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1 John 3

4/29/2013

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1 John 3:6 “Anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin.  But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know Him or understand who He is.”

This statement just stood out to me when I read it and I believe John wants us to understand what happens in our heart when we belong to Jesus.  If we are living by the Spirit and learning from God’s word we will be focused on Him and our actions will change to resemble His.  He did not sin because He did nothing without the Father telling Him and we can do the same when we remain in Him.  We can’t believe the deceiving statement “we’re just sinners saved by grace” we must believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again to take our sins.  When we open our hearts and believe this we look to Him to get us through and the Spirit leads us to right living.

Verse 7 says, “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this:  When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.”  We are called to be like Him and by being like Him we are called to make disciples.  Well we can’t make disciples if we don’t continue to live in Him.  I am reading a great book by Mike Breen called “Building a Discipling Culture” and he shares the Greek word for disciple: Mathetes.  Directly translated, it means learner.  He states, “Scripture really seems to be getting at something here, something about orienting our lives around becoming lifelong learners of Jesus.  It is liberating to think that, with God’s Spirit, over time, we can learn the ways of Jesus, doing the things that He did while becoming the same type of person.  It doesn’t happen overnight, and the expectation of Scripture isn’t that it happens overnight.”  What a way to think and we know we are lifetime learners and our change is because of Him.

Jesus challenges us to live differently in Matthew chapter 16 verses 24-25, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.  If you try and hang on to your life, you will lose it.  But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”  As we get back to 1 John chapter 3 let’s look at verses 8-9 we can see how Jesus can change our lives.  “But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning.  But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.  Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them.  So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.”  Can’t you see what happens to us when we take the time to be learners or disciples, it opens us up to live out Christ-like behaviors and people see light in us.

We are new creations in Christ when we accept Him and are baptized so we must believe it and live with the goal of making disciples that are willing to shine for Christ.  I want to finish with verse 10 which says, “So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil.  Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”  Amen   


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1 John 2

4/27/2013

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1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.  These are not from the Father, but are from this world.  And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.  But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

It is so easy for us to get caught up in the world because the world is happening around us daily.  We see and hear from television and people around us that make it easy for us to have darkness.  It takes us focusing on what is good and pleasing to God and then feeding the Spirit in us so we live in the light.  I have shared my mission statement before; helping people who believe in Jesus, belong to Jesus and I think this belonging to is what helps us stay focused even with the world around us being darkness.

Jesus shows us the importance of belonging to Him in John chapter 15 verse 5, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me you can do nothing.”  If we don’t understand belonging to Him is a change of heart and a releasing of our worldly desires that will not just go away, we will struggle every time the world shows us something we like.  I really like how Warren Wiersbe puts it in his commentary, “God has made provisions for us in these ways to conquer sin.  We never lose or change the sin nature that we were born with, but we need not obey its desires.  As we live in the light and see sin as it actually is, we will hate it and turn from it.  And if we sin, we immediately confess it to God and claim His cleansing.  By depending on the power of the indwelling Spirit, we abide in Christ and walk as He walked-live as He lived.”

That is why it is so important to open God’s word and seek wisdom and ask for light.  Verse 16 says, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions…”  These are not important to God, but our shining His light is.  What we do or have does not make who we are, it is how we live and serve that shows our true heart.  It is easy to fall into the desires of this world that are wrestling in our minds already, but surrender to ourselves and following the Spirit takes time, patience and hard work.

You don’t earn anything by living this way, you get to enjoy heaven on earth when you live this way and that is so exciting.  Think on this statement as I close this writing; “Growth into maturity does take a lifetime, but each day in that lifetime can represent a small step of closer obedience to God.”  Warren Wiersbe.  Amen 


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2 Peter 1

4/23/2013

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2 Peter 1:3-4 “By His Devine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.  We have received all of this by coming to know Him, the one who called us to Himself by means of His marvelous glory and excellence.  And because of His glory and excellence, He has given us great and precious promises.  These are the promises that enable you to share His Devine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

The thing that stood out to me first was the statement Peter made in the middle of verse 3, “…we receive all of this by coming to know Him.”  When we seek Him we find Him, when we ask Him, He answers us, this is what is awesome about God, and He wants us to come to Him.  Our growth is limited by our desire to learn and understand.  God has made it easy for us to get the information, but our own desires to lead our own lives hinder our walk and growth. 

When we look at everything Jesus has done for us and what He has promised to do for us we should be motivated to open God’s word so we can grow.  It says we can share His Devine nature and when we surrender to Him we can escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.  How do we stop living for ourselves and stop getting caught up in the same worldly desires?  We transform into a new creation who is seeking Christ- like behaviors.  I like this thought by Warren Wiersbe, “The Christian life begins with faith, but that faith must lead to spiritual growth.  Faith leads to growth, and growth leads to practical results in life and service.” 

