Not Despised

Not Despised

2 John 1: ¹ From the Elder—

To the dear Lady and to her children, whom I truly love. And I am not the only one, but all who know the truth love you, ² because the truth remains in us and will be with us forever.

³ May God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, give us grace, mercy, and peace; may they be ours in truth and love.

 

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At first I felt guilty for not going to church. But I had a good reason for not going. I was working the late shift at the bowling alley and I could not make it to church that early. Soon, I got used to not going. After a while, I complained about churches. “’They’ stay there too long and sing songs that only ’they’ can understand and ’they’ are after ‘my’ money and ’they’ act phony!

 

·         I developed a cynical view of church on my own.

·         I had a view of “church” that did not include the world.

·         I had no love for the church, but I had plenty of complaints.

 

John begins his second letter with excitement and love. He explained that there are others who love believers in JESUS as the Savior. He then explains that the truth remains in those who love those who love the LORD. He then said a prayer that GOD grant grace, mercy, peace, truth and love.

 

My Observations:

·         My complaints about imperfect people showed my lack of character and my flaws.

·         GOD desires that I meet with other imperfect people to love them, just as HE loved me.

·         GOD’s love is pure and is not like human flawed love.

 

Complaining about the people GOD loves will get me in trouble. I mean, when I follow the world’s ways, I see believers as people who are in the way and who’s love is strange and not enough. BUT GOD has a cure for that type of thinking, namely surrender.

 

When I surrender my thinking and my life to GOD, I can see the world differently. I see it with HIS love. No power can come up against GOD as HE protects HIS “children” from the Evil One. HE places the truth in those who seek HIS SON as the Savior and guides them to HIS love. I am glad GOD loves you and me.

 

Challenge

·         Can you feel the love from the writer?

·         Have you ever complained about “church goers” or someone with a title who represents “church?”

·         Will you examine your heart to see if you have the smallest degree of despising the church, so you can ask GOD to open your eyes to HIS love, namely JESUS today?

 

Prayer

Dear LORD please grant this reader with grace, mercy, peace, truth and love this day! amen

Special Meeting

Special Meeting

Hebrews 2: ¹¹ He purifies people from their sins, and both he and those who are made pure all have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his family. ¹² He says to God,

“I will tell my people what you have done;
    I will praise you in their meeting.”

¹³ He also says, “I will put my trust in God.” And he also says, “Here I am with the children that God has given me.”

 

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“All meetings should be cancelled” was the message received. Something big must have happened, was the first thing on my mind. There was a major announcement that the entire company had to hear. We all gathered to hear the announcement.

 

• I couldn’t wait to hear what was about to be said.
• I wondered what was going on.
• I had many thoughts, good and bad, run through my mind so I discussed them with others.

 

Paul, the assumed author, writes about a great gathering that will happen someday. This gathering of those who believe in JESUS will have an announcement. JESUS will tell everyone the great things GOD has done. This meeting is also a great presentation, praising GOD for the “children that GOD has given” JESUS.

 

My Observations

• Unimaginable great things are being done by GOD.
• JESUS will need to explain these great things to everyone.
• One day I will value GOD for what and who HE is.

 

Walking through life blindly can be difficult. I mean, it seems like there are difficult decisions that need to be made that require GOD’s intervention daily. It gets tiring. But one day GOD will reveal all that has been done.

 

Those who value GOD for salvation will one day hear what the great plan HE has had for each since before the beginning. Everything done, good or bad, will be revealed in front of everyone and GOD’s grace and mercy will also be revealed. I look forward to the great meeting someday.

 

Challenge

• How does the writer refer to family?
• Have you ever gathered with a group of people to hear some good news?
• Did you celebrate?
• Will you look forward to gathering with those who love JESUS by celebrating HIM today?

Death or No Death

Death or No Death

1 Thessalonians 4: ¹⁵ What we are teaching you now is the Lord's teaching: we who are alive on the day the Lord comes will not go ahead of those who have died. ¹⁶ There will be the shout of command, the archangel's voice, the sound of God's trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first; ¹⁷ then we who are living at that time will be gathered up along with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ So then, encourage one another with these words.

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“Don’t worry about it” were the assuring words from someone who saw me crying over in the corner. I had messed up “whatever” and was crying. It took me a while to realize that whatever I was crying over really did not matter.

 

• I was upset.
• I thought I had messed up.
• I worried that I could not be included in the favor others had.

 

Paul, Silas and Timothy spoke about the “Day of the LORD.” This is the moment JESUS will return to collect what is rightfully HIS. Anyone who died believing in JESUS as the Savior will rise from the dead. Anyone alive will be “gathered up” in the clouds to meet the LORD. These were encouraging words.

