Today’s Reading: Revelation 3

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” – Revelation 3:6

So far we have talked about the loyal church, the suffering church, the compromising church, and the overly tolerant church. If you have not seen yourself in any of these descriptions, perhaps God has a message for you today. There are three more messages to three more lampstand churches — the spiritually dead church, the obedient church, and the indifferent church.

The Church in Sardis had a reputation for being alive based on their actions, but God saw that their actions did not meet His requirements – they were the SPIRITUALLY DEAD CHURCH. They needed to go back to what they believed at first and hold to it firmly. Then they would wake up and be strengthened. They needed to be reminded that we are saved by faith and not by works; that works should be an outflow of our relationship with God, not a performance on which we place our identity.

When we place our confidence in our performance, we start giving ourselves permission to let evil creep in, as the Church in Sardis did. But there were some in the church who had not “soiled their clothes”, and they would walk with God in white because they were worthy of this privilege. Their names would be written in the book of Life forever (3:1-6).

To the OBEDIENT CHURCH in Philadelphia: “I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me…Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown. All who are victorious will become pillars in the Temple of my God, and they will never have to leave it. And I will write on them the name of my God, and they will be citizens in the city of my God — the new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven from my God. And I will also write on them my new name.” – Revelation 3:8,10-12

We can be encouraged by the message to the Church in Philadelphia. When we obey the word of God and persevere through even the most difficult of struggles, God will respond in protection over us and lavishly reward us. Jesus will write the name of God on us, as well as His new name. We bear the name of Jesus now when we call ourselves Christian, but a day is coming when the names of our God and our Savior will be forever written on us.

The message to the Church in Laodicea is probably the one we are most familiar with. They are the LUKEWARM and INDIFFERENT CHURCH. They are not completely cold and dead, but neither are they on fire for God. They are like lukewarm water that God will spit out of His mouth. They are rich and think they have everything they need, but they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.

To the lukewarm, God says, “I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.” – Revelation 3:19-21

So where did you find yourself among these church reviews? Do not be discouraged; there is hope! The difference between these 7 messages and job performance reviews is found at the end of each message: “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” God is saying – I’m not asking you to perform based on your own abilities. I’m asking you to enter into my presence and allow my Spirit to fill you. Then listen to the Spirit and pray for understanding of how the Spirit is asking you to live. Soak in the written word of God and allow His Spirit to speak through the scriptures.

As we have discussed over and over again, we can daily position ourselves to hear from God by entering into His presence to worship Him and to be a student of His Word. It is in these times of authentic surrender that we hear from Him and receive strength from Him.

God, that is exactly where I want to be – positioned to hear from you. I want to be filled with Your Spirit so that I can respond minute by minute to your guidance. Lord, I confess the areas in which I have been lacking and thank you that “GRACE” is written in red all over our performance review. Thank you for coming in and sharing this morning coffee together. Open my ears so I can listen to Your Spirit and understand what you are saying to me today. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Revelation 2:12-29; Psalm 5

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” – Revelation 2:17a

There are five more messages to five more lampstand churches. Let’s look at two more this morning. Lord, show us if one of these “performance reviews” describes where we are at spiritually. Protect us from false guilt while opening our hearts to the truth as revealed by your Spirit. Amen.

Pergamum is the COMPROMISING CHURCH. Jesus recognized that they were living in a culture where sin was glorified. He described Perganum as “the city where Satan has his throne.” One of the believers had been killed for his faith, yet the church remained loyal to God during this difficult time of persecution. They continued to praise the name of Jesus, but they had also begun to tolerate false teaching in the church. They continued to call themselves Christ-followers, but they were compromising the standards of holiness by eating food offered to idols and by allowing sexual sin in the church.

“Repent of your sin, or I will come to you suddenly and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” – Revelation 2:16

JESUS CALLED THE CHURCH’S TOLERANCE SIN.

The church had remained loyal during times of persecution but they had also become tolerant of false teaching. They had a choice set before them – repent of your sin or I will come and fight the false teaching myself with the sword of my mouth. Even if they did not endorse it, they allowed it, and Jesus called their tolerance sin.

The heart of Jesus is revealed here in these verses, showing that his desire was for them to repent of their sin so that they could experience everything He had for them. He was sending this message to the Church in Pergamum, knowing that believers would be reading his words for generations to come. Just as the warning is for us today, so is the promise of victory! But let’s not miss that not only is the promise for us, so is the warning.