Look at what Peter continues to say in verses 5-7, “In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.  Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self- control, and self- control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.”  Wow, that looks like our walk needs some effort from us to grow.  The more we seek the more we can understand and the more we understand the more we transform and live what we see Christ do in God’s word.

Our excitement and our passion for knowing more is what allows the Spirit in us to be loud and clear.  Look what Peter goes on to say in verse 8, “The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  We are called to make disciples and that takes us constantly working and living out our faith so people can see something that looks like Christ.  I love what Paul tells Titus in Titus chapter 2 verses 9-10, “Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them.  They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good.  Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.”

Look how (in the New Living Translation) many of the epistles start out like this:  Philippians, “This letter is from Paul and Timothy slaves of Christ Jesus.”  Titus, “This letter is from Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.”  James, “This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”  2 Peter, This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.”  Jude, “This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.”  As we open our hearts to know Christ we can surely follow the teaching of Paul to Titus and do our best to please Him.  Let’s not be comfortable just knowing Jesus lets belong to Him and be a slave to His teachings.  Amen


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1  Peter 5

4/20/2013

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1 Peter 5:10 “In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus.  So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation.”

In other words He loved us so much He sent His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  Christ Jesus is our firm foundation; He never sinned so He is our perfect example to follow.  And the only way to follow Him is to know Him inside and out.  I love what Jesus tells His disciples when they offer Him food at the well.  In John chapter 4 verse 34 Jesus says, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing His work.”

God has called us to share in His glory through Jesus Christ; will we seek Him and get our nourishment from Him?  When we do we feel the Spirit guiding and comforting us in all we do, even when our life seems like a mess.  Peter closes his letter with this statement, “…Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”  The more we learn the more we seek His ways and there is nothing but peace in Him.  Amen


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1  Peter 3

4/16/2013

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1 Peter 3:14-16 “But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it.  So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.  Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.  And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.  But do this in a gentle and respectful way.  Keep your conscience clear.  Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.”

We need to remember as we relation with God we should be asking for wisdom so we can handle what this world brings us.  He has given us His word so we have an understanding of what is right and wrong and we can step up even when this world condemns us for doing what is right.  I love at the end of verse 16 which says, “…then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.”  Belonging to Christ means you are a part of Him and you surrender your will for His.  It comes with knowledge and wisdom that effects how we live our lives.  When we open our hearts and realize that the Lord is what sustains us we can start the growth process of belonging to Him and then we will begin our transformation.

After our transformation we will be able to apply the word of God into our lives.  Look at chapter 4 verse 1 which says, “So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude He had, and be ready to suffer, too.  For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.”  To have the same attitude takes commitment and devotion seeking strength from God and letting the Holy Spirit lead our lives.  Verse 2 says, “You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.” 

The excitement of knowing more and having the passion to live our lives as Jesus did is why we commit to Him.  Jesus says He did nothing without the Father telling Him what to do.  Are we seeking Him so much that we listen to the Spirit and live our lives resembling Christ?  When we are committed to God and learning, we will find what He has given us and our lives will change.  Remember what Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 19, “So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for He will never fail you.”  Amen


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1 Peter 2

4/13/2013

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1 Peter 2:1-3 “So get rid of all evil behavior.  Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.  Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.  Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.”

What amazes me about what Peter is saying here is that we must crave “pure spiritual milk” the reason is because without it we won’t grow to experience what He truly has for us.  Think of a time when you were so hungry or thirsty that you desired nothing but food or drink.  Let’s take it a step further.  You were waiting for the big game or opening day of hunting or that new electronic device to come out and you had that anxiousness about you that made you long for it.  We have or should have that every day because of what Jesus did for us.  It says at the end of verse 2, “…cry out for this nourishment.”  Don’t settle with just knowing; realize that we are new in Christ.

Chapter 1 verse 22 says, “You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters.  Love each other deeply with all your heart.”  There is fullness when we surrender our hearts and love people.  Our cravings become focused on Christ and we change from the inside out.  That internal change is what makes us live out what we believe and the Holy Spirit in us leads us to forget the worldly desires that constantly come into our minds.  We can’t desire to be in charge, we should long to follow what is right and open our heart and minds to what the Spirit is showing us.  That is the nourishment that will lead us to life in Christ and make us crave PURE spiritual milk so we grow. 

Pastor Kevin Goff put it this way, “Spiritual growth must be intentional.  There is no instant growth or discipleship – it is constant sacrifice to learn to be who He wants us to be.”  Just think about that, constant sacrifice to learn will help us cry out for that nourishment and keep us focused on living like Jesus.  So I say let’s stay focused and keep our hearts and minds open all the time.  Amen 


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James 3

4/10/2013

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James 3:15-17 “For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom.  Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.  For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.  But the wisdom from above is first of all pure.  It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.  It is full of mercy and good deeds.  It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.”

