ALL – Psalm 84:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 25:15
OT – Jeremiah 23:21-25:38
NT – 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17
Interesting passage for the day: He will completely fool those who are on their way to hell because they have said “no” to the Truth; they have refused to believe it and love it, and let it save them, so God will allow them to believe lies with all their hearts… – 2 Thess. 2:10-11, The Living Bible
Thought: We like to think we’re pretty decent people, not rebels-at-heart. God wants to bust that myth. So here’s an issue of myth-busters for us:
Myth: We disobey God because we don’t know any better and haven’t been given a chance to believe Him.
Truth: The reason we disobey God is not that we don’t believe God; the reason we don’t believe God is that we disobey God and rebel against Him.
At least, that’s what this passage teaches. A deceiver is coming who will fool a bunch of people. But what people will he fool? He will fool people who are “on their way to hell because they have said ‘no’ to the Truth.” They heard the Truth, but they rejected it. They “refused to believe it and love it.”
Do you see? The problem people have with the Truth is not that they can’t understand it. It’s not even that they can’t believe it. It’s that they don’t want it. They rebel against it. They refuse it and reject it and hate it.
The result of this willful rebellion against the Truth? “God will allow them to believe lies with all their hearts.” Deception. Deception is made complete as God permits them to believe the lies they themselves have chosen to prefer over His Truth. The rebellion comes first, and then the unbelief.
Isn’t that how it was with Eve, when you really think about it? She HAD the truth. God had made it plain to her that she was free to eat from every tree except one. When the serpent questioned her on the limitations God had set up, she made it clear that she knew exactly which tree was off limits. And then the serpent lied to her. At that point she had a choice to make between obeying God’s instructions and following the serpent’s suggestion. How did she make her choice? “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it” (Gen. 3:6, NIV). She chose to go with her desires and the serpent’s lie rather than to trust God’s words. She had believed God up to that point, but then she rejected His words and rebelled against them. Before she could believe Satan’s deception, she had to willfully reject God’s Truth. Rebellion came first in her heart, then unbelief and outward disobedience.
Every human being on earth is the same. We have all rejected God’s Truth before falling into disbelief. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:18-20, NIV).
What came first? The disbelief or the rebellion? The answer is clear: the rebellion. In my heart and yours. The gospel is God’s power for saving those who believe—who stop rebelling and instead bow humbly before His Truth. As a former rebel, I beg everyone out there to stop choosing to be fooled by deceivers and instead to submit to God’s Truth. Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins. You know the Truth. Why reject it?
Question: If you reject the Truth, I would be interested in knowing why you want to reject it. What is it that you want to have or to do that you think you would lose if you believed and submitted to God’s Word?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Showing posts with label disobedience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disobedience. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
When Satan Wins
ALL – Psalm 69:19-36
ALL – Proverbs 12:2-3
OT – Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22
NT – Luke 8:4-21
Which people can Satan keep out of heaven?
Yikes! That’s not a fun question, for sure. But in one of Jesus’ parables, it seems like it’s a reality for some people that Satan can actually take Jesus’ words out of certain people’s hearts. What’s this mean? How does this work?
Well, as Jesus was explaining his parable, this is what He said:
The hard path where some seed fell represents the hard hearts of those who hear the words of God, but then the devil comes and steals the words away and prevents people from believing and being saved. – Luke 8:12, The Living Bible
Satan’s ability to steal God’s words away from people’s hearts is related to their hearts’ condition. And the kind of hearts that Satan can steal God’s words from are hardened hearts.
The next question is whether we have hardened hearts or not. And to be honest, some who are reading this may have hardened hearts. It’s a real spiritual heart condition, so the chances are that some of us really have this condition. But who? Who has a hardened heart? Who is vulnerable to Satan’s thievery of God’s Word?
Well, Hebrews 3:13 gives us a clue. It says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (NIV). Hardening comes from sin. Specifically, it comes from the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is deceptive. Even as we sin, we convince ourselves that we’re ok. Initially, sin deceives us by saying, “It was just a little sin. I’m not really such a bad person. At least I didn’t do what so-and-so did the other day.” And because we’re listening to our sins rather than God’s words, our hearts are hardened against hearing God’s words. And the sins get worse. And the deception gets worse. And eventually it no longer matters to us whether we’re listening to God or not, or even whether we’re good or not.
A hard heart won’t even consider God’s words. They don’t sink in at all. And Satan doesn’t have a hard time quickly snatching God’s words away from a heart that isn’t trying to listen to God.
Have you been ignoring God, believing sin, believing its lies, following its enticements? Your heart is all the more vulnerable to Satan’s work of snatching God’s words of life away from you. Salvation’s chances of taking root are lowered.
