The Only Life Worth Living For

And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!' And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.' Revelation 18:2,4

You know, you hear talk from time to time about whether there are aliens on other planets or not. I think all this talk is really silly, because there are already aliens right here on Earth. Oh, you didn't know? Well, there are aliens on Earth, and if you believe in Jesus, then you're one of them. See, the Bible calls us aliens in this world because we're not from here, we don't belong here, and we're not going to stay here for long. Our home is Heaven.

But so many believers act like our lives here are so much more real than the eternal lives that God has given us. They live like this world is their home and they pile up all the things that make this world homey.

With all that's going on in the world and in the Body of Christ, we need to look at things in light of scripture. Our verses today make it clear that the world system of Babylon is one day going to come to a crashing end, but more than that, they call us as Christians to come out from that system, lest we share in her sins and plagues.

How do you know whether you're still hanging around Babylon? Let me put it this way. What are you in love with? Is there anything on this planet that you love more than God? Because what should be restricting you here is your affections for God being greater than your affections for the things of this world.

So which one are you living for? How much of you ends up getting invested in the things that, in the end, don't really matter? Are you keeping your trust in the trust of Christ, or do you find yourself seeking after the securities of this world? Are you still believing in the system? How do you measure the wealth of your life?

You're like, Bob, be careful, please. Do you know who you're speaking to?

I do. And I only speak as such because of my great concern. Is your wealth determined by the Babylonian system of this world? Is your wealth determined by what you have here and now, on a world standard? Or is it measured by what you give and entrust into the hands and safekeeping of the Lord?

Prayer Lord God,

You are my God and I trust You with all I have! More than that, I love You more than anything here in the world. Lead me and guide me, so that I can live consistently with my trust and love for You!

Amen

Lest Something Worse Befall Thee

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 1 Corinthians 3:18

Know thyself.

This famous quote is one of the most powerful things we can do, but the reason it is so profound is because it is so difficult.

Paul, knowing how hard it is to really know ourselves, warned the church in Corinth against self-deception. The city of Corinth was a booming metropolis, one of the most important cities of Greece at the time. Everything seemed to be working for them and it would have been very easy to try to mimic what they did in the pursuit of similar success.

Yet this was exactly the last thing Paul wanted the believers to do. Instead, he wanted them to remember that all the so-called wisdom in the city was utter foolishness to God.

Self-deception surrounds us today in our culture. The first several weeks of American Idol are a prime example, as person after person who can't carry a tune in a bucket stands before judges to croon like a wailing cat, only to be told something a friend should have told them a long time ago-Dude, you can't sing.

We see this in the church, with people wanting to have leadership positions, but they can't lead their own family; or wanting to teach from the pulpit, but they've never successfully taught a Sunday school class or small group; or wanting to join the worship team, but lacking any musical talent whatsoever.

We see this in society at large as people try to deny Jesus as God, the Bible as God's Word, or justify sin as okay.

Self-exaltation is the wisdom of the day. You gotta be true to yourself, man, cause no one else is gonna stand up for you. All boundaries, all truth, is all relative, take it or leave it, in pursuit of self.

Let me tell you now: It's all a lie, a lie from the great liar himself, the devil. You're not alone, and you never will be. You don't have to force your dream into the world, because God has good plans for your life and you really can trust Him. There's a reason the Holy Spirit is called our Helper!

Most importantly, there is only one voice we can trust to know who we are and stay free from deception-the voice of our Creator. Know what He says about you and you will Know thyself.

Prayer Father God,

Thank You for knowing me so completely! I want to walk in Your truth and stay away from the dangers of self-deception, so please continually increase Your light in my life, helping me to know myself rightly and to walk in Your ways.

Amen

Whatever It Takes

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Matthew 28:18-20

Do you realize what you just read? Go back and read it again, and make sure you notice the word, All.

If you read closely, then you noticed there are three alls in our verses for today, and all of them are important for us to see.

