-15:

“Listen, these seven things are so significant to what you do with the rest of your life, that I don’t care whether you’re already established in them or not; I’m not going to stop talking about them! I’m going to approach them as if you’ve never even heard them! I’m going to take every ounce of energy I have for the remainder of my life to stir you up about the necessity of being established in these seven things! Because, the Lord has revealed to me that my days on this planet are limited, so I’m going to ‘give ALL diligence’ to make sure you ‘give ALL diligence’ to add these seven things, because I want you, not only to get established in them now, but I want to make sure that you remember to remain established in them every day of your life for the rest of your life, long after I’m dead and gone!”

I’d say the old boy was pretty enamored by those seven things! Oh, may we be likewise!

OVERVIEW:

The call to be holy; Jesus Christ is our cornerstone; learning to submit; the relationship between a husband and wife; suffering for the right reasons; yielding everything to Christ.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

As the book of 1^st Peter opens, Peter is pointing these Gentile believers, who were enduring intense suffering, toward the “lively hope” that was theirs because of “the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1:3) He reminds them that, though all of their possessions may be taken from them in this life (as many of them had experienced in their suffering), God has promised them “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away”, and that it has been “reserved in heaven” for them. Peter recognized that that promise would make life in the future glorious and filled with rejoicing, but he also recognized that for the present time, the readers of his letter were “in heaviness through manifold temptations” or trials. (1:6)

Verse 7 of chapter 1 is a BLOCKBUSTER. It lets us know several key things about the trials, difficulties, and sufferings we endure in this life. First, it lets us know that these difficulties are not some random acts of fate, but are rather, the God-ordained “trying of our faith.” In other words, the trials have come because God has allowed our faith to be put in the witness stand, because He wants to see what it’s made of! (Deuteronomy 8:2)

Secondly, because of Peter’s understanding of these trials, he uses a term to refer to them that seldom comes to mind in those situations when it seems as if the bottom has dropped out of our lives. Peter refers to these difficulties (trials) as “PRECIOUS”. Wow! But understand, the idea here isn’t that our trials are precious in and of themselves. The point here is that they are precious because of what they accomplish! Peter lets us know that the trial of our faith is designed by God to bring us to the place that we “might be found unto praise and honor and glory” at our ultimate accounting before the Lord Jesus Christ at His appearing. Could there possibly be anything more valuable or precious than being found unto praise, honor, and glory in that day? Peter’s point is, knowing that “praise and honor and glory” will be the result of these trials in “THAT” day, should have a major impact on our attitude as we go through them “TOday!”

Thirdly, Peter likens the refining process that takes place in our lives through these trials to the refining process of gold. Just as gold is the most “precious” commodity on earth from man’s vantage point, our faith is the most “precious” commodity on earth from God’s perspective. Just as gold is purified and refined as it is “tried in the fire”, so also are we, or so also is our faith! So, Peter gives his readers, whether they be in the 1^st century or the 21^st century, the hope and confidence we need as we face the trials of life.

Next, Peter transitions out of the subject of trials to the subject of personal holiness. But recognize that there is an obvious biblical and practical connection between the two. The fact is, the lust of the flesh does not have near the gravitational pull in times of pain and suffering than it has at other times. Peter communicates this fact very clearly in chapter 4 and verses 1b and 2: “For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”

Many times, when we think about “personal holiness”, for some reason our minds want to begin to create a list of the things we SHOULD and SHOULD NOT do. While holiness certainly has a tremendous bearing on our actions, what we DO and DO NOT is not the main thought behind God’s command in 1:16, “Be ye holy: for I am holy.” Being holy is not a matter of rules and regulations. It is about God working in us to make us like Himself, changing us from the inside-out; not the outside-in. It is, first and foremost, about BEING, not DOING. A simple way of saying it is: BE who God wants you to BE, and you’ll DO what God wants you to DO! Recognize, however, that the opposite is not necessarily true.

As Peter continues, he lets us know that not only should our holiness manifest itself in our reaction to trials, but in our submission to the authorities God has placed in our lives. This passage teaches us that even when those authorities are wrong and/or have a froward attitude, we are to maintain an attitude of submission. In light of Peter’s instruction concerning Christian submission, it is difficult to reconcile the fact that in the 21^st century we have “Christian” organizations and lawyers fighting for Christians’ rights! Obviously, that doesn’t mean Christians can’t use the laws of the land to try to bring about change, but be it known, demanding our “rights” is a concept foreign to the Bible. God never intended Christians to be viewed as political revolutionaries, lest the message of the gospel be lost. Jesus left us a clear example of submitting to those in authority even when they are wrong or contrary. In fact, God even specifically says in this very passage that it is “thankworthy” if we suffer wrongfully for being a Christian! (2:19) When we do, we remind Him of His Son! That’s why He becomes so filled with thanks. (Imagine that! The God of the universe thanking US for something!) Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I’m afraid that “fighting for our rights” has something to do with our not wanting to suffer! (Now, lest somebody take this point further than intended, let me hasten to add, that if the authorities in our lives are demanding that we violate the word of God, “we ought to obey God rather than men”! (Acts 5:29)

