Monday, March 18, 2024

Immeasurable Love

 

Immeasurable Love

1 John 3: See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God's children—and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God. My dear friends, we are now God's children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is. Everyone who has this hope in Christ keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure.

 

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Teased about my hair, clothes, body size and lack of money, I felt unlovable. There were enough people telling me about what was wrong with me, that soon I wondered if I could ever be “fixed.” “GOD loves you, just as you are” were the words that resonated with me.

 

  • I was relieved that I could be loved.
  • I did not feel I could be loved until I understood what real love looked like.
  • After being rejected by the world, it felt great to be part of a family.

 

John gets excited about telling about GOD’s love. He implies that GOD’s love is so great, that HE can forgive sins and repair broken people by placing them in HIS family. We are then called HIS children.

 

My Observations:

  • GOD’s love is greater than any human love.
  • GOD’s love is so great that HE wiped away my sins even though I did nothing to deserve HIS grace.
  • GOD’s love is the foundation for human love, because the world’s idea of love is tainted.

 

Measurable love falls short of GOD’s love. I mean, when I say “Remember the time I did…” I am measuring and this falls short of the type of love I really need. GOD’s love is much different. HE saw that I was in trouble and the only way out of my trouble was to die to let me live.

 

JESUS thought nothing of making HIMSELF a human to feel every pain I feel. HE felt the pain of rejection and was murdered, just for me. When HE rose from the dead HE forgave me and adopted me in HIS family., I am glad GOD is not finished with me, but is making me into something great like JESUS.

 

Challenge

  • What is the writer so excited about?
  • Have you ever felt like you do not quite fit in this place or that place?
  • Will you accept JESUS as your personal Savior, so you can be adopted into HIS family and experience immeasurable love today?

Friday, March 15, 2024

Full of Courage

Full of Courage

1 John 2: 28 Yes, my children, remain in union with him, so that when he appears we may be full of courage and need not hide in shame from him on the Day he comes. 29 You know that Christ is righteous; you should know, then, that everyone who does what is right is God's child.

 

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Having told the lie, I did not feel confident in answering any questions. I could be tripped up easily because I made up a convenient story that was not consistent with what I was doing at the time.

 

  • My mind raced as I tried to think of other lies to support the current lie.
  • Blame entered my mind as a possible way out of “my” current lie.
  • After a while, I gave up and said “lying is just too hard too hard to keep up.”

 

John wraps up his discussion about remaining in union with CHRIST. He implies that if we remain in union with JESUS, then when HE returns, we will not be ashamed, but full of courage.

 

My Observations:

  • Confidence comes from staying with GOD, even when things look terrible.
  • Assurance comes from following GOD instead of trying to create my own security blanket.
  • Courage comes from doing “what is right” as GOD has defined it, not humans.

 

Sin makes me question GOD’s love for me. I mean, when I sin and something goes terribly wrong, I wonder if it was the sin that caused the pain. Even though I know I am forgiven, I still feel unstable in my relationship with GOD when blatant sin is in the picture. GOD has another way.

 

HE is not placing extreme pressure on us to be perfect. In fact, HE knew we would not follow HIM, yet JESUS died for humanity anyway. But there are times when GOD sees when you and I do “what is right” and gets excited. I am glad GOD can use sinful people to do HIS marvelous works of love.

 

Challenge

  • How does the writer try to make the message precious to everyone?
  • Have you ever questioned GOD’s love for you?
  • Wil you have courage in your relationship with GOD by doing “what is right” so HE can call you HIS child today?

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Who to Listen To

Who to Listen To

1 John 2: 26 I am writing this to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But as for you, Christ has poured out his Spirit on you. As long as his Spirit remains in you, you do not need anyone to teach you. For his Spirit teaches you about everything, and what he teaches is true, not false. Obey the Spirit's teaching, then, and remain in union with Christ.

 

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A thug snatched my glasses off and pushed me. Felling angry, my face immediately went to a frown. Things were going fast. People on the side wanted to see a fight so they shouted “What are you going to do about it?” to me. Some were laughing, others looked on with anger. We bumped shoulders and dared one another to strike the first blow. The crowd gathered around us. A teacher broke up the crowd and separated us.

 

  • I was angry and was listening to the voice of rage inside me.
  • I got more angry by listening to people who could care less about me, but wanted me to fight.
  • I was insecure and felt there was no other way out but to fight, because that is what the crowd expected.

 

John explains another reason for writing this letter. He may have been made aware of deceptive people who slipped into the group of believers of JESUS. These false teachers spoke against CHRIST and stirred up trouble with every word spoken. He provides security by pointing the believers to who they should listen to.