First, Jesus said that all authority has been given to Him. This is the entire basis for the commissioning that He is about to give us as believers. The reason that we can go is because He has all authority, not just in Heaven, but on Earth as well. No authority can trump Him, so whatever God says, we will do it.

Second, Jesus said to make disciples of all nations. Now, by latest count, that means at least 192 nations with nearly seven billion people in them. If you personally were to introduce yourself to everyone just in America, it would take you a hundred years. How are we going to reach the whole world? I'll tell you this, that it won't happen without God's help.

Third, Jesus said to teach the nations all His commands. So let's start with you-do you know all the things Jesus commanded? Do you live them? Do you observe them? Again, this is an impossible task.

But then there's a fourth all, sort of-Jesus said He will always be with us, no matter what. This is what makes the whole thing possible.

What will it take to reach the whole world for Jesus? It will take us doing everything possible with every opportunity and every strategy and every advantage and every word and every action every day for the rest of our lives. But most of all, it will take Jesus, the One who is with us, sending us out under His authority, to reach a lost and dying world.

This is what it will take. Are you willing to give it?

Prayer Lord Jesus,

You have asked me to give You everything, but You have also given Your everything for me. I give my all to You today, trusting You to always be with me for everything I need as we work together to reach all nations.

Amen

Gifts Onboard

For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries...He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself...I wish you all spoke with tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:2,4,5

Have you ever heard someone speaking in tongues? If you have, and you do not understand what they are doing, then chances are very good that it was an odd experience for you that left you questioning and uncomfortable.

No matter where you are concerning tongues, let me clear things up for you. First, speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit that does still exist today. And in saying that it is a gift, I mean that it is a good thing that the Holy Spirit gives us. Whether it is weird or mysterious does not take away from it being good.

Second, speaking in tongues has boundaries and a purpose. Paul tells us that it is no use to speak in tongues corporately when we gather together for worship because anyone who comes and is not aware of tongues will be freaked out and never come back. More than that, speaking in tongues does nothing to build up the body as a whole, but is rather a gift for each of us as individuals.

Our verses for today tell us that tongues edify the one who uses them, or in other words it builds them up, making their own faith and walk with God stronger. In this way, it is obviously a good thing to both desire and use.

If not corporately, when should we speak in tongues, then? We should speak in tongues sometimes when we pray-as a prayer language-praying both in our natural language and in our spiritual one.

Some people also speak in tongues in working among the nations. God gives them supernatural ability to speak and understand the language around them so they can serve Him better where He has called them.

Lastly, tongues can also be used with someone who has the gift of interpretation of tongues. God can give one person a message that they speak in tongues, and then give someone else the gift of interpretation to understand the person who is speaking in tongues.

Tongues can be weird, but they are from God, they are a good thing, and they have boundaries. Ask God for this gift today. You might be surprised at the impact it has in your life.

Prayer Holy Spirit,

Thank You for giving gifts to us! I don't know if I understand the gift of speaking in tongues, but I believe that it is a good thing. Will you please give me this gift and teach me how to rightly use it?

Amen

Hope and Healing Are on the Horizon

Then he said to me: This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live.' Ezekiel 47:8-9

When God spoke, the world was created, so you might think that what He says about us is important. Here are a few things He says about us:

In John 10, He says that He came to give us life and life abundantly. In John 7, Jesus says, If anyone thirsts, let him come to me. And he who believes, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Then in Matthew 28 and Acts 1, Jesus says, Go, therefore, and, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. That word, Upon, gives us the picture of the Lord overflowing in your life, filling you up with His Holy Spirit and flowing out of you, pressed down, shaken together, and flowing out of you like a mighty, rushing river.

This life is no longer you living, but Christ who lives in you. The river flowing out of you picked you up and carried you right to the cross where you found hope and healing for every need. It then kept moving you, carrying you, compelling you by the Spirit of God flowing out of you to carry your hope and healing with you wherever you go.

Now you are the great river of God mentioned in our verses for today, flowing directly to the sea, which, the sea in the Bible is very often a picture of the world. This one is especially that picture for us, because the sea it's talking about is the Dead Sea.

