"...to all who have loved his appearing."

The title comes from the end of 2 Timothy 4:8. The whole verse is "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will reward to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."

This verse is an echo of what Paul has already talked about in 1:8-12. Second Timothy 1:10 explains the appearing of Jesus. His appearance manifest grace, which he gave to believers before the beginning of the world. Paul also mentions "that Day" in 1:12. He tells Timothy that he believes that God will guard what has been entrusted to Paul until the end.

So Paul ends his commands to Timothy by telling him about the crown he will receive when he dies. Paul is not the only one that will receive this crown, everyone who loved the appearance of Christ will also receive this crown. The crown is only giving to those that believe. Jesus is the Savior of the world, and those who believe in Him will be saved. Paul is very upfront about salvation being from eternally past because of His own purpose.

Paul also shows that it those that make it the end. The preceding verses explain that he is about to die. He has finished this course of life believing. He was faithful like a soldier and his reward is this crown. Now, he was saved by God's own pleasure and grace (1:19) but Paul seemingly was actively involved with maintain his salvation. Paul understands that this work is done by grace.

This is a call for us to remain faithful like Paul. Like Paul, we have a crown awaiting us when we see God when we die. Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us to throw off all hindrance and look towards Jesus who is the one will finish our salvation in glorification.  

The Calling of the Weak and Powerless.

1 Corinthians 1:26–31

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  

God calls the weak and powerless for His glory. This passage continues as Paul compares the world to God. In 1 Cor. 1:20-25, the world has its wisdom but God's is better. The world has its strength but when compared to God's weakness, it still can not be compared. This passage compares the calling of God with what the world calls on. Paul invites us to consider the calling of God in salvation. God chooses or elects people who are considered disgrace and weak, foolish and lowly. Paul shows that not everyone that God saves is the best and greatest in the world. In fact, most of the people are not in those position. The point is to see that God chooses people so that humans cannot boast in God.

This itself is against the wisdom of the world. The world seeks people that have power and people want power. We put on pedestals, people that we think are wise. We actively search for the people that will get things done. God, instead, picks people that are weak and foolish to shame the world from searching for wisdom outside of God. The boast is boasting that you have made yourself great. Instead, God uses the foolish and weak in this world to shame the strong and wise so that we can boast in God. Christ is the ultimate example because of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18-25). God used a tool to humiliating death to save those that He has called.

1 Corinthians 1:7-9

There is a strange connection between knowledge and lacking in gifts. This connection will be examined more within the letter but having full knowledge is connected to not lacking in any gift. Here is the verses starting in 4:

I give thanks to my God always, concerning you, for the grace of God which was given to you in Christ Jesus, that in all, You are made rich in Him, in all words and all knowledge, as the testimony of Christ confirmed to you, so that you may not be lacking in anything gift, waiting on the revelation of our Lord, Jesus Christ; who also will strengthen you until the end, blameless in the day of the our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful by you were called out into the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord.(My Translation)

 Being made rich is connected to knowledge. This knowledge is about Jesus, as seen in the "testimony of Christ." So the argument is "You are made rich in Him... so that you may not be lacking in anything gift." God has richly provide knowledge of Christ so that we do not lack in any gifts while we wait for Jesus. Knowledge thus is connected to being ready for the Lord's return. He richly provides what we need to be blameless for His coming. We seek this knowledge by reading and meditating on God's word as it provides sufficient knowledge of Him. God does not disconnect knowledge with faith, Our faith is rooted in a knowledge of God. It is Jesus who strengthen with the this knowledge so that we may be presented blameless before God. As we look for growth, we should not forget that God is the one that gives knowledge richly so that we can be sustained till the end by never lacking in his glorious gifts.

A Relfection on The Tree of Life from Genesis and Revelation.

Most of the time when people talk about Genesis 2 and 3, the focus, which is what the author intended, is on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yet tucked away within this narrative is another tree. This tree represents the eternal life that God desired humans to have with Him. In fact, it is only mentioned in two places in the narrative, 2:9 and 3:22-24. It bookends the narrative and also shows the chose that Adam and Eve had. Out of all the trees mention in this narrative, only these two trees are mentioned by name. They represent life and death. The narrative focuses on the Tree of Knowledge because that is what happened in the history. Adam and Eve never was able to eat of the tree that would have given them eternal life.

Now, the only other places that the tree of life is mentioned is in Proverbs and Revelation. Now, Proverbs describes general principles that people within the covenant of God should follow based on God's law. In general, they are work out better than sinning. The results that are found with Proverbs shows some actions lead to life. The qualities or actions in Proverb do not lead to eternal life but allows the person to experience a fuller life in this sin-soaked world.

Revelation, on the other had, gives us a great projection of the future where the people of God will partake of the tree of life without any guards. The Bible bookends itself with this tree for it is with God. In fact, Revelation 22:2 also mentions a river in the a similar way to Genesis next to the tree of life.