Peter also reveals that holiness expresses itself in having a right relationship with our spouse. A right marital relationship is the result of husbands honoring their wives, and wives submitting to their husbands. (3:1-7) Notice also that this passage reveals that carrying out our biblical responsibilities to our spouse is not dependent on whether or not they fulfill theirs! Husbands are to honor their wives, even if she isn’t worthy of honor, and wives are to submit to their husbands, even if he isn’t obeying the word of God. (3:1, 7) Men cannot HONOR the Lord, and women cannot be in SUBJECTION to the Lord without doing so! Men, pay very close attention to the brief statement found at the end of verse 7! If we refuse to fulfill our biblical responsibilities to our wives, God will refuse to answer our prayers! That is HUGE, and a key reason that men in the 21^st century have so few answered prayers!

Next, Peter shows us that holiness also expresses itself in having love, compassion, and unity with other believers in our local church. (3:8–11) True holiness doesn’t render evil for evil, or railing for railing, but rather blessing. It should be noted that it is inevitable that other believers will wrong us. (Luke 17:1; Romans 12:18) But when they do, what will be our response? Will we render evil for evil and railing for railing, or will we render blessing? (3:9) Will we use our tongue to speak evilly and with guile, or to speak good things? (3:10–11a) Will we passionately seek peace, or will we allow evil to prevail in the conflict? (3:11b–12)

As we read through 1^st Peter, you will notice a recurring theme: love the brethren, and endure suffering for Christ. It just so happens that those two things seem to be the very things we have the hardest time doing! Pride in us keeps us unwilling to cover the sins of others when they wrong us (4:8), and pride also makes us think that we deserve better in the midst of suffering. Perhaps that’s why God commands us in chapter 5 to humble ourselves under His mighty hand. But how do we do that? Pay careful attention to 5:5-7. God doesn’t end the sentence in verse 6, but rather, completes the thought of verse 6 in verse 7. The way we humble ourselves before God is by casting all of our care upon Him!

Most of the time this verse is applied in times of sorrow, and rightfully so, because it does certainly teach us that God cares for us, and is interested in our problems. However, God wants this verse to become practical for us, not just with the cares that make us sorrowful, but with everything we find ourselves “caring” about. Which one of us doesn’t wrestle with the “cares of this world” (our finances, our careers, our families, our future)? Notice that 5:7 says that God wants us to cast ALL of our CARES upon Him. In other words, God wants us to genuinely surrender every aspect of our lives to Him. That’s what genuine humility is all about! When we are completely yielded to Him, that’s when He pours out His grace (the desire and power to obey God) upon us. (James 4:6)

OVERVIEW:

Patience in tribulation; encouraging impartiality; the power of the tongue; true humility; the failure of money; the power of prayer.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

The same question we asked at the beginning of Hebrews is applicable as we get started today in the book of James: “To whom is this book written?” Most people come to the book of James and read it without considering that fundamental question. We usually read James (as we do Hebrews) just like we read the letters written to local churches or leaders of local churches (Romans-Philemon). However, the book of James is not written to a local church or a leader of a local church. Notice, that in the very first chapter and the very first verse James lets us know very specifically and directly that what he is about to write was for “the twelve tribes scattered abroad”, or Jews!

The key principle God is communicating in the book of James is that God fully intends that genuine, biblical faith results in a changed life. HISTORICALLY, this book was written to Jews, that had made a profession of faith in Christ, to teach them that their faith should and will change their life. In a DOCTRINAL or PROPHETIC sense, this book is written to Jews living during the tribulation to teach them how to live out their faith in difficult circumstances. In a DEVOTIONAL sense, this book is a very practical manual to help us understand how our faith should be lived out. The book can be broken down as follows:

• Chapter 1 – Real faith should endure temptation.
• Chapter 2 – Real faith should show no partiality.
• Chapter 3 – Real faith should change our speech.
• Chapter 4 – Real faith should transform our relationships.
• Chapter 5 – Real faith should anticipate Christ’s return.

As mentioned above, there are many practical applications we can make to our lives from the book of James. Here are a few to help you get started as you read this book:

• Be a doer of the word. (1:22-25)

What a slap in the face these verses provide to our Laodicean generation. As Laodiceans, we often feel that we are sitting in a good place spiritually because we “know” quite a bit about the Bible. God clearly reveals that it is not what you know, but what you do with what you know that is important! We need to judge ourselves the way God does, not based on our knowledge, but based on our walk.

• See how God sees. (2:1-13)

What kind of people do we give preferential treatment? We may not banish the poor to the back rows while escorting the rich to the front as James talks about in this passage, but do we view the poor and/or other people groups the same way we esteem the rich and successful? Are we willing to talk to the visitors at church that we view as “sharp”, but don’t have time or interest for those that don’t look like they would be “our kind”? God help us! We must seek to reach out to those whom Christ is touching regardless of their socio-economic status, race, or background.