 

My Observations:

  • There is a voice in my head that sometimes aligns with GOD and sometimes it does not.
  • When I listen to the voice in my head that does not align with GOD’s word, I get myself in trouble.
  • People can deceive me because of his or her desire to get their own way, BUT the HOLY SPIRIT only speaks truth, so HE is who I should listen to.

 

Humans want to be GOD, and I am human. I mean, I want to be in control with my life and have things go “my” way. When something uncomfortable comes up, I want to be in control of making the discomfort go away, even if it means fighting, arguing or expressing rage! BUT GOD has another way.

 

JESUS sent the COMFORTER to live inside me. The HOLY SPIRIT is there to constantly be in touch with me, guiding me with what to say or do. This means I need to stay in touch with HIM and discern when the voice in my head is following what HE is saying. This requires reading GOD’s word and asking myself “Am I doing what it says?”  I am glad GOD is willing to guide me.

 

Challenge

  • Does the writer imply that you can be out of union with CHRIST?
  • Have you ever said or done some things that are contrary to what is in the Bible?
  • Will you believe that the Bible is GOD’s inerrant Word that you can place all of your decisions through so you can be guided by the HOLY SPIRIT and remain in union with CHRIST today?

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Keep That Message

Keep That Message

1 John 2: 24 Be sure, then, to keep in your hearts the message you heard from the beginning. If you keep that message, then you will always live in union with the Son and the Father. 25 And this is what Christ himself promised to give us—eternal life.

 

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On the way to the game, we shouted chants handed down from years past. It was something to see everyone dressed in the school colors When the players took the field, we shouted in excitement! But when the team started losing, our excitement died down. It went back up when we won the game!

 

  • For a while we got pretty quiet.
  • When it seemed like we were going to lose, we stopped chanting.
  • When our expectations of winning all the time were not being met, we quickly went into complain mode.

 

John tried to address the “fair weather fan” of JESUS. In other words, he tried to give encouragement to those who followed JESUS, but things were not going as well as they expected. They had given their lives over to CHRIST, only to be met with persecution from those who did not believe.

 

My Observations:

  • GOD’s message of love is that JESUS died for you and me to save us from eternal destruction that HE will enforce.
  • GOD’s message of love is to be spread to as many people as possible.
  • GOD’s message of love should transcend any problem I face or trouble I find.

 

Life can be difficult. I mean, there seems to always be something to worry about. Whether it is an ailment, finances or broken relationships, there always seems to be something difficult going on. Even the wealthiest people get sick and die. What chance do we have? GOD has a remedy.

 

HIS message of love and eternal life confounds those who seek answers form the world. JESUS loved us so much that HE was willing to die in our place. By keeping that message in my heart, I can look at the current situation and say , “I am loved!” I am so grateful to JESUS for this great message!

 

Challenge

  • What does the writer want everyone to “be sure” of?
  • Have you ever lost heart about something?
  • Will you keep GOD’s message of love in your heart by returning to it regularly, on purpose, so you can face life’s difficulties with everlasting hope today?

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Problem Solver

Problem Solver

1 John2: 22 Who, then, is the liar? It is those who say that Jesus is not the Messiah. Such people are the Enemy of Christ—they reject both the Father and the Son. 23 For those who reject the Son reject also the Father; those who accept the Son have the Father also.

 

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Admiring the rich and powerful, I took to listening to his or her words. I picked out a characteristic that seemed to be common about all of them. They seemed to be problem solvers. The bigger the problem, the more people they needed to follow them.

 

  • I followed people I thought would solve big problems.
  • I quickly stopped following people who were not problem solvers.
  • I wanted to solve big problems.

 

John compares those who believe in JESUS as the Messiah to those who do not. He does this by asking a rhetorical question “Who, then, is the liar?” He provides the answer given to him by the HOLY SPIRIT, stating that those who say JESUS is not the Messiah are liars. He also mentions that people who reject JESUS as the Messiah reject GOD.

 

My Observations:

  • Rich and powerful people may claim to be problem solvers, BUT JESUS is the only one who can solve every problem.
  • Humans have tried to solve problems for centuries, BUT GOD laughs at any attempt to do what HE does.
  • Problems, persecution and pain are current situations for many, BUT JESUS is the only one who can heal all situations.

 

Attempting to blind humans into thinking there is no problem is what the Enemy of CHRIST wants. I mean, what better way to keep people from getting his or her problem solved, than to make up multiple lies about “higher powers” or random “universe” occurrences or “relative truth?” GOD sees through it all.

