SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/30/2015
11:07 AM
My Worship Time Focus: The Outcasts
From the New Heaven and New Earth
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Revelation
21:8
Message of the
verses: “8 “But for the cowardly and
unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and
idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire
and brimstone, which is the second death.’”
John gives a list of sinners from this verse, those who
have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord and who prove
that they are not by habitually coming sins that are listed on this list. We will now look at some other lists from
Scripture, but first I want to talk about believers and the sins that they
commit from time to time. When we look
at these lists of sins from the different parts of Scripture we will find some
of them that we are more vulnerable to than others and so we should never look
at a person who has problems with different sins that we don’t have a problem
with because as we look at these different lists we will surely find some that
we have a problem with. I go back to
when the children of Israel were attacking the different people groups who were
living in the Promised Land, those whom God had given over 400 years to repent
but they did not and as Joshua went into the Promised Land conquering these
people they did a good job in defeating them, but there were still some work to
do which was up to the people of Israel in each tribe to accomplish. We read of Calab doing exactly that in
getting rid of the enemies of God who lived in his section of land that was
given to Him by Joshua. The rest of the
people did not follow up like Calab did and so the enemies of the Lord began to
take more and more control of the land until finally God would have to judge
the Kingdoms of Israel and take them out of the Promised Land. Why do I bring this up? Well we see a picture of God saving us as God
sent Joshua into the Promised Land to conquer the enemies of God in the
land. Now as believers we are to be like
Calab and be able to fight against the “Canaanites” that cause us problems, problems like pride,
lust, anger and other things that we will see on the lists we are about to look
at. The point in all of this is that we
as believers have troubles with different sins that are listed, but we have
been forgiven and hopefully we do not habitually sin in these areas. Now we will take a look at Revelation
22:15: “Outside are the dogs and the
sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and
everyone who loves and practices lying.”
Next Romans 1:28-32 “28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge
God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which
are not proper, 29 being filled with all
unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit,
malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant,
boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding,
untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32
and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice
such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give
hearty approval to those who practice them.”
Next 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous,
nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” Next Galatians 6:19-21 “19 Now the deeds of
the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry,
sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions,
factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I
forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such
things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Lastly 2 Timothy 3:2-5 “2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of
money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful,
unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control,
brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have
denied its power; Avoid such men as these.”
Now we will look at the different groups that John writes
will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and they are the cowardly. John MacArthur writes “These are the ones who
lack endurance (cf. Matt. 24:13; Mark 8:35).
They fell away when their faith was challenged or opposed, because their
faith was not genuine. Jesus described
such people in the parable of the soils:
‘The one whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who
hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in
himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises
because of the word, immediately he falls away’ (Matt. 13:20-21).”
We have a pretty good idea of what most of these sins are
about, but I want to focus in on one that is causing a great deal of trouble,
not only in our country but countries around the world, and that is the word
sorcerers. John MacArthur writes “(‘from
the Greek word pharmaceuticals’ from
which the English word ‘pharmacy’ and pharmaceuticals’ derive; that indicates
the inclusion of those who use mind-altering drugs in occult religion).” When my wife and I were living on the Hawaiian
island of Kauai I had a chance to speak to people who were in the prison there
and at the end of my talk with them I ask if anyone knew the Greek word
translated “sorcerers” in the Bible and one of the inmates knew it and asked me
why I asked that question. I simply told
him that this is the reason why many people were in prison at this time, but
unbelievers who continually practice this will go to a worse prison than the
one they are in at this time for John concludes by saying that they will go to
the “lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
John MacArthur concludes his 18th chapter with
these words: “The new heaven and the new
earth await believers and the final hell awaits resurrected unbelievers. For believers, it will be a universe of
eternal happiness as they dwell forever in the glorious presence of God. For unbelievers, it will be a terrifying
place of unbearable torment and unrelieved misery away from God’s presence (2
Thess. 1:9). The choices men and women
make in this life determine in which of these realms they will live forever.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: Psalm 119:133 “Establish
my footsteps in Your word, And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.”
My Steps of Faith for Today: Remember Psalm 119:133.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “A tenth (or tithe)” (Genesis
28:20-22).
Today’s Bible
question: “What did Paul tell ministers
to refuse?”
Answer in our next SD.
10/30/2015 12:12 PM
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