Find believers. Listen to their encouragements. Do what they encourage. Follow God and His commands. Be willing to be good. And then listen. Listen to God. Soak His words deeply into your life. God’s words will produce life in you.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 12:2-3
OT – Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22
NT – Luke 8:4-21
Which people can Satan keep out of heaven?
Yikes! That’s not a fun question, for sure. But in one of Jesus’ parables, it seems like it’s a reality for some people that Satan can actually take Jesus’ words out of certain people’s hearts. What’s this mean? How does this work?
Well, as Jesus was explaining his parable, this is what He said:
The hard path where some seed fell represents the hard hearts of those who hear the words of God, but then the devil comes and steals the words away and prevents people from believing and being saved. – Luke 8:12, The Living Bible
Satan’s ability to steal God’s words away from people’s hearts is related to their hearts’ condition. And the kind of hearts that Satan can steal God’s words from are hardened hearts.
The next question is whether we have hardened hearts or not. And to be honest, some who are reading this may have hardened hearts. It’s a real spiritual heart condition, so the chances are that some of us really have this condition. But who? Who has a hardened heart? Who is vulnerable to Satan’s thievery of God’s Word?
Well, Hebrews 3:13 gives us a clue. It says, “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (NIV). Hardening comes from sin. Specifically, it comes from the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is deceptive. Even as we sin, we convince ourselves that we’re ok. Initially, sin deceives us by saying, “It was just a little sin. I’m not really such a bad person. At least I didn’t do what so-and-so did the other day.” And because we’re listening to our sins rather than God’s words, our hearts are hardened against hearing God’s words. And the sins get worse. And the deception gets worse. And eventually it no longer matters to us whether we’re listening to God or not, or even whether we’re good or not.
A hard heart won’t even consider God’s words. They don’t sink in at all. And Satan doesn’t have a hard time quickly snatching God’s words away from a heart that isn’t trying to listen to God.
Have you been ignoring God, believing sin, believing its lies, following its enticements? Your heart is all the more vulnerable to Satan’s work of snatching God’s words of life away from you. Salvation’s chances of taking root are lowered.
Find believers. Listen to their encouragements. Do what they encourage. Follow God and His commands. Be willing to be good. And then listen. Listen to God. Soak His words deeply into your life. God’s words will produce life in you.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Hardness
ALL – Psalm 37:12-29
ALL – Proverbs 10:5
OT – Leviticus 7:28-9:6
NT – Mark 3:31-4:25
Growing up, I lived in an area where there weren’t many sidewalks, but everyone walked. If they walked across a field, for a while they would be going through fairly tall grass. But over time, as people used the same pathway repeatedly, something happened. The grass under their feet bruised and began to wilt. As it died, the ground under their feet grew harder and harder. Eventually, despite that ground being surrounded by field plants of every kind, despite seeds falling on the pathway frequently, seeds could not take root in that pathway. It was too hard.
The hard pathway, where some of the seed fell, represents the hard hearts of some of those who hear God’s message; Satan comes at once to make them try to forget it. – Mark 4:15, The Living Bible
God’s Word is like a seed. It is intended to produce growth and fruit in our lives. But some of us have developed habits of sinfulness. We justify our sins; whether the sins stay in our hearts, barely leak out our lips, or burst through our behaviors, we justify them and keep on sinning. We walk the path of sin day after day, and we harden our hearts to the fruitful influence of God’s Word. We leave ourselves barren, devoid of obedience, righteousness and peace.
Don’t get used to disobeying God. Don’t get used to turning off the voice of the conscience He’s given you, or your heart will be hardened even to the voice of God. As you hear His voice, don’t just think about it: obey!
What sin has God brought to mind as you read this? Don’t delay. Respond immediately with faith, repentance and obedience. Don’t harden your heart today.
How can we help one another keep our hearts tilled and soft to God’s Word?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 10:5
OT – Leviticus 7:28-9:6
NT – Mark 3:31-4:25
Growing up, I lived in an area where there weren’t many sidewalks, but everyone walked. If they walked across a field, for a while they would be going through fairly tall grass. But over time, as people used the same pathway repeatedly, something happened. The grass under their feet bruised and began to wilt. As it died, the ground under their feet grew harder and harder. Eventually, despite that ground being surrounded by field plants of every kind, despite seeds falling on the pathway frequently, seeds could not take root in that pathway. It was too hard.
The hard pathway, where some of the seed fell, represents the hard hearts of some of those who hear God’s message; Satan comes at once to make them try to forget it. – Mark 4:15, The Living Bible
God’s Word is like a seed. It is intended to produce growth and fruit in our lives. But some of us have developed habits of sinfulness. We justify our sins; whether the sins stay in our hearts, barely leak out our lips, or burst through our behaviors, we justify them and keep on sinning. We walk the path of sin day after day, and we harden our hearts to the fruitful influence of God’s Word. We leave ourselves barren, devoid of obedience, righteousness and peace.
