No Math Needed

No Math Needed

Revelation 22: 18 I, John, solemnly warn everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: if any add anything to them, God will add to their punishment the plagues described in this book. 19 And if any take anything away from the prophetic words of this book, God will take away from them their share of the fruit of the tree of life and of the Holy City, which are described in this book.

20 He who gives his testimony to all this says, “Yes indeed! I am coming soon!”

So be it. Come, Lord Jesus!

21 May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with everyone

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Hearing the story about people enjoying themselves, I wanted to be included. I retold their story, implying that I was included. But when I was asked a question about the event, I could not answer.

• I felt embarrassed that I was not at the event, so I embellished the story.
• I added details to the story that were not true.
• I tried to make the story mine, when it wasn’t.

John, the disciple JESUS loved, concludes the book of amazing prophecies revealed to him by JESUS. He gave a stern warning to not add anything to the book or take anything away. No embellishments! He then gave a testimony of JESUS promising to return. John seemed to show value in this pending action and emphatically agreed.

My Observations:

• GOD had a reason for providing the prophesies and wants them to remain intact.
• JESUS seems to be preparing us for HIS imminent return, so HE gave us everything we need to know.
• I do not have to embellish something that is already amazing, so I place my full belief in what has been revealed.

Live life as if JESUS will return any moment, is what I get from reading this prophetic book. I mean, I still have to work to eat and do day to day things, BUT GOD wants me to be on the lookout for JESUS daily. What does that mean?

To me, it means seeing people HE wants me to serve for the purpose of bringing them back to HIM. HE also wants me to pray for those who seem to be rejecting HIM. GOD seems very serious about bringing the lost back to HIMSELF. I gladly join in on HIS plan.

Challenge

• What warning does the writer give?
• Have you ever embellished a story to make yourself look good or to make someone look bad?
• Will you read the Bible as a collection of books from GOD, written through humans, so HE could guide us to HIS love today?

Precision

Precision

Revelation 21: ¹⁵ The angel who spoke to me had a gold measuring stick to measure the city, its gates, and its wall. ¹⁶ The city was perfectly square, as wide as it was long. The angel measured the city with his measuring stick: it was fifteen hundred miles long and was as wide and as high as it was long. ¹⁷ The angel also measured the wall, and it was 216 feet high, according to the standard unit of measure which he was using.

 

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Building a clubhouse, we scavenged scrap nails and wood for the project. We grabbed hammers and handsaws from the garage, and began building our tower. With no measurements, we created a two story clubhouse that was about five feet tall!

 

• Our monstrosity had a window and a door.
• Only two people could fit inside at a time.
• Nails protruded out so we were easily wounded or our clothes were torn.

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, saw the angel who measured the great city. The angel had a measuring stick forged with gold to probable keep its precision. The city was nothing like any human could ever conceive. It was long and wide and tall. The precision of the immense city was impeccable.

 

My Observations:

• GOD is very precise.
• GOD is not as random as we want HIM to be.
• GOD has our lives planned out to the second and knows every hair on our head.

 

We see random events, GOD sees a component to HIS plan. I mean, we may see a hole in a bag of coins. BUT GOD saw a story that a coin would fall in the water, be eaten by a fish and would be used by JESUS to tell a follower to catch a fish and get the coin out to illustrate HIS teaching.

 

GOD is not random. HE is very precise. HE knows the day and the hour of CHRIST’s return. HE numbers hairs, meaning HE cares about the tiniest detail. When HE provides a measurement, it is to demonstrate HIS power. I am glad GOD is precise!

 

Challenge

• Can you fathom the measurements presented by the writer?
• Have you ever seen a large city?
• Can you take a moment to ponder the great new city GOD will provide for those who believe in JESUS today?

Finding the Source

Finding the Source

1 John 5: ¹⁰ So those who believe in the Son of God have this testimony in their own heart; but those who do not believe God, have made a liar of him, because they have not believed what God has said about his Son. ¹¹ The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son. ¹² Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

 

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After returning from the hardware store for the third time, I was frustrated. I was trying to fix an electrical outlet, but my efforts were not working. I bought and returned two outlets, but neither of them were working. “Did you check to see if you are getting power to the outlet” the guy asked at the hardware store. While obvious, I just assumed it should have been connected. It wasn’t.

 

• My assumptions were wrong and would not fix the problem.
• My approach to the solution was wrong because it was based on a bad assumption.
• I was never going to make the outlet work, because it was not connected to the power source.

 

John clarifies eternal life. He makes it as plain as possible. “Whoever has the SON, has life; whoever does not have the SON of GOD does not have life.”

 

My Observations:

• Eternal life begins with this life.
• GOD made all beings eternal, however, some will eternally be separated from HIM and those who believe in HIS SON will eternally be inside of HIM.
• Eternal life is precious to GOD, so I must treat this life as special to HIM as well.

 

Scoffing at heaven or life after death or JESUS being the only way to have eternal life can be problematic. I mean, when I questioned the very existence of GOD, I was left without answered, only theories by, what humans called ‘smart people’, that could not be proven. BUT GOD had a clear way that made sense.

 

GOD, being made of pure love, not only created humans, HE became one and died for all sins so that those who believe in HIM may not perish, but have everlasting life. HIS actions were based on love for you and me. JESUS, who is GOD sis this out of love. The FATHER and the HOLY SPIRIT, painfully agreed so that you and I would not be lost. I gladly believe the JESUS loves me to this very day.

