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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 1 December 2023:
Micah 6:6-8 – “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
We can make religion far too complicated doing all sorts of things God never asked of us rather than doing the simple things He did command. There are many Christians wearing themselves out today with religious activities which have not helped them learn to walk humbly and faithfully with God. In fact, religious activities (and other acts of service) can be one of the primary issues detracting from a person’s intimacy with God day by day. In one study, for example, 83% of surveyed pastors said “busyness” was the top obstacle to spiritual growth.
Most Christians understand the need to avoid pointless activities or potentially harmful activities, but many fall into the trap of substituting “good deeds” for abiding in the Lord (see John 15). When we allow activity to detract from our prayer life, our Bible study, our solitude, and our personal relationships, we sacrifice the very intimacy with God which enables us to do anything of value for Him, and spiritually we wither – “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
– Haggai 1:6 — You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.
When we substitute acts of service for intimacy, we can also become prideful and resentful as we learned from the story of Martha’s resentment of Mary –
– Luke 10:38-42 — Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Martha’s ‘service’ or busyness became a hindrance to her relationships with Jesus and with her sister instead of a joyful gift of love to them. If your religious activities (or other activities) rob you of your intimacy with the Lord, your joy and your humility, return to the Lord’s feet and listen to Him and be refreshed by Him.
We can certainly be distracted with activities and substitute business for intimacy and faithful service, but there is a big difference between being pridefully busy and busy serving the Lord, with the Lord, and through the Lord. In fact, when truly serving the Lord, in genuine fellowship with Him, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we may find ourselves busier than anyone might think humanly possible, yet thriving and blossoming in the Lord, continually radiating joy, peace, and thankfulness. After all, God created us to work, and He commanded us to love Him with ALL our strength (Gen 2:15; Luke 10:27). Most Christian commentaries have nothing good to say about busyness. However, when we are busy with the Lord, even while doing everyday tasks, we might discover our greatest intimacy with Him as we live out the life for which He has created us.
At one point, you might recall from Matthew 12, the disciples had grown so hungry while ministering with Jesus, they began plucking heads of grain to eat in the grainfields on the Sabbath, greatly angering the Pharisees who had not experienced this busy, physically exhausting intimacy with Jesus. Ironically, this incident recorded in Matthew 12 occurs “at that time,” right after Jesus had said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Labor while yoked with Jesus is easy, and light burden, even a joyful, and sanctifying. Labor apart from Lord, even acts of service to others, is vain, wearisome, anxious toil, a crushingly heavy load which one ultimately cannot bear for long – “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” (Psalm 127:2)
– 1 Thessalonians 2:9-12 — For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
– 2 Thessalonians 3:7-8 — For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.
– Isaiah 40:28-31 — Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
– 1 Chronicles 16:11 — Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!
– Ephesians 6:10 — Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
– Philippians 4:13 — I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
– From Henry T. Blackaby – “God never conceals His expectations from us. We never have to guess how we should live. In response to the misguided ways in which people sought to please God, the prophet Micah clearly explained what God does and does not expect. The people asked: Should we come to God with many offerings? Should we bring a thousand rams and ten thousand rivers of oil? Would God be pleased if we gave our firstborn child to Him to express our devotion? (Mic. 6:6-7). Micah’s response was straightforward: ‘He has shown you, O man, what is good.’ Micah listed three things God desires. First, He wants us to show justice. The desire to receive justice is not enough. We must also be absolutely just in the way we treat others. If we have given our word, we should keep it with complete integrity. If we have people working for us, we should treat them as fairly as Jesus would. We should act justly in every relationship. Second, we are to love mercy. The knowledge that we have received undeserved mercy from God should motivate us to show mercy to others. We must resist the temptation to retaliate against those who have wronged us, choosing to show them mercy instead. Finally, God requires us to walk humbly with Him. God does not ask us for spectacular acts of service—He asks for humility. At times we try to make the Christian life far more complicated than it is. We may hide behind questions about the Bible or uncertainty about the second coming of Christ. We can allow ourselves to become distracted in order to avoid confronting what God has clearly told us to do today. If we strive to be completely obedient in the basics, the more complex assignments will become clear.”
Micah 6:14 — You shall eat, but not be satisfied.
Sinners are never satisfied.
Revelation 2:1-7 — 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.”
Ephesus is the first church Jesus addresses in the book of Revelation. The church in Ephesus was planted by Paul with the direct support of Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos. For more background on the church of Ephesus, see Acts 18-20 and the Book of Ephesus. The letter to the church of Ephesus is a message we are to take to heart as well and receive as both a warning and a promise.