This comes with great application. God has always desired for humans to dwell with Him forever. The Bible shows that only pure and righteous humans can dwell with Him. That is why Adam and Eve were sent away from the Garden. The rest of the Bible describes how bad the world is, even thought it was good before the fall. The Bible becomes clear that a savior is needed and Jesus is that savior. Those that are saved by Jesus will be able to partake of the Tree of  Life in Heaven when they dwell with God. Before those that are saved get to Heaven, we eager wait and desire the Lord and long for our resurrected bodies in glory.

Covenant with David

I was doing my morning devotional through Table Talk today and it was on Jeremiah 33:14-26. This passage explained that God was going to establish David's throne forever. This was a time when Jerusalem was being attacked before they were sent into exile because of disobedience. Four times in this passage, God stress that He will have a descended from David on the throne forever. He also adds that priests will be offering sacrifices forever. The only way that this is to be broken is if someone can stop the sun and moon from shining at their appointed times.

This passage demonstrates the faithfulness of God because Jesus is the king that will rule forever. Understanding God faithfulness helps us to remain steadfast to God's promises. 2 Peter 3:9 says that we should count human slowness to God. God will do what he has promised. 2 Peter is context of future judgment, yet we know that God has promised believers now. Verses like Romans 8:28-30 show that Christians have promises now that God will be faithful to give. We can have faith in God when bad happens because He uses bad for our good. Trials and suffering happen to make us more like Jesus.

Seeing that God is faithful, live in this knowledge that God will give what He promise because He gave the ultimate promise of salvation through His Son, Jesus. 

1 Peter 1:1-2

I am changing what I am doing on this blog in order that I may kept going better. I will keep this blog strictly for posts about what I reading or studying for papers and sermons that deal with the Bible. I am hoping to blog more often than I have currently been doing. I will try to post meditations here without getting to personal. Meditations may come from the Greek text (they will be taged as "Greek"), even so, I will never assume you know Greek and will provide translations. I also hope to start some different series.  School may delay these posts. I will try to stick with less technical language.

1 Peter 1:1-2

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

 This salutation brings a lot of theological important right from the start. Particularly to the people that Peter is addressing. Peter calls them "elect," "foreknew," "set apart." All three members of the Trinity are present in this. The term elect has overtones from the OT where God called certain people to select a particular nation called Israel. These people are elected based on God's foreknowledge1

and in setting them apart (sanctification) with Spirit. These elect called for obedience to and being cleanse by Christ.
I want to camp out at obedience and cleansing in relation to God's foreknowledge and the setting apart by the Spirit. There is a relation to these actions, that is, God's foreknowledge and "sanctification of the Spirit" procede obedience and cleansing. Dr. Thomas Schreiener notes in the NAC commentary of 1 Peter that sanctification here means a setting part.

1:Here foreknowledge means that God knows who is elect. Add predestination to this would be incorrect though predestination includes God's foreknowledge.

What does it mean to deny yourself and pick up your cross? Part 2

Here is part 2 of my study on just 16:24. This part will only deal with the imperative portion of the text. You can read part 1 here. Remember, I am not a scholar by any means although I am in school learning to become a biblical scholar. This is using the tools that I have learned in Greek class and inductive Bible Study class to open the Scriptures more. There could be errors that I have made.

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

In the last post, I looked at some context surrounding the text and also looked at the conditional part of the If-Then statement.

Starting with "let him deny." It is in the Aorist tense and middle deponent voice. A middle deponent voice is translated as an active voice. This shows an ambiguous past action of denying. The word for "let him deny" is ἀπαρνέομαι and means "to forget one's self" or give up one's self and interests. In this case, the interests are the person who wants to follow Christ. Christ requires that you do not get and interest that are of your thinking. He does not answer that interest you should have but that will be answered later. Not only interest does Christ required but one also must give up his life. Remember, Jesus has just rebuked Peter for not having the interest of God (Matt. 16:23). So that is one thing that Peter did not understand that he was required to do to follow Jesus. Peter had is own interests in mind when he rebuked Jesus for saying that he will not die.

The next verb is take up. It is αἴρω and means "to take upon one's self and carry what has been raised up". It is also in the aorist tense and it is actually in the active voice. The person is to bear the cross. That is what Jesus was talking about throughout this passage. He is telling His disciples that He will bear the cross and now He is telling them that they must also bore the cross. This shows the denying one's self. The cross was the Roman execution tool for non-Romans. Jesus is saying that they must be willing to lose their life.