As I read this I noticed how easy it is for me to fall into earthly thinking and ok it because in my eyes it is right.  But we know God is a God of order not chaos so we must open not only our hearts but our minds to grow.  When we are thinking of ways to deal with situations we must understand God’s ways and we understand God’s ways by knowing Him.  This is done by spending time with Him and praying.  It says, “…the wisdom from above is first of all pure…”  When we surrender our way of thinking and let the Spirit lead us we can change our thoughts and when we fill ourselves with God’s word we know what the Spirit is saying and we follow Him.

Verse 18 says, “And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.”  We know what Christ did for us and when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior we open our heart to change.  When we start to change we take the focus off of ourselves and we put it on others and we start to live as Christ did.  He came to model perfect living surrendered to the Father and as we grow we change and as we change we forget our desires and we desire to please God. 

It’s not bad that we think about selfish things, (that is our sinful nature, which will always battle our spirit,) but it is bad to act on them because we haven’t put the time in to listen to God.  Look at what it says in Galatians chapter 2 verse 20, “My old self has been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.  So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  We will battle our sinful nature but Christ in us has made us new and when we continue to grow we live to please God and we shine for people to see.  We can never be satisfied in who we are, we can always seek and ask for more wisdom from above.  Let’s open our hearts and minds to His amazing love.  Amen  


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James 1:25

4/7/2013

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James 1:25 “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard , then God will bless you for doing it.”

This is why it is so important for us to seek wisdom from God and ask for understanding as we read His word.  We know that God’s word is good to teach us but are we going to open our hearts to listen and change the way we live?  James chapter 1 verse 22 says, “But don’t just listen to God’s word.  You must do what it says.  Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”  To know something is good but to actually do what you know is much better.  It helps us retain it in our lives so when the pressures of this world come we can easily remember God’s word because we have been practicing it.

So many times we hear a great message or even read something good once and in a couple of days we forget what it was about.  The great thing about a relationship is that it should be developed an worked on and that is what God wants for us; constant talking (prayer) and constant studying of His word so we can live just like Christ who was the word.  John chapter 1 verse 1 says, “In the beginning the Word already existed.  The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Warren Wiersbe shares this about the word.  “A word is composed of letters, and Jesus Christ is “Alpha and Omega”, the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet.”

When we open our bibles we should ask for transformation and knowledge that will stick in our lives so we actually live differently and start acting like Christ.  Verses 23-24 say, “For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.”  When we take our relationship seriously and live it out we grow to be more like Christ and when we grow to be more like Christ we surrender to what our desires want us to do.  And our desires are what get us into trouble as we live in this life. 

James chapter 1 verses 14 and 15 say, “Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  These desires give birth to sinful actions.  And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”  We must open our hearts and let God’s perfect laws set us free so we are a light to the world and people see true love.  Amen

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James 1

4/2/2013

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James 1:5-8 “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you.  He will not rebuke you from asking.  But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.  Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

What or who is getting our attention instead of God?  Our faith is what motivates us to learn and when we have faith it should be seen by how we glorify God.  Is our relationship a relationship or is it us needing things with the expectation of getting something in return?  What I love about what God has done with sending Jesus is the fact that it is already done.  He can’t keep sending Him.  When we believe are we accepting this fact and learning to live like Him?

Verse 5 says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you.”  We ask because we believe and we believe because we love Him.  Our sins are washed away and when we have faith we act on what we believe.  We are not the same person after we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are new and our relationship should begin.  One thing that we forget is that in our new lives we are free, but that freedom is from sin.  Jesus covered our past, present, and future but as new creations longing for a relationship with Him we seek and grow, ask and change and we know that our lives become His. 

James starts out in chapter 1 verse 1 with an introduction, “This letter is from James, a slave of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ…”  We are slaves to Christ in our new lives and we should seek wisdom with undivided passion.  The world can’t give us anything of worth so believe and study so our lives will be transformed and people don’t hear us they see us living differently.  Verse 2 says, “Dear brothers and sisters, when trouble comes your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”  Our joy comes from knowing we have eternal life in Christ and God will continue to show us that love when we open our hearts. 

Verse 3 says, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”  It is so important that our faith grows so we can shine that light God has given us to make disciples of all people.  Finally look at verse 4 which says, “So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”  We won’t be sinners saved by grace, we will be family loved and changed from our heart to our actions.

 As I studied the book of James and why it was written I saw this and it made me thank God for His love.  I accepted Jesus at 37 years of age and it is never too late for anyone until they are no longer breathing so let’s learn, grow and go out and help people see Christ in us.  Warren Wiersbe writes this about James, “James writes to us as someone who joined late but was determined to make sure others realized the value and importance of living out their faith in Christ with integrity.  He didn’t have time for hypocrisy, and he was convinced God didn’t have time for it either.”   Pray and ask God for wisdom and live so people see it.  Amen 


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