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Category Archives: 1 John

My God is…abiding in me 1 John 4:13-21

14 Jan

Jesushuggingcryinggirl1 John 4:13-21 – By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God.

What does it mean to abide? In my mind, it meant to live in, take up residence. Let’s look at the definition for a minute:

Definition of ABIDE

intransitive verb
1:  to remain stable or fixed in a state
2:  to continue in a place :  sojourn
Ok, so if God is remaining stable in us and we, who confess that Jesus, is the Son of God remain stable in God, let’s get a clearer idea of what it means to be stable.

Definition of STABLE

1a :  firmly established :  fixed, steadfast <stable opinions>
 b :  not changing or fluctuating :  unvarying <in stablecondition>
 c :  permanent, enduring <stable civilizations>
2a :  steady in purpose :  firm in resolution
 b :  not subject to insecurity or emotional illness :  sane,rational <a stable personality>
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.

Looking at this portion of the verse helps me to see how God abiding in me in love casts out fear. We don’t have to be insecure because God abides in us. He loves us. We’re not afraid of God’s punishment, but when we abide in Him in love, we’re empowered to do His will and more than we ever thought possible. Now I know that on this side of heaven I will never perfect the art of being fear-free, but as I live in God’s love, spending time getting to know Him better through prayers, reading scripture and meditating, I become less fearful. I know that it is not I who am in charge of the results, but God. I don’t have to fear because God is in control. I’m not afraid of punishment because Jesus already took my punishment for me. Now I live in the freedom from fear that is given to me in the love God showed by sending Jesus.

We love because he first loved us.

What are you most afraid of? For me it’s rejection, but I know that there is one who will never reject me. God abides in me. He’s always with me, never rejecting me. Because of that love, I no longer have to fear rejection of others, because I know that He is in me. He abides in me. I can love freely because of the unconditional, eternal love of my Father in Heaven. I don’t have to be insecure anymore. I have the security of God in me; God abiding in me; God remaining faithfully in me. I have to remember whose I am. I belong to the one who is in me, my God.

Where are you abiding? 

Sometimes we unwittingly separate ourselves from God. We spend time doing other things rather than reading His word, going to church or talking with Him. We don’t always remain faithful. We don’t always show love to others. We don’t always do the right thing. Why don’t we? Because we’re not abiding in God. We’re putting ourselves in God’s place. We’re focusing on the wrong things; money, success, beauty, ourselves. All of these things are good, but not when they get in the way of our relationship with God. If you find yourself in denial of God (by your words or actions), I beg you to reinvest yourself in God. Dig into the scriptures, pray or go to church. Surround yourself with others who are focused on Christ. To abide is a verb. It’s an action. Live as one redeemed. Abide in Him!

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.
 
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Posted by on January 14, 2014 in 1 John, my god is abiding in me

 

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My God is…Greater 1 John 4:1-6

22 Apr

1 John 4:1-6 – Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, Listening-on-phonebecause many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist  which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Don’t believe everything you hear. How many of you heard that from your parents at one time or another? I know I did as a child. Sometimes I need to be reminded of that as an adult. The other day I mentioned to my sister that I had read that those who chew gum are more likely to have more wrinkles. This basically made me think I should probably stop chewing gum. My sister instantly retorted that she didn’t think that was true. She said that probably those who smoke make up a large group of those who chew gum, and it’s more likely smoking that makes someone more wrinkly than chewing gum. I don’t know if she’s right (she probably is – I always think she’s right!), but I did think it was a good reminder not to believe everything I hear. It’s important as residents on this earth to be discerning about what we hear. It especially important when we’re talking about spiritual things. There are so many theories out there. So many ways people say you can be your best you, live your full life and be all that you can be. Some of the information can be useful, but some can lead you away from the Lord, putting your faith in things that have no truth and pull your attention away from Jesus.

