THE TRUTHHOLYLOVE Romans 3:4.

People are afraid of holiness. But I praise God for holiness. His holiness means that He is GOOD and KIND and LOVING. God loves because He is holy, and He is holy because He is TRUE. You can’t separate those. Praise God.

I have friends who say there is no hell. On what basis? Something in the Bible? Nope. They are fathers who are so smitten by their little girls; they cannot enforce a rule if it requires them to punish a daughter. And then they say things like, “I could never send one of my daughters to hell, therefore, a loving God could not send anyone to hell.”

Yes, God loves more than we do. His love is infinite. But His holiness is also infinite. Hell is separation from all of Who God is—love, light, joy, kindness, beauty, mercy, and more. If you doubt the existence of hell, you don’t understand holiness. The word “holy” means “separate” or set apart.

Because God is holy, He is forever separated from things that are not holy.

When you reject the gift of God’s holiness, you choose to remain separated from the Holy God.

God will not act against His nature. God is TRUTH. He is holy because He is true, and He is loving because He is holy. You cannot separate God’s Truth from His holiness and His love. He is TRUTHHOLYLOVE. That is who He is. He loves infinitely. But truth makes His holiness infinite.

When we doubt His word, we are saying we know more than God. Similarly, when we apply the values of our modern culture to the scripture, we are saying we know more than thousands of preachers who have gone before us—many of whom were martyred for their faith. Yet, baby believers who have barely even read the Bible think they have discovered something all of Christianity’s greatest heroes missed? No way.

Paul put it well:

“Let God be true, though every man be a liar,” Romans 3:4.

Choose to believe that God is true, even if that makes every man a liar. When you come to scripture, set aside your opinion and let God lead you. Pray the prayer of relinquishment: surrender your opinions to God on every subject, and let Him lead you.

ΑΩ

CAUSE AND EFFECT. Revelation 14:8.

The Bible contains multiple genres: laws, songs, architectural plans, poetry, prophecies, biographies, dreams, letters, and more.

It also contains statements that read like Scientific Law. You remember Newton’s “What goes up, must come down.” Science includes hundreds more:

“To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

“Energy can be neither created nor destroyed but can be transformed from one form to another.”

“For a plane to fly, its wings must produce lift equal to the plane’s weight.”

Just as scientists have codified scientific laws that nature always follows, so the Bible contains moral laws that our lives always follow:

“Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” Galatians 6:7.

“Pride goes before destruction” Proverbs 16:18.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath” Proverbs 15:1.

Consider this law from Revelation: “Sexual immorality brings God’s wrath.”  

Here it is in context:

“A second angel followed, saying, ‘Babylon the Great has fallen, who made all the nations drink the wine of her sexual immorality, which brings wrath’” Revelation 14:8.

The Bible says it straight up: SEXUAL IMMORALITY BRINGS GOD’S WRATH.

Can you think of examples? The UN’s World Health Organization says there are “more than 30 different bacteria, viruses, and parasites known to be transmitted through sexual contact.” If that does not sound like God’s wrath, you may not have suffered an STD. These are diseases that cause terrible illnesses, disabilities including blindness, and death. Consider Romans 1:27 “Men committed shameful acts … and received in their bodies the due penalty.”

But I think God’s wrath need not be limited to illnesses. If we engage in immorality—even “minor” immorality, like looking and fantasizing—problems will follow. That seems to be the rule. After all, “sexual immorality brings wrath” Revelation 14:8.

God, help us to have pure minds. To have pure thoughts. To think and act in ways that please You every day. Deliver us from consequences, from wrath—but more importantly, deliver us from our own sin. Help us live cleaner, purer lives every day.

 ΑΩ

IS THE WORLD MEDIOCRE? Romans 1:19-21.

Did God give us a hum-drum, mediocre world? Does He get an A or maybe a B or a C? Is our reaction to the world “meh”? Or have we grown accustomed to a world of STAGGERING beauty?

I walked outside this morning at dawn. Golden sunlight was blazing sideways, setting on fire every blade of grass, every leaf of every tree. The sky was blanketed in pink clouds, but where darkness reigned moments before, the Eastern horizon was now a golden fire you could hardly glance at. Everything was beautiful and stunning. And this sort of thing happens ALL THE TIME. We get used to it, don’t we?

What about snow? Imagine waking up to a blanket of white; you’ve seen the way the ugliest things—a junkyard of rusted cars, a landfill, an old railroad bridge—become gorgeous after a fresh snowfall.

