It has always been said that actions speak louder than words. It’s one thing to make a claim, it’s another to back it up. In 1 John 5:6-10, the apostle tells us that Jesus did both. He not only claimed to be the Son of God and savior to the world, his actions are evidence…
Tag: Devotion/Biblical Insight
The Circle of Love – 1 John 5:1-5
If you can get past John’s mental gymnastics, you’ll find a pretty simple concept in 1 John 5:1-5: The love of God and the love of others is so entwined that you cannot have one without the other. To get a little more complex in my explanation (as does John to a further degree), as…
Can I Get A Witness? – 1 John 4:13-17
I had the opportunity to talk with a young lady after worship yesterday who is dealing with a lot of spiritual issues. In tears, she said to me that she felt lost. I asked in what sense she meant that and she told me that it seemed she was adrift at sea without any direction. …
When Love Isn’t Love – 1 John 4:7-12
You know what I get tired of? Religious people who go to church and do all the stuff they’re supposed to, but give them half a chance and they rail on somebody. I get tired of people who talk about the love of God, but never seem to show it; never seem to demonstrate grace…
A New Kind of Test – 1 John 4:1-5
Up to now, the tests in 1 John have been for us. We have been given tests to demonstrate whether or not Christ really lives in us and if we are really following after Him. Now, the tables are turned. Testing the spirits is a vital operation that we must carry out constantly. In an…
Doubt-Less – 1 John 3:19-24
Have you ever had serious doubts about your salvation? I think we all have from time-to-time. Sometimes they’re well founded because it is possible to spend an entire lifetime going to church, doing all the religious ritual stuff, “doing good,” never having entered into a saving knowledge of Jesus (beyond head knowledge to the heart…
Faithless faith – 1 John 3:16-18
John and James sound very similar here: if you’ve got the goods and you keep it to yourselves when there is a brother in need, your faith is a sham. Sounds tough, but that’s really what is being said. John says it like this: if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in…
Tough Love – 1 John 3:11-15
Man, John just pulls no punches, does he? Listen to some of this: “Whoever does not love abides in death.” “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” Tough stuff, but I read it very appreciatively. Sometimes we are too polite in the…
Spiritual Anarchy – 1 John 3:1-10
If you’ve been following this running commentary on 1 John, I’m sorry I was unable to post on Friday or Saturday. Friday I was out of town and could not get on a computer and Saturday we had a break-in at the church and my day was tied from early til late (and I choose…
Is it a wonderful life? 1 John 3:1-3
How many times have we wondered what it will be like when those of us who have trusted in Christ will enter into heaven? Some of the popular notions include wings, essentially becoming angels (ala It’s A Wonderful Life), or spiritual beings with no real form or physical identity. Others think it will be like…
The Deception of Righteousness – 1 John 2:26-29
“I’m basically a good person.” Number 1 answer given for the question, “Why do you think you should be allowed in heaven?” The belief that doing good things is enough for salvation is probably one of Satan’s biggest attempts to keep us from Christ. Strange, isn’t it? Satan doesn’t want you to be bad…he wants…
The Door – 1 John 2:22-25
In John 14:6, John reported Jesus as having said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” With those words, there was no room left for any other way to salvation. Now, we can either believe it or not…that option is left to us, but…
Nuances – 1 John 2: 18-21
Interested in a spiritual experience? Take your pick. There is a flavor for every taste. Like all the assurance with half the guilt? No problem. Enjoy a good mountain-top experience with no extra commitment? That’s out there, too. As a matter of fact, one of the most popular nuances in the Christian segment of the…
Be Encouraged! 1 John 2:12-14
Sometimes we just need encouragement, don’t we? It can seem like the whole world is on our shoulder and if one more thing happens, we’re going to snap. I love this little section where John just pours out encouragement on his readers. In essence, he simply says, “I’m writing to you because you can do…
PSI – Words, in the End, Are Still Just Words – 1 John 1:5-10
It is a popular notion, as Americans, to call ourselves Christians. Ask just about anybody, regardless of lifestyle, beliefs or politics, and they will tell you they are Christian. This just points to the fact that the word, “Christian,” has become meaningless. As a matter of fact, many would hold that because they are Americans…
Extreme Grace, Part 2
So, when we last left our hero, Peter had just accused some religious officials of being really bad people because they had denied Jesus. As we so astutely pointed out, Peter, too, had done some denying on his own of Jesus but worse…he actually knew Jesus and who he was.* So, now Peter’s lookin’ pretty bad.[Read the full post]
Extreme Grace, Part 1
Twice Peter said the they had denied Jesus. Helloooo, excuse me, Pete, but do you not remember where you were at about the time these little people were denying Him?? Peter had run away like a scared little girl from, oh, yeah, a little girl who had accused him of being a follower of Jesus. Three times! It’s like he totally forgot what he had done. How does that happen? What right does Peter have to be accusing others of denying?
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PSI – 2 Corinthians 10
Paul was a master warrior who understood the battle, had expert knowledge in spiritual warfare, knew the motives and tactics of the enemy, and relied on the commands and power of the Master. Every Believer is called to spiritual warfare and every leader is called and equipped in the same way as Paul. Unfortunately, we too often walk according to the flesh, not realizing how embedded the enemy is within the hearts and minds of people and we take our eyes off of the objective, being more content with making people happy than holy.
The Great Misconception of Christianity
If Christianity truly is about relationship…real relationship with Christ based on faith, then there must be troubles that push us into Him; there must be times of trial so that we know that we can trust Him and know that our faith is real. Unless we break the cycle of religion based on litmus tests and rules of conduct and get back to Scripture that reveals the Truth about real life with real problems, we’ll simply end up with more guilt-laden religious people, carrying the burden of their sins and reflecting none of the glory of Christ’s righteousness which leaves them complete in God’s eyes and finding that Christ is enough for their lives.
The Idol of Christian Service
As a Christian minister, I am called to carry out the work that has been prepared for me before the foundation of the world. Actually, every Believer in Christ has, certainly not just “professional Christians” like pastors and the like, as it is through the blessing of service that we become most Christlike and, thereby,…
Is the Devil in the Details?
I think the answer to that question is a resounding “yes!” The Devil is in the details because that is usually where we find that the failure comes. Personally, I am often careful to make sure I am generally healthy physically, spiritually, emotionally, etc., but it is usually in the small areas that I find…