To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it. – Revelation 2:17b

The Church in Thyatira had a similar problem – they had been the OVERLY TOLERANT CHURCH. God had seen their love, faith, service and patient endurance. In the presence of constant improvement, they had unfortunately allowed teaching that permits sexual sin and the eating of food offered to idols. When given the opportunity to repent, they had chosen immorality over God’s plan. To this church the Son of Man is saying – I know the thoughts and intentions of every person and I will give to each of you whatever you deserve. If you choose to obey me to the very end, you will be given victory and authority (2:18-29).

“To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.” – Revelation 2:7b

I believe the church in America is making the same mistakes as the church in Pergamum and in Thyatira. We live in a culture that no longer appreciates our faith and no longer uses biblical teaching as a standard of morality. The truths found in scripture are now defined as hate speech, and our response has been tolerance on several different issues. Leaders are looking the other way, allowing a spirit of compromise and tolerance in the church, while other leaders have begun to endorse what scriptures have defined as sin.

We have forgotten how to extend grace and show love, while also speaking truth. We have softened our stance in order to fit into the culture of the day. We continue our routine of faith but we have watered down the word of God. In our efforts to show the love of Christ, we have instead become OVERLY TOLERANT of sin; we are a COMPROMISING CHURCH.

To those believers who were not following the false teaching being allowed in the church, Jesus said — “I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come.” (Revelation 2:24-25). It seems to me that Jesus is saying to hold on to the truth; do not grow weary and let go of the foundation of truth on which your salvation was built. Do not run after the newest idea or fall prey to the false teaching that has made its way into the church. Hold tightly to what you have until Jesus comes again.

Father God, forgive us for getting off track. We pray for revival to sweep through our nation, starting with the Church. Show us how to respond in love to the world around us without watering down the message of salvation. Give us the right words to show others the plan you have for their life, offering them freedom FROM sin rather than freedom TO sin. Give us the heart to authentically love them so that they see our concern for their future as genuine, not as judgmental. May your grace and love be evident in all that we say and do. Amen.

[note: The posts got out of order. I apologize for sending yesterday’s before today’s.]
Today’s Reading: Revelation 1

Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. – Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22

This is the command given at the end of each of the messages for the seven churches. This is where I start as I begin my study of the book of Revelation and as I end this 21-month journey through the Bible. Now I find myself on my knees asking for ears to hear so that I can listen to what the Spirit wants to say to me through this final book in God’s word. I pray for understanding of what He is saying to the churches and what He is saying to me.

God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near. – Revelation 1:3

Lord, we are prepared to be blessed as we spend time in your presence studying this book of Revelation. Reveal to us your message. Reveal to us your heart. Reveal to us the good you see in us and reveal to us the areas in which we are lacking and need to make changes.

God gave Jesus a revelation, which he then sent to John through an angel. The words of this book are the words of God himself and the testimony of Jesus Christ, as written down by John while imprisoned on the island of Patmos. This letter was written to the seven churches in the province of Asia and still has a powerful message to believers today.

But before John reveals the seven messages to the seven churches, he gives us a better understanding of where the message is coming from. He wants his readers to clearly understand that these are not his thoughts; this is not his message. He is simply a fellow believer and brother in Christ who is patiently enduring what Jesus has called him to.

It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” – Revelation 1:10-11

Let’s not miss that this moment in which John heard from God was while he was worshiping in the Spirit. He was in God’s presence, filled with the Spirit and focused on worship, when he experienced God like he had never experienced Him before. Because he was positioned to hear from God, he heard from God. The result was that God was able to use him to reveal His message to His people.

In 1996, I heard from God through a Nazarene pastor in Ohio, Rev. Daniel Witter. The message God sent me changed my life forever but I also walked away with a deep gratitude for a man who had positioned himself to hear from God. His faithfulness to spend time alone in God’s presence resulted in Dan hearing from God and receiving a promise for me. The promise gave me hope; the fulfillment of that promise changed my life. But the greatest impact was the realization that my faithfulness to enter into God’s presence daily could result in God communicating to someone else.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look – I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” – Revelation 1:17-18

When we enter into God’s presence, we position ourselves to hear from Jesus himself – the One who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his own blood for us. He then makes us a Kingdom of priests for the service of God the Father (1:5-6).

Perhaps it is during this season of life that you are the most likely to be POSITIONED TO HEAR FROM GOD. Does God have your attention? The Alpha and Omega has something to say to each of us in the coming us. May we have ears to hear and understand what He is saying to us through His Word.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One.” – Revelation 1:8

From A to Z, there is nothing outside of God’s domain. When we come to Him and sit at His feet, we enter the presence of a God whose power and authority is all-encompassing. He is fully in control and nothing is beyond His knowledge or ability. This is the God I love, the God I serve, and the God with whom I daily look forward to sharing my morning coffee.