And there are four seasons, and oceans, and beaches, and rainforests, waterfalls, snow-capped mountains, deserts, skies filled with stars—this world is a pageant of excessive, luxurious, lavish beauty. It is not mediocre. (What more could He have done?) We are surrounded by a stunning spectacle nearly every day. If nothing else can move you, what about sunsets? God has poured His generous, creative, artistic heart into the world. It SURROUNDS US. Yet some refuse to see it.

“What can be known about God is evident among [us]. For His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became nonsense and their minds were darkened” Romans 1:19-21.

Resolve to NOTICE.

Be a NOTICER of God’s lavish artwork every day. Notice the beauty around you and THANK HIM for it.

GRATITUDE = HAPPINESS.

Be grateful every day. You can choose to have a mind that is not darkened but enlightened and lifted up.

ΑΩ

WHEN HE GIVES YOU WHAT YOU CRAVE. Romans 1:24-28.

Sometimes God gives people exactly what they ask for. Often He says no to our silliest, most immature prayers. Ticket sales prove that millions more hope to win the lottery than actually do. But sometimes when you push God long enough, He finally gives you what you have been foolishly craving. Like the proverbial father who catches his son smoking and then makes him smoke the whole pack to teach him a lesson, God seems to tire of our rebellion and gives us what we crave so we can discover that it is not satisfying.

When the people of Israel tired of manna and demanded Moses give them meat, God saw their rebellion and gave them quail three feet deep throughout the camp. “No one gathered less than 62 bushels … but while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord burned against the people, and the Lord struck them with a severe plague” Numbers 11:32-33.

Paul discusses this in Romans 1. When God’s people chose idols over faith,

“God GAVE THEM UP to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be degraded because they exchanged the truth of God for a lie. For this reason, God GAVE THEM UP to degrading passions…. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge or worship God, God GAVE THEM UP to a depraved mind, to do the things that are not proper” Romans 1:24-28.

We must obey God even when we don’t understand His rules.

We must stifle the independence and pride and rebellion that makes us do things our own way. We must seek God humbly. Don’t be an idol worshiper. Don’t crave what you don’t have. Release your desires, your passions, your deep longings. The fact that you long for something does not mean it is what is best for you. God knows what is best. Submit to Him. Don’t give him any reason to give up on you and turn you over to your own lusts.

Dear God, fill us with love for you and humble worship and faithfulness. Help us to honor you every day, and to yield to you our own desires. Change our desires and make us people who honor you with wisdom and discipline every day.

ΑΩ

Let Not Many of You Become Teachers. Romans 2:17-24.

Could you become a pastor for the wrong reasons? Karl Vaters of CHRISTIANITY TODAY argues that you could.[1]

“People become pastors for so many wrong reasons. They like the status. They like speaking in public. They like arguing theology. They come from a long line of ministers. The list goes on.”

The trouble with entering the ministry for the wrong reasons is that you will fail. It may be burnout—you can work hard with the most pure intentions, but if God has not called you, you will burn out. Or the stress and unique temptations of a ministry career may drive you into a moral or even criminal failure. These are not trivial concerns. Are you thinking that would never happen to me? I hope you are right. But I have personally witnessed extraordinary moral and criminal failures.

I know a young preacher who was convicted of embezzling over $800,000 from his church. A close friend of mine was murdered by her pastor-husband. A third friend was working in youth ministry when he received a 25-year sentence for child molestation. These are people I knew personally—and I didn’t bother to list the more “ordinary” failures of adultery and broken homes.

A ministry career is not easy, and it is not for everyone. (Are you prepared to face a “stricter judgment”?) James says, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such, you shall incur a stricter judgment” James 3:1.

Read this passage from Romans in which the word “Jew” has been replaced by “Preacher.”

“Now if you call yourself a Preacher, and rest in the law, boast in God, know His will, and … are convinced you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the full expression of knowledge and truth in the law—you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, ‘You must not steal’—do you steal? You who say, ‘You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For as it is written, ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” Romans 2:17-24.

Lost people do not need more reasons to blaspheme God. Is your life going to bring honor to the name of Christ or dishonor?

If you are in the ministry, take the time to “GUARD YOUR HEART for from it flow the springs of life” Proverbs 4:23. Take a sabbatical every year. Take a sabbath every week. Take time daily to commune with God. Check your heart. Your personal walk with God matters more than your huge To-Do list.

And if you are considering a ministry career, think hard on these closing words from Vaters:

“There are only two good reasons to become a pastor. (1) Because you have an unshakable call from God to help people know Jesus and grow in their relationship with Him and each other, [and] (2) Despite how hard it is to be a pastor, it’s harder for you not to be a pastor…. 

“The unique call of the pastor is to live among the sheep as we equip them … You have to love Jesus. You have to love people. You have to love equipping, mentoring, and discipling people. You have to be willing to stick with them over the long haul—through good times and bad.

