“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:17)

            Don’t confuse the cure with the disease.  Jesus came to fix the problem, not to create it.  Our sins already condemn us – accepting the truth of the Bible doesn’t create the problem anymore than visiting a doctor creates the cancer.  The Word of God illuminates our sin, and proximity to Jesus highlights our deficiencies, but the judgment exists without Jesus.

            Turning on the lights shows you where all the cockroaches are, but it doesn’t make the cockroaches.  Draw near to Jesus, and you will find the darkest parts of you illuminated, but you will also find them skittering away.  Many keep Jesus and the Scriptures at arm’s length for fear of judgment and what they might find – that judgment is already there.  Walk into the light that He might cure you. Denial is not an acceptable replacement for forgiveness.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:24-25)

            There is a distinct difference between forgiveness and trust.  Jesus loves all men, but that doesn’t mean that He trusts all men.  There will be people in your life who you love… but can’t trust.  You can even forgive them, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to put up healthy boundaries.  That is one lesson from this passage in John.

            Here is the other one – Jesus already knows your junk.  He knows your tendencies toward selfishness and rationalization.  He knows that you will let Him down and that the kind of person you want to be will sometimes fail to show up.  He knows your sin, and He still came to die for you.  Remember that.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.”  (John 1:9)

            Light is indiscriminate.  We can attempt to hide from it, but it hides from no one.  Light just shines directly upon all things.  It doesn’t bend itself to the will of others.  Jesus is the light of the world.

            The entire world is a better place because of Jesus’ light.  Even those who hate Him or deny Him are blessed because He lived here on earth and died upon the cross.  He enlightens every man, even His enemies.  As Jesus’ people, we should follow in His footsteps.  Do good to all, be a truth teller, and be gracious.  If you emulate Jesus, even if no one listens, all will be better off because you came into their world.

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“…they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:4)

            Face-to-face communication is far superior to all other forms of interaction.  Facial expressions, tone, inflection, and a thousand other audio and visual cues are better transmitted in person than over text, email, or even phone.  It is hard to properly tell someone how you really feel and fully convey it without physically being in their presence.

            Someday, Jesus will tell you how He feels about you face-to-face.  Someday, you will be able to do the same.  What a day that will be!

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“… and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning or crying or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

            In Revelation, John calls mourning, crying, and pain “first things”.  It is almost like this life is a type of birth.  When a child is born, there are pains, tears, and crying.  Birth comes with birth pains.  However, as Jesus told Nicodemus, we are born again as Christians.  We get a new life with a new hope and a new future… but it also comes with new birth pangs.

            This entire life here on earth will eventually be a footnote for you.  This short, little vapor of a lifetime will seem like nothing in the heavenly scale of chronology… but it is a season of pangs.  Heartache happens here, bitter defeats and setbacks occur, frustrations, and sorrows pang us as we travel out of the womb of this life toward the open gates of heaven.  This is part of the process.  You aren’t doing it wrong; it just is part of the path to new life.

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“…and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.” (Revelation 20:12)

            Imagine playing a game, but you aren’t told the rules or goals.  Wouldn’t it be frustrating every time you were penalized for breaking something you hadn’t been taught?  Or imagine taking a test but not being told what the material was that would be covered.  Nobody likes feeling judged, but if we have to be judged, at least it would be nice to know the expectations ahead of time!

            Judgment is coming (whether we like it or not), but thankfully, God tells us what we will be judged by.  The books which will be opened and used to judge us are the books of the Bible.  Jesus tells us that His words will judge us (see Jhn 12:46-50).  No surprises.  We are told what is coming in advance.  Life is an open book test… so we better open the book!

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Revelation 19:8)

            What if I told you that how you behaved affected your beauty?  Would you behave differently if good works made you drop a few pounds? Or if kindness to strangers improved your complexion?  What would happen if the path to a better body was a better character?  I have a feeling, if that was how it worked, we would see a pretty quick uptick in good Samaritans.  Every celebrity and debutante would be feeding the homeless and helping little old ladies cross the street!

            In the imagery of Revelation, we are shown that our righteous acts do clothe us.  God cares a lot more about someone acting ugly than whether or not someone dresses ugly.  Our heavenly beauty is determined by who we choose to be with our lives, who we serve, how often we serve, and our dedication to doing the work that glorifies God.  Turns out, pretty really is as pretty does.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.” (Revelation 18:5)

            Though God is loving, He is also just.  Our heavenly Father wishes to forgive everyone, but He cannot forgive what is not repented of, and He cannot forgive what has not been laid at the foot of the cross.  If Jesus hasn’t washed your sins away, they will continue to pile up, and they will be remembered.

            God endured the sins of the wicked nation of Rome for a time… but not forever.  Their idolatry, their sexual immorality, their greed, and their pride eventually piled up as high as heaven, and judgment came.

            If you are not right with God, remember judgment deferred is not the same as judgment canceled.

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“These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14)

            There are three truths in this passage which are vital for all Christians to understand.

#1 There is a war against the Lamb.  Wars are hard and painful, and there will be suffering and pain.  Oftentimes, we expect Christianity to make our lives better in the short-term, but this is nowhere backed by Scripture.  Following Jesus far more often is likely to cause you grief and hardship here on earth. See Acts 14:22 for Paul’s warning on this subject.

#2 Jesus is the ultimate authority.  The voice of the majority, traditions, culture, or even your own conscience or feelings is not the final judge.  Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.  How you or anyone else feels about you doesn’t matter.  His opinion is the only one that counts.

#3 Jesus will overcome, and all those who are with Him will join in the victory, too.  The pattern of Revelation is played out over and over again throughout history and ultimately on the Judgment Day, too.  Jesus wins, and the only thing that matters is whether or not you are with Him or against Him.  Choose your calling accordingly.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites

“…and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.” (Revelation 16:9b)

            One of the hardest aspects of repentance is the relinquishment of self-governance.  It is easy to change our behavior as long as we still feel like we are in control, but repentance requires both a change of action and a change of mind.  The repentant sinner recognizes and glorifies God while accepting his/her own humiliation.  We are unworthy of governing ourselves.  We require a Master and Commander.  We need a King to tell us what to do and how to do it.  The fruits of our self-governed lives have been failure.

            Repentance gives Him the glory and recognizes our own shame.

Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites