John’s Caution for the World

Todays Reading : I John 2:15-17

John has the distinction of being one of the most known apostles and known as the eyewitness of Jesus Christ.  In many of the historical accounts, it shows that the apostle John was first a disciple of John the Baptist and then was called to be a disciple of Christ after Jesus’ baptism.  So John was there with Jesus from his baptism, talked with him, saw him heal, heard him teach, watch him being tried and crucified, met him risen, and saw him ascend into heaven.   In this letter, John is addressing the church and modeling a method in which to acknowledge and battle against the flesh and heresies.  At the time that John writes this letter he is nearly 90 years old. He has had blessed life and continues to shine the gospel into the dark places of the church and our lives.

 

I John 2:15-17

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

I John 4: 14-16

14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.  God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

 

As we look at today’s reading with additional support from later in the letter we have some defining moments in our faith and our reality. John instructs us to not love the world or anything that is in the world specifically: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

These three items are always present in our daily lives.  We all have been a victim to these items at some point and time because we are part of the flesh.  According the Life Application Study “The lust of the flesh is – gratifying the physical desires; the lust of the eyes – craving and accumulating things; the pride of life – obsession with one’s statue”.  These items are detrimental to us if these are the end goals and there is no thought of God or others.  God wants us to make him the main goal and prize for ourselves.

When I look at both passages it is almost impossible to truly love anything in the absence of God because God is Love and whoever lives in love lives in God.   God wants us to show discipline and control of the body, give unconditionally, and humble our selves to the service of the kingdom.  We have to be vigilant and ready to show God’s love in the world at all times.  May God allow us to continue to hold these teachings, so that we may be able to continue to shine the light of God into our journey.

Love People

 

1 John 2:7-11

“Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.  This old command is the message you have heard.  Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.  Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.  Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.  But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.  They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.”

The Apostle John calls the people he is writing to “Dear friends.”  John was writing to remind his dear friends about an old commandment they have known from the beginning.  This is also a new commandment that is true in Jesus and those who believe in Jesus.  

The old commandment John is referring to is found in Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Jesus gave His followers the second greatest commandment to follow, “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39).  He also told His disciples, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another: (John 13:34).  Loving our neighbor is not optional, it is a command.  All of Jesus’s commands benefit all people.  Loving people is living in the light and proves a person is a true believer in Christ.  A person who says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in the darkness of sin.  The person loving his brother lives in the light and does not stumble.  The person hating his brother walks in the darkness and does not know where he is going because no one can see in the darkness.  The test for genuine Christianity is loving people.

This time of year is BUSY!!  No matter the age of your kids, as a parent you are running around getting everything needed for “back-to-school”!  From the sports physical to school supply list, it is never ending.  I am the first to admit that I get caught up in my own family and getting things done.  Then, I read todays reading and it was a HUGE reminder to me.  I need to stop!  God does not command me to make sure everything is perfect for my kids to go back to school.  He commands me to love my neighbor.  What have I done for any of my neighbors recently??  

This was made clear to me 2 weeks ago.  My husband travels out of the country frequently and on a Wednesday, he found out he had to leave on that coming Sunday for Germany.  He was to be gone for 2 weeks.  This was not a happy surprise to me.  We had end of the summer things we were going to do as a family and he would miss sending his son back to college.  After a bit of time and discussion I came around and decided to make the best of the situation as there was not much I could do to change the fact that he would be gone.  But, one thing that God wanted to make clear to me is that my neighbors cared about me!  The day after he left I received an email from Starbucks.  I had to reread it a few times, but it was from my friend!  She sent me a Starbucks gift card to enjoy with my kids while Tim was out of the country.  She said she knows from first hand experience how it feels when her husband is gone and wanted to make sure I knew she was thinking of me!!  Wow!  When I saw her a few days later I told her how thoughtful it was and she told me how she follows through with every thought she has about how she can bless others.  I was honest, I said, “I have lots of thoughts, but I don’t usually follow through.”  But, I also said that her love for me showed me tangibly what that means, and I will do much better at following through to actually show others that I love them.  

This is our commandment!  That we love one another!  Both, physically and tangibly.  What have you done to go above and beyond to show someone that you care about them?  If you love your neighbor, you are living in the light!  

Choosing to love people well shows the world what God is like.

He is our Advocate

1 John 2:1-6

Whenever I’m in trouble, it always helps to know another person is on my side. When I was little, my big sister (who was almost never in trouble) could be a big help to me if she had my back when it came to my parents. As I got older, depending on the circumstances I would usually go to my mom with my problem first, working her over to my side somehow before my dad got involved. If she was on my side, even a little bit, it made things go smoother when I had to fess up with Dad. As an adult, when different things came up and I wasn’t sure how to face them alone, my dad was my go-to. I remember when I was 16 I got a letter in the mail with a traffic citation, claiming I had driven past a stopped school bus. I was terrified. I knew that was a major infraction, and I had no idea what to do. My dad wrote a letter regarding the issue, and the ticket was dismissed without me ever having to step foot in front of a judge.

The character of Christ depicted by John in today’s passage is that of an advocate. One who not only takes on our sin so that we are not burdened by it, but who also intervenes on our behalf with God the Father. How comforting is that??? John is clear – he’s giving us instruction and warnings so that we may not sin – but immediately following tells us that if we do (or rather, when we do) that we are not on our own. If we confess our sins to him, Jesus without fail advocates for us with our Lord. What an amazing thing that is.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

No Matter What

Today’s reading is John 8:1-19.

We will focus mostly on the first portion about the woman who the Pharisees brought to Jesus for committing adultery. They were attempting to trap Jesus by saying she must be stoned based on the Law of Moses for committing this sin. But, Jesus did the unexpected. He told them whoever was without sin should throw the first stone and not only did they not stone her, but they walked away from oldest to youngest. Jesus then told her He would not condemn her either and to go and sin no more. He gave her both grace and truth. If we are willing to walk away from our sins, He’ll wash away our sins.

John 3:17 reads…

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”

About this time last year, I remember interacting with a gentleman in park in New York City on the Spread Truth mission trip. This man was brought up going to church and was very knowledgeable about many world religions. He specifically stated that He was not a Christian because he thought the idea that God would humble Himself to become man and suffer the way Jesus did was ludicrous. He said if there truly was a God, he would show his power and might and condemn humans because essentially if he was God that’s what he would do. He’s right…we can’t fathom the idea of what God did because we, as sinful humans, would show our power and judge others as the Pharisees did and expected Jesus to do. I sin a lot and in many different ways, but if I were to count each one and label by type, judging others would be near the top of the list. We expect God is like us and would do the same, but He’s not. He tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9 that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, therefore it’s hard to fathom what He did through Jesus.

As a child, I remember sort of wondering what the big deal was with Jesus dying on the cross at some level because other people die in the act of helping someone like police officers and fire fighters. What was the big deal about Jesus doing it? It wasn’t until I was an adult and realized that Jesus was the only person to walk the Earth without sin, and even just one sin permanently separates us from God without his perfect death on the cross (Romans 3:23). Only when I was able to wrap my arms around this and that He didn’t have to suffer for us, but willingly did and brings us together again with Him and gives us the free gift of eternal life through His death on the cross could I fully appreciate what God has done (Romans 6:23). Actually, as hard as I try, I’m probably still much like the Pharisees and the man in the park, it’s just hard to fathom.

As I’ve mentioned before, I feel one of the main ways God reaches me and connects to my life is through music. This time is no different. Recently, friends and family have been directly or indirectly impacted by depression. Depression can come for many reasons, but I have to believe many circumstances are due to the weight of past sins or feeling like the person is insufficient and doesn’t measure up. If you or someone you know suffers from depression, I hope this amazing song, “No Matter What,” can bring you or them peace and comfort. Every single one of us, even those perceived to be very successful and appearing to have everything going for them, are insufficient without Him. He is enough though. He makes us whole and perfect to God despite all our failures and imperfections. No matter what.

The Jews and the Gentiles

Acts 13:  42-52

In today’s reading, we have two very different groups of people.  As Paul and Barnabas are teaching, the focus is shifting to the Gentiles and away from the Jews.  As we read this story, we can picture a mass of people, “the whole city”,gathered.  There are opposing forces.  The Gentiles are grasping the word of God.  They are believing what Paul and Barnabas are saying.  They are “coming alive”.  They are joyful.  You can hear them cheering and rallying.  They are believing in eternal life.  They are hearing “these things”.  I interpret “these things” to be the word of God and his teachings.  Paul and Barnabas are preaching, teaching and spreading God’s word.  They are true disciples for the Gentiles and are showing them the way.  What a wonderful scene we can envision in this story.

“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
    that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

On the other side, we have the Jews.  They are starting to oppose the word.  They are turning away from Paul and Barnabas.  The word “scoff” is used to describe their actions toward the Gentiles.  We read about the Jews’ “jealousy”.  They are definitely struggling and may not know where to turn.  They are not cheering and are rallying against God’s word.  They are misinterpreting “these things” to represent what they want to become.  How sad to see them turn away.  Why do they feel they cannot follow?  How did they become so filled with this jealousy?  God does not want them to turn away.

As we view these contrasting styles of what I will call “group think”, it appears easy to me to sway with the Gentiles.  However, in the moment, it may not have been that easy.  The Gentiles were certainly on a upward path and staying true to God’s word and course.  Do we do that in our every day lives?  Or do we turn away, being filled with jealousy?  The next time you are confronted with a situation of contrasting styles, which group will you follow?  Or will you be the leader and stick with your beliefs, morals and values?

As you carry on your day, may you be filled with the positive feeling of the Gentiles.  Don’t let negative feelings take you away from God’s word!

Show Me the Sign

Today’s Reading: Luke 11:29-36

Today’s reading from Luke follows Jesus on his preaching journey on the way to Jerusalem. Written in about 60 AD, Luke sets the scene:

“When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah” Luke 11:29

So basically, not much has changed in the last nineteen hundred years. We are just as focused on the desire to be uniquely blessed. Everyone wants to have a special experience that sets them above others in terms of their salvation and closeness to God. We ask for signs and look for signs in order to confirm the validity of our faith in Jesus. Jesus points to the sign of Jonah as a foreshadowing of his death and resurrection. Just as the prophet Jonah was rescued after three days in the belly of a whale, Jesus will die and rise after three days. God had asked Jonah to preach the importance of repentance to the Gentiles. Jesus is now affirming Jonah’s message; salvation is not only for the Jews but for all people. This specific part of Jesus’ teaching got me thinking about how we too seek for signs in our modern everyday life. I loved the sermon we had last week at Eastview when Pastor Jordan Rice talked about turning to the “big G in the sky….Google!” Although I laughed out loud, his insight spoke to my heart. As a medical professional, I am so guilty of turning to science to solve a problem before turning to the big G: God.

In our generation we are always seeking proof. We want evidence of that which we cannot plainly see.  In Jesus’ day, the people demanded signs. When Jesus healed a blind man, his doubters demanded another sign, more proof that he was the Messiah. Are we perhaps demanding the same? Are we satisfied by the gifts he’s given us, the miracles he’s performed in our lives? Are we able to truly say, “Christ IS enough for me!”

Jesus goes on to teach about the light within us:

“Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.” Luke 11: 34

 In this moment, Jesus is holding the light of the gospel for us all to see. Those that reject Him and his message have poor vision. That lack of clarity turn the light of Christ into darkness. In contrast those who receive Christ by faith are filled with light. The lamp is Christ and the eyes are representative of our spiritual relationship with him. Sin distorts our spiritual vision. It blinds us to the ability to see God at work in our lives. I challenge us as we focus on our own relationship with Him to work toward identifying sins that are blinding us to life with Him. Pray intentionally for eyes that are healthy and ask God to fill your body with light.

 

 

 

 

 

Let the Word of Christ Dwell in Us Richly

Colossians 3:12-17

The past two weeks I’ve been reading this passage over and over again…and WOW – I can’t get through it all in one sitting because there is just so much goodness to take in and meditate on.  My heart keeps going back to verse 16, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. 

How amazing that God gave us hearts and minds that can absorb truth! Paul’s encouragement is for us to LET the word of Christ dwell in us richly. We have to allow it. God wants us to be filled with the Word, himself, but we have to allow it in. Invite it in. Let it in.

Guess what else BLEW MY MIND?!  Thinking about the word of Christ. Is that the same Word in John 1, that was present at creation and also became the flesh (Christ himself)? Is it the red letters in my Bible?

Lastly, I love the word used here – dwell. Webster defines dwell as reside, live, be settled, be housed, lodge, stay.  I don’t know about you, but I want Jesus’s word to live in me, to stay with me, and to be settled in me! This isn’t a “Let the word of Christ stop by from time to time” or “Let the word of Christ be an occasional visitor in your world”. This is a DWELL. STAY. BE SETTLED.  And if that wasn’t enough, he adds “richly”. Abundantly, greatly, strongly, deeply, EXTRA.

How can we do this? Here are some areas of focus for me:

  • Pray for a passion and desire to let the word of Christ dwell in me richly. 
  • Read the Word. And if it’s going to dwell + stay, I need to read more frequently and consistently.
  • Speak, write, and sing the Word. We all learn in different ways – reading it, writing it, and singing it, talking about it, can help me retain memory.  Proven by my ability to recite the entire dialogue and songs from Psalty’s Camping Adventure, that I watched a million times on VHS (age 8).

I love that God gives us the ability to keep His Word in our hearts. He knows the power of the Word, the wisdom and peace it brings!

Francis Chan’s book Forgotten God shares a brief outline of Esther Ahn Kim:

Esther Ahn Kim’s biography is around the most powerful testimonies I have ever read. It was during WWII, and the Japanese occupation of Korea, that Esther’s journey of Faith really began. She refused to bow down at the shrines set up in every corner of her country and was eventually imprisoned for six years, from 1939 until 1945. Knowing she was destined for prison for refusing to bow to idols, Esther spent time training herself both physically and spiritually. She memorized more than 100 chapters of the Bible and many hymns because she knew she would not be allowed to keep her Bible. She spent countless hours seeking God though fasting and prayer. These times when she read the Scriptures led to greater clarity and she was able to surrender her fear of being tortured. When she was eventually taken to prison, God used her in countless way. 

Esther let the Word of Christ dwell in her richly, and when you read more of her testimony, you can see just how powerfully the Word was used in her life.  There’s nothing better we can fill our hearts and minds with than the Living Word!

God, thank you for providing your Word for us, and it’s ability to dwell in us. Help us to seek your Word and let it dwell in our hearts. We want to know You more and Your ways to become our ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

A New Life

This summer has brought a lot of change in my life. There have been changes in work location, work peers, friend groups, church, learning to speak a new language, and much more. It has been busy and oftentimes frustrating beyond belief. There have been storms as well as smooth sailing, sadness and joy, loneliness and renewal.

Later this month we have a long vacation scheduled, and I am really looking forward to it. Contrary to what some people might see on social media, I’m feeling burned out. A break from this craziness will be very much welcomed before the kids start at a new school and we adjust further to our new life here personally and professionally.

With our family’s move overseas, in many ways we have a new life. New opportunities to grow in our faith and to love others. New friends, new interactions at local shops, new coworkers, and new missions.

The same for us as Christians. Upon our decision to choose Jesus as lord and savior, we were given a new life. An opportunity to put on a new self.

3 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your[a] life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you:[b] sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.[c] 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self[d] with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. (Colossians 3:1-10)

Each time I read today’s scriptures I have varying thoughts; mostly self-assessment. With all that is in my life, am I seeking up or seeking the things of this Earth?

Is my desire to go on vacation stronger than my desire to grow in my faith and lead others in their faith? Do I seek renewal through rest and relaxation or renewal through begging for mercy due to my sin?

If the answer to this question resides solely on the pictures in my phone’s photo library then it would seem I’ve got a serious idolatry problem. Food, wine, adventure and leisure.