“If you’re looking for something other than that, you need to look elsewhere. If you can’t find God’s will for your life doing anything but that, welcome to the pastorate. It’s the hardest job you’ll ever love.”

Dear God,, may those of us who are laymen do a better job encouraging and praying for the pastors and ministers among us. Give us insight and compassion about the struggles they face. Make us wise comforters to everyone in vocational ministry.

ΑΩ

[1] So Many Wrong Reasons to Become a Pastor | Pivot | A Blog by Karl Vaters (christianitytoday.com)

THE SOCIAL DILEMMA. 2 Corinthians 13:1.

Just when television was about to replace the newspaper, the computer came along and replaced them both. Before the phrase “broadcast news” could dethrone “the press,” “the media” made both terms obsolete.

In the beginning, everyone was excited: the internet would be a “democratizing force,” because EVERYONE could have a microphone and get their message out. You don’t need a printing press. Just start a blog. Or tweet. Or put videos on Tik Tok. Or use Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, WordPress, Reddit, Pinterest, and more.

So what’s the problem? Why the title above, referencing the dark documentary? The problem is VERITAS—from which we get the word verify. “Veritas” means “TRUTH.” How can you verify the truth coming from individuals all over the world? Newspapers may be dinosaurs, but papers have built-in safeguards to ensure the truth of their content: 1) reporters use multiple sources, 2) editors review reporters’ work—and both will be fired for repeated mistakes, 3) competing newspapers will DESTROY a paper that gets facts wrong, 4) papers print corrections often—sometimes daily, and 5) readers stop reading unreliable papers. In short, the newspaper business is cutthroat, and papers that publish mistakes (or lies) will not survive.

By contrast, self-proclaimed experts on the internet do not have ANY safeguards to ensure accuracy. Worse, they are motivated not by truth, but by likes, friend requests, and advertising revenue.

The fact that lies are shared seven times more often than true stories means there is a powerful motive to post “fake news.”

So how do we find the truth in today’s SEA OF MISINFORMATION? The Bible provides a helpful principle:

“Every fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” 2 Corinthians 13:1. (This principle is repeated at least EIGHT times: Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; Matthew 18:16; John 8:17; Hebrews 10:28; and 1 Timothy 5:19.)

Don’t trust anyone on the internet that operates alone. Don’t believe any story that does not contain multiple sources. Most importantly: study the word and pray for GOD’S WISDOM and discernment.

ΑΩ
Jesus said the end times would be characterized not only by “wars and rumors of wars,” by earthquakes and famines and the beginning of the birth pangs, but by DECEPTION. “Take heed that no one misleads you” Matthew 24:4. I have never seen such a chorus of misleading voices. Between anti-intellectualism, social media, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Fakes, incompetent Influencers, the predatory wellness movement, biased reporting masquerading as journalism, the ignorance of expertise, plagiarism and other factors decimating scholarship and the peer-review process, the rise of false religions, cults, and new age spirituality, I am more inclined to call ours the end times than ever before.

THOU SHALT NOT BRAG? 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.

Paul writes about bragging in chapters 11 and 12 of his second letter to the church at Corinth.

Most people believe all bragging is bad.

But Paul says, “Boasting is necessary” 2 Corinthians 12:1. That’s unexpected: BOASTING IS NECESSARY.

But the next words are, “It is not profitable.”

This is a complicated subject. But understand Paul’s purpose: He “boasts” about his ministry in order to steer Corinthians away from false teachers and back to him. Paul recounts his resume so they will listen to him—because his teaching will draw them closer to Jesus.

Paul elaborates on his record of suffering persecution and seeing visions. In fact, the man has witnessed so much in Heaven that God sent an affliction to keep him “from exalting himself.”

God sent what many believe was an eye disease to keep him humble. Never let it be said that God is not concerned about the humility in your heart. Never believe that God will tolerate your sin of pride.

Paul explains that he has seen amazing things, “extraordinary revelations” and heard “inexpressible words a man is not allowed to speak.”

“Therefore, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from exalting myself. Concerning this, three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness’” 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.

Paul complains about his eyes, admits his health was a burden for some of the churches, and notes that critics complain Paul’s “physical presence is weak and his public speaking is despicable” 2 Corinthians 10:10. However, there is no record of Paul becoming prideful about the visions and causing God to punish him. Instead, the Lord gave him the thorn IN ADVANCE to ensure the apostle would not become arrogant AT SOME FUTURE TIME.

IF GOD BROUGHT THIS THORN TO PAUL, WE NEED TO GUARD AGAINST PRIDE IN OUR OWN HEARTS!