• Watch your mouth. (3:1-18)

The questions James suggests in this passage deserve an answer! How is it that the same mouth can speak both blessing and cursing? How can we pray and sing such awesome words to God, but be so rude and cutting when talking to people and about people? James is right, “My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

• Humble yourself before God. (4:1-10)

We live at a time when people are taught from an early age to watch out for ourselves. Our natural thought process is to lift up ourselves in the sight of others. God’s command is the complete opposite. We are to humble ourselves before Him, and then His grace will work in us to lift us up. I love Andrew Murray’s comment concerning humility: “Humility is not thinking meanly about yourself. It is not thinking of yourself at all.”

• God answers prayer. (5:14-18)

None of us would dare SAY that God doesn’t answer prayer, but the question we need to ask ourselves is, do our actions reveal that we really BELIEVE that He does? Do we really believe God hears us and cares about the needs we bring before Him? Do we really believe that the “effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much?” If the answer to these questions in our lives is “yes”, it will be made manifest in at least one very specific activity: we will PRAY!

Oh, that we would apply the incredibly practical truths of this book, to our lives, allowing God’s grace and power to be displayed in and through us!

OVERVIEW:

The examples of living by faith; the necessity of chastisement; the exhortation to endure; remembering others.

HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:

Hebrews 11 is one of the most popular chapters in the Bible. It is often referred to as the great “Hall of Faith”. It lays out for us clear, real-life examples of what it means to live by faith. Most Christians are aware that God wants us to live and walk by faith, but what that actually means can sometimes seem somewhat sketchy or nebulous. That’s why God presents in Hebrews 11, a panorama of men and women who walked by faith exemplifying what living and walking by faith looks like in real life!

It’s also interesting to keep in mind what God reveals to us in His word about the people mentioned in this chapter. Many times, we read a chapter like Hebrews 11 and think that we could never attain the likes of these “GREAT men and women of God”! How easily we forget that these “GREAT people”, were actually “NORMAL people”, just like me and you! Consider this:

• Noah got drunk after the flood.
• Abraham had a problem lying about his wife because he was more concerned about himself than he was her.
• Sarah thought she needed to help God out with His promise to Abraham.
• Jacob deceived and lied to his father in order to get his father’s blessing.
• Moses was willing to kill a man in his “service” to God.
• Rahab was a harlot.
• Samson wasted most of his life and ability pleasing himself.
• David committed adultery and murder.

The biblical reality of these “GREAT men and women of God” in Hebrews 11 that we tend to hold up as “superstars” or “supersaints” is that they were FLAWED men and women just like me and you. Yet, these very “NORMAL” people pleased God because they did something very “ABNORMAL”! They simply chose to exercise faith in God and His word! That, my friend, PLEASES our God (11:6), and ultimately, that is why we exist; to bring Him “PLEASURE”! (Revelation 4:11)

Obviously, there is a tremendous amount of personal application we can make from this chapter, but we can only touch on a couple of key things:

1. Biblical faith results in action. Notice that each example God lists in this chapter is an ACTION that had its root in FAITH. It was something a person did “by FAITH”. Don’t miss the biblical fact that when we are walking “by FAITH”, it is because we are “walking in the SPIRIT”! That is so crucial to keep in mind! Galatians 5:22 lets us know that FAITH is part of the FRUIT the Spirit produces when we are walking in Him. (Galatians 5:16) We could say it this way: Without FAITH it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), but it is impossible to have FAITH apart from the filling of the Spirit! (Galatians 5:16)
2. Biblical faith changes our values. As Laodiceans, we want to have what we think is the “best” of both worlds. We want to walk with God, but we also want to enjoy the pleasures of this life. (11:15, 25) Simply put, biblical faith enables us to see the emptiness and vanity of this world. Verse 14 says that biblical faith seeks a different “country”; what verse 15 calls a “better country”! Biblical faith looks for a “city” whose builder and maker is God. (11:10) We may need to ask ourselves, “What ‘city’ and what ‘country’ would God say I’m presently seeking by the actions of my life?”
3. Biblical faith is what pleases God. So many times, we fall into the trap of thinking that God is PLEASED by all of the “stuff” we do: we go to church, we’re good stewards of the money God entrusts to us, we read the Bible, we pray, etc., etc. All of those things are vitally important and are most certainly part of our obedience, and yet, it is possible to do any and all of those things (and more!) in the power of the FLESH, totally apart from FAITH! The teaching of this chapter should cause us to ask ourselves this simple question: Is Christ living His life THROUGH me by the power of FAITH (2^nd Corinthians 4:10) or am I trying to live FOR God in the power of the FLESH?

Yes, biblical faith will always result in actions, but those same actions produced by the arm of the flesh in an attempt to please God, fall absolutely flat, and are nothing but wood, hay, and stubble. (1^st Corinthians 3:12) The only way we will ever live a life of faith is to follow the admonition given in chapter 12 and verse 2: we very simply must LOOK UNTO JESUS! Our sights must be set on Him! He must be the goal we strive to attain. Not only are we commanded and admonished to “look unto Jesus”, but we are to do so “DILIGENTLY”! (12:15) Oh, may we get our eyes off of ourselves…off of others…off of this world, and onto the Lord Jesus Christ! May He be PLEASED by our life of FAITH in Him!