 

Challenge

• What is the testimony the writer speaks about?
• Have you ever wondered what happens to you and others when we die?
• Will you believe in JESUS as your Savior from being eternally separated from GOD and feeling pain, to being eternally with GOD and having no pain, no problems and no tears forever?

 

It’s All About Love

It’s All About Love

1 Peter 1: ²² Now that by your obedience to the truth you have purified yourselves and have come to have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart. ²³ For through the living and eternal word of God you have been born again as the children of a parent who is immortal, not mortal. ²⁴ As the scripture says,

“All human beings are like grass,
    and all their glory is like wild flowers.
The grass withers, and the flowers fall,
²⁵     but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

This word is the Good News that was proclaimed to you.

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Sitting around the thugs who threatened to beat me up unless I allowed them to copy off my paper made me want to leave them. So I did. Seeing childish people selfishly try to get their own way made me want to leave them. So I did. Working on a job with extremely poor leadership made me want to leave the company. So I did.

 

• I have left people and said “good riddance.”
• I have felt relieve when I got away from certain people.
• I realized later, that I had absolutely no compassion for certain people.

 

Peter gives the great commandment that JESUS gave before HE ascended to heaven. “Love one another.” Peter focused on the sincerity of love. He probably saw that people would love those they could get things from, but would not love people who were harder to love. He then says that GOD’s love is different, because it is not temporary.

 

My Observations:

• GOD’s love for me and you is so strange because HE cares for me even when I sin.
• GOD forgives me enough to correct me and guide me to HIS type of love.
• Human love is temporary, manipulative and conditional whether we think so or not, BUT GOD’s love is unconditional, above sin and permanent.

Love one another is as simple as it gets, but seems to be nearly impossible. I mean, in the days or relative truth, love can be something nearly impossible to achieve because each person can say “You are not loving ‘me’ the right way.”  BUT GOD sees through this childish ploy.

 

GOD sees the heart and knows when I am being selfish. HE told me I have to fight the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, to realize I can be blinded by these things. HE then opens my eyes to the example of JESUS who loved people so much that HE died for them. I am so glad JESUS cares for me and wants me to use HIS examples of love.

 

Challenge

• What type of love is the writer talking about?
• Do you have an image of what love looks like to you and are upset that he or she is not providing “love” the way you think you should have it?
• Will you ask GOD to guide you to what HIS love looks like so HE can fill your heart with HIS type of love for other people today?

So Much More

So Much More

Ephesians 3: ²⁰ To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of: ²¹ to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.

 

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When I bought the car, I was excited. “I no longer have to take the bus” was my primary reason for being elated. When I had an accident which totaled the car, I realized I had no transportation to get to and from work. I also could not easily bring groceries home or not get wet as I walked to work in the rain.

 

• I could only see some things from a narrow perspective.
• I overlooked the usefulness of some things until those things were gone.
• I realized some things had more value than I originally understood.

 

Paul concludes his prayer by pointing to GOD. He explains that GOD is able to do so much more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He gives praise to GOD through CHRIST JESUS for all time!

 

My Observations

• GOD does not mind when I ask HIM for small things because HE is so much more.
• GOD knows that I cannot understand HIS power, but HE works in me anyway.
• GOD appreciates when I give HIM praise and when I recognize HE is bigger than my current situation.

 

Knowing that GOD is so much more, brings me hope. I mean, when I cannot see a way out and I am circled by difficulties, GOD makes a way for me and clears my path. HE has done this consistently, over and over and over again. Unfortunately I still doubt HIM.

 

HE forgives my doubt and works in me anyway. HE is bigger than my fears or worries. HE is the one who holds everything and will never forget me. I am grateful HE is larger than my imagination and I praise HIS greatness!

 

Challenge

• Why do you think the writer mentions requests in this part of the prayer?
• Have you ever limited GOD or doubted HIS love for you because of your circumstances?
• Will you see beyond your requests or circumstances and know GOD is so much more than you can ever imagine?

Missing the Purpose

Luke 20: ⁴¹ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David? ⁴² David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:

‘“The Lord said to my Lord:
    ‘Sit at my right hand
⁴³ until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.’”

⁴⁴ David calls him “Lord.” How then can he be his son?’

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Plastic handle with groves wrapped around hardened steel that protruded into a beveled point was a brilliant design for the screwdriver I owned. I clinched it in my hand and took a strong swing. The handle broke immediately as I hit the nail. All hope was lost as I was still in need of a hammer but did not have one.

• Sometimes I try to use what I have for the wrong purpose.
• Sometimes I miss the purpose of what things are for.
• Sometimes I do not understand the consequences of missing the purpose.

JESUS spoke to the Sadducees about a passage they knew, but glossed over. HE asked them a question about the Psalm David wrote. “How could the LORD, who exists forever, be called the ‘son’ of David?” HE asks them. They missed the purpose .

• GOD says to me “I AM the one who is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.”
• GOD says to me “I became a human and died for you and was raised from the dead; so your belief in ME will be save you.”
• GOD says to me “I came to humans with a purpose, to show everyone MY love for them.”

Missing GOD’s purpose for situations is easy to do. I mean I question why HE has me go through painful situations all the time. Then I try to “fix” the situation without having the right tools to do so.

Only when I relent to GOD’s grace and power, does the situation correct itself. I drop my immediate timeframe and allow GOD to show me HE is in control. GOD made me and HE made the world. HE knows what HE is doing and I am grateful.

• Are you missing GOD’s purpose for you?
• Do you think you have the tools to “fix” you or other people?
• Will you ask GOD to guide you and those you are praying for?