Revelation 2-3
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.  “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.  I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.  Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.  “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.  “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.  So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.  Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.  “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.

But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.  I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.  Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,  and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.  But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden.  Only hold fast what you have until I come.

The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,  and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.  And I will give him the morning star.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.  Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.  Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.  Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy.

The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.  “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.  Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.  I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!  So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.  I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Revelation 22:7
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Revelation 22:20
“Surely I am coming soon.”

I keep hearing talk from people how we all worship the same God, just by different names. They say we’re all on different paths that get us to the same place.

Here is what the bible says.

Don’t trust our own reason and logic.

God loves us more than we could ever know.

God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.  He doesn’t change to suit the culture.

Jesus is God.

Jesus is inclusive. He welcomes any and all who come to Him in faith and repentance.

Jesus is exclusive. He is the only Way, Truth, and Life. No one comes to God except through Him.

Jesus is eternal. He was, and is, and is to come. He did not come into being in Mary’s womb, and He did not cease to exist after the resurrection.

Every person is God’s creation, but only those who believe in and trust Him are His children. He has promised that His children will be with Him forever, and warns that those who reject Him will spend eternity outside His Presence.

This life is not all there is. There is an existence after this life, and what we do now both prepares us for and determines our life then.

God wants our character now to be reflective of His character and to show the marks of His life in us including:

Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control

God wants our behavior to be that of a life in submission to Him as Lord:

Humility not Pride – Understanding who He made me to be.
Abstainance not Lust – To say no when He says no.
Moderation not Excess – To say enough when He says enough.
Diligence not Laziness – To finish what He gives me to finish.
Charity not Greed – To give when others have needs.
Kindness not Envy – To rejoice when others receive good things.
Patience not Anger – To turn the other cheek or step aside in favor of others.

You may not like what the bible says. You may say it is hopelessly outdated. But do not fall for the lure of false tolerance, in the sense that every teaching or belief is equally true. Of course, each person has the right and responsibility to decide whether to accept or reject the claims of the bible. But if it is truth, then we are not free of the consequences of our choice.

Joshua challenged the nation of Israel:

Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness…And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

I’ve been navigating a minefield lately.

A minefield strewn with the bombs of anger and fear. Anger at recent events and fear of the reactions to them. I’ve had difficulty separating what it means to be a follower of Christ from what it means to be a citizen of my country.

As a Christian I’m called to love God and love other people.

Part of loving God means understanding that ultimately He is in control and whatever happens, He allows it.  Another part is recognising where mankind had strayed outside of His will and damaged His creation, and doing what I can to help put it right.

Loving other people means to see them as God sees them. Broken, hurting people, as much in need of His healing touch as I am. It also means to see where sin and evil has caused hunger, and want, and pain,  and doing what I can to alleviate that. But just as important as meeting people’s physical needs is telling them of God’s love for them and their need of His forgiveness and salvation.

I’m also a citizen of a secular country, a nation that welcomes all viewpoints. As such I have both a right and a responsibility to speak out against policies and directions that I believe are harmful to our country. But I’m bound as a disciple to do so with an attitude of love and care and respect.  That part I’ve struggled with lately.

As I’ve struggled with some very tough issues, God has reminded me of a principle taught in our safe driving classes: If you focus on what is directly in front of you, you can’t see what’s in the distance, but if your focus is in the distance,  you will see what’s up close as well.

Meaning that if my focus is this world, I won’t see His plans,  but if my focus in on Him, then He will show me what I need to do here as well.

May we all focus on Him.

Many of my friends may wonder  how I can post things about Christ, love, peace, and hope and also the things I do about weapons and defense and politics.

First and foremost I am a follower of Christ.  As such I accept the bible and its teaching as the way to learn who God is and what He wants from and for me. In the bible I find distinctions between how God expects me to act as an individual and the responsibilities of government.

I am told to forgive offenses. I am told to not seek vengeance or punishment. I am told to care for and defend those who are powerless to help themselves (including my family). Implicit in that command is the ability to defend myself if necessary; for how can I help others if I’m not there?