ΑΩ

Do You Need Answered Prayers or Do You Need Grace? 2 Corinthians 12:9

Paul writes that God brought him to heaven and showed him amazing things no other mortal has seen. Then, to keep the apostle humble, God sent him a thorn in his flesh. No one is sure what that thorn was, whether illness, temptation, or constant persecution. But Paul asked God to remove the thorn.

“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness’” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Sometimes God delivers us by removing our trouble—by fixing our problems. Other times, He gives us grace. And His grace is enough.

Do you have problems you need God to solve? Keep asking and praying! But be willing to accept the sufficiency of His grace.

God’s grace is enough. He is Sovereign. He might give you exactly what you ask for—but you have to ask, and seek, and knock. Sometimes “you have not because you ask not” James 4:2. Or you failed to “pray without ceasing” 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Be persistent in prayer. Don’t give up!

But when God says no, cling to His grace. God’s grace is sufficient. His grace is enough!

God, teach me to pray hard, to pray long, to pray without ceasing. But help me to trust you and to be content with your grace even while my problems remain unsolved. I know your grace is enough for me. Help me trust your grace and use it to perfect your power in my weakness. I love you, and I trust you.

ΑΩ

HOW’S YOUR CHRISTIAN RESUME?  Philippians 3:4-6; 2 Corinthians 11:22-27.

What if you had a Christian Resume? Could you fill up a page with things you have done for God, ways you have served the church, scripture you have read, verses memorized? People you counseled or comforted? Money you donated? What about sacrifices made—you held your tongue when you wanted to say something cruel? You chose to forgive when you wanted to get revenge?

No one had a resume like Paul’s:

“If anyone thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day; of the nation of Israel; of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews, regarding the law, a Pharisee; regarding zeal, a persecutor of the church; regarding the righteousness that comes from the law, blameless” Philippians 3:4-6.

“Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I more so; I have been in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been in dangers from rivers, from robbers, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, … many sleepless nights, often without food…” 2 Corinthians 11:22-27.

Plus, Paul shared the Gospel all over the known world and wrote 14 books of the Bible! And what does Paul think of his HALL-OF-FAME resume?

“But EVERYTHING that was gain to me, I consider a loss … I consider everything a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…. FORGETTING WHAT LIES BEHIND, and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal…” Philippians 3:7-8, 13-14.

Paul knows the TRUTH: Your resume means nothing. Your greatest wins are losses compared to knowing Jesus. Be humble, forget your past wins (or remember without obsessing—don’t cling; hold those trophies loosely), focus on serving Jesus today and tomorrow.

ΑΩ

BAD THOUGHTS. 2 Corinthians 10:5.

Bad thoughts can best be compared to:

  1. Birds flying overhead; some land, others pass on. Those that land can be easily scared away.
  2. A pack of wolves searching the snowy forest for game. If you ignore them, maybe they will go on by.
  3. Commercials and advertising, most of which you never notice.
  4. Song lyrics that get stuck in your mind even when you hate the song.
  5. Dangerous criminals prowling the darkness. They sneak up on you and destroy everything.
  6. All of the above.

I would choose “all of the above.”

In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul’s definition of bad thoughts includes not only temptations to commit bad ACTIONS, but also bad BELIEFS.

But is a wrong belief that poses no temptation really a problem? YES!

Bad beliefs lay the groundwork for bad actions—if not in you, then in your children. For example, people decide it is okay to engage in premarital or extra-marital sex or to smoke marijuana or consume alcohol, tobacco, or drugs long before actually doing those things. A parent who is “soft” on these sins may never be tempted by them—but when he fails to correctly teach his children, they may fall into that precise trap, because Dad did not warn them.

“We are destroying arguments and every philosophy raised up against the knowledge of God, ARRESTING EVERY THOUGHT AND TAKING IT CAPTIVE UNTIL WE ARE CERTAIN IT IS A THOUGHT THAT IS OBEDIENT TO CHRIST” 2 Corinthians 10:5.

Consider your thoughts potential criminals. ARREST THEM! Stop their progress. Ask them questions. Search their bags. Give them a pat-down check. INVESTIGATE!

Do everything in your power to ensure that ALL your thoughts are built on truth. Never tell yourself it does not matter. EVERYTHING INSIDE YOUR HEAD MATTERS. Evaluate it carefully, by comparing it to God’s word. If it disagrees with the Bible, throw that thought in jail.

Why is the Bible so long, addressing thousands of topics? Because all those topics matter. God wants you to have wisdom and understanding on ALL subjects, not just sins. It is possible to have wrong thoughts on any topic. But God can guide you.

Pray: “Search me, oh God, and know my heart… reveal any hurtful way in me and lead me in the Everlasting Way.” –Psalm 139:23-24.

ΑΩ