Daily Bible Devotionals

“The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Originator of God’s creation says: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:14b-16 (HCSB)

What a bummer to be the church of Laodicea! They are forever known as the “lukewarm” church. I have performed over 1000 concerts around the world. Most of them were in church ministry settings. Sadly, I have seen far too many “lukewarm” ministries. The church of Laodicea, while barely showing signs of life, is still alive, well-marketed, and well-attended in our generation.

Here’s what I mean. Let’s say a preacher moves to a city. He gathers a group of believers, buys a building & sound equipment, and advertises to the community, “Come!”  But when people show up, the preacher never teaches the Bible to be understood comprehensively; he never exposes sin, warns of the coming wrath, or challenges with urgency that people must believe in Jesus.  

Afraid of scaring people away, that pastor only highlights the positive aspects of the Gospel…love, acceptance, and peace. While this approach may draw a sizeable crowd with interesting topics, highly involved productions, and activities, nobody’s life is being “transformed.”  The congregation eventually becomes more like a Bible-themed club.

That’s a lukewarm church. It’s not entirely “Cold” because it utilizes Biblical principles. But it’s not “Hot,” either, because it denies the power & the passion of God’s Spirit to move boldly.

While it’s reasonably easy to understand why God would want people to be Hot with zeal, why would He wish anyone were Cold? I believe God would desire a Cold person because a Cold person is under no delusion that they are saved!  

Cold people live for themselves. They’re in the World, and they know it. A Cold person is more likely to become a believer because when confronted with the Gospel, they can compare it to their lives and see a marked difference. Eventually, they may hear the Gospel, backed up by the white-hot testimony and lifestyle of a passionate believer. In response, the non-believer would be more likely to trade their worldliness for God’s righteousness, becoming a faithful follower of Jesus. Are you yet to believe in Jesus? Have you traditionally been “cold” to the Gospel? I pray you will believe it today! Because while Jesus is the only Way, He liberally offers salvation to anyone who would turn from their sins and believe. “...today is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

But if you are already a believer, living a Worldly lifestyle, consider Joshua:

“But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve….” Joshua 24:15 (NKJV)

“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in God’s paradise.” Revelation 2:7 (HCSB)

“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death.” Revelation 2:11 (HCSB)

“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.”  Revelation 2:17 (HCSB)

“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:29 (HCSB)

There is an old saying, “Born once, die twice. Born twice, die once.”  “Born once” means rejecting the gospel and living only for this world. When such a person dies, they actually have died twice because they were dead in their sins while alive, and now, through physical death, they are dead for all eternity, separated from God.

When a person is “Born twice,” it means they have recognized they were born, dead in sin, and have received the “New Life” offered by Messiah…who died on our behalf. That person “lives twice” because they were given life on earth, plus eternal life with the Lord in Heaven. In today’s passage, the apostle John speaks of the benefits of listening to God’s Spirit and following the Messiah. He is speaking of being “born twice” or, as the Bible puts it, “born again.”  

The believer (called a “victor” because, through Jesus, they have obtained victory over death) lives forever with God. This is illustrated by the image of eating from the “Tree of Life.” It carries the idea that whoever eats from it has life and will never cease eating from it. Again, John writes the “victor” will never be harmed by “second death.” Concerning being a victor, referencing Psalm 44:22, Isaiah 53:7, and Zechariah 11:4-7, in his epistle to the Romans, Paul said:

“No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him Who loved us.” Romans 8:37 (HCSB)

John goes on to say the victor will be given “hidden manna,” which represents God’s miraculous provision and sustaining of His people.

Finally, we are to receive “a white stone” inscribed with a new name, signifying that God will remember us…not for who we were (our old name) but for who we have become (new name) by grace, through faith in Messiah Jesus.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Revelation 1. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh." Jude 20-23 (NKJV)

How do we build ourselves up in the faith? It’s much the same way bodybuilders increase muscle mass: little by little. Let’s say a fitness trainer wants you to lift 300 lbs. Maybe that’s easy for some of you, but for most of us, it’s downright impossible! So, how do we reach our goal?  

The fitness trainer assesses your strength and pushes your limits a little. Whenever you reach that goal, the trainer increases the limit…eventually challenging you to lift all 300lbs. If you can’t meet your goal, the trainer is right there to “spot” you, literally lifting the weight off you.    

Seldom does God demand a new believer to perform at the highest possible faith level. We mostly start with simple beliefs. Maybe we walk an aisle or pray a prayer, but it’s hardly a Herculean leap of faith in the beginning. We do the basics: prayer, Bible study, and Godly community. Pretty soon, God calls us to do something we don’t think we can accomplish…but we meet the challenge through His power.

Our faith doesn’t grow until the object of our faith is reached. Once we’ve reached our goal, perhaps we can rest a bit. At the very least, we say, “Thank you, Lord!” Eventually (and sometimes immediately), He steps up the challenge…and off we go again. That’s how faith grows. God doesn’t just “Poof!” bestow faith. We build faith upon faith. Of course, He’s always there to “spot” us.