But test the spirits to see whether they are from God

It is important that we test the things we hear against what we know is true in scripture. We can sometimes learn something from the self-help books, studies and gurus of this world, but the verse above tells us exactly how to test these spirits and ideas, “Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.” Any theory or idea that doesn’t acknowledge Jesus came as a man, but is also God is a pitfall for leading us astray. Even if they do have good pieces in them, they can be more damaging to us than they are edifying. Don’t believe everything you hear!

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

We have overcome these false spirits, because we have the truth. We have God’s word which does tell us about Jesus as man and God. God has given us His Holy Spirit, and His Holy Spirit is greater than those spirits of the world. Our God is greater. He has the true answers. Not answers for the temporary things of this world, but for our life now and on into eternity. So many of the theories of this world have come and gone, some persist, but unless they jive with the word of God, they are meaningless.

They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.

Don’t be surprised when those you care about use these theories of the world, these gurus and philosophies to try to help you. They’re probably well-meaning, but these theories only work in the temporary, the here and now. They’re only about you. They’re not about others. It’s self-help for a reason – it’s all about you. The world loves that, because it is our human nature to think our problems are more important than anyone else’s problems. My husband’s arm hurting? He’s a wimp. My legs are sore, I’m practically dying. What’s the difference? One is about me and one is about him. I don’t care as much about his as I do my own pain (selfish I know, I got a lot of work to do). We’re all a bit like that. When we allow ourselves to think how the world thinks, we can’t see past ourselves. We think it’s OK to do whatever we want, because “I had to do what was right for me.” We need to be careful people. When something like that comes out of our mouths, it may very well not be from God. He tells us to love others as ourselves, and that flies in the face of that statement.

We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. 

Listening-on-phone

Don’t believe everything you hear!

Just because our truth is from the Lord, don’t expect people to accept it that way. Those who know God will likely listen and be able to apply any wisdom that is based on God’s word, but those who are still living according to the world probably won’t. They may hear us, but more than likely they’ll pass off our ideas and scriptural references as strange, kooky Christian talk. They won’t be able to take it seriously, because they don’t know the Lord. Does that means we stop believing what we believe, or stop professing what we believe? No, but it does help us to have realistic expectations of what is likely to happen. It’s not going to be all rainbows and butterflies.

This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

Our God is greater. Even though we might have doubts or struggle with a Biblical truth, we’ve got God, and our God is greater than all of the gibberish our world. Even the information that is helpful for this world is a far cry from what our Lord has told us and has planned for us. Our God is greater.

Don’t believe everything you hear – test it against God’s word.

 
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Posted by on April 22, 2013 in 1 John, My God is Great, My God is Greater

 

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My God is…True 1 John 5:20

13 Mar

I John 5:20 – We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may Survey or Questionnaireknow him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Definition of TRUE

1 a : steadfast, loyal
  b : honest, just
  c archaic : truthful
2 a (1) : being in accordance with the actual state of affairs<true description> (2) : conformable to an essential reality(3) : fully realized or fulfilled <dreams come true>
 b : ideal, essential
 c : being that which is the case rather than what is manifest or assumed <the true dimension of the problem>
 d : consistent <true to character>
3 a : properly so-called <true love> <the true faith> <the true stomach of ruminant mammals>
  b (1) : possessing the basic characters of and belonging to the same natural group as <a whale is a true but not a typical mammal> (2) : typical <the true cats>
4: legitimate, rightful <our true and lawful king>
5 a : that is fitted or formed or that functions accurately
  b : conformable to a standard or pattern : accurate
6: determined with reference to the earth’s axis rather than the magnetic poles <true north>
7: logically necessary
8: narrow, strict <in the truest sense>
9: corrected for error

Do you know what is true? 

Before I looked up the definition of the word “True”, I thought, what’s the point, we all know what true means. And that may be, but I did not expect the fullness of the word and how it may relate to my God. Besides the very last definition, I feel like reading the definition of true gives such a full, almost 3-D picture of the True God, my true God. Read the definitions again slowly, thinking about how God is true and see if it feels like more than you thought it did when you first read the Bible verse above. Amazing the depth of it all.

We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true.