Jesus, “who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands,” commends Ephesus for their works, toil, patient endurance, rejection of false teachers, and hatred of the works of the Nicolaitans (who likely accepted sexual immorality). The church members in Ephesus were strong defenders of the doctrine of the Gospel in a metropolitan, multicultural city well known as a center for occultic arts, and the church’s fidelity required great perseverance under social pressure and persecution. Certainly, we can appreciate the challenges associated with being an influence without being influenced by a godless society and facing the condemnation associated with proclaiming Christ and Christ alone in a culture of ‘tolerance’ and moral relativism. The church in Ephesus stood strong, yet Jesus warned them of a potentially fatal flaw – “You have abandoned the love you had at first.”
Apparently, in their staunch defense of the truth, the church in Ephesus had become unloving. Paul had previously warned them to speak “the truth in love” and to “walk in love as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 4:16, 5:2) Apparently, the Ephesian church new the truth but had in some way abandoned the love upon which truth is grounded – “If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2) They spoke the truth but didn’t “walk in love as Christ loved us” and subsequently failed to “do the works [they] did at first.” The warning and challenge for us revealed in Jesus’ message to the church in Ephesus is to remain faithful to the truth and to love. As Dennis Johnson of Ligonier Ministries states –
“Keeping a firm grip on both poles — truth and love — is a constant challenge for redeemed sinners who swing like pendulums from one extreme to another. Too often, churches and their leaders either stand for biblical truth vigorously but lovelessly or else they preserve apparent unity and love at the expense of truth. Of course, when the truth of the gospel truly grasps our hearts, love for others must result; and, by the same token, the love that delights Jesus grows only in the rich soil of fidelity to God’s truth. Jesus’ sobering threat to remove the Ephesians’ lampstand — to snuff out this truth-loving congregation’s witness to truth amid its pagan community — shows how seriously He regards His summons to blend doctrinal fidelity to the Bible with sacrificial love for the saints.”
Jesus concludes His message to the church in Ephesus with a promise – “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Let’s hang on to that promise and speak the truth in love.
Revelation 2:14, 15, 20 — You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam… so that they might… practice sexual immorality…. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans…. you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality.
God warns his churches that syncretism (the blending of God’s truth with the world’s lies) will destroy the churches if not stopped. Despite their “toil and… patient endurance… and bearing up”; despite their ‘holding fast’ to the Name of God and their refusal to deny their faith; despite their ever-increasing “love and faith and service and patient endurance,” the influence of the world around them threatens to erode their holiness, salt and light, thereby rendering them powerless and worthless as a church. It starts with ‘tolerance’ of evil within the church which turns into acceptance of evil within the church. Soon the word of God is filtered by God’s people to accommodate their sins which are abhorrent to God and misrepresent His character and His will before the world. The Bible points out over and over again that sexual sin is the most obvious or blatant indicator of infidelity to God. First the church starts to tolerate sexual sin (this usually starts with entertainment); then the church accepts it; then we stop preaching about it or, even worse, we pervert the word of God to justify current cultural norms. We do all this in the name of ‘love.’ However, the Provider of Grace has a much different message to the churches – “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.” (Revelation 2:5)
God will not tolerate sexual immorality within the body and will “war” against it. God strictly forbids sex outside the covenant marriage of one man and one woman. All other sexual activity is an abomination. Remember, this is Jesus speaking. Don’t let anyone convince you that His grace accommodates unrepentant sin after salvation.
Again, God forbids you to tolerate any form of sexual immorality. Don’t view inappropriate things and then go to the Lord in prayer, expecting God to honor your prayer. Purify yourself.
Revelation 2:9 — 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.
Christians must be willing to really pay the price for doing the right thing. Wealth obtained in an ungodly way (like taking advantage of others or working for ungodly organizations) is not wealth at all. To be faithful to God, you might have to pass up on opportunities to get what you desire.
See how many places the Bible points out that the church will go through the tribulation. Many Christians think they will escape the suffering that comes when God judges their nations.
Revelation 2:10, 11 – 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.”
God will let His faithful servants suffer and die, and He warns them not to be afraid of their earthly demise. He will reward them for eternity. You likely won’t hear this message preached in the “seeker sensitive” church.
Revelation 2:21 – …she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
Once again, God will not tolerate sexual immorality.
Revelation 2:26, 27 – 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.
Those who are most faithful will rule on earth with Jesus in His new Kingdom; not everyone receives a position of leadership in that kingdom. “Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 1 December 2023: Consider your busyness. Are you yoked with the Lord in your labors? Pray that God will help you replace your vain, needless, anxious, wearisome toil with labors of genuine, spirit-led love and that He will give you the strength to be even busier joyfully doing exactly what He wants you to do.
Defenders Bible Reading Plan 