Government is ordained by God to protect the people, administer justice (including punishment), and maintain peace and order. While the values and the methods of the person and the government overlap, they are in no way identical.

Second, I am an American and in our system of government, I and my fellow citizens ARE the government.  We deed our authority to our leaders only so far as they govern within set limits and in the best interest of the people.

We the people absolutely retain the right abolish any given administration given just cause to do so. By vote if possible, by force if necessary.

The problem in our country currently is that we the people seem to be evenly split between (among other things) a side who sees the government as the main cure for our problems and a side who sees the government as the main cause of our problems.

If we could agree to disagree then maybe we could work through to a solution to our problems.

But when either side uses the bully stick of government to force others to accept, condone, and especially support and finance actions and lifestyles with which they vehemently disagree there will inevitably be pushback and confrontation.

I hope and pray that the people of this country take a step back,  start using reason and discussion to effect change around us and stop running to the bully stick of the courts, the legislature, and the executive pen to enforce change.

I see a similarity between our time and the times leading up to our revolution and our civil war.  Both times were marked by groups who felt the status quo was fine and groups who felt change was needed. Both times were marked by an increasing tension between the groups and an inability or unwillingness to negotiate.  Both times were marked by an increasing use of governmental power.

We are on that road. God help us.

Loneliness.

One of the most heartbreaking feelings there is.  It’s different than just being alone,  I’m used to that, even thrive on it at times.  No, I mean the emotional hole when the person most important to you doesn’t seem to be interested right now.  When all communication is either one way or perfunctory or both. When every interaction feels to be an interruption.

What makes it worse is the knowledge that it is your own doing. And, at least for the moment, it seems there’s nothing you can do to change the situation.

We all have a Love Bank in us where we keep accounts for every relationship we have. Some accounts are very high and we feel very good about that person.  Some accounts are somewhat low and we don’t much care for that person. Some accounts are negative and we actively avoid those people. All of our accounts are in constant change. They rise.  They fall.  They rise again. Some get closed out.  New ones get opened. Closed ones gets reopened.

Every interaction we have tends to produce either a positive deposit into the account or a negative withdrawal from the account. Some things have very small impact while others have huge ones.  For example,  a simple dinner date may have a small deposit, while an elaborately planned weekend getaway may be huge (assuming it’s something she likes and it is in the budget). Conversely,  a minor grumble or cross word may have a small withdrawal, while uncontrolled anger or a betrayal may do major damage.

When one of your major relationship accounts that has been high suddenly takes a huge withdrawal it leaves an emptiness inside that begs to be filled. Some seek to fill it with addictions, be it drugs, porn, spending, etc. The lie here is that while addictions promise relief,  they NEVER satisfy, they only destroy in the end. Some seek to fill the hole with another relationship,  but that doesn’t work either, for the hole is still there.

The only lasting way to fill the hole is to make more good deposits and keep from making more withdrawals.  Yes, it may be a long time until the hole is filled, and depending on how badly trust was broken it may be difficult to get through her defenses, but it IS possible and definitely worth the struggle.

So what to do with the loneliness while waiting for the hole to be filled again?

First and foremost,  seek God and His comfort and companionship.

Second, spend time working on and letting God fix the parts in you that brought you to this place.

Third, fill your time with good and godly things, reading, hearing the Word,  prayer and meditation.

Fourth, just keep on keeping on.  Don’t fall for the lies of the quick fix.  Stay the course God has set for you.

This Too Shall Pass.

I was recently reminded of Paul’s words in Romans when I failed miserably at home.  I thought I had my temper controlled,   tightly packed away, unable to escape.

Wrong.

It’s there, just waiting an opportunity to escape.  And when it does, like all sin,  it causes pain and damage.

I won’t go into the details, for they don’t matter.  I won’t try to justify my actions,  for I was wrong. I won’t swear it will never happen again, but I will commit to let God continue to work in me.

I WILL ask forgiveness.  From God, for ignoring Him in those moments.  From those I wounded,  for those I love most.  From myself,  and resolve to stay on the right path.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.  So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,  but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,  in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 7:15 – 8:4