Amos 1:1-3:15, Revelation 2:1-17 Psalm 129:1-8, Proverbs 29:19-20
Pray: Ask the Lord to help you control your tongue and typing fingers. If you’re anything like me, this is not the easiest of tasks. I read or hear something and immediately I want to respond. Sometimes I want to affirm or agree, but mostly I want to disagree and make my (correct, of course) opinion known. “There is more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks [or types] without thinking.” Proverbs warns us. Let’s join together in paying attention to the warning.
Read: It’s possible. It’s not always easy, but it is possible. The Christians in Pergamum did it. “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to me.” Can a person live an authentic Christian life of complete obedience to God today? Yes. Yes. A resounding YES!!! With the help of the Holy Spirit living within you, it is possible!
Edify: “The people of Israel (Hickory, Conover, Newton, Lincolnton, Statesville and anywhere USA) have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished.” Merry Christmas! That doesn’t seem like much of a Christmas message, does it? In reality, there’s not much that is more Christmasy (is that a real word?) than sin and its consequences. The word Christmas, literally translated means, “Christ’s Mission.” What is His mission? He would say it is to “seek and save those who are lost.” Sin has consequences, eternal ones. Jesus came to earth to one day atone for our sins and He took upon Himself the consequences of our sins. So, Merry Christmas!
Practice: We don’t need more stuff to do. We need to figure out what is of utmost importance and do that, forgetting some of the other busy stuff that occupies so much of our limited time, energy, and resources. This indicted an entire church in Ephesus. “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work…But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!” Even with the best of intentions, if we’re not careful, we can neglect that which is most important, loving God and loving others. How would you rate yourself with loving God and loving others?
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