Rev 1-3

"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." verses 3:19-20

The first chapter really sets the stage for both these chapters and the rest of the book of Apocalypse (aka the Revelation of John). Not only does it set up that this is a vision from God to John and the churches, but sets the imagery he saw of the one "like a son of man" who stands before the seven lampstands and holds the seven stars, which are explained to be the seven churches in Asia and the seven angels or messengers.

Chapters 2 and 3 are the seven letters to the churches. Each begins with an addressed church and a characteristic of the sender. The main portion of the letter varies from church to church, but begins with a statement of knowledge speaking of specific situations or actions or trials. At the end is the phrase "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." and then a promise to those who overcome.

Most often the thing He knows is their deeds: hard work and perseverance; love and faith, service and perseverance, doing more than at the beginning; kept my word, not denied my name. These are good, but other deeds are rebuked: "You have forsaken your first love", holding to false teachings, tolerating sin, "you are neither cold nor hot", "I have not found your deeds complete".

Their deeds were incomplete, but in each case He doesn't really tell them to do all that much but to hold on, persevere, be faithful, repent, wake up, endure patiently, open the door as we hear Him knock and allow Him to enter. Ultimately it isn't by our deeds that we "will walk with [Him] dressed in white". Only by going to Him are we made rich, pure, and can see clearly. Ultimately, only in Him can we overcome.Only He has overcome sin and death.

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Each letter speaks to a different situation, to rebuke and correct that we may repent and be found in Him when the hour comes. But we are told to hear what the Spirit says to the churches, not just one.

The letter to the Church in Philadelphia is the one that has spoken to me the most (I won't go into it now), but they all to a degree speak to situations I am in now or in the past. And listening to the Spirit speak the idea to hold firm, pursue holiness, and endure to the end really speaks to me.

Tiens ferme. "Je viens bientôt; tiens ferme ce que tu as, afin que personne ne prenne ta couronne" v.3:11 (OST)

1 John 3-4

Some thoughts from the last time I read 1John3-4 in April

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

What does it mean to be a child of God? What is the significance of the word lavished? If that is what we are, how can this be seen practically in our lives?

What we will be has not yet been made known. So, I guess it doesn't really matter as much as the fact that we are His children. No matter what happens, you are always your father's child. This is how it is with God as well. When you are adopted by Him, He will never leave or forsake you.

But it says we shall be like Him. What does that mean? We will not be gods. That is sure. For God alone, the perfect three-in-one image of diversity and unity, is worthy of all our praise. We deserve none. But it says we shall see Him as He is. This being one of the characteristics of Christ. Seeing the Father for all that He is. That's gonna be amazing. If only based on the little bits and pieces we see of Him now, God is absolutely world shatteringly awesome and powerful, yet lavish in His eternally driven and passionate love for those He has created in His image.

All with this hope purify themselves. Do we purify ourselves? I mean, it does say it, but what does it /say/? Cuz it's pretty evident experientially that this is a losing battle. In chapter two it says to young men "you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one." This strongly reflects Psa119:11 and Eph6:17. And more so, it is He who purifies, He who "take away our sins", and He shall make us holy as He is holy, to reflect more and more of His image (2Cor3:18).

They will not continue in sin because God's seed (the Word of God) is in them!

Whoa! Awesome. Exactly what the other passages were saying!

To destroy the devil's work. Does this include those who are being drawn to sin? I don't think so, but those who are of the devil (what does that mean?) I guess so. For you know we were all at one point objects of this wrath; we were deserving of punishment. We are deserving of this wrath.

I think this is where the lavishness of God's love comes in. Instead of wrath, He poured it out on Christ that we might be adopted into His family; given the right to become His children.

But now is when we are strengthened by Him, strengthened by His Word, and strengthened by His Spirit and the hope that will never fade. May we continue to reflect more of Him and truly be children of God, pure and blameless by His blood and that even, by being born of Him, we /Cannot/ go on sinning.

1 John 1-2

"因为黑暗正在消逝，真光已经在照耀"

This is a part of 1 John chapter 2 verse 8 in simplified Chinese characters. It says "because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining."

Both before and after this verse is a discussion of light and darkness.

God is light and in him is no darkness.

But we are not like this. We do not produce light, but sometimes we act like it. We put on this mask that shows the world we are perfect, that we are never sad, we are never upset. This applies to both Christians and non-Christians. We want ourselves to look good, no matter what is happening on the inside. Whether it is to get a girlfriend or boyfriend, to get a good job, to get the things we crave and desire above all else, we will present the best in ourselves. We boast in our accomplishments. We share bout our joys and great lives. We only present the best side of ourselves.

