Daniel’s Weekly Devotions

This week, we look at 1 Thessalonians. As chapter 3 of this book does not have 16 verses, let’s look at 4:16 instead.

¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.— 1 Thessalonians 4:16

This is part of the passage that Paul wrote to encourage the believers not to worry about those who had died. Here is the entire context, verses 13 through 18.

¹³ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. ¹⁴ Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. ¹⁵ For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord: We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming will certainly have no advantage over those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.— 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

I remember this being read at one of my grandmother’s funerals, and it was comforting, even though I was a young child at the time. However, in this passage, there are two ways out of this world before the apocalypse. (We’ll not debate eschatology here today; as my pastor said a few weeks ago, “I’m going on - if you’re staying, send me a postcard.”)

The first of these is through death. Death is not a happy topic for anyone - the end of life on this earth means that we will accomplish no more, and that those who remain alive will no longer have the companionship of the one who has died. However, for the believer, death is not “the end,” but a transition to a new phase of life. That doesn’t make those left behind any less lonely, but it does encourage them that they will see their loved ones again. Also, as we age, many of our bodies begin to wear out, often in painful, debilitating ways. While it’s not something commonly said at the time a loved one dies, sometimes death is a gift from God, His way of saying “you’ve endured enough - come on home!”

The second of these is through being caught up in the air while still alive. For those alive when Jesus returns, this will have to be the biggest rush imaginable - better than any thrill ride at any amusement park! There have been many who have written stories about what this may be like; the best-selling of those is the Left Behind series from Jerry Jenkins and Dr. Tim LaHaye. But, the truth is, we can read Revelation for ourselves, and try to guess at what certain things might be, but we won’t know until we’re observing it from a very, very safe distance.

There is a catch, though; these two ways to escape are only for believers. The Bible paints a much more grim picture for those who do not escape. From the seal judgments described in Revelation chapter 6 and the first part of chapter 8, to the trumpet judgments described in chapters 8, 9, and the end of chapter 11, to the bowl judgments in chapter 16, the three-and-a-half years after the Rapture are not going to be pretty. For those who have not accepted Christ, this is the only choice they have.

So, then, we see that there are two paths, but only one Way. Accepting Christ as your Savior is the only way to avoid these things. As Jesus said,

⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.— John 14:6

I pray that each of you know Jesus, and have accepted Him as your Savior. He is the only way to heaven; His payment for your sins is free, but it is a gift that must be willingly accepted. If you want to learn more about this, check out God’s Simple Plan of Salvation.

Share This

This week, we’ll look at 2 Timothy 3:16 (and verse 17, to complete the sentence).

¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.— 2 Timothy 3:16-17

We know we should study the Bible. But why? When I was growing up, one of the questions they asked every Sunday, right at the start of Sunday School, was “who read their Bible every day last week?” We all wanted to be able to raise our hands; I remember, on the few occasions when I could not, I felt really bad. Back then, it wasn’t for the right reason (it was more that a lot of the other kids had their hands up), but it was the right feeling. Today’s Scripture gives us several great reasons why we should study the Bible.

First, we should study the Bible because It is Inspired by God. (”All Scripture is inspired by God…”) Inspiration literally means “God-breathed”, and is the basis of the Bible’s inerrancy (perfection). God moved through the authors to provide exactly what He wanted to. Revelation 22:18-19, while speaking directly about Revelations, speak a warning that applies to all Bible readers even today…

¹⁸ I testify to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. ¹⁹ And if anyone takes away from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, written in this book.— Revelation 22:18-19

Second, we should study the Bible because It teaches us. (”and profitable for teaching…”) Teaching is the act of imparting knowledge. Studying the Bible can increase our knowledge, and help us develop a proper Biblical world view. Being knowledgeable about Biblical principles can help us when we encounter new situations that may not be directly addressed in Scripture.

Third, we should study the Bible because It reproves us. (”…for reproof…”) Reproof is “an act or expression of criticism and censure.” (WordNet) The Bible can call us out when we fail to live us to the standards within It.

Fourth, we should study the Bible because It corrects us. (”…for correction…”) Correction is “the act of offering an improvement to replace a mistake; setting right.” (WordNet) This flows naturally after reproof, and is really one of the great things about the Bible that a lot of Christians miss. It not only tells us when we do wrong (and what we do wrong), It tells us how to make it right!

Fifth, we should study the Bible because It shows us God’s righteousness. (”…for training in righteousness;”) Righteousness is not something we can do on our own; rather, it is given to us (imputed) based on Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. We are declared to have kept the law (something we cannot do on our own) because of Jesus’ ability to keep the law. Training in righteousness helps us live up to the gift we have been given.

Sixth, we should study the Bible because It equips us. (”so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”) A soldier wouldn’t go to war without the proper equipment. The Bible is our main weapon in spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:17 expresses it this way.

¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word.— Ephesians 6:17

That covers the “why”, but the title of this devotional starts with the word “how.” Paul covered that too, but he did it in a different order than we did. In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes…

¹⁵ Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.— 2 Timothy 2:15

The answer is diligence. Reading the Bible every day, as asked by my Sunday School teachers many years ago, is an important part of Bible study. It will also help us interpret It accurately - by acquainting ourselves with the Bible, we will have no reason to be ashamed. This is important, as certain verses can be taken out of context and twisted to support an argument that is not Biblical. For example, a church used Luke 4:7 as it’s theme verse…

⁷ If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.— Luke 4:7 (KJV)

This sound like an excellent promise, doesn’t it? There’s only one teensy-weensy problem with this. Let’s read the verse in it’s context, Luke 4:5-7 (back to the HCSB, although the capitalization gives it away)…

⁵ So he took Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ The Devil said to Him, “I will give You their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. ⁷ If You, then, will worship me, all will be Yours.”— Luke 4:5-7

That doesn’t sound quite so good now, does it?