Don’t get used to disobeying God. Don’t get used to turning off the voice of the conscience He’s given you, or your heart will be hardened even to the voice of God. As you hear His voice, don’t just think about it: obey!
What sin has God brought to mind as you read this? Don’t delay. Respond immediately with faith, repentance and obedience. Don’t harden your heart today.
How can we help one another keep our hearts tilled and soft to God’s Word?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
A Servant Who’s Not Serving
ALL – Psalm 31:1-8
ALL – Proverbs 8:1-11
OT – Exodus 26:1-27:21
NT – Matthew 25:1-30
You remember that line from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast song, “Be Our Guest”? “Life is so unnerving for a servant who’s not serving…” It’s a good line, except that Lumiere painted poor Cogsworth as the unfaithful servant, when he was actually the one seeking to obey their master, the Beast. Servants are not just meant to serve everyone; they’re supposed to serve their own masters.
Jesus told a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven in which a man went away to another country, leaving three servants and giving each of them some money to invest for him while he was away. Now this was a really good master. He knew his servants well, and he did not give any of them more than they could handle.
Two of the servants did as their master told them. They invested the money and gained a return. They served him. For their faithful service, the master rewarded each of them with greater privileges and responsibilities.
But one of them did not obey. He did not invest the money at all, not even in an interest-paying bank account. He was too scared about what his master might think or do (Matthew 25:24-25).
The NIV concludes, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Matthew 25:29).
This verse seems confusing. All three servants still had money to give to their master, even if the third one had only the original money. What does a person need to “have” to be given more? What is it that will make a person lose everything if he “doesn’t have” it?
The answer isn’t “money,” though you might possibly argue that at least “a gain” is necessary. But how do you measure gain in the spiritual realm of the Kingdom of Heaven? Not with money!
What did the first two servants have that the third servant didn’t have? They had faithful, responsible service. The monetary gain simply showed that they had been hard at work, serving as their master commanded them to do. Servants are meant to serve. And since this parable says that the master gave each servant a task that fit his abilities, we can assume that faithful service to our King Jesus will result in the kind of gain He desires. Jesus knows our capabilities and entrusts us with service we can do. It’s not up to us to compare our abilities to others. It’s not up to us to worry about whether our service will give Jesus the return He’s looking for. It’s up to us to serve. If we don’t…?
For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have an abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him. – Matthew 25:29, The Living Bible
Jesus’ faithful servants receive a reward. Servants who don’t serve lose everything. What’s holding you back?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 8:1-11
OT – Exodus 26:1-27:21
NT – Matthew 25:1-30
You remember that line from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast song, “Be Our Guest”? “Life is so unnerving for a servant who’s not serving…” It’s a good line, except that Lumiere painted poor Cogsworth as the unfaithful servant, when he was actually the one seeking to obey their master, the Beast. Servants are not just meant to serve everyone; they’re supposed to serve their own masters.
Jesus told a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven in which a man went away to another country, leaving three servants and giving each of them some money to invest for him while he was away. Now this was a really good master. He knew his servants well, and he did not give any of them more than they could handle.
Two of the servants did as their master told them. They invested the money and gained a return. They served him. For their faithful service, the master rewarded each of them with greater privileges and responsibilities.
But one of them did not obey. He did not invest the money at all, not even in an interest-paying bank account. He was too scared about what his master might think or do (Matthew 25:24-25).
The NIV concludes, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him” (Matthew 25:29).
This verse seems confusing. All three servants still had money to give to their master, even if the third one had only the original money. What does a person need to “have” to be given more? What is it that will make a person lose everything if he “doesn’t have” it?
The answer isn’t “money,” though you might possibly argue that at least “a gain” is necessary. But how do you measure gain in the spiritual realm of the Kingdom of Heaven? Not with money!
What did the first two servants have that the third servant didn’t have? They had faithful, responsible service. The monetary gain simply showed that they had been hard at work, serving as their master commanded them to do. Servants are meant to serve. And since this parable says that the master gave each servant a task that fit his abilities, we can assume that faithful service to our King Jesus will result in the kind of gain He desires. Jesus knows our capabilities and entrusts us with service we can do. It’s not up to us to compare our abilities to others. It’s not up to us to worry about whether our service will give Jesus the return He’s looking for. It’s up to us to serve. If we don’t…?
For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have an abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him. – Matthew 25:29, The Living Bible
Jesus’ faithful servants receive a reward. Servants who don’t serve lose everything. What’s holding you back?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
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