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Who are the pillars in the church?

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As a young man, I was told I was a pillar in the church. It made me feel good to hear the pastor say this, and I could hardly disagree. Of course I was a pillar. I was a good boy. I didn’t drink or smoke or do burnouts in the church car park. I arrived early on Sundays to put out chairs and I stayed back to pack up the AV equipment. I served on the worship team and got to share the Word on occasion. I was not only a pillar; I was a rocket going places. Watch me soar! I cringe to write about this now. I cringe to think how the label “pillar” separated me from those Jesus loves. Yet in the church, we divide people like this all the time: • We have the reliable pillars and the nonpillars who show up late and bleary-eyed bearing the unmistakable smell of cigarette smoke • We have those worthy to take communion and those who are not • We have the happily-marrieds and the shamefully divorceds • We have the mums-with-bubs fulfilling God’s call to be fruitful and the childless women who can compensate for their deficiencies [...]

Why does Jesus wish we were cold?

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“You gotta be hot, hot, hot for Jesus! You gotta get enthusiastic in evangelizing the lost. You gotta get on fire with passion for the Lord.” This is a message I used to preach, yet it is only half of what Jesus said. “You are neither cold or hot but lukewarm. I wish that you were cold or hot” (Rev. 3:15-16). Wait, what? Cold is the opposite of hot. If hot is good, how can cold be good too? I have heard some silly answers to this one over the years. “It is better to be dead in your sins than a half-hearted Christian.” Um, no, it’s not. Why would Jesus wish anyone to be dead in their sins? “It is better to be coldly opposed to God, than on the fence.” Even if that were true, why would Jesus wish you were coldly opposed to God? “Jesus is talking about extreme passion. Being really cold is exactly like being really hot.” Except it’s not. Hot and cold are opposites; they are not the same. “It’s because of the aqueduct. Laodicea got hot water from Hierapolis and cold water from Colossae. History explains the metaphor.” This is a well-known story, [...]

What does it mean to remove a church’s lampstand?

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If you wanted to control people using fear and dark threats, you could become a Sith Lord, or you could take the good promises of Jesus, turn them inside out, and use them to terrorize God’s children. Let me give you an example: Unless you repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand out of its place. (Rev. 2:5) What does that mean? It sounds scary. I’d better do whatever the man of God tells me. And bam, there goes your freedom. Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go. In the research I did for Letters from Jesus, I read dozen of commentaries and was regularly horrified by how this good promise was interpreted. What does it mean to remove your lampstand? Apparently it means Jesus is going to close your church or kill your pastor. Yes, I actually read that. “How dreadful are the punishments of Christ!” said a certain Victorian minister. “He may take away your minister; and he may also take away the light of his word.” (Think about that for a second: If you don’t repent, the man up front gets whacked by Jesus. Makes perfect sense.) Sadly, this was par [...]

Are you working too hard for Jesus?

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Who were the hardest working Christians in the Bible? The answer must surely be Paul and his friends, but many people will say it was the church at Ephesus. They say this because of what Jesus said in his letter to the church: “I know your deeds and toil” (Rev 2:2a). Commentators make much of Jesus knowing the Ephesians’ deeds and toil, as though an impressed Lord was recording their labors in his scorebook. But the original word for know simply means “I see”. It’s not necessarily a commendation. In these letters, Jesus says, “I know” in regard to both good deeds (Rev. 2:19) and bad deeds (Rev. 3:1, 15). When Jesus says, “I know” to the Ephesians, he’s saying “I care.” Because he loves us he is intimately acquainted with our lives. He knows what we’re doing. It’s a good thing that he knows, but it may not be a good thing that we’re doing, and this was the case with the Ephesians. “I know your deeds and toil.” Many believe that Jesus was commending the Ephesians for their hard work, but the word toil means labors, extreme weariness, and beating. The Ephesians were taking a beating. They were [...]

Are your deeds incomplete?

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If Christians are worn out, it is for one of two reasons: (1) they don’t know how much their Father loves them and (2) they have an unbiblical definition of work. Hey, I’m not judging anyone here. When it comes to overwork, I’m guilty as sin. I’m a workaholic who regularly pushes himself past breaking point. I’ve learned a lot through my mistakes, but sometimes I wonder whether I have learned anything at all. So put this one in the “Do as I say, not as I do basket.” On the subject of rest vs work, I have much to learn, but one thing I know for certain is this: Jesus does not want you to work yourself to exhaustion. Rather, he wants you to rest from your labors, and trust in his finished work. “But Paul, what about all those scriptures that say things like Jesus knows our deeds and we have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling and we will be rewarded for doing good?” I encourage you to check out the 30+ articles I have written on these and other deeds-scriptures. (You can find them in the Archives>Subject Index under “works”.) Today I want [...]