The final verb is follow, or ἀκολουθείτω. It is in the present active imperative. This is a current action. The person that wishes or intends to follow Christ, they must be currently following Jesus. This is not just tagging along. The Greek actually means "to cleave steadfastly to one, conform wholly to his example, in living and if need be in also death." This would be like becoming a disciple of Christ and willing to give your desires and be willing to die. This verb answers whose interests we should and the reason for laying down are life.

This is huge and needs to be understood. Jesus wants you to desires what he wants and to become like him. John talks about this is 1 John 2:9, "whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." There is this growing to be walking like him. This is so big in this church culture that appeals to the what we want. This may seem radical, and it is, but this what a Christian following Christ should be doing. This become like Christ shows what Christ really was like. This shows that Christianity is different and then opens the door to witnessing to people. What a way to live so God is honored.

Note: all Greek letters and quotes are from BlueLetterBible.com.

What does it mean to deny yourself and pick up your cross? Part 1

This blog post was the morning devotional for my Bible study. Because it has taken to long to do the next part, so here is the first part. I want to first inform you that I am not a scholar by any means although I am in school learning to become a biblical scholar. This is using the tools that I have learned in Greek class and inductive Bible Study class to open the Scriptures more. Please discern my work for errors. Thanks.

Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Lets start back on verse 13. Verse 13 starts the story where Peter proclaims to Christ that Jesus is the Son of Man. Now in verse 21, Matthew records that Jesus tells His disciples that He will suffer many things in Jerusalem at the hand of the religious elite. Jesus also says that He will be killed and raised up on the third day. This was the sign of Jonah that Jesus talked about in 16:6 to the Pharisees. Verse 22 tells us about the other side of Peter. Matthew records that Peter told Jesus to the side and rebuked Him about this foretelling of His death. Peter was denying what God had said. (This could be its own blog post on Where Theology Meets Life but I need to continue.) Peter then felt the heat when Jesus rebuked him, calling Peter Satan in verse 23. The main rebuke was about Peter not having the mind of God. (This is also another post and could relate to the saying of people who are too heavenly minded are no earthly good.)

So after this little exchange between Peter and the Lord, we come to verse 24. Jesus is now addressing all the disciples. Jesus starts with an "if, than" statement. The conditional part of the statement is, "If anyone would come after me." We will look at this first. "Anyone" in the Greek has a meaning of "certain ones." This noun gives not limits on who can follow Christ. The verb that used with it shows that it is limited. Now in the Greek, the word that is translated as "would" is actually present tense. The word used is θέλω (thelō) which means to will or intend. This includes the to desire or wish (which is how the NASB translates it.) This verb shows a current desire to come after Jesus. This verb is the main verb of the clause and show that the certain ones are the ones with a desire. This limits the people to those that will come after Jesus.

Next verb is come. It has a meaning to follow. In its location, it applies to Me. That Me is Jesus. The verb come is in the Aorist Active Infinitive. Aorist is past-tense, Active voice means that the subject is currently doing the verb, and infinitive mood is used to not limit by number and person. In this case, "to come" shows that everyone can come to Jesus who desires. This gives the sense that they are following him. "After" is an adverb and is talking about following as a guide. So both "to come" and "after" show a following after Jesus.

1 John 2:18-27

¹⁸ Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. ²⁰ But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. ²¹ I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. ²² Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. ²⁴ Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵ And this is the promise that he made to us— eternal life.

²⁶ I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. ²⁷ But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Continuing on through chapter 2. John starts to warn about the coming antichrist and the lesser antichrists. As John addresses new Christians, he tells them that is the last days. The world is going to be coming to an end when Christ returns. Peter warns the people in his first epistle, "The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers." (4:7) Luke in the book of Acts quotes Peter saying "But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams(.)' " (2:16-17) It is clear to John that the final hour is here since there is a rise of antichrists. The Antichrist has not yet come but other false teachers and prophets have already came to deceive the Christians. So John is warning the new Christians in Asia Minor that the spirit of the antichrist is upon them.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul gives us what the Antichrist is going to do when he comes, Matthew 24:15 and also Daniel 8:9-11 and 11:31-38. This is not the focus of John at this point. John is preparing to talk about the antichrists that are coming now. Matthew 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves(,)" and Matthew 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect (,)" explain that many false teachers will come some appearing to be like Christians. So John is warning this new Christians that false teacher are here now. In verse 19, John starts to explain the different characteristics of an antichrist. The first characteristic is the fact that antichrists will rise and leave Christian groups. John is providing these new Christians a test of preservation. 1 Timothy 4:1-3 states that some will depart from the faith by evil spirits, while Paul explains to the Ephesian Elders that will arise and take away disciples (Acts 20:29-30). These antichrist are going to appear like Christians and might more some time. In due time, they will leave and take some disciples, if possible, with them.