Jesus has given us understanding. Before Jesus came, believers were trusting that God would one day send a savior. They had faith that God would do what He said He would do. When Jesus came and fulfilled the many prophecies, He gave us a fuller understanding of God. Because Jesus fulfilled all those prophecies to the nth degree, we can see that God is true to His word. And He is so much more, true in so many ways, so many ways included in the definition above. But I think there is a very important part of this section of our verse that I don’t want to miss. Jesus came to give us understanding so that we may know Him who is true. God wants us to know Him. How do you get to know someone? I’m not talking about acquaintances. I’m talking about those people who really know us. Is it your family? Your best friend? Maybe it’s your enemy. How do they know you?

Spending time with someone and going through things with people is the way we get to see the character of a person. Our perception of someone may not be the same as their other friends, because it may depend on your shared experiences. When you get married and join another family, you quickly realize how well your family knows you and gets you (good or bad). You understand and know each other better than you know your new family. You’ve been through a lot with them (usually years and years). They’ve seen you at your best and at your worst. You’ve not always treated them kindly, but they haven’t always been kind to you either. But you know each other. God wants you to know Him, inside and out too. He wants you to be able to say, “That God, He’s so funny.” or “It’s so nice to spend time with someone who gets me”.

So that we may know him who is true.

Do you get what a miracle it is that the God of the universe wants a personal relationship with you (and me). I’m amazed. The most important being ever, wants you to get to know Him. He wants to spend time with you, be there for you to lean on when you’re going through troubles and to know all of your inside jokes. Oh how different our lives would be if we truly tried to get to know our Lord.

And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ.

So how to we get to know God? By getting to know Jesus Christ. Spending time reading His word, doing Bible studies, worshiping and praying, and by spending time with other believers that build you up in Christ.

We don’t always want to know the truth.

In my Bible study that I do with a friend on Tuesday mornings, there was an interesting example of how we (and the people of Judah) sometimes react to hearing what is true. In Isaiah 30:8-11 it says, Now go and write down these words. Write them in a book. They will stand until the end of time as a witness that these people are stubborn rebels who refuse to pay attention to the Lord’s instructions. They tell the seers, “Stop seeing visions!”
They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us nice things. Tell us lies. Forget all this gloom. Get off your narrow path. Stop telling us about your ‘Holy One of Israel.’”

Some times we don’t want to know what is True. Sometimes we rebel, but pulling away from the True God only leads to destruction. God is always waiting for us to return to Him. He’s always ready to help us get to know Him more fully. Later in Isaiah 30 it says, ”

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the Lord is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.

O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem,
you will weep no more.
He will be gracious if you ask for help.
He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.
Though the Lord gave you adversity for food
and suffering for drink,
he will still be with you to teach you.
You will see your teacher with your own eyes.
Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.
Then you will destroy all your silver idols
and your precious gold images.
You will throw them out like filthy rags,
saying to them, “Good riddance!”

 

What do you want? True or False? 

 
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Posted by on March 13, 2013 in 1 John, My God is the Truth, My God is True

 

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My God is…hearing 1 John 5:14-15

08 Mar

1 John 5: 14-15 – This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his earwill, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

 

Are you confident approaching God? 

I know that the word confidence might throw some people off here. I have been told by several people that they are not confident in praying. Not about their confidence in God, but in their ability to pray. I don’t believe that there is any right way or wrong way to pray. Jesus did give us an example of how to pray. in the Lord’s Prayer:

 

Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever. Amen.

Another good tool is to use a structure something like this: Praise (Saying who God is), confession (asking God for forgiveness for your sins), Thanksgiving (Thanking Him for all He’s done for you), and Supplication (Any requests you have on behalf of yourself or others).

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Have you ever walked into a room, started talking to someone, then suddenly realize they can’t hear you because they’re wearing ear buds  Maybe you’re like me and when you’re working on your computer or watching TV, you’re so über focused, that you don’t hear your children when they ask you a question. Most humans have a little work to do on their listening skills. Not God. Not only does God listen to you, he hears you. He understands your full meaning. When I’m talking to my friend, we often say, “I hear ya”. We don’t just mean we’re listening (as it might be if my kids are talking loudly to me), we mean, I get it. We understand each other. Why do my friend and I feel like we understand each other? Because we’ve spent time together. We are in relationship with one another. We share our feelings, hopes and dreams with each other. We also talk about our problems and what our plans are. God wants to be in relationship with us as well. He wants us to talk to Him, through prayer about all of those things. He wants us to ask Him about anything and for anything. He understands us. God hears us. You can be confident that when you’re speaking to God, it’s not a futile task. There are no busy lines (most kids don’t even know what that is, do they?) or voice mail  You’ve got a direct line through prayer to the One who can handle all of your problems.

And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

What an amazing promise this is! I must confess, I find it hard to wrap my head around sometimes. Because of this promise, we can be confident in our prayers, assured that He’s listening, hearing and acting on what we pray. God is fully engaged in His relationship with you. He is ready to listen at the drop of a hat. He’s waiting for you to talk with Him, to turn to Him, to trust Him, to believe Him.

Are you confident approaching God?

 
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Posted by on March 8, 2013 in 1 John, My God is Hearing

 

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My God is…cleansing me 1 John 1:7-10

07 Jan

1 John 1:7-10 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the

Are you stinky?

Are you Stinky?

blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Why do you take a shower? 

Truth be told, I’m sitting here, having done Zumba Rush on the Xbox (yes, I actually exercised). I haven’t showered after working out, and I’m sure I don’t smell amazing. I would take a shower before I leave the house, but why? Because I’m dirty. I have to get clean. I can’t get clean by myself (unless I want to go all catlike, but I’m not up for that). I need water and soap to get clean (at least water).

Do you stink? 

My boys are typical teenagers, and sometimes they avoid taking showers. I don’t know for sure what the aversion is, except maybe that it takes time away from other things they would rather be doing. When they ask,  “Do I have to take a shower?” the answer is almost always, “Do you stink?”. Now if you know anything about teenage boys, you probably know that they pretty much always stink unless they’ve just come out of the shower. Of course, that doesn’t stop my boys from saying, “No”.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves

Just like my boys trying to deny that they stink, sometimes we want to deny that we are sinful. We don’t like the idea that we don’t measure up. It’s not a pretty picture. But the truth is they stink, and I’m sinful. I do thinks that are unkind, I am selfish, and I put my want and needs above those of my Lord, My family and all people. It’s all about me. The problem is, no matter how much we deny it, God knows the truth. Just like I know my boys need soap and water to get them clean, God knows we need help getting clean. That’s the whole reason He sent Jesus.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Keeping God as our focus allows us to have true fellowship with each other, just like taking a shower makes it easier for us to not turn people away. Because we put our faith in Jesus, we are cleansed from our sins, able to be part of other relationships, and also get clean in the process. I don’t want to stink when I go out to meet a friend, and to be honest, I don’t want my sins to show either. But even if my sins do show, I can be cleansed, and as far as God is concerned, all my sins have been washed away.

Do you stink?

 
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Posted by on January 7, 2013 in 1 John, My God is cleansing me

 

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My God is made incarnate 1 John 5:1-5

25 Dec

1 John 5:1-5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.  This is how we know that we love the children of God:by loving God and carrying out his commands.  In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,  for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

in·car·nate

adjective \in-ˈkär-nət, -ˌnāt\

a : invested with bodily and especially human nature and formnativity scene
b : made manifest or comprehensible : embodied <a fiendincarnate>
The word became flesh
John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus Christ came to this world as a baby. He gave up His standing in heaven so that we, who had no claim to heaven, might live with Him forever in heaven. God the Father sent His only Son Jesus into the world as a baby, in the flesh and lived among us. We were able to see His glory, that He was full of grace and truth.
Amazing Grace
It is truly amazing that we have a God who is willing to give up all He had to come to earth so that we might have an opportunity to live with Him. He sacrificed Himself, not just on the cross, but even His comfort, His standing so that we, as ungrateful as we are, might have a chance to spend eternity in heaven.
He humbled Himself
There is really nothing lower than becoming like those you’ve created. Clearly we were less than gods. We were doing stupid things, we are confined to bodies that ache, stink, break, sweat and defecate. There is nothing glamorous about becoming a human when you are God. But Jesus willingly came to earth as a human. Not as an important human either. There wasn’t an announcement in the paper when He was born, and His mom had to put Him in a feeding trough for a bed. There was nothing showy or cool about that. He humbled Himself, becoming like us so that He could take our place and preserve us for life eternal. It truly was a Christmas miracle.