On the other hand, these last few months I’ve experienced God’s faithfulness and gentleness unlike any other time that I can recall. Continuing the habit of journaling every other week (because the “next post” is always on my mind) has helped convict me of my idolatry and helped keep my focus on the kingdom of Heaven.

Thank you to the rest of the Bible Journal team for your commitment to writing and sharing. These daily posts are shaping me. Your love and efforts are making a difference.

Thank you also to our readers. I think about so many of you as I write, as though I’m preparing a speech to you as friends and family in the same room. May my heart and motives be pure for God’s glory.

In closing, I challenge our readers to pick any verse of the Bible. Read it, pray over it, then write down your thoughts. I think you’ll be moved more than you might expect. Either share the thoughts with someone or keep it between you and God; the challenge is to take a step to go a little deeper.

Colossians 3:1-11

What Really Matters

Today’s reading:  Colossians 2:16-23

I’ve been on vacation with my family this week in the north woods of Minnesota, a place we’ve gone to my entire life. As you would expect, being there together conjures up many memories of years past.  I’m sure for my parents, these memories bring a mix of emotions.  Some good and some bad.  For my sister and me however, the memories primarily bring laughter.  Either because enough years have passed that we don’t remember the heartaches, more likely because my parents successfully shielded us from a lot of the drama that came with church leadership.

My Dad was the senior pastor of our church since I was 3 years old. Things were a lot different back in the 1970s and 1980s.  For example, Mom’s rule about what we could wear to church – we had to wear skirts or dresses to church every Sunday morning.  The only exception was IF the temperature was below zero.  Then, and only then, were we allowed to wear slacks.  My Mom didn’t really believe that God cared about what we were wearing, but she thought the rule helped teach us to bring our best to God.  Throughout my childhood, I can only remember one such occasion.  The weather was brutal.  Funny thing is – I don’t remember lobbying my Mom to stay home out of the frigid central Illinois wind, or being grateful slacks would keep me warm on my way to worship Jesus, rather I simply relished the opportunity to show off my stylish green plaid slacks!  While her rule was rooted in good intention, it didn’t really bring us closer to Jesus.

Other than the fun I’ve had reflecting on old times, why do I tell you this story? There are several of similarities to our text today in Colossians 2.  Paul instructed the Colossian Christians not to let anyone judge them by what they ate or drank because Christ had set them free.  While Old Testament law, religious festivals and ceremonies may have brought them closer to Christ, they were simply a means to an end.  In verse 17 Paul called them a shadow of what was to come.  After Jesus came and gave his life to atone for sin, faith in him became the only thing that really mattered.

Today, nothing has changed. Faith in Jesus Christ is still the only thing that matters.  The Bible talks about a variety of activities and practices that are aimed at assisting us in our walk with Jesus.  Please do not mistake them as a substitute for a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Attending Church, praying and serving others, for example, are all good practices that can help bring us closer to Jesus and other Christfollowers.  In the end, they are meaningless if Jesus is not in our heart.

Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (Matthew 7:22-23).

Open Door

Today’s reading is Revelation 3:8-11

8 “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.”
We watched the movie Armegeddon the other night. Not on purpose…kind of stumbled on to it and couldn’t shut it off. While watching I thought about end times. It’s a real thing. But we don’t have to be afraid if it. God has a plan.
These are the words of encouragement written to the church in Philadelphia. They are also an encouragement to us, the Bible Journal Community in 2018. I love the word picture of the door of salvation. He has set an open door before us that no one can shut. No one! It’s done and promised. This is the door of hope, the door of eternal life. He knows we are weak and has opened it for us if we accept it. These verses encourage us to continue obeying and persevering because God sees us, knows us, and will protect us. I do not pretend to know the ins and outs of “the hour of trial” but I trust that God will protect us in that moment because He said so. He is coming soon. Keep doing the things He gave you to do on this earth for Him. Keep going. Don’t give up. If you don’t know what He’s given you to do…..ask Him. He will answer because He has given each of us gifts and talents for His kingdom. And make sure to look for your gift…..not the one you wish you had. I’ve done that……it’s exhausting. Be patient….it will come. Keep your eyes on that open door.
Have a blessed Wednesday!
Shelly