But what happens when the river hits the sea? The waters of the sea are healed and filled with life, because wherever the rivers go will live.

Does this describe your life? If not, then maybe you haven't committed to let the river flow out of you and carry you where it is needed most. Maybe you haven't realized that your life is a desert until that river brings life. Maybe you have a little pond and you think that's enough for you.

I'm telling you today, you need the river, and so does a dead, desert world.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for what You say about me! Now please let Your words come to pass in my life. Make me a river that is flowing with life! And when I have been filled with life, hope, and healing, let me bring it to others who need it, too.

Amen

Fender Mender

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 1 Corinthians 9:16-17

I am going to give you the most incredible financial tip you have ever heard. Are you ready? Here it is: If you want to make money in the stock market, then you need to put money into the stock market.

Wasn't that profound? I know, not really. We all know that in order to receive benefit from the stock market we need to make an investment in it. What we might not all recognize, however, is that the principle holds true in spiritual things as well.

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about the issue of finances, and specifically about how they were falling short of their duty and opportunity to invest in the gospel through him. They had received the gospel free of charge as Paul actually picked up a second job making tents in Corinth in addition to building the church. He worked extra hard so they could receive the gospel free of charge.

This was a sacrifice for him. It cost him to do these things, but he did it willingly knowing that God would reward him for it.

Now he wrote to his immature church to teach them the principle by which he had lived while among them. He said, Hey, you can keep freeloading in the gospel, but you won't get the same reward. If you don't invest willingly, then you don't get dividends. And even if you don't want to invest, you have a responsibility in helping to steward the gospel.

He wanted them to know that the money issue was not about him. He wasn't trying to get rich off of them. Instead, he was trying to increase their reward from God.

What is the attitude of your heart in giving to your church? Do you think it's all just for selfish pastors and over-the-top building projects? Think again. This is about you investing in the gospel and setting yourself up for rewards in Heaven.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for investing Your life for me! Teach me the right attitude to have in giving to my church. I choose to have a generous heart that invests in Your gospel.

Amen

The Key of Forgiveness

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32

Have you ever wondered why God forgave you?

I think a lot of us are scared to ask the question, as though our inability to come up with an answer might make God change His mind. But there's no reason for us to be scared.

Do you know why?

Because it is God's very nature to forgive. And now, as His children, we need to recognize that our new nature is also one that forgives.

I don't mean in any way to minimize the hurt you've experienced. I know the pain is real,

and I know the pain runs deep. But I also know that unforgiveness is a prison, and the walls are really thick, and you're the one being imprisoned by harboring unforgiveness in your heart. So many people underestimate the ramifications of unforgiveness in our lives. This is why blood pressures are too high. This is why there are so many ulcers. This is why there are so many heart attacks. This is why there are so many problems with people's digestion and nervous breakdowns. Your body wasn't designed to hold onto these things.

Honestly, harboring hatred and unforgiveness toward others who have wronged us is like shooting ourselves with a rifle so that we could hit our enemy with the recoil of the gun. How stupid is that? I'm going to blow my head off so the recoil hits you. That's what unforgiveness does. I don't mean to minimize the pain of what's been done. What's been done was wrong. No one's getting off scot-free. But the Bible tells us to make room for God to take over and work in that situation, and whatever action has taken place, God is looking at our reaction to the action that has taken place.

Have I been hurt? You bet. Have I been betrayed? Absolutely. So have you. We all have.

But God is looking now at our hearts and our response and our reaction. We'll be judged on our reaction. And it doesn't matter how grievous or hellish the sin was that was committed that hurt you, it doesn't give you the right to sin in response to the sin that was done.

As long as you hold onto unforgiveness, you are stuck in the pain of your past. Forgive the people who hurt you so that you can be free from the pain they gave you.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You that You took all my sin and hurts on the cross so that I know You understand how much I have been hurt! But I need to be done hurting, so I choose to forgive the people who have hurt me and I ask You to heal me from the hurts I have suffered.

Amen