Author: NBibens

In 2 Timothy 4:7-8 Paul says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” Paul was not arrogant or self-righteous, but he could confidently claim he had faithfully served Jesus. Thus, he trusted Jesus’ promise to grant him an eternal reward. Paul used that great hope to exhort faithfulness in Timothy and all Christians. The reward Paul looked forward to is available to anyone who has loved the appearing of Jesus. 

Many hated Jesus’ first appearance, and many will be terrified of His return. But those who love Jesus and faithfully serve Him can look in anticipation, excitement, and love for His return. Do you love Jesus? Do you love what He did and accomplished? Would you love to see Him return today?

Everyone faces hindrances. Sometimes, we are hindered by mental or spiritual things. Other times, our hindrances may be physical. For example, Luke 19:3 says of Zacchaeus, “And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature.” Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus but couldn’t because he was short! But Zacchaeus did not let his disadvantage stop him. Instead, he found a sycamore tree to climb up to see Jesus. Now, this might seem like a trivial hindrance with an easy fix. But it still teaches us an important lesson.

All of us face any number of disadvantages. Health issues, past experiences, weaknesses, choices, and so many other things can threaten to keep us away from the Lord. But what will we do to overcome those hindrances? Will we make excuses, or like Zacchaeus, will our desire to be with the Lord be greater than our disadvantages? 

Hebrews 13:12-13 says, “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.”

When the Israelites escaped Egypt, they marched together as one camp. Within the camp, there was safety. When the tabernacle was built, it was placed in the middle of the camp. Safety, cleanliness, and community existed inside the camp. Those are hard things to give up. But the Hebrew Christians were exhorted to go to the Lord “outside the camp.” 

Turning to Jesus isn’t easy. It requires us to go against the crowd. It requires us to leave the supposed safety of what we know for the promised safety of the Lord. It requires sacrifice and courage. Sometimes, it even involves suffering. But outside the camp is where we meet the Lord. Are you ready to leave the familiar camp behind, share Christ’s reproach, and seek His saving presence outside the camp?

Our culture is hyper-focused on self. Terms like “self-care,” “self-love,” and “self-affirmations” are becoming more and more common. There may be aspects of these ideas that are helpful within a specific framework—but there is undoubtedly a grave danger here as well. All the focus on “self” tends to create self-centered and self-reliant people. And the truth is, we cannot rely on ourselves where it matters most. 

Hosea 10:13 warns: “You have plowed iniquity; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way…” We set ourselves up for failure when we turn inward for guidance, strength, and hope. We may be able to satisfy ourselves for a time, but we don’t have the know-how or the power to determine and practice what’s best and most meaningful. For that, we need God. Don’t trust in your own way—that is a path of destruction. Instead, turn to God and trust in Him. 

In Matthew 14, we read about a time when Jesus taught vast crowds in a wilderness setting. As the day drew to a close, the disciples urged Jesus to send the people away to get food. But Jesus responded with a shocking statement. He said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” The disciples were baffled. How could they possibly feed a crowd of thousands of people? They searched the crowd, and all they could come up with was five loaves and two fish. Hardly enough for everyone! But then Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.” And from that small portion, Jesus fed all the people.

Jesus challenges His followers. He pushes us to do more than we think we can. But He also does what we cannot do. The disciples found the loaves and fish, helped pass out the food, and collected leftovers. But only Jesus could feed thousands from such a small meal. Following Jesus is challenging, but He equips us to do what we can, and He accomplishes what we cannot. 

Have you ever heard great things about a new restaurant but had a disappointing experience when you finally went? Maybe the food was terrible, or the service was lacking. Or have you ever made some big purchase or taken a vacation and ended up disappointed in the results? Disappointment is a frustrating and challenging part of life. For one reason or another, many things in this life leave us unfulfilled and disappointed. But there is something that won’t disappoint—hope. 

Romans 5:5 says, “And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”^[1] Many earthly hopes never come to fruition or prove to be less than we expected. But when we place our hope in Christ, we can rest assured that such a hope will never disappoint. On the contrary, eternity will surely prove to be more than we ever imagined or hoped for. 

^[1] NET

Is God serious about His commands? Does God want us to obey His Word we find in Scripture, or is the Bible merely a guideline—a book of helpful suggestions to get us going in the general direction? 

Well, let’s consider an Old Testament example. Leviticus chapters eight and nine may seem foreign to us, with their accounts of consecrating Aaron and his sons for the priesthood and offering sacrifices. But at least ten times in those two chapters, we read that Moses, Aaron, and the people did things “as the LORD commanded them.” At the end of chapter nine, God accepts their sacrificial worship.

Then we get to chapter ten, and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, offer “unauthorized fire.” They didn’t make sweeping changes to God’s pattern—they just did something they weren’t commanded to do. And fire from God struck them dead. That lesson is an intense reminder that, yes, God is serious about His commands and expects us to obey them faithfully.