 

 
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Posted by on December 25, 2012 in 1 John, My God is made incarnate

 

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My God is…the Light 1 John 1:4-6

19 Jul

1 John 1: 4-6 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

In the dark

Have you ever been in complete darkness? I’m not speaking metaphorically, I mean real darkness with no light whatsoever? Just after we were married, my husband and I went to visit his parents in Arkansas. While we were there we went canoeing, shopping and other great adventures (ah – the life before kids). One of the days there, we went to tour some caves. We were the only two on the tour. I love touring caves, and this one was wonderful.  We went into the second cave with our guide, and what happened next is an experience I will likely never forget.

Total Darkness

The guide asked us if we had ever been in total darkness. I said, “I’ve been in the dark.” He said, “No, I mean total darkness.” My husband and I looked at each other and said, “I don’t know.” The tour guide then turned off the lights in the cave. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t see even a fragment of myself (not even my hands or nose), much less my husband, the guide or the cave. Within a moment (a very short moment) I felt afraid. I spoke, hoping that would calm my nerves. I reached out to grab my husband’s hand, but in this darkness, it was like he didn’t exist. I was at the mercy of the guide. The man with his hand on the light switch had all the power. I had never realized how having even a little light can change a situation. I never want to be in complete darkness again.

God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

I guess experiencing God’s light would be almost the opposite of my experience that day. With God, the Light, you can see the one who leads you. You can get your footing. You can reach out to others and take their hands. In the cave I was afraid to move, afraid the cave and everything around had disappeared, but in God’s light we can see what is real, what is true.

Walking in the dark

In the cave it was so dark I wouldn’t have even moved. I was paralyzed by the darkness. That is the extreme. For most of us we live in a world where darkness happens a little more subtly. Each night I wake up and have to go to the bathroom in the dark. I know the way by heart, and it’s usually not a problem. But sometimes it is a problem. Sometimes I put my computer along the wall of our room after working in bed or watching a movie. If I don’t get the battery box out-of-the-way, it can make for a very painful walk to the bathroom. Sometimes, no matter how often I’ve walked to the bathroom before, I still manage to catch my toe on the end of our bed as I pass by it. OUCH!

Walking in the dark is dangerous

When we walk in the dark in our spiritual life by lying, cheating, stealing, slander, lust (need I go on?), we often think the things we’re doing aren’t that big a deal. They start small, like taking a dollar from our moms purse without asking or like my sister and I would do, taking quarters off my fathers dresser without asking. Even if we did ask, I know there were a few times I took more than I had been told to take. We say a lot of things to ourselves to make our walk in the dark not seem so bad. We say things like, “He can afford a couple more quarters”. Or, “The guy with the BMW doesn’t need me to pay for the ding I put in his door. He’s rich, right?” But small walks in the dark can lead us into deeper darkness. “I’m just getting coffee with her, totally innocent right? Oh wait, now she wants to find someplace quiet to talk.” It’s a slippery slope.

If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

These are hard words to hear this side of heaven. As sinful people, we’ll never fully be walking in the light until Jesus comes again or we go to heaven. But that earthly living doesn’t give us the freedom to sin and walk in darkness, but the freedom to draw closer to the light and further from the darkness. When I was growing up and started to date a bit, there came a time when my mom had to tell me that boys weren’t allowed in my room. I said (of course), “Don’t you trust me?”. To which she wisely responded, “I trust you, I trust him, but I don’t trust the situation.” And that is how it is for so many of our sins, and so much of our time in darkness. We don’t work hard enough at keeping ourselves out of darkness. We don’t work hard enough at keeping ourselves in the light either.