 

My Observations

• The “Day of the LORD” will be a glorious day for those who believe in the Risen LORD.
• Those who have died believing in CHRIST will be risen,
• Those who are alive believing in CHRIST will be “gathered up”.

 

Having a bad day? What about messing up? All bad days and messing up will one day come to an end. Based on the belief in JESUS as the Savior, even death cannot stop us from being with HIM. HE will raise people from the dead and will gather up those who believe.

 

Unfortunately the “Day of the LORD” has a difficult side. Those who are against JESUS and who persecuted HIS servants will not see HIS grace. One day HIS mercy will end for those who do not believe. Until then, I look up to the heavens, each and every day, to see when HE will return.

 

Challenge

• What do the writers say about death?
• What does this passage say about “life?”
• Will you give your life purpose and seek GOD’s kingdom to prepare people to receive CHRIST today?
• Will you be encouraged that JESUS has you, no matter how much you messed up or how many days have been bad?

 

Belonging

Belonging

1 Thessalonians 1:¹ From Paul, Silas, and Timothy—

To the people of the church in Thessalonica, who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

 

May grace and peace be yours.

 

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Many schools, churches and other organizations have given me a tee shirt to proudly wear. Each shirt would have the name of the organization and sometimes its colors. People have walked up to me and asked me questions about the shirt I was wearing at the time.

 

• I felt obligated to represent the organization well.
• I felt I was part of something bigger.
• I felt a sense of belonging to a group.

 

Paul, Silas and Timothy sent their greetings to everyone who “belongs” to GOD the FATHER and the LORD JESUS CHRIST. They had no shirt to pass out so they gave a wonderful gift, grace and peace.

 

My Observations

• When calamity hits, GOD steps in and says to me “You belong to ME.”
• When wonderful things happen, GOD says to me “Because I love you.”
• When I need direction or feel lost, GOD says to me “Do not worry or doubt because you are MINE.”

 

Belonging to GOD is amazing! I mean, HE has all the power, knows everything and is everywhere. No person or power or situation can stop GOD’s love for me.

 

Though I may take my eyes off of GOD, HE holds me tight. In fact, HE has written my name in HIS hand and no one can snatch me out. I belong to GOD. I gratefully give my life to HIM and try to act like I belong to HIM by telling people of the grace of JESUS.

 

Challenge

• Why do you think the writer added the word “belong?”
• Have you ever been part of an organization and wanted other people to know about it or even join?
• Do you belong to JESUS?
• Will you praise GOD for the grace and peace HE provides because you belong to HIM?

Incredible Return

Mark 13: ²⁴ “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; ²⁵ the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. ²⁶ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

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Not knowing who I was, a person took a picture of me, and then more started doing the same. A co-worker and I went to a professional football party and got a chance to walk on a red carpet. I was making a grand entrance and I was a “nobody” to this group.

• JESUS will one day return.
• JESUS will someday come back with great power.
• JESUS will reappear to gather HIS elect.

Without JESUS, no one would be saved. HE will return in a GOD-like fashion. Even the planets and the stars will be shaken. HIS return will definitely focus everyone on HIM.

• Are you trying to get attention?
• Do you think you are not special?
• Can you stop thinking poorly of yourself for moment and place your thoughts on how glorious JESUS really is today?

Scary Clouds

Matthew 24: ²⁶ “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. ²⁷ For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ²⁸ Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

²⁹ “Immediately after the distress of those days

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’

³⁰ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

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Preoccupied with worries I walked down the street. Dark clouds gathered in the distance and all I could do was wait on the bus. This time the clouds seemed a bit different.

They weren’t the normal shades of black and deep tones of grey; rather they were olive green and swirling. It still was not raining but I noticed paper was starting to blow around in a circular fashion. I saw a small funnel appear in the sky. I was no longer preoccupied, I was scared!

• There have been storms that have scared me.
• There have been clouds in the sky that made me nervous.
• There have been threats of tornadoes, hurricanes and thunderstorms that have changed what I was thinking about.

Immediate danger changes my thinking. I mean when there is a threat of death; I am no longer worried about that class or that person or that bill. All I could do was tremble. JESUS describes HIS return as terrible. HIS sign in the sky followed by HIS appearance will not be a joy to many.

• GOD wants me to see the storm of JESUS return coming from the distance.
• GOD wants me to prepare people for HIS terrible storm.
• GOD wants me to seek HIS face right now before the storm begins.

The reason JESUS warns us is one day it will be too late to turn to HIM. It will not be a day when those who believe in JESUS will stick out their tongues at those who chose to reject HIM. It will be a terrible day for everyone as friends and loved ones are torn from one another. All pettiness will be forgotten. JESUS wants me to focus people on HIM while we have a chance.

• Are you preoccupied with worries?
• Do you think you have forever to worry?
• Can you start looking for others to point them to CHRIST?