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation, He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (HCSB)

We should grow stronger and wiser enough to become trainers ourselves. Because Jesus has mercifully “spotted” us when we doubted, we have learned to show mercy to others who doubt. Because He has valiantly “Saved” us from God’s wrath (and continues to rescue us from various scenarios), we accept the call to “snatch others from the fire.”  Some challenges will seem impossible, but we must trust God because He always chooses rightly. Our faith to move forward is emboldened when we remember His past faithfulness.

“Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically just as you are spiritually.” 3 John 2 (HCSB)

It’s a natural inclination to value our physical needs above spiritual ones. We often have a higher opinion of God when we’re successful. We generally say, “God is good, because I have everything I need.”  Ironically, we call on God less when we are successful.

When times are difficult, we generally have a lower opinion of God. We ask, “Lord, why are You allowing these troubles?”  Strangely, though, it’s during hard times that we call on God the most because we’re most aware of our helplessness.

Here’s what Jesus says our priorities should be:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” Matthew 6:33 (NASB)

The bottom line is that a paradigm shift is for many of us. We must move beyond the concept of God, which views Him as a “genie” whom we order to provide things we want. Instead, we must acknowledge Him as Lord and recognize the un-surpassingly abundant value of His grace towards us…something He has already done for us. If we had proper value for what He has done for us, we would be more likely to ask what we could do for Him!  

Our relationship with God is lost whenever earthly prosperity (or the lack thereof) is more important than spiritual prosperity. God’s top priority is for His purposes to be accomplished. While He doesn’t need us to establish His agenda, He chooses to give us limited participation in the process.  

As a general rule, the acquisition of earthly abundance is not an adequate means to establish our long-term faithfulness. Conversely, our enduring hardship and experience of God’s faithfulness through adversity draw us closer to Him. It is only after we recognize the frailness of our humanity that we best perceive our dependence on Him, as well as the abundance of His great love and provision towards us.

What if our EARTHLY prosperity & health were proportional to our SPIRITUAL prosperity and health? What if they were dependent on each other? How would you fare? Suppose someone followed us around, taking notes. What if, after a month, he had to write you a “blessing”? Would he hope you would prosper “as your soul prospers,” or would he hope your soul could catch up with your physical and Worldly prosperity?

I pray that as you grow in Messiah Jesus, your health and earthly success will match your spiritual awakening.

“And this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love.”  2 John 6 (HCSB)

Funny, this devotional will be longer than the whole book of 2nd John!

As a young believer, I really wanted to honor the Lord in all I did. But I was unwilling to submit to the Lord when it came to dating relationships. My attitude problem brought me great trouble! I used to get so uncomfortable sitting through sermons on love & dating. I knew what the Bible said concerning the subject, but I continued to disobey God’s Word. I simply didn’t want to submit. I had my idea of what love was, and I wasn’t willing to accept God’s definition.

Steely Dan once sang, “The things that pass for knowledge, I can’t understand.”  I would say the same about love. Much of what passes for “love” in our society…even among professing followers of Jesus…is just plain fleshly lust & desire. To be blunt, pre-marital sex is not love. For believers, it is the opposite. It communicates this idea: “I know it offends God, and I know it makes you a partner in that offense, but I don’t care.”  

I remember a close friend sitting down and trying to discuss my sin issues, helping to lead me in the way of righteousness, so to speak. I knew he was right, but something deep inside kept telling me, “You’re in love! Listen to your heart because nobody understands you like me!”  Let’s just say it wasn’t God’s voice.

God created sex, and we are sexual creatures. But that doesn’t mean our carnal drives should override God’s Word. True love is not an overwhelming feeling or emotion that lifts us and carries us away from honoring the Lord. True love is just the opposite. It is walking according to His commandments, surrendering our desires, and making our flesh submit to His purposes.

“Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 (HCSB)

Just as Jesus loved us, we are commanded to love others. True love says, “I will honor the Lord by upholding the honor & reputation of my Lord, my church, my partner, and myself.”

“Walking in love” means walking according to God’s commands. What’s more, confronting a sin issue and convincing a brother (or sister) to turn back to the Lord is not being judgmental. It is love in action. And it may just save a fellow believer from a load of trouble and shame.

“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the One who is born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One. We are in the true One – that is in His Son Messiah Jesus. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:18-21 (HCSB)

The Biblical ideas of “sinning” are not as clear-cut as one might think. Obviously, followers of the Messiah, Jesus, sin. Otherwise, Jesus would not have needed to teach His disciples to pray:

“And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.”  Matthew 6:12 (NKJV)

Also, earlier in 1 John, the apostle exhorted:

“My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Messiah Jesus the Righteous One.”  1 John 2:1 (HCSB)

So, what does John mean when he says, “Everyone born of God does not sin”? He is referring to the Jewish concept of “sinning willfully.”  More than simply sinning on purpose, “sinning willfully” means approaching the Lord without an atoning sacrifice.