His light doesn’t depend on us.

While we can lead ourselves out of the light into the darkness, the light is always there. God has saved us from our sins that we might spend eternity with Him in heaven. It is this blessing that calls us to walk in the light, to turn from our past lives of sin, not just because they’re bad for us, but because those sins and the darkness is what separates us from the one who loves us more than anyone else. Just like me reaching out for my husband in the dark cave, the Lord reaches out to us in our dark places, takes our hand and leads us back to the light. Unfortunately, sometimes, those of us who are stubborn and don’t like to be told what to do pull our hands out of His and remain in darkness. We pull away, leaving ourselves stranded.

Walk in the light

Hold fast to the one who has brought you out of darkness, so that you may not be overwhelmed by the darkness. Jesus is the Light. He is the way to everlasting life, and can lead you out of that darkness. Even letting in a little light can change your whole world. Once you have a little light, you won’t want to live without it. So go towards the light!

 

 
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Posted by on July 19, 2012 in 1 John, My God is My Light

 

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My God is … Love 1 John 3:1

10 Jan

1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us. 

Love is mentioned a lot in the Bible. We’re told we’re to love one another (almost 20 times). Husbands are told to love their wives. But one of the best ways (in my humble opinion) the word love is used is to describe the wonderful and unconditional love the “Father has lavished on us”

Because God first loved us we’re able to show love to others. Even if they don’t deserve it. That can be really hard, but it can also be really rewarding. People are changed by love. Imagine the young student who has never felt very smart in school is shown some loving patience and encouragement from a teacher. That can be very inspiring to the student.

Have you ever been shown love when you didn’t deserve it. Besides from God. Has anyone ever been nice to you even though you were being a jerk? What would happen if you get upset in a grocery store? You lose it and start getting a bit loud with the person checking you out. The manager comes over and lovingly finds out what is wrong and helps you solve the problem. Are you still yelling? No. The manager, with an act of love and respect changed your behavior.

Are you spoiled?

When I was a kid (I’m sure it still is said today), people would say, “Don’t give her that – you’re going to spoil that child.” There are people who are spoiled. Who can never get enough or don’t appreciate the gifts they’ve been given. In the verse above, we see that God has lavished love on us. We are children of the King, the Lord of lords. How could we need anything else? But often I find myself complaining about what I do not have.

I always want more. God is lavishing His love on me and I want more. Lavishing isn’t just getting, it’s getting in abundance. More than I need. He’s giving me more love than I need. What joy that should bring to my heart. It does bring joy, but a somber reality that some times I act like a spoiled brat instead of someone who has all the love a person could ever want.

Lavishing love on others

To lavish love on someone who doesn’t deserve it is contrary to what this world is about, but aren’t we as Christians supposed to be different (in a good way). Wouldn’t it stand out if while someone was yelling at you for the way you parked, you waited patiently until they were done yelling to move your car. What if your spouse says something unkind. Can you stand out and lavish love by not retaliating? How about when your child comes in and confesses to putting a big scratch on your car? Can we lavish the love we’ve been given even then. Only with the strength give to us by Christ could we even try.

Because He first loved us we can lavish love on others. I’m going to challenge myself to find ways to lavish love on people. In my family and community. I’m going to pray for opportunities to show people I love them even when they may not deserve it. That’s scary (may mean I’m going to encounter some real winners over the next few days). But I truly want to understand the amazing love that has been lavished on me. I certainly don’t deserve it.

Are you spoiled? Are you Lavishing love on someone?

 
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Posted by on January 10, 2012 in 1 John, God is Love

 

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My God is Righteousness 1 John 2:1-2

06 Sep

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2

Jesus is My Righteousness

I screw up. Quite regularly in fact. I don’t always use kind words when talking to the ones I love (Sorry Don). I have done a lot of things in my life I wish I couldn’t remember. But alas I can. But God doesn’t remember them. He casts my sins as far as the east is from the west.