I pray that we will have the diligence to study God’s Word as we should, and that we can use what we learn to improve our relationship with Him, and our discernment in spiritual things.

Share This

Today, we take a look at 2 Peter 3:16.

¹⁶ He speaks about these things in all his letters, in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.— 2 Peter 3:16

The “he” in the beginning of the verse is Paul, who wrote many of the letters that are now books in the New Testament. This is a good recommendation from a fellow minister, but it comes with a couple of warnings.

First, Peter warns the church that some of the things which Paul has written to them are difficult to understand. This is certainly true - even today, there is often spirited debate over the meaning of some of the things Paul wrote. Of course, rather than just listening to debate, and deciding which side is more convincing, it is important to search the Scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal its interpretation. And, knowledge without application is useless - once you have determined what the Scripture says, that knowledge needs to be put into action.

The second warning Peter has for the church is that the “untaught and unstable” will try to twist what the Bible says. Man has been doing this since, quite literally, just after Creation. Let’s look at the first recorded twisting of God’s Word. God gave Adam and Eve specific instructions regarding the Garden of Eden.

¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”— Genesis 2:16-17

But when Eve is talking to the serpent a few verses later, she gets it… well, not quite right.

² The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. ³ But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.’ “— Genesis 3:2-3

Now, we don’t know whether it was Eve who got it wrong here, or if it was Adam who amplified God’s warning when he was telling Eve what God had said. But either way, what God said is not faithfully represented in Eve’s answer to the serpent. And, just as the Bible begins with this story illustrating (among other things) twisting God’s words, it ends with a warning as well.

¹⁸ I testify to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. ¹⁹ And if anyone takes away from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, written in this book.— Revelation 22:18-19

I don’t know if you’ve read the book of Revelation all the way through or not; if you have, you know that you certainly don’t want all the plagues of that book added to you!

Another application of these warnings applies to selecting a version of the Bible to use for study. Before making assumptions, research the translation philosophy, and whether the version is a literal translation or a paraphrase. Using more than one version can help you understand a tough passage.

The key in interpreting the Scripture is to be sure that you know what It says. Don’t rely on what other people say about It - what does It say? I pray that we will all study the Scriptures, and allow God to reveal His interpretation of it to us.

(Note - we’ll discuss more on Bible study when we get to 2 Timothy 3:16.)

Share This

Revelation 3:16 is our text for this week.

¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth.
— Revelation 3:16

We first should look at the context of this verse. This is the part of Revelation where Jesus is writing the letters to the seven churches, and this is from the letter to the church at Laodicea. Verses 14-22 comprise the entire letter to the Laodiceans…

¹⁴ To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

“The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation says: ¹⁵ I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy, and need nothing,’ and you don’t know that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked, ¹⁸ I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, and white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see. ¹⁹ As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent. ²⁰ Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me. ²¹ The victor: I will give him the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also won the victory and sat down with My Father on His throne.

²²“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”
— Revelation 3:14-22

In verse 14, the Author of the letter identifies Himself as “the Amen,” the “faithful and true Witness,” and the “Originator of God’s creation.” The first term is not an uncommon term - most people, when they pray, will end their prayer with “Amen.” This means “so be it,” and implies that what has preceded it is valid and true. The next term, “Witness,” reminds the readers that Jesus came and remained a faithful Witness to the Father (John 14:24b). The final term, the “Originator,” speaks to the power that the Author has over the people to whom He is talking. He existed long before they did (John 1:1), and their very existence is due to His working.

The biggest problem that Jesus has with this church (expressed in verse 16) is that it is no longer working for Him. The members aren’t actively supporting evil, but they have become lulled to sleep, as it were, while on the watch. It has been said that all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing*. This is all that Satan has to do. He doesn’t have to get us to turn to evil, he just has to get us to turn from good! He can do this through distractions, busyness, or, in the case of the Laodiceans, complacency.

As is always the case, though, Jesus doesn’t just find fault; He tells the church what they need to do. They had a false view of themselves in their minds, which He identifies in verse 17. They think that they are rich, and have fine clothes, and are well-fed, not realizing that they are actually poor, naked, and hungry. They are like the person described in James 1:23-24, that look at themselves in the mirror, then immediately forget what they just saw. The church knew better, and Jesus had better things in store for them. In verse 18, He offers them the very best in wealth, clothing, and food; and, in verse 19, He assures them that He rebukes those that He loves. This echoes Hebrews 12:8, where the author contends that if you don’t receive correction, you are not a child of God.

If the passage stopped there, that would be good enough. But it doesn’t! In verses 20 and 21, Jesus offers them even more - a personal, intimate relationship with Him. The picture is beautiful; ever a gentleman, He stands at the door and knocks. If we let Him into our hearts, we can have fellowship with Him; and, though this fellowship begins here on earth, we will also be together with Him, victorious over sin, and will be with Him on His throne! What a transformation - from making God vomit (v. 16) to reigning with Him (v. 21)!

The key to this is in verse 20. He is standing at the door and knocking. If you have never let Him in before, I pray that you will consider it. If you have, but have been shutting him out, filling your heart with everything but Him, I pray that you will let Him back in. He can do wonders in cleaning out the dust and grime, but He’s not interested in making you feel badly about it. He simply yearns for that fellowship with you - whether you let Him in is your call.

* This quote is commonly attributed to Edmund Burke, but cannot be confirmed to him - see the “Quotes” section of the link.

Share This