Today’s Reading: Revelation 2:1-11; Psalm 3

John received seven messages for seven churches, each represented in his revelation by a lampstand. As we look at each one of these messages, you will hear what sounds a lot like a job performance review. You are doing these things really well, but here is where there is room for improvement and where your performance is lacking. This is what the consequence will be if you do not start doing things differently. This is the reward waiting for you if you do as I have asked you to do.

“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.” – Revelation 2:1-3

This first message was for the LOYAL CHURCH in Ephesus. They were intentionally trying to do the right thing, while also expecting authenticity from those who were claiming to be apostles. Even when standing for the truth was hard, they persevered and were consistent in their stance. Unfortunately, they were missing what God wanted most from them.

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. But this is in our favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.” – Revelation 2:4-6

THEIR FAITH WALK WAS BECOMING MORE OF A HABIT THAN A RELATIONSHIP.

They had taken their eyes off of the Savior in order to critique the walk of others. This had caused their love for God to fade and their love for each other to diminish. They were missing the purpose of their relationship with God — to grow in their love for God in such a way that the natural result was a greater love for others.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

The church in Ephesus had been courageous in their protection of the truth, and they had stayed strong through all the persecution that came with their strong stance, but their passion for truth and justice had replaced their passion for God.

We have seen so many over the last few years fall victim to the same slide. Their voice for justice and truth has lost all evidence of grace and redemption. In their efforts to make sure everyone knows how right they are, they have fallen into the trap of arrogance and intolerance. They have missed the opportunity to be led by the Spirit and, in doing so, lost their influence.

“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.” – Revelation 2:7b

The second message was for the church in Smyrna — the SUFFERING CHURCH. This church had suffered so much for God but they had done so in fear. God’s message to this church was kind and compassionate – I know about your suffering and your poverty. I know the blasphemy of those who oppose you. Don’t be afraid of the suffering that is ahead of you. If you remain faithful through this difficult time, I will give you a crown of life (2:8-11).

THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES HAD THE POTENTIAL TO DRAW THEM CLOSER TO GOD.

To both of these churches, God’s message speaks of relationship. Keep your eyes on me. Do not let the behavior of others distract you from my command to love one another. And do not let fear rob you of the joy I have for you and the peace I want to give you in abundance. I want more than just your loyalty, I want your love. I know you are hurting; remain faithful to me and trust me through this difficult time.

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.” – Psalm 91:14

Can you relate to either of these churches? Both of these lampstands were being called to persevere — both were patiently suffering. Do you see Jesus in these messages? Do you hear the encouragement that he has for you? I know all the things…I know about your suffering…I see how your love for me is fading due to the distractions within the church and the suffering caused by those who say they belong to God. Stay in relationship with me. Let me fill you with my love and my strength for what is ahead. Remain faithful and do not be afraid.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look — I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” – Revelation 1:17-18

But you, O Lord, are a shield around me;
you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
I cried out to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy mountain. – Psalm 3:3-4

Today’s Reading: 2 John & 3 John

We started in Genesis in January of 2022, and we have almost made our way through the Bible. We only have these two short letters and the book of Revelation left. Thank you for joining me on this chronological journey. Let’s finish strong.

Because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever. – 2 John 2

There was a lot of misinformation being passed around the region regarding the death and resurrection of Jesus. The disciples were called to spread the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and there was a strong camaraderie between them centered around this calling. They were brothers, comrades, and friends. They loved each other, prayed for one another, and shared generously across the body of Christ, treating each other like family.

How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded. – 2 John 4

Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. – 3 John 3-4

The hope of those investing their lives in spreading the truth was that those who listened would become believers, and that by believing they might be saved. They wanted them to be faithful to God and live according to the truth they had been taught. So when news arrived that they were spiritually healthy, John wrote a letter in order to both encourage them and warn them.

PROVIDE GENEROUSLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE TEACHING YOU

Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth. – 3 John 5-8

There was one among them who wanted to be a leader, but who was speaking ill of those who were preaching and teaching. He did not welcome them when they were in town, and he demanded that no one else in the church give money to them or help them in any way. This was not the example of generosity or love that John wanted the church to follow.

Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. – 3 John 11

I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. – 2 John 5-6

John encouraged them to respect those whose lives reflected the truths they had been taught, and to show love for one another. As an elder in the church, John was advising them not to blindly follow any leader, but to look for leaders whose talk was consistent with their walk. If one leader in the church is speaking ill of another leader in the church, ask God for discernment on which of those leaders is behaving in a way that is consistent with biblical teaching.

Father God, please help us as a church not to stray from the truth found in your word. May our relationship with you be evident in our attitudes towards one another and may we be generous with each other. May the preachers and teachers in our life be well taken care of as we show our appreciation to them for their time spent studying the scriptures so that we might fully understand the life you have called us to. Fill us with a spirit of generosity and give us the gift of discernment as we reflect your love and live out our faith. Amen.

Next month is Pastor Appreciation Month. I pray the Lord prompts you to express your love and appreciation to your pastor during this upcoming season. May they feel your support and be encouraged by your intentional words of gratitude.

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ — the Son of the Father — will continue to be with us who live in truth and love. – 2 John 3

Today’s Reading: 1 John 4:1-6; 5:1-21

This is one of my favorite quotes from Bob Goff’s book Everybody Always, and it goes perfectly with today’s scripture: “Do you want to do something amazing for God? Trade the appearance of being close to God for the power of actually being close to God. Quit talking a big game and go live a big faith.”

What a powerful challenge! When we authentically invest in our relationship with God, the time we spend in His word and worshiping in His presence changes us. He grows the faith He initiated in us and the way we live out that faith evolves. God loves us enough to mold us into who He created us to be. God When we remain in fellowship with Christ and the Holy Spirit is living within us, we begin to see these changes:

WE WILL GAIN DISCERNMENT.

When the Spirit lives within us, we will become more and more discerning of the truth. When we hear something that is not truth, the Spirit within us will warn us and we will experience uneasiness. The Spirit living within us is truth and is greater than the spirit who lives in this world. Because we belong to God, we listen to the Spirit and are able to DISCERN TRUTH from deception (1 John 4:1-6).

WE WILL GROW MORE PERFECT IN LOVE.

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is REAL LOVE – not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and God his love is brought to full expression in us God.

And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. – 1 John 4:9-13

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. – 1 John 4:17a

WE WILL OBEY OUT OF LOVE AND NOT FEAR.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loves us first.

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters. – 1 John 4:18-21

WE WILL OVERCOME EVIL BY OUR FAITH.

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. – 1 John 5:4-5

We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. – 1 John 5:18

Sin will not overpower us. We don’t have to be afraid that we will sin when we remain in fellowship with God. We are children of God and no evil in this world is more powerful than him. BUT, we also have to keep our hearts devoted to Him and avoid situations or temptations that could weaken our resolve to remain in relationship with Him. We need to make sure that we do not start making other things in our life more important than Him. God wants more than just first place in our lives, He wants Lordship over everything in our lives.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. – 1 John 2:15-17

John ends this first letter with great advice for us, and so I end my morning coffee pondering this verse.

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. – 1 John 5:21

Lord, thank you for the evidence we are already experiencing in our lives, evidence that you are at work and creating us into a new person. We thank you for Your perfect expression of REAL LOVE as demonstrated in your birth and in your death on the cross. Lord, continue to strengthen our faith in you and our love for others. Amen.

Today’s Reading: 1 John 4:7-21

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love and all who live in love live in God and God lives in them. – 1 John 4:16

When the Spirit lives in us and when we remain in fellowship with Jesus Christ, our life produces love naturally. And when the love we show towards one another comes out of our growing relationship with Christ, it has a beautiful authenticity to it that we cannot create on our own. Compassion and mercy become a natural outflow of our relationship with Christ.

I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. – 2 John 5-6

THE LOVE CIRCLE

I love the circle that John creates in these verses. If we truly love God, we will obey whatever He commands. And what does He command? He commands us to love one another. So, if we truly love God, we will love one another. In fact, we show our love for God by loving others – demonstrated in word and action. And this verse in John’s second letter is consistent with what he wrote in his first letter:

But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. – 1 John 2:5

When we begin living in relationship with Christ, His Spirit produces love in us. In response to His love for me, I live out my relationship by loving others with an authentic love I cannot produce on my own. And when I genuinely love others, His love living inside of me is brought to full expression and my relationship with Him grows. With this growth comes more love…graciously extended to others…fully expressed in me. With the momentum of that never-ending circle, God can show Himself to the whole world through His children.

