Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
In Deed and in Truth
1 John 3:18
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
KJV
I was impressed as I read this verse this morning. How often do we love in word and in tongue but not in deed and in truth. We may meet someone that we look down on and we can say nice things to them. We act cordial, but then we talk them down behind their back. Is that really loving in deed and in truth. I know that I need God's help in this area. I want to truly have God's love flow out of my life and into the lives of others. I want people to be able to tell that I love them unconditionally no matter where they've been or what type of life they've lived. I want to learn to truly care about people no matter how disgusting their life has been. I want to freely associate with people who want help even if it tarnishes my reputation. Jesus did! He ate with publicans and sinners even though the Pharisees looked down on Him for it. Surely I am not more important than my Master.
Lord, help me as I reach toward my goal of loving everyone as You do. Help me to look past the disgusting sin and all the trouble that people have gotten themselves into and see a needy soul that is trapped in sin. Help me not to be repelled by the fact that they've gotten themselves into this mess. Help me to remember that it is only by Your grace and no merit of my own that I am not in that same situation. Help me to truly have a heart of compassion for those who are less blessed than I am. Help me to willingly give of myself for the service of the kingdom and to help other people find their way in life. Lord, give me the heart of Jesus. Help me to be willing to sacrifice. Help me to get my priorities right and to remember what truly will matter in eternity: not the number of dollars that I have earned, but the souls that I have helped influence for the right.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Behold What Manner of Love
1 John 3:1
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." What an amazing love God shows us. We were sinners and lost to God. We had turned our backs on God and rejected Him. Yet, He freely sent His Son to die for us so that we could be saved and be called His sons. Because of that, the world doesn't know us or love us. They work against us and try to make us return to our old, sinful ways, but God gives us the grace to remain strong and resist those temptations.
Lord, thank You for saving us. Thank You for calling us Your sons. Help me to remember that the world will not love a child of God. Help me to faithfully live for you and not be ashamed of You.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
You Know All Things
1 John 2:20 has an interesting phrase that captured my attention and got me thinking: "Ye know all things." John then goes on to remind to people to be alert and not to be deceived. This is so often our problem. Many of us as Christians have had training in the Bible since we were young. We have memorized Bible passages. We have read the Bible. We've gone to church and heard preaching about the Bible. We know "all things." Yet, in the bustle and hurry of life, we forget. We fail to remember the importance of Bible teachings, or we can become deceived by false teaching. John calls us to beware of false teachings and false christs. How can we do that? It's only by studying the truth. Only when we believe that God's Word is infallible in its entirety can we stay on the strait and narrow way without wavering. May God help us.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Love Not the World
1 John 2:15 urges us, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." That makes it very plain and simple. There are no two ways about it. We cannot give even one part of our heart to loving the world. God requires everything of us. To truly serve God, we must wholeheartedly give our lives to God's service. If we have mixed loyalties, then we do not truly love God. It's that simple.
Lord, help me to completely love You. Help me to banish the love of the world from my life. Help me to be completely loyal to you all the time. Give me the strength to resist temptation. Help me to live for you always without reservation and without question.
(if this is a little incoherent, I wrote it at 3 AM.)
Sunday, March 01, 2009
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