What does it mean to keep his deeds?

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If you were to make a list of big topics discussed by Jesus and the New Testament writers, the subject of deeds or works would have to be on that list. They all spoke about it, and no one more than Jesus. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for not doing the works of Abraham (John 8:39-40), and said we would be judged for what we have done (John 5:28-29). This frightens some people. They think we have to get busy for the Lord and that he will judge us on our performance. “Am I doing enough? Will I make the grade?” Others are confused. “I thought Jesus wanted to give me rest (Matt. 11:28). Why did he say “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62)? What does he want from me – rest or hard work? All confusion and dead works would end if we only understood the Biblical meaning of work, which is this: Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you… The work of God is this: to [...]

What deeds does Jesus know?

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“I know your deeds,” says Jesus to the churches. He exhorts the Ephesians to do the deeds they did at first (Rev. 2:5), he rebukes the Sardisians for having incomplete deeds (Rev. 3:2), and he promises to reward the Thyatirans according to their deeds (Rev. 2:23). Clearly our deeds or works matter to Jesus. But what sort of deeds is Jesus referring to? The preacher of law says, “Jesus is referring to our law-keeping performance. We must keep the commands to please the Lord.” A similar interpretation is offered by the preacher of works. “Jesus is saying we need to work out our salvation, do the deeds that prove our repentance, and pursue the spiritual disciplines.” Yet both interpretations raise uncomfortable questions: How many deeds are needed to qualify? What if I neglect to keep all the commands? Worse, both interpretations do nothing but promote dead works and pride. What are dead works? We can distinguish dead works from faith works. Dead works of the flesh lead to death, while faith works release abundant life. The former relies on self; the latter leans on the Spirit. Living under any form of law is a dead work because the law is [...]

Who is an Overcomer?

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The following is an extract from my book, Letters from Jesus, which is available for pre-order now on Kindle. — To him who overcomes… (Rev. 2:7b) Jesus makes a promise connected with overcoming at the end of each of his letters. This promise leads us to wonder, how do I overcome? And what happens if I don’t? Is Jesus saying I can lose my salvation if I fail the overcoming test? Some define overcoming as a list of things you must do. You have to prevail in life’s trials, disarm spiritual enemies, and conquer every sin. You have to resist temptation, walk in daily victory, and defeat the devil. Do these things to your dying breath and you will earn the right to eat from the Tree of Life, but drop the ball and you’ll be toast. This sort of thinking leads to stressed-out, overworked Christianity such as the Ephesians practiced, and it is not good news. The word overcomes is a verb that means to conquer, prevail, or get the victory. Look up the word in the dictionary and you will find a picture of Jesus who is the Overcomer. “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” [...]

Are these the Very Last Days?

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They are if you want to get your name in my new book, Letters from Jesus.

Aargh! Groan. Sorry for the click-bait title. But I have to ask you three questions:

  1. Did you know that after Jesus ascended to heaven, he uttered 2000 words that are recorded in scripture?
  2. Did you know that most of those words are in letters Christians don’t understand?
  3. Do you understand the seven letters from Jesus?

I have never heard a sermon or read a book on the letters from Jesus that offers anything other than a mixed-up message. Jesus loves you but he doesn’t. He paid it all but he expects you to pay him back. He cares for you but he beats you. He accepts you one day but vomits you out the next.

Yeech. Talk about bad news. No wonder people avoid these letters. They sound like they were written by someone other than the Lord.

Except they weren’t.

In my new book, I offer an alternative grace-based reading of Christ’s letters. I show how they are 100% good news from start to finish. Read them with Son-glasses and you will find nothing but peace and joy and good news to set you free.

If you have ever wondered what Jesus was really saying in his letters, Letters from Jesus is for you.

What are others saying about Letters from Jesus?