Facebook. You only see happy pictures, and if someone does start sharing about real doubts or negative thoughts people judge them and say things like "you're just trying to get attention." Presenting this idea that there is no room for this real struggle.

I think especially Christians end up like this sometimes. Where now that you are Christian you have to be perfect. Jesus never said "Believe in me and you will be perfect right now and never make another bad choice or mistake".

We show our best in the light and hide anything sub-par in the shadows.

But in God there is no darkness. As we walk with him there is a continual choice being made to take the next step forward or turn to the side, back to darkness.

If we claim to have fellowship wit him, but walk in the darkness we lie and do not live by the truth.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
The man who says "I know him", but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

"Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."

This is a heavy burden on our own. But by the Spirit we are given strength and power. Ultimately, love is made complete in us. Trusting in Him for every need.

As we walk with him, our darkness will be removed and we will reflect His light more and more.

"For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world with its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." v 2:16-17

Darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. True Light. 真光。

This means so much to me since my name is "Sunshine" in Chinese. Each time I hear "真光" I am reminded how I am not the sunshine and nothing I can do would make it that way, but as I walk with Him, who is light, the darkness is removed and I can better shine His light into the darkness.

John 8:12 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.""

Will you follow in the light, or hide in the dark?

2 Tim 2

Continuing from last time,

2 Tim 1 verses 8-10 "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me His prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

God has called us not to live as the world following the lusts and passions of the flesh, given over to immorality and every kind of deceit. He has called us to holy lives for His purposes and grace.

In this chapter verses 20-22 exemplify the meaning behind these words.

"In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

Not to be rude, but we all have become articles tainted by ignoble purposes. Whether it be chasing money and success by trading in ethics and morals; chasing our own pleasure and desires leading to immorality with or without others directly involved; or even to make ourselves look better by cheating, making others look worse, or finding loop holes. By our flesh nature, we have become ignoble instruments.

This is why we needed to be saved.

For these things we would continue to be useless for the noble purposes we were made. A perfectly made exquisite vase will never hold beautiful flowers after it has been used as a spittoon.

But God saved us by Jesus, washed us in His blood, made us clean again. Now is the choice to go back to these things, or pursue holiness in Him.

If you ever wonder why you don't see people coming to Christ, why you don't have great conversations, why you feel God is far away, these things stem from a separation from God, a division caused by sin. When you pursue His kingdom and righteousness first all else will fall into place, when you abide in Him you will see fruit, fruit that will last.

If you want to see Amazing and Awesome things happen that only God can do, and to see God use you, gotta cleanse ourselves from these things on an ongoing basis and seek His Spirit to continue sanctifying us.

Does it make sense to pray for revival on campus when inside we ourselves are dying? We need revival and life in Him first.

2 Tim 1

Verses 8-10 "So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me His prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immmortality to light through the gospel."

These long sentences are an encouragement to suffer.

Not to suffer for just anything, but the greatest thing! The gospel, which is partially explained in this passage. God has saved us through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, having planned from the beginning the grace He has apportioned for each of us as He calls us to true life and holiness as part of His purposes for us.

Suffering for the gospel of life and salvation, not because of anything we have done, but what He has done for us.

Verse 11 of chapter 2. "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him;"

This death is not a death physically. This death is not dying in a war on unbelievers 'for the gospel'. This is not a cult-ish dying together now so we can be with God in life tomorrow.

This death is suffering. This death is choosing God over the things in the world that offer some breif pleasures. This death is a death to bring true life and satisfaction in God by forsaking the idols we love so much.

This death is following God wherever He calls us, at whatever time, in whatever place, at whatever personal cost, knowing that He has a plan and purpose for us that is greater than our own comfort in this moment.

1 Tim 1

In the first chapter of 1 Timothy there is a warning about false teachers, those who have turned to meaningless talk without a pure heart, good conscience, or sincere faith, desiring to teach the law. They want to be teachers of the law, but do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

"We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me." v8-11

So, how do we use law properly?
Why is it made only for those who break it?
How is the law similar to the gospel?

So, how do we use law properly? We learn the rules and we avoid breaking them. If we break them, we get punished, justly, and in the future will remember the consequences of being caught breaking them so that we avoid breaking them again. Right? But it only really works if we want to follow the laws. If we seek to just satisfy our own desires, we can blur the rules and ignore them for our own purposes.

Getting to drive you learn all about traffic signs and rules. But shortly after being able to drive a number of people just speed all the time. You've gotta get somewhere as soon as possible. As long as you don't see a cop and aren't driving by the places you typically see them, you go faster. You've never got a ticket before.

But you know what? Breaking the rules has consequences. Not the ones you are expecting.

If you speed, you deserve a high-speed death. The law was put there to avoid the consequence. You can choose to ignore it, but that's the eventual outcome. That ticket isn't a punishment. That ticket is grace for both you and the person you could have hit.