Living in Guilt

One of my biggest sins is living in guilt. I beat myself up for sins from my past that no one but me remembers. I often remind myself what a loser I am for all of the things I’ve done. This is not the Lord’s way. He doesn’t want me to live in guilt, but to live for Him. Live freed from my sins that my actions might be a blessing to those around me.

Living in Grace

Fortunately for me, the devil doesn’t win this one. Though I spend some time in self loathing, I am reminded by the Holy Spirit, my husband and especially by scriptures like the one from 1 John that my sins have been atoned for by Jesus Christ. I no longer have to live like a slave to sin, but as one freed to live the life Christ has called me to lead.

Unforgivable Sins

Perhaps you feel like you have an unforgivable sin. It’s not true. The Bible tells us he came to redeem everyone. Call on Him for forgiveness and start living the life He wants for you.

It is finished. Your sins and mine (yep all of them) have been washed away. How great is our God!

 
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Posted by on September 6, 2011 in 1 John, God is my Righteousness

 

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God is … Love – 1 John 4:8

27 Jul

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8 (NIV)

God is Love.

That seems like such a simple statement, but it’s not really. Not to me. Loving someone isn’t easy. It takes work. I’m not sure we can fully understand the love our Lord has for us. I feel like it’s something more complex than the philos (brotherly love) I might be referring to when I say “I love you, man”. God’s love is more intimate than the eros (erotic) love I have for my husband. And while I suppose the Agape love (unconditional love) we have for our children may be the closest definition of God’s love, I’m guessing it falls short of all that His love provides.

Unconditional Love

Unconditional love is an amazing thing all on its own. To love someone, no matter what. Even if they fail you by lying or cheating. Your children lie to you (or at least mine lie to me). I believe it’s a condition of their sinful souls. I don’t love them any less because they lie, but I don’t love the lies. I think that’s how God feels about us as well. He loves us despite the sins we commit every day. I set out each day thinking I’m going to get it right. Throughout the day I make mistakes. Not all of them are probably sins, but most probably qualify. I may snap at my boys, a driver in front of me, or get impatient with the store clerk who is taking way too long and keeping me from my quiet time at home with the Lord. (That’s right – I can sin and think about the Lord at the same time – I’m crazy like that). But through it all he knows me, forgives me and delights in me. He is Love.

Being in Love with the Lord

I was the first woman my husband said, “I love you” to (or at least that’s what he told me – don’t correct me if I’m wrong, I prefer to live in my la-la-land). My husband and I work at our relationship everyday, and some days it’s a lot more work than other days. To be in a true relationship, you’re thinking about the other person, communicating with them, and enjoying their quirks and their sense of humor. Over the past few years, I have fallen in love with the Lord. I have had some great conversations with Him. Some of those conversations were painful, frustrating and down right sad. I’m not always happy with my Lord. Sometimes he pushes me out of my comfort zone so far that I get angry. I don’t like being stretched or frustrated by my constant failures as I learn something new. But there are other times…

My God has a sense of humor

Are you laughing at me or with me Lord? As I work at my relationship with the Lord through prayer, Bible study and relationships with the wonderful people I encounter, I see evidence of my God’s sense of humor all around me. Perhaps it’s that he is nudging me to work on my faith and I hear a song that touches exactly the right nerve to motivate me, and then follows that up with a friend who calls and reinforces the idea. The more I time I spend with God in prayer and Bible study, the more I see Him communicating in my everyday life. I don’t want to sound like some sort of goody two shoes who spends all her time reading the Bible and going to Bible study. I love those things, but trust me, the amount of commitment I’m making is so small in comparison to what I could be doing, and yet as I grow closer to Him (by spending more time with Him), the more I laugh at how He shows himself in my life.

Do you think the Lord has a sense of humor? If so – tell me about a time you two shared a laugh. If not – tell me why you don’t think the Lord has a sense of humor.

 
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Posted by on July 27, 2011 in 1 John, God is Love

 

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