“The grace Paul writes about isn’t the safe, tame version that many of us grew up hearing about. It’s the real stuff—the no-strings-attached kind, the one without ‘buts and brakes.’ Thank you, Paul, for reminding me, in Letters from Jesus, that ‘it is finished.’ I keep forgetting.” ~ Tullian Tchividjian

“Paul Ellis does an amazing job of revealing the heart of Jesus in these often very misunderstood letters. I would encourage anyone who has wrestled with these scriptures to check out Letters from Jesus.” ~ Jeremiah Johnson

“Paul, thanks for finding these letters in the attic and dusting them off for me! Letters from Jesus is deep encouragement for anyone who believes and preaches the gospel without compromise.” ~ Tricia Gunn

When can I get the book?

  • Kindle version: available Dec 17, 2018
  • Paperback version: available April 2019

How do I get my name in the ebook version of Letters from Jesus?

Sign up as a supporter on Patreon in the next two days (before December 7, 2018). The ebook is about to be released. Wait until the weekend and you’ll miss the boat.

Why become a patron?

Because patrons give this message wings. Patrons are partners. Their support means everything on this website is free and always will be.

How much?

One lousy dollar. You’ve probably got one in your pocket, all alone and friendless. Put that little guy to work and do some good. For every dollar pledged in the next two days, I will give away a copy of the book. Pledge five dollars, and that’s five books you helped give away. So get that lonely dollar and a few of his friends together and we’ll get this good news to as many people as possible.

Patreon is easy to join and you can cancel at any time. But no books will be given away, and your name won’t be in them, unless you do it before Friday.

Tick tock, tick tock.

Paul

PS: One more thing: pledge ten bucks or more and you can get Letters From Jesus right now. Awesome!

 

Get Your Name in Paul’s New Book!

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My new book, Letters from Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ’s Letters to the Churches, comes out in ebook format in two weeks. And if you act fast, your name could be in it! What’s the book about? It’s about letters. From Jesus. Did you know that Jesus sent seven letters from heaven? Many people haven’t read his letters and those who have are terrified of them. Did Jesus really say he would vomit us out? Why is he holding a sword? His eyes are aflame – is Jesus angry with me? Will he remove my name from his book? We are beyond blessed to have these letters, yet many dismiss them as too hard, too strange, or too scary. From time to time they hear a sermon or a teaching on one of the letters, and while the message may give them a measure of joy, it also leaves them confused and anxious. “Did Jesus really say that?” If you love Jesus but are afraid of his letters, something doesn’t add up. But what? Could it be that we have been reading his letters wrong? It is my conviction that the letters from Jesus are good news from start [...]

The “I wills” of the New Covenant

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  The following is an extract from my forthcoming book, Letters from Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ’s Letters to the Churches. The ebook comes out next month; the paperback comes out next Easter. Enjoy! — The Philadelphians are often esteemed as a model church because Jesus never rebuked them—as though escaping censure was the high point of Christian living. (What a sad way to read these love letters from Jesus. “I got a letter from the Lord and he didn’t scold or threaten to kill me. I’m so blessed.”) Each of the seven letters reveals something of the goodness of God, but nowhere does God’s grace and kindness shine brighter than in this letter to the powerless Philadelphians. In less than 250 words, the Lord gives one of the most stunning summaries of the hope held out in the gospel, and he does this by making promises. Because many people don’t know what makes the new covenant new, they miss these treasures. They read these letters with an old covenant mindset and come away quaking in their boots. This is why it’s essential to understand the difference between the old and new covenants. The old covenant was characterized by people [...]

The Lost Letters

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My new book, Letters from Jesus, comes out in a few weeks. Here’s a taste… — In the creviced hills east of the Sea of Galilee, a kibbutznik stumbled on the neck of a partially buried earthen jar. Inside the jar was a roll of parchment. Experts at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem examined the parchment and found letters written by someone claiming to be the Son of God. The letters were dated to the first century, and all the evidence indicated that they had been written by Jesus Christ. A media frenzy followed. Within days the letters were translated into every language known to man. They were circulated online and everybody read them. The letters, revealing a side of Christ that few had seen, triggered a theological cataclysm. Seminarians squabbled, boards bickered, and churches split. Yet many believed that God was sending humanity a much-needed message of love and hope. Feuds ended and wars ceased. So many people turned to Christ on account of these letters that media outlets labeled their discovery the most important event in Christendom since the resurrection. Everything above is a fiction. I wrote it as a thought experiment, a kind of what-if question. What [...]

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