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. – 1 John 4:7-8

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. – 1 John 4:11-12

What a great reminder of what true obedience to God looks like – loving others in word and deed. I can say I love everyone and that my love for God is expressed in the way I love others, but then I need to consider when I complain and speak negatively about someone else. Does this express my love for God? Do I love God well when I’m avoiding someone or losing patience with someone.

Lord, forgive me for my lack of love for others. Lord, perfect YOUR love in me. I want to live a life of obedience and love. Please fill me with Your Spirit today and love through me! May your truth be evident in our actions today as we love each other just as You intended us to. Fill us with the kind of REAL LOVE John spoke of – the kind of authentic love that would give up our lives just as Christ gave up His life for us. Amen.

Today’s Reading: 1 John 2:29 – 3:24

Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children. – 1 John 2:29

FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST LOOKS A LOT LIKE FAMILY.

See how much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. – 1 John 3:1

When we do what is right, we are a child of God. The righteousness of God works within us so that we begin to resemble our Father. The words we say and the way we live show evidence of the presence of His Spirit living and moving within us. We no longer embrace the sins of our past or the culture of our time, for we have been adopted into the family of God.

And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. – 1 John 3:5

If we listen to the Holy Spirit living within us and if we remain in fellowship with Christ (as we talked about yesterday), it will be no problem for us to live the holy life John, Paul and Peter taught about. If we try to do it on our own, we will most definitely fail. Our humanity will be stronger than our will. But God has given us the Holy Spirit to prompt us when we should hold our words back, or when we need to apologize for what we have said or done. It becomes sin when we choose to ignore what the Spirit is saying to us, or when we ignore what we have learned while studying God’s word and enjoying fellowship with Him.

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. – James 4:17

FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST LOOKS A LOT LIKE HOLINESS.

Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. – 1 John 3:6-10

These are powerful words. God’s plan is to make us into who He created us to be. His grace gives us the strength to overcome sin, not just unmerited favor that looks the other way while we continue to submit to our sinful nature (James 4:6). When we respond in obedience to Christ as we live in relationship with Him, it looks like LOVE — to demonstrate our love for Him in our actions towards others.

FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST LOOKS A LOT LIKE LOVE.

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. – 1 John 3:11

When we live in fellowship with Jesus and His Spirit is dwelling within us, love goes from becoming what seems like an impossible demand to an authentic response. Our love for others is no longer a performance but a natural lifestyle, and the recipients of that love begin to sense that what they are receiving from us is real. Listen to these powerful words found in scripture:

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. – 1 John 3:16-24

And so we end right where we began — Our life is different when the Spirit lives in us and when we remain in fellowship with Jesus Christ. Our life produces this kind of love naturally as we live in obedience and relationship with our Savior. And when the love we show towards one another comes out of our growing relationship with Christ, it has a beautiful authenticity to it that we cannot create on our own. May authenticity be a word that describes our generous compassion towards others and may mercy flow from a place of genuine love.

Today’s Reading: 1 John 2:7-29

Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment – to love one another – is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining. – 1 John 2:7-8

GOD IS LIGHT
GOD IS HOLY
GOD IS LOVE

God’s message from generation to generation, from the Old Testament to the New, is consistent – we are to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. In fact, God teaches us that the best way for us to show our love for Him is by loving others. He does not let us get by with saying – I love you, God, but I don’t love _______.

If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness. – 1 John 2:9-11

Then why do we hear so often of quarrels and arguments in the church or within Christian families? Why do we hear that someone isn’t talking with someone else or that two people do not get along so they avoid each other? Why do we ignore scriptures such as John’s letter or the words of Jesus that say:

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” – Matthew 5:23-24

Now, it is okay for us to hate sin (Jude 23) but we must do so in a way that we do not show hate toward the sinner. We can and should be appalled by the things that happen in the world around us, but hating the person involved does nothing to change the situation or bring that person to an understanding of God’s love for them. We may really hate the way someone has treated us or words they have used to wound us, but God’s commandment does not change – we must LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them. – 1 John 3:15

GOD IS GRACE

Here’s the best part: God has equipped us for this commandment. He has given us a way to love people while hating sin, to love the world while hating the things of this world. Just as His love for us is expressed in His grace towards us, He equips us to extend grace to others through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

John went on to warn his readers about the false teaching that had made its way into the body of believers. He spoke of how the Holy Spirit equips us with the truth. When those around us try to introduce new ideas that contradict the authority of Jesus, we are to remain faithful to what we have been taught from the beginning (2:24). We are to remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father, standing courageously against those who want to lead us astray (2:26,28).