John stresses that if they did not leave, they would be Christians but since they did leave that are not. Note to stress, not all be people that leave a Christian group or church is not a believer. Some leave because of doctrine issues or style issues. Some also leave because they were not of the faith. This last group is what John is referring to. The elect will prevail and continue to worship with Christians. Psalms 37:28 states that "For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off." John also says that once some on is in the hands of God, they can never get plucked out (John 10:28-30).

Another reason that Christians would remain in Christian circles is that they have an anointing from the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul tells the people in Ephesus that they get the Holy Spirit as a deposit for the inheritance that is to come in Heaven. Not only is it a deposit, it also allows us to know all things (vs 20). The Holy Spirit is what informs us when we are lied to by the antichrists. John writes in his gospel, that the Holy Spirit "will bear witness about (Christ) me." (15:26) The Holy Spirit is our build in lie detector for false teachings. We know all truth because the Holy Spirit passes the truth to us from God the Father. So John stress that lies are not in truth.

Take notice that John also tells these young Christians that they already know the truth. This truth is the message that they heard from the beginning (1 John 1:1). This is the Gospel message. The truth that they need to understand is the truth for which John testified to them when they first started to believe. John testified to them what he say when we was with Christ. This is the truth which John wants them to get a hold of. This truth, which John told them, has no lies in it. So John is warning them, that no lie is of the truth.

So in verse 22, John gives us the 2nd characteristic of an antichrist. An antichrist is going to deny Christ. So not only have they left the church or fellowship, they deny Christ. Since John warned them that lies are not part of the truth, he says a liar will deny Jesus. This lie is from the spirit of the antichrist. That make the readers remember that John is of the truth. Verse 23 John tells us that no liar is of God, no one that denies the deity of the Son will have God the Father. This is not the only time John has said this. He repeats it many times in his gospel where he says know Christ know the Father (8:19), Jesus and God are one (10:13), and hate Jesus you hate God (15:23 & 24). This marks shows that Jesus and God can not be separate in anyway. Look at many of the false religions and we see this very denial of Jesus and others saying that there are more than one way to heaven.

John makes an urge to the readers of the letter that they must remain in the truth that was taught to them when they first believed. This is an important message that we to must remember. Since the antichrist is going to deny the deity of Christ, we must remember that only Christ is way to get to Heaven. The truth that we read in the Bible is still valid today as it was when John wrote this letter. Remaining in this truth is what lets us remain in Christ and God the Father. This is a parallel with John 15 where John tells us about the Christ as the vine. This truth of the gospel keeps us with Christ and therefore with God the Father. This truth also gives us the promise of eternal life (vs. 25). This when we came to God on his terms and trusted him to save us from his holy wrath because of our sinful condition. Salvation in Christ is a promise of eternal life with him in paradise.

As the truth is that Jesus is the Son of the living God and God, we see that they not only will the antichrist deny the deity of Christ but he will try to deceive people. The antichrist are trying to deceive the Christians that they left to follow them in their destructive ways. Christ tells us that they will come and try to deceive the elect if they can (Mark 13:22). Paul mentions quite about that false teacher will deceive the members of the different churches. How much more must we remain in the truth that saves us now? They are people now trying to deceive the elect. A good example is the universal atonement that all will be saved by Christ even if they do not believed in him. What a preposterous idea that the Bible does not even mention. Again the way to defend against these false teachers in the Spirit that transcends all understanding. The same Spirit that John talked about in verse 20. This is the key to defend our souls from the evil one. Walk in truth of the Gospel. This is what John wants us to understand. That only God can helps us and that is through his Holy Spirit, that same Spirit that was given to us by God as a deposit for our souls.

Someday.

Someday I will but an actually Bible study of 1 John. But for now on England File, I have study of singleness. You can get all the posts here. Thanks

~mike

1 John 2:15-17

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
(1 John 2:15-17 ESV Taken from BibleGateway.com)

John is continuing to define an authentic Christian, someone who truly follows Jesus. John continues by saying that there are 2 types of love we have: love of the world and our love for God. John makes it clear that a love of the world is against the love of the God. Why can a Christian not love the world and God at the same time?

James enlighten us from chapter 4 verse 4 by saying, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” So friendship to world, or like what the worlds gives you, is an enemy to God. The Greek word uses in the love of the world is agapao (G25). According to BlueLetterBible.com, agapao means in view of love towards humans it to welcome, to entertain, or to love dearly. This is the type of love Jesus was talking about in Matthew 5:44 when he was telling us to love our enemies. It is also a love that we should give God (Matt 22:37). It also has a definition for our love to things or stuff. In that case it means to be well pleased or to be contented at or with a thing. In Greek, the love used to show God love to is agapē (G26). That means affection, good will, benevolence, and brotherly love. Another word used is the King James is charity, also used to show God’s charity in offering salvation to us. Agapē is normal used to show God’s love for us. Paul used the same type of love in Romans 5:8, when he wrote, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

A reason that a love of the world is wrong is that we once followed it ways. Paul says in Ephesians 2:2 that we “once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.” This walk was in sin and against God. That is why Jesus tells in the Gospels that he has taken out of the world. He has freed us from the hold the world has on us.