 

JESUS volunteered to solve the ultimate problem, namely eternal death. What does this have to do with current life? Everything! Each day we have a choice, follow the way of the world or follow CHRIST. Each decision can contain pain or promise, thoughtlessness or thankfulness, grudge or grace. I am glad JESUS is my problem solver.

 

Challenge

  • Why does the writer speak about “rejection?”
  • Have you ever placed your trust in humans who claim to have answers to big problems?
  • Will you place your trust in JESUS who is the Messiah, the Savior of the world, by accepting HIS love and become adopted into GOD’s true family today?

Monday, March 11, 2024

Able to Hear

Able to Hear

1 John 2: 20 But you have had the Holy Spirit poured out on you by Christ, and so all of you know the truth. 21 I write you, then, not because you do not know the truth; instead, it is because you do know it, and you also know that no lie ever comes from the truth.

 

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“You are going to have fun” were the words I got excited over. Fun, at this point was amusement parks and games. But the fun described by this group was getting drunk, having sex and missing many classes.

 

  • Something inside me said “You shouldn’t go down this path” but I would not listen.
  • Something inside me said “There is another way” but I wanted to go the way “everyone else” went.
  • Something inside me said “What is being told to you is a lie” but I didn’t believe the warning.

 

John turns from speaking about those who follow the “Enemy of CHRIST” to those who truly follow HIM. He gives his reason for writing to this group, implying that it is because they could “hear the real truth.”  He may have also addressed uncertainty because the believers were being persecuted.

 

My Observations:

  • Today’s relative truth will get me in trouble, BUT GOD’s truth has always been a foundation I can count on.
  • Today’s strong belief in something outside of JESUS will make me fall, BUT JESUS is the Truth I can believe in without fail.
  • Today’s focus on self can cause me to not even want to listen to GOD, BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT opens the ears to my heart so I can hear.

 

Ability to hear GOD begins with wanting to hear HIM and knowing I need HIM. I mean, when I do not want to change or want to get my own way, I quickly listen to people who say what “I” want to hear. When I find myself in trouble, I may stay there or seek “true” help from GOD.

 

Humans think they have the answer, BUT JESUS provided the truth, because HE is the answer. HE sent the HOLY SPIRIT to those who believe in HIM and they can hear from GOD and adjust their lives. I am glad GOD is so generous and is willing to continue to pour out HIS SPIRIT on you and me.

 

Challenge

  • How does the writer address uncertainty?
  • Have you ever done something wrong that you knew you should not be doing?
  • If you have sought after relative truth, will you seek the real truth by asking JESUS to come into your life and to pour out the HOLY SPIRIT on you today?

Friday, March 8, 2024

Stayed With

Stayed With

1John 2: 18 My children, the end is near! You were told that the Enemy of Christ would come; and now many enemies of Christ have already appeared, and so we know that the end is near. 19 These people really did not belong to our fellowship, and that is why they left us; if they had belonged to our fellowship, they would have stayed with us. But they left so that it might be clear that none of them really belonged to us.

 

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Frustrated at the world around me, I wanted “everything” to change. I decided to explore the things I was told I should not do. When the world did not explode, I tried more and more. Soon, I stopped going to church and labeled “them” as hypocrites.

 

  • I could easily leave church without being missed.
  • I was gathering in a church for my own reason.
  • I wanted to be part of a group, but wanted to have “fun” so  I went to another group.

 

John reminds everyone about the teachings about the Enemy of CHRIST. He then stated that many enemies of CHRIST have appeared. This set of enemies pretended to love JESUS by saying HIS name, yet when persecution arose, the fake people left.

 

My Observations:

  • GOD knows that people who follow JESUS will be persecuted by those who do not believe.
  • Staying with GOD means I will do it through easy times and difficult times.
  • Facing difficulties with servants of GOD means I “belong” to HIM.

 

Saying “The end is near” to people who do not believe in CHRIST, sounds ridiculous. I mean, weren’t these words written thousands of years ago? Yes! The return of CHRIST has remained imminent since HIS resurrection. GOD took the focus off of the date of the return by not providing it.

 

HE wants us to “remain” in HIM and “abide” in HIS ways. Staying with GOD means I will not try to leave HIM when difficulties or persecution arise. It also means I will not leave other people who serve the LORD and are going through tough times too. I am glad GOD never leaves us.

 

Challenge

  • Why do you think the writer mentions “the end is near?”
  • When times are difficult, do you want to leave GOD to find some relief somewhere else?
  • Will you stay with GOD and remain focused on HIS love, even when times are difficult?