The law was made to protect those who might break it. It was not made to fix the situation, but to assist in avoiding breaking the laws, and the consequences of such.

The laws are not made by the law breakers, but by those whom have never broken the laws for the safety of everyone including those who might break them.

This is the same for the gospel. It was made for those who would break laws because unfortunately breaking the law goes on your permanent record. Once you have broken a law, there is nothing you can do to take it off your record. You can pay the penalty, but when it comes to breaking God's laws everyone ends up paying the death they deserve apart from receiving Jesus' death in their place.

"It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matt 9:12-13

1 Thes

Today I was reading and the words "God's will" appeared a couple times.

4:3-5 "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honourable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him."

5:16-18 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for that is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

So, I was wondering, what other verses are so direct about God's will for us?

>.> There was really only one verse... lol.

1 Pet 2:15 "For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men."

So what do these three tell us, for certain is God's will for us?

-Sanctification, Holiness, control of our bodies
-Joyful
-Prayer
-Giving Thanks
-Doing Good

Is this really so hard? By the Spirit He promises us sanctification as we walk with Him. As we fellowship with Him and know Him better we will delight in Him and have joy in Him. We can speak to Him any time any place. Everything we have is from above, we should be thankful always and even in hard times, we know it is all for the good of those who love Him. The last one is more vague, but the Spirit convicts us of evil and temptations and helps us.

Rom 12:1-2 By renewing our mind in Him and being transformed we can then test what His will for us is.
1 Thes 5:21 "Avoid every kind of evil"

So, there's still a lot to figure out, and definitely each individual calling will vary, but God's Spirit in us knows exactly what He has for us. Let us seek His will for us.

Col 3-4

Col 3:1-17
Ok, let's just break this passage down into things Paul is telling the church at Colossae to do, and why:

To do:
-set your hearts on things above, Christ and God, not earthly things v3:1-2
-put to death all that belongs to your earthly nature (flesh and sin) since it is idolatry v5,8
-do not lie to each other v9
-clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. v12
-bear with each other and forgive each other v13
-especially put on love v14
-let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts v15
-be thankful v15
-let the word of Christ dwell richly in your heart v16

Why:
-you have been raised with Christ v3:1
-you have died and your life in in Christ now v3
-when Christ appears again in glory, so will you v4
-you have taken off the old self and its practices and now have put on the new self being renewed in God's image v9-10
-as God's holy, chosen, dearly loved people v12
-God has forgiven you greatly v13
-love binds all together in unity v14
-you were all called into peace v15


Nearly every encouragement and thing on the list of things they were told to do or not to do reflect into what God has already done for us by the cross. God chose us and in His love sent Jesus to the cross to pay for our rebellion and transgressions. By His resurrection we are made new, and His Spirit in us is tranforming us more and more into His image each day (2Cor3:18). So, why would we continue in the practices of the old self, immorality, idolatry, greed, when God has given us so much more. In regards to each other, treat one another as God has treated you: forgive, love, be patient, all as God was towards us. And now out of the gratitude and thanks for what God has done, live in Him, the truth, the way, and the life.

Although we lived and died in these things, His Spirit in us now helps us to know which way to go and also gives us the ability to do so.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father through Him." v17

Col 1-2

"All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard and understood God's grace in all its truth." v 1:6

All over the world, the gospel is bearing fruit? Is that still true? I can assure you it is.

This summer alone I know of over 15 missions trips through just people I know personally going to countries around the world with this message of hope in God, hope in Christ. To places like Peru, Nigeria, Rwanda, Niger, Uganda, North Africa, East Asia, India, Gateway, Mukti, Benin, Haiti, Guatemala, Northern Quebec,  Northern Ontario, even Montréal and Toronto. I've heard stories of hundreds of people coming to know Christ for the first time, and hundreds of people coming to truly understand what they've heard before in a church meant in their own lives.

Now if you think it's only Canadians and Americans doing missions, you are way off. I have personally seen local churches with a heart for their country in Haiti where teachers and construction workers have a passion for sharing Christ. I have heard stories of girls in Uganda when they accept Christ within a matter of weeks their family and their maid has accepted Christ and are now telling their friends, I know students from Asia who are going to the Middle East with the gospel, fathers who grew up in a muslim country now raising a family and living out each day to stand firm in God despite having to swim against the current.

The church is not just you and me, but the each and every one whom God has called out of the world. People from every tribe, nation, culture, tongue, every one. So, be encouraged, God's got this plan going. And each of us can play a part in some way as we ask God to use us.

But here's a question: What does it mean to understand God's grace in all its truth? Is that even possible? To fully understand the grace of God?