John continues is verse 16 to tell us, Christians, that the flesh is part of the world. Paul says, “Those in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8) Paul also told the Ephesians, “we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” The desire of the flesh is completely against God (Galatians 5:17). So the natural tendencies of man are natural against God. Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fallen short of God’s Glory.” Proverbs also tells us that our eyes are never satisfied (Proverbs 27:20).

As the desires of flesh and eyes are not of God because of the natural ability to sin, pride in our possessions is also against God. In Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction.” The Bible states that God is against prideful people (Proverbs 8:13).

I think the reason that God is against the flesh and its desire is comes down to the fact that this world that hates God will pass away. Isaiah wrote, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” David knew that this world was only a temporary place when he wrote Psalms 102:3-12 & 25-28:

3 For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is struck down like grass and has withered;
I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of my loud groaning
my bones cling to my flesh.
6 I am like a desert owl of the wilderness,
like an owl of the waste places;
7 I lie awake;
I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies taunt me;
those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9 For I eat ashes like bread
and mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of your indignation and anger;
for you have taken me up and thrown me down.
11 My days are like an evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.
12 But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever;
you are remembered throughout all generations.

25 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 The children of your servants shall dwell secure;
their offspring shall be established before you.

After all of this, there is a separation between God and the world. They are 2 different masters and they are against each other. Jesus tells us that we cannot serve two masters. So which one will you choose? Will you love the world and it thing or will you love God and be called out of this world? Verse 17 is part of what we need to believe, that the world will pass away and at that time we will be judged accordingly. God has a great gift called salvation thru Christ. Even though God loves his creation so much he gave his Son to save it. He still must punish us for the sin we enjoy before knowing him. Romans 6:23 clear expresses, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” All that God asks is that you repent and believe in him. Then you will serve the God your father instead of the world. In the words of Todd Friel from The Way of the Master Radio show, “Go serve your God and King.”

Father God, we were creation love ourselves so much that we made you jealous by serving false God. Before we knew you, we loved our sin. Now the Holy Spirit has turned are hearts to you. We thank you for that gift of salvation you gave through your Son. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

1 John 2:7-14

7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. 12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
(ESV Taken from BibleGateway.com)


Up to 1 John 2:6, John was telling us what Christians will look like. Christians are to be walking in the light with the Lord. They realize that they are sinners and know that the Christ is our advocate or intercessor to God for our forgiveness. It comes down that we are supposed to walk life like Jesus. John also tells the us that there are people that say they walk in the light but they are liars. As John continues to write, John gives us a new commandment. This commandment is new but it is really an old one (1 John 2:7-8). The old commandment is one Jesus gave his disciples before during his last time talking to them before his arrest. Jesus say,” A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35). In the Gospel of John, John writes that the disciples are to love each other. This must have been a huge impact in John's life because his gospels and letters all talk about love. This old commandment that John is talking about is something they people heard or even when the gospel was correctly preached to new believers heard. John Piper said in a sermon, "John means for this to be very encouraging. He is not writing to load any new duty on the believers. He has nothing new to say. It's the same old "word" they received when they first heard the gospel. It was part of the foundational gospel message. It is not stage two. It is not a counsel of perfection for monks and nuns. The commandment of love 'is the word which you have heard'" (DesiringGod.org). The 2 greatest commandments is love God and love everyone else.

John tells us in 9-11 that the new commandment is to love our fellow Christians and not to hate them. If you hate fellow Christians, John warns us that we live in darkness. What kind of love is John talking about? The love that uses in the Greek is agapaō (Strong #G25) or to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly. This is the same love that Matthew uses when Jesus tells us the greatest commandments. In the KJV, agapaō is used 135 times for love and 7 for beloved. It is used when Jesus tells the rich man to sell his possessions in Mark 10:21. It used a lot when Jesus loved the people he was helping. I think that is what John is telling us here. That we must love everyone especially our fellow Christians like how Christ loved people. This goes along with 1 John 1:8 & 10. If you hate your brother John says it is like murder (1 John 3:15). So when you hate your brother, you have stepped off into the darkness. The light of Christ is no longer shining because of the evilness in your heart to the person. This different when we love our fellow Christians. We continue down the path of light. Jesus told his disciples before they left for Bethany, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him" (John 11:9-10). This is an answer to the disciples questioning him going back to Judea. But the application is still the same. If we live in the light of Jesus, we will not stumble because we continue down the path of light. We can see where we are going. David said in Psalms 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Since John says Jesus is the Word of God. Let us learn from Jesus on how love. Let us follow his example of loving people to remain on the narrow road to heaven that is lit up by God and not down the dark wide road to hell.



