Posts Tagged ‘love and obedience’
Dear Friends in Christ,
Greetings on this day of rest and reflection! I hope you are attending the church of your choice and fully giving yourself in worship and service to our God and Savior Jesus Christ! We come together to lift up His name and celebrate His love for us and sacrifice for our freedom.
Jesus loved us and demonstrated that love by giving Himself for us totally on the cross of Calvary. His act of obedience to the Father stands out as supreme love. We can only worship at such a display of selfless giving for those whose acts of rebellion put Him on the cross. We respond to His love as we worship and gather together to listen to His word.
The Israelites of Judges show us our selfish and carnal nature. We are so like them as we selfishly go our own way and mix with the cultures around us. We easily worship other gods, mainly ourselves! We can be filled with the Holy Spirit on Sunday and and filled with lust and revenge like Sampson on Monday! We can see miraculous deliverance one day and forget God the next! We end up doubting God’s love for us and looking for love in all the wrong places!
God really just wants our hearts! He desires that we respond to His love and live a life of love each day. Faith works through love! It is not the law or a set of rules that we must follow to earn God’s love or keep to prove our love for Him. We love Him because He first loved us! We love Him and others and that is the fulfillment of His law! Love does no wrong to a neighbor! Love never fails! It is so simple and yet so profound!
Allow your day to bring to mind ways to love God. Practice His presence in all your activities this day. Rest in His love for you! Be refreshed in your souls by His amazing love! Loving You as Christ, Pastor John
Scripture reading for December 19th: 1st John 1-5
John, the Apostle, knew Jesus Christ intimately. He was the youngest of the disciples and was in the inner circle that was closest to Him. He begins this letter by proclaiming his eye-witness knowledge of Jesus as the Son of His Father in heaven. John wrote this letter to the church to counter some false teachers called “gnostics” who were saying that Jesus was just a spirit. These gnostic teachers were telling church people that it did not matter what one did with his body because our spirit was all that mattered.
Well, Jesus Christ did come in a human body. He was a man and lived in obedience to the Father. He taught us to live by grace through faith. When we break God’s law, that is sin and we must confess and repent. (1st John 1:8-9) If we say we have no sin, we are living in deception, just like the false teachers.
We can not live in a dual world and separate the actions of our spirits and bodies, doing what we please here on earth and still expecting God’s mercy! It was a popular teaching that drew a number of followers. The problem was that it was taking them to Hell! John used a word to describe these false teachers who worked among God’s people. He called them “antichrist”. (1st John 2:16)
The church evidently knew about “the Antichrist” that was to come in the last days. This person would be a world ruler who would deceive many with false signs and wonders. (2nd Thessalonians 2:8-11) Paul described him as the “man of lawlessness”. John further stated that many “antichrists” had already gone out into the world at the time of his writing. These false teachers had come from within the church. They left the church and drew a following of people who were deceived by their lies and loose living.
“Antichrist” is a term that literally means “one set over against Christ”. In our language today we would likely use “counterfeit” to describe them. They used scripture to justify their doctrines. They often used the name of Jesus Christ but lived in rebellion to what Jesus actually taught and stood for. They were legalistic and manipulative and lacked the love of the Lord. By the way, these types are still around today! Beware!
The best remedy against deception is to know the real thing and be filled with the Holy Spirit. John told his readers (us, today) that they had a real anointing that would teach them all things. (1st John 2:20, 27) The Holy Spirit would keep them from deception. The One who lived in them was greater that the deceiver in the world! (1st John 4:4) The Holy Spirit would reveal the love of the Father to them and through them, showing the true children of God.
Take a moment today to reflect on the truths of John’s epistle. Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you with His anointing. Confess that the greater One lives in you!