But you have received the Holy Spirit and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true – it is not a lie. So, just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. – 1 John 2:27

In fellowship with Christ, sitting at His feet and listening to Him as I share my morning coffee time with Him☺ — What a great way to start my day. What a great way to survive my week! Lord, fill me with your Spirit and with your love! Reveal in me any hard feelings or hate I may have in my heart towards someone else. Show me any areas in which I need to make things right. Thank you for your fellowship and for the gift of your Spirit that helps us discern the truth. Give us ears to hear all that you want to hear, and a heart full of love that represents your love to this lost and dying world. Amen.

Today’s Reading: 1 John 1:1 – 2:6

We are down to our last few New Testament letters, all written by the apostle John, who often described himself as the disciple Jesus loved. He felt the love of Jesus so strongly and it comes out in his writings. John is believed to have been the only one of Jesus’ disciples still alive at this point and the only one to die of old age or natural causes.

The Bible does not tell us how each disciple died but information has been pieced together from other historical documents and legends. Like Paul, Peter was martyred in Rome during the reign of Nero (Paul was beheaded and Peter was crucified upside down by his request). Andrew took the gospel to what is now the Soviet Union, Turkey, Asia Minor and Greece, where he was crucified. Thomas took the gospel to Syria and India, where the spears of four soldiers took his life. Philip took the gospel to North Africa and Asia Minor, where he was cruelly put to death by a Roman proconsul who was angry that Philip had converted his wife to Christianity.

Some say Matthew was not martyred while others say he was stabbed in Ethiopia. There are varying accounts of how Bartholomew died, all stories of his martyrdom for the gospel. James is believed to have been stoned and clubbed to death, while Simon the Zealot was killed when he refused to worship the sun god. Matthias, the disciple who replaced Judas, was burned to death. [http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/whatever-happened-to-the-twelve-apostles-11629558.html]

All of these men gave their lives for the sake of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were just common men who knew what it was to be loved by Jesus and were passionate about spreading Jesus’ message of salvation — no matter what. Their life was a response to His love. They had walked with him and talked with him, so they were willing to die for him.

GOD IS LIGHT.

John’s message, like the messages of Paul and Peter, speaks strongly of salvation and holiness. There is no darkness in God because God is light. This speaks to the holiness of God and the holiness that he calls each one of us to. If you say you have fellowship with God but continue living in spiritual darkness, you are not walking in the light of God.

But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. – 1 John 1:7-10

GOD IS HOLY.

John is saying that God is holy – He is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. God does not sin and cannot sin because He is the definition of holiness. So, we cannot say that we have fellowship with God if we willfully keep sinning because sin separates us from God. Sin in our lives is spiritual darkness and God is light.

We are all sinners. But, here’s the good news – the message the disciples were willing to die in order to spread: We do not have to continue living in sin. We have a choice. God not only forgives us of our sins, He also cleanses us from all wickedness. He does a work in our lives and in our hearts, making us into a new creation. We are no longer slaves to sin but have been given the Spirit. Instead of giving into our sinful urgings, we can give into the urgings of the Spirit (Romans 8). It is then that we are able to experience fellowship with God – living in the light, as God is in the light.

LIVE IN THE LIGHT AND WALK IN HIS HOLINESS.

We have all sinned (1:8) and, because we are human, we are imperfect. But, when we live by the Spirit, the Spirit speaks to us when attitudes are creeping in or when our words are not pleasing to God. We have a choice in that moment to yield to the urging of the Spirit and not continue with our sinful attitude. We can stop speaking immediately or humbly apologize for what has already been said. Or we can ignore the Spirit and give into our sinful urgings. That is when we sin and that is when we choose spiritual darkness that separates us from God. God is holy and He is calling us to be holy, just as He is equipping us with His Spirit in order to live a holy life.

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. – 1 John 2:1-6

To live as Jesus did — that’s a tall order. That is what the disciples did. They lived as Jesus lived and they died as Jesus died, willingly giving their lives for the sake of the advancement of God’s Kingdom. And we are all called to live for God in obedience – whatever He asks us to do. I’m so thankful that I am not on my own to complete this assignment.

Thank you, Jesus, for being my advocate – my truly righteous sacrifice. I choose today to respond to your love in obedience to the Holy Spirit. My desire is to live IN You instead of living FOR me. May I be a conduit of your light in the midst of the spiritual darkness of this world, and may your righteousness be evident in my life — not for my glory but for yours. Amen.