“He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the World.”  1 John 2:2 (HCSB)

When it comes to approaching the Lord, the follower of Jesus never sins “willfully.”  Although they may sin of their free will, they never approach the Lord without atonement. That is how John can exhort believers in Jesus (like ourselves) who sin, yet later make the statement that believers do not sin. Of course, we sin, but we can stand before the Lord boldly because our sin has been atoned for. (Hebrews 4:14-16)

This is also part of why John is going to such great lengths to make sure people know that a true believer would never abuse God’s grace long term. Instead, true believers live to obey the Lord’s commands out of thankfulness for having their sins atoned for.

Finally, John ends his letter by eluding to the Tri-unity of God. He uses the Hebrew understanding that God is “ONE” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) to describe the Messiah, God the Father, and the One who “has given us understanding,” which is the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Whom Jesus sends to all believers at the moment they believe.

Any other concept of God is a lie of the “evil one,” and thus idolatry. We must stay away from any teaching that denies (or adds to) these attributes of God.

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the World. This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Messiah Jesus has come in the flesh is from God.” 1 John 4:1-2 (HCSB)

A few years back, I worked for a church in Chicago. When the church renovated its offices, I often took the train downtown and worked from a coffee shop. At lunchtime, I would walk across the street to the Chicago Art Institute.

One of my favorite sections of the museum was the modern art exhibit. As a kid, I remember seeing some of those paintings in textbooks and wondering what kindergartener painted them! Abstract art can seem boring in books, but it can be quite compelling in person.

God’s Spirit, alive in a person, has an even more riveting effect! Reading the accounts of the apostles often seems black & white and clinical. One can feel detached from the page. But when you are confronted with an actual Spirit-filled believer, faith in the Messiah takes on a whole new dimension!    

Many profess to know the secrets of God. Many call themselves “experts and teachers,” even amassing large followings. They may be highly educated and have instant answers to criticism. Some of them become extremely wealthy from their “ministries.” Yet, none of that external evidence guarantees the person is speaking on behalf of God on any particular issue. This scenario was true even among the early Messianic (Christian) community, so John felt compelled to address it.

To not be led astray by false teaching, how can we test the spirits? First off, we should know the Bible. God would never contradict His Word, nor would His spokesmen. I teach the Bible linearly (chapter-by-chapter) instead of topically because I want people to understand the Bible as an entire narrative…how it all fits together. I personally seek to have a comprehensive knowledge of God’s Word so that when a person says, “I have heard from the Lord!” I respond, “Show me in the Bible where God would agree with you.” I never rely on a “gut feeling.”

There are many “spirits” or “suggestions” offering spiritual direction. Many of them cozy up nicely with a person’s belief in Jesus. The best counterfeits are those that look like the real thing. In the end, the source of all spiritual direction is either the Lord or Satan. How must we discern the truth amid such mixed messages? We cannot assume to know God’s unrevealed will for our lives unless we pursue His revealed will, the Bible.  

Think of it this way: A sign of sickness is a “Gut feeling.” Only the Bible brings true healing.

“Look at how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the World does not know us is that it didn’t know Him.” 1 John 3:1 (HCSB)

I recently saw a documentary on “Children of the Rich & Famous.” To me, the kid who stood out most was Paris Hilton. It’s not because she’s a pop singer, a fashion model, or a reality TV diva. It’s because I used to live in hotel rooms, touring around the globe in a rock band.

When a band is just starting out, nobody pays them any money! They usually drive a rusty van and sleep on strangers’ floors and in run-down hotels. Glamorous, huh?

I remember one concert promoter early in my career. He put us up in a Hilton hotel. It was incredible! The carpet didn’t smell like stale beer, and the sheets didn’t have stains. There wasn’t the “38-caliber” 2 am wake-up call we had become accustomed to.   For me, Hilton meant Heaven!

Enter Paris. What upset me so much was that she had diminished the Hilton name to “Motel 6” status.

How well do God’s children represent the name they have inherited? I often think about that question, usually whenever I have to make a decision that involves me choosing to be a servant or be served! What about you? Have you entered a saving relationship with Jesus? How have you represented and honored the new name the Lord has given you?

The third commandment says: “Do not take the Lord’s name in vain.” Many followers of Jesus believe this commandment tells us not to use God’s name as a curse word. While it is never a good idea to flippantly say the Lord’s name, the 3rd commandment is actually telling us a whole other thing.

The 3rd commandment carries the idea that we should not “receive” the Lord’s name in vain. That is, don’t receive His Name (as a bride receives a groom’s name) and then act like you’re still married to the World.

I am glad I experienced “Hilton,” the hotel before I learned of “Hilton,” the heiress. Let’s pray she comes to know Jesus in a saving way soon. The apostle John says the World does not know us because it does not know God. Let’s do our best to live at a level of Biblical integrity, with hopes that the World chooses to know God because they know us...not despite knowing us.