O loving and graceful father. Thank you for the example of love that your Son has shown us. Lord, allows us to love the same way and continue down the path of life fulfilling your will. I pray this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

1 John 2:1-6

1My 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. 2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.  (ESV)

 

I just love reading John. He words always seems to be one that talks to me. So lets continue on with 1 John 2:1-6.  John seems to teach like he a parent, but yet he understands the that most of the people are adults and are just less mature Christians. In verse 1, John  continues the "I write you" stuff thing by talking about sin. In chapter 1 verse 8-10 claiming to have fellowship with the Lord God Almighty and yet walk in darkness. We are liars and the truth or Christ (what ever you choose) is not in us. BUT, if we know we sin and ask the God for forgiveness, we are forgiven and then purify of all unrighteousness. John is telling us this so we know that we must walk in the light but if claim to fellowship with God. But sometimes we slip and that is why Christ is an advocate for us. In the ancient Greek, advocate is paraklētos (G3875 Strong's) which means an intercessor, consoler or an advocate and comforter. (Three times in the gospel of John, Jesus refers the Holy Spirit as a comforter (ESV says helper), which is the same Greek word.)

Since Christ is advocate for our sins, he became an atonement or propitiation for the world sins according to verse 2.  Paul writes in Romans 3:24-25, "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." God crushed his Son (Isaiah 53:10) for our sins. John stress that it was not only for Christians but for the whole world. God loved the world and came to save it (John 3:16-17). 

Verse 3 makes a claim to know Christ is to obey him. That is what also write in John 14:15 & 21. An example in the old testament is King David. King David obeyed God after he was corrected by the prophet after is affair/murder. Verse 4 tells that people who do not walk with the Lord and claim they do are liars because the truth is not in him. This truth is Christ. This truth is God's words (John 17:24-26) and God's Words is Christ (john 1:14) If we remain in Christ, we come to know Christ. Also if we remain in Christ, our love for God is perfected. This is because Christ remained in God's love (John 15:9-10) and was the perfect sacrifice. for our sins. And this comes to the last verse I am going to talk about in this post. Verse 6 says 'whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. " Abides also means to remain to obey. So if we remain in Christ and the truth, then he must walk as Jesus did. He must love our brothers and love God. We need to make disciples for Christ. Is that not what Christ did?

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that as Christians that we live like the example of your son. That we not only show that we are Christians by the way we act but also that we tell people about your son. I pray that your will is done in their life and ours as we spread the word of you around the world. I pray all this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

1 John 1:5-10

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (ESV)

 

This post comes as I have not been obedient to God and what he has said. The good thing is there is no time to dwell in it. Here he go.

Back to First John Chapter 1 verses 5-10. I thing we need to remember is that when the Bible was written, it did not have verses or chapters. John continues to tell the churches that he is writing to that message that God as proclaim to the world is that "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." (verse 5)

Light has not been used yet in 1st John. The word light in Greek is phōs. It means lights as we know light and also a metaphor to show that "God is light because light has the extremely delicate, subtle, pure, brilliant quality" (BlueLetterBible.com)  So darkness would be the opposite of darkness or the ignorance of divine things. So to saw that God is light shows us that he is right, not flowed. And as Christians, according to 1 Cor 1:9 says; "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ", we need to have fellowship with God. John stresses in verse 6 that if we claim to fellowship with God and yet we ignore the divine things we lie and God's word is not in us.

How is this true? Well if God is light and we walk in darkness, we would not have fellowship with he because God has no darkness (verse 5). That makes you a liar and the truth (God's Word John 17:17) has not entered you body.

As we know from 1 John 1:4, that fellowship among Christians is also among God. But also if we (Christians) walk right with God, we have a fellowship with God. That is when the Blood of Christ cleanse us from our impurities.  Is that not why Jesus says in Math 26:27-28, "And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. " The blood of Christ is to make us cleans.

That is because as humans we sin, Paul writes in Romans  3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,". So John gives a warning to Christians in verse 8 and 10.  Verse 8 is "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." and 10 is "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." When people say that have not sin, not only to they deceive themselves, they also make God to be a liar and now walk in darkness. John also says that the truth is not in them.

BUT..... if you confess your sins and say that you are not worthy of God's grace. God forgives you and then purifies you by the blood of Jesus for all unrighteousness.

So if claim to follow our Lord and savior, walk with him in fellowship to stay in the light b/c you lie when you claim to in him and walk in darkness. AMEN!!!

 

O Lord our God and Redeemer, your son died on the cross so we got be right and not suffer the torments of your wrath. O Lord, I want to pray for all the so-called Christians that claim to walk with you but are in darkness. Lord, have someone show them that they are wrong and that they need to walk with you. I pray all this in the name of your Son. Amen.

