1 John 4 - 6.17.24

Scripture:

1 John 4:19-21

 "We love because He first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister." 

Observation:

In this chapter, John speaks about testing the spirits and how to discern whether they are from God. Is it the authentic Spirit of God? He then goes on to write about what real love looks like.  Being able to love others originates from God’s love for us. His love for us is not meant to be kept for ourselves, but shared with others, especially our brothers and sisters in the faith.

Application:

Love our brothers and sisters in the faith. 

There are people who say they don’t need the church. Their relationship with God is just between them and Him. I have also had people tell me that they love God, but they don’t love people. (I admit that I have fallen into both traps at various times in my faith journey.)

Why would John, through the Holy Spirit, need to encourage us to love our brothers and sisters in the faith? Because let’s be real, sometimes it’s not easy. Sometimes, we get hurt, disappointed, blindsided or have felt betrayed by family members. Some people have been sinned against too. Human relationships can be complicated, but no matter how hard it may be, we are called to love AND forgive our brothers and sisters in the Lord. 

Another example is in Matthew 18:21-22. Peter asked the Lord how many times he should forgive his brother and sister who sins against him. Peter didn’t ask Jesus about how many times to forgive the people in the world, but rather his own brothers and sisters in Christ. This just proves that even in the church, we will hurt others and be hurt by others.

We cannot operate apart from our family and although family has its ups and downs, it’s important to always pray for each other (it’s hard not to love people you pray for), forgive each other, and love each other. Scripture says that we can say we love God all we want, but we would be liars until we start loving our brothers and sisters in Christ (the Church) too! 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, I don’t want my faith and my relationship with You to be a lie because I refuse to love my own brothers and sisters in Christ. Please help me to always forgive, show mercy and love the way You have first loved me. Amen. 

-Michelle Gaddi

1 John 3 - 6.14.24

Scripture: ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

”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. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.“

Observation:

I love the picture the first verse paints “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.”

We can see it. Jesus died for our sins. It is a great love. Beyond what we can think or imagine.  John refers to God as Father. Jesus taught them to pray, “Our Father.” The word lavished points out God’s love is not given sparingly but given in abundance covering us completely and spilling over.  People will notice we are children of God as we walk out that love and do not sin. In fact that is what they will call us. 

We have such a great hope we will see Jesus and we will be like Him. As children of the King we need to purify ourselves and stop sinning. 

Application:

I want to walk in the knowledge I am lavished in God’s love.  Jesus may not be here in the second coming spoke about yet, but I can see Him as I read God’s word and spend time with his people.  As I walk in that knowledge, sin will have no place in my life. When I do sin I can purify myself by asking for forgiveness. 

Prayer:

Father, Thank you for calling me your child and as a Father lavishing your love on me.  Help me to know what that is and experience it fully. I did not have that growing up. Please forgive me for the times I forget who I am and go my own way.  Help me to walk in purity, read your Word, obey it and walk in the hope that my faith will become sight.  I will see you as you are and be like you.  Thank you for sending Jesus to pay the price for my sin.  Help me to love you and others with the love you lavish on me. 

Amen

- Cindy Howard

1 John 2 - 06.13.24

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 2:4-5a AMP

Whoever says, “I have come to know Him,” but does not habitually keep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings), is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But whoever habitually keeps His word and obeys His precepts [and treasures His message in its entirety], in him the love of God has truly been perfected [it is completed and has reached maturity].

OBSERVATION:

The words in this letter clearly express a writer, John, who was intimately acquainted with Jesus AND His Teachings. John KNEW Jesus firsthand. He walked, ate, ministered with, learned from, and experienced the miracles with Jesus. John witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus AND the death and resurrection of Jesus.

“We proclaim to you the ONE who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. HE is the Word of life.”

(1 John 1:1 NLT)

In his letter, John explains there is a clear distinction between those who are “Living in the Light” and those who “say they have fellowship with God but go on Living in spiritual darkness” (vs 6).

APPLICATION:

Living in the Light = Loving what God Loves

When a person becomes a believer [or a Child of God as John says] they receive the LIFE of God-eternal Life. And everyone that has this Life will demonstrate it by the way they live. There used to be a question posed in a water baptism class, “Can you see my faith?”  The supposed answer was “no”, which led to the reason for water baptism. But, I respectfully disagree with that premise. When you look at John’s guidelines that match the teachings of Jesus—it’s very clear to me as we live our lives in this broken world there is a powerful testimony waiting to happen. IF I am able to not surrender to my flesh [which is so so difficult] and just completely surrender to Jesus in the midst of my circumstances—I think many people would SEE my faith-including unbelievers. I’m feeling more convicted as God continues to bring these waves of testing.

A Child of God:

·       Acknowledges Jesus Christ as both their LORD and Savior (vs 1,2,17)

·       Loves God (vs 5)

·       Loves other believers (vs 9,11)

·       Obeys God’s commands-they do NOT go on sinning (vs 3-6)

A Child of God is evidenced by “Loving what God Loves”

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

Love your neighbor-Neighbor from the Greek- plésion-meaning any other person irrespective of race or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet (see the Good Samaritan parable-Luke 10:25)

Jesus said THAT all the commandments and prophets hang on these two commandments.

Jesus continued to up the ante in His teachings. HE calls us to so much MORE-and I have been meditating lately on the “More” since so many of us have been stretched and tested lately.

Jesus tells us as His Children we are Called to Live differently from the world.

”..Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:44,45)

“If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.” (Matthew 5:46,47)

PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Forgive me for my grumbling. YOU are a Good Good Father. Your Gift of Salvation is reason enough to Praise YOU all the days of my Life. YOU have been abundantly exceedingly Good to me. Bring me through this season of testing faithfully. May my endurance Grow so that it will be fully developed that I may be made complete in YOUR eyes for Your Work. Help me by the Power of Your Holy Spirit to Love and Pray for those who are causing us harm right now. Forgive me for the times I think I can’t do this. It feels too hard. Thank You for sending people and prayers to strengthen and hold me up. Draw me deeper into Your Heart where my strength is revived. You are my supply. YOU are my Rock. Apart from You we can do NO-thing---WITH You—NO-Thing is Impossible.

In Jesus Name, amen.

Tina L Kudelka