1 John 1:1-4

"1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life  was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life,^, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete." ESV  (Text copied from BibleGateway.com)

    

     John is write this letter to different churches. John starts his letter is a similar fashion as the start of his part of the Gospel. "That which is from the beginning" (1 John 1:1) is close to "In the beginning was the Word." (John 1:1) John starts out to say that what is from the beginning that he and others have heard, seen, touched was concerning the word of life. The word of life is Christ. In the Gospel of John, John writes that Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1 & 14). This Word is the bread of life (John 6:48). So John is telling the Christians reading this, that he (John) has heard, seen, and touched Jesus. John would continue to tell us that "life was made manifest." (1 John 1:2) Manifest is translated from the Ancient Greek word phaneroo (fä-ne-ro'-ō). Phaneroo means "to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way." ( BlueLetterBible.com) 

     This life that was manifested to us through Christ, John used it to proclaim Christ so you can have fellowship. The Greek word John would use is koinōnia. Koinōnia means "fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse." ( BlueLetterBible.com) So fellowship is like a club which everyone would have something in common. This fellowship that John is talking about is a Christian fellowship that the God the Father and his son Jesus Christ are part of. So this fellowship would have the things of God on our mind, which is what Jesus talked about and John proclaimed to these Christians(and us). That everything that John learned from Jesus and the Holy Spirit, he told these Christians so they would have a common believe of the Lord. John is telling this to us because fellowship in the Lord and other Christians would complete our joy in the Lord (1 John 1:4). Jesus talks about  joy in God and that if the Disciples would obey God they would receive the joy (John 15:10-11). John also writes in his third letter verse 14 that he has no better joy then know that some he should Christ to is walking in the light. Paul even told the Philippians, "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind." (Philippians 2:1-2) Paul had joy knowing that the Philippians had the same mind as him.

     These first four verses in John are about sharing the Bread of Life (John 6:48) that was made know to us so we can have fellowship with other Christians, with God, and his son Jesus. Doing this would complete our joy in God.

 

O gracious Lord of all, I want to thank you for the great word you have put on this sinful world. Your word will stand forever and ever. Lord, I pray that we as Christians can continue to share the Gospel and with your power, help heal some wounds  that have hurt the growth of Your Church, turn more people to your word. Let our joy be complete but living in obedience to your commandments and following your way. I pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, you son. Amen.

1 Timothy 5:17-19

     In chapter 5 verse 17, Paul continues to tell Timothy advice that that he need to help his church.  Paul tells Timothy in verse 17, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching."  Paul told Timothy in verse 1 of chapter 3 that elders seek a "noble task." Elders are called by God to serve the church, to teach and show the light that comes from God. Since they are teachers, they are judge stricter ( James 3:1) because they are teaching the body. They they are not teaching the Word right. They are not teaching the truth, they are not helping the church to grow in Christ. In verse 18 Paul writes, "For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,'and, 'The laborer deserves his wages.' " The reference that Paul uses is Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7. In the first verse, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain." is used twice (besides this time), the other time is 1 Corinthians 9:9. When Moses wrote this law, it was a miscellaneous law. In the the Hebrew, it means to stop/cover a mouth of an ox when it crushes grain.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:9-10, "For it is written in the Law of Moses: 'Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.' Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest." Paul is using Deuteronomy 25:4the same way in 1 Timothy 5:18. So Elders should be able to have a share of what they help produce. This is way Paul also writes, " 'The laborer deserves his wages.' " This verse is used in Luke 10:7 after Jesus sent 72 out to proclaim his name. Jesus in Luke 10:5 & 6 is telling them to find a house with a man of peace. In verse 7, Jesus tells them that they are to eat what every is given to them for they deserve the wage for proclaiming his name. The 72 are out to reap a harvest is what Luke said in Luke 10:2. So the elders deserve to share the harvest of believers and to get what they deserve for it.

     The next advice Paul gives Timothy is "Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses." In context with what Paul is writing to Timothy, it makes sense. In chapter 3 of 1st Timothy verse 2, Paul tells Timothy that "overseers (or Elders) must be above reproach." So if they are wrong, there needs to be two or more witnesses to it should that the one did not take it wrong. Deuteronomy 19:15 even says that a person who accuses/charges a brother must have 2 or 3 witnesses. Back then they did not have DNA testing our finger prints. They had to have a witnesses to crimes to even prove people guilty. Deut. 19:18-19 says that false witnesses would receive the same punishment that the person the accused would have been given if they would have been found guilty. What would happen if he would only require 1 person to convict people of crimes? I think that a lot more people would be in jail for doing something they did not do because someone did not like them. The same would happen to elders in the church. A person did not want to believe or disliked what an elder said could get him fired from being an elder.

 

Pray Request:

Please pray from my Grandfather and Great-Grandmother they are both towards the end of their lives and are having a hard time getting around. Please Pray for me as I try to stop my problems with sexual immorality, especially with pornography. This was been the main problem with not doing my Bible Studies every week.

1 Timothy 5:3-16 Widows

This post has been a long one for the making. I have done a lot of searches in the bible about widows. In Exodus 22:22-24, Mosses writes law that tells that anyone who miss treats a widow or fatherless will die and his children will be fatherless and his wife a widow.
     Verse 3 of 1 Timothy says, "Honor widows who are truly widows." Verse 4 talks about how the widow's children and grand-children should give back their mother. In other words to care for her since she cared for them. The more I was thinking about these verses as I looked for other verses, it came to me.  Is not one of the commandments to honor your mother and father (Exodus 20:12)? Paul saw a need to tell Timothy that children need to take care of their parent when they got older. Paul tells Timothy in verse 8, "But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."  He would not be honoring is mother. They would also would not loving their neighbor as themselves, this breaking the 2nd greatest commandment. So to honor your parents is to help them when they are in need. I see this now because I have a great-grandmother that needs help (please pray for her). Her children take care for here even when they're busy. They know what is wrong with her health and are help her thru these times.
Paul sets a criteria to define a widow. He writes in verse 9-13;

Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not.

He first says that they must be over 60 years of age. I can only guess that was age where they saw most widows needed help. A wife to one husband to show that they were faithful and cheating on the husband. They also need to show that they are Christians by the way they acted like raising children in the Lord, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, caring for the hurt and did make it feel like a burden to do everything. As I go thru that list of notice washing of the saints feet. There is one story that came to mind when I read that. That story is about serving. Jesus washed his disciples feet after there final meal. John 13:15-16 Jesus tells his disciples to follow his example (also 1 John 2:6) and then tells that not student is about his master.  Jesus served the people he loved. We as Christians need to also. Paul was telling Timothy and now us, that widows need to serve Christ.  Younger widows were not allowed to be part of this group. Paul talks about how the the younger should marry again and not give Satan a chance to pull them away from the church (1 Timothy 5:14-15). Paul tells the Corinthians that the young women and widows should marry if lacking in self-control so they do not fall into sin by lusting (Paul says before this that we wishes that they remain single 1 Corinthians 7:8 & 9).
As I end this post on Widows, I hope that it hit all subjects that need to be hit. I would also like you to pray that I can get doing a regular Bible study for the expansion of the Church and that what I say will be true to the Word of God and not based on the knowledge of men. If I am wrong please comment and I will look in to it and re-post the Bible study.

1 Timothy 5:1-2

Today is the first day of doing my Bible Study as a blog instead of a long page with words. I am starting at 1 Timothy 5:1-2.

¹Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

The New Testament is written for Christians. The major of it is written by Paul to different churches through the Roman Empire. Every book he writes he tells. You could take this passage both ways as other Christians or to everyone. So the only way to find the meaning is to find out what God's Word says about these passages.
The first sentence is about about rebuking older men and treating them as your father. In the sense of rebuking, we would need to rebuke in great patience and careful instruction (2 Timothy 4:2). In the military, I can not go up to an officer and start yelling at him. That would be disrespecting to the officer. Instead, I would go up to him and talk to him as a normal person telling him that he is wrong and this is why. This would honor his authority that he has over me even if he is wrong. The same thing is here. John says, "I write to you, fathers, because you have know him who is from the beginning." Older men have know more about the world. Don't are fathers know more about the life we have on earth than we do? So we need to honor them with what we say. This also falls inline with honor your father and mother commandment that is presented in Exodus and then again in the Gospels. So to exhort older man is honoring him when they are wrong (since no one is perfect).
So what about older women and younger men and women. Paul tells us that we need to treat young men as brother, young women as sisters, and older women as mothers. Older women would have the knowledge to teach us about life just as older men. As young men as brothers is about helping each other out. That means when brother sins rebuke him (Luke 17:3-4). I did not have actually brothers but I had spiritually brothers that I left to so I could go to England. Before I left, we would meet with each other a lot and if one of us would fail to remember scripture, read our Bibles everyday, and/or do our Bible Studies, we would rebuke each other and try to correct what was wrong. This is how spiritual brother would help each other out to get closer in being like Jesus as we are called to do. The last thing that Paul mentioned to Timothy is that he must treat "younger women as sisters". Then he added, "with absolute purity." You can take who we are are to treat with absolute purity in a couple different ways. They are are everyone of just younger women. They are verses to support it both ways. We are called be the holy as God as holy (Leviticus 19:2). If we are holy we will be pure for sin. If we hated our people then we have murder in our hearts (1 John 3:15) and stand to be guilty before God. Now if you go with young women, lust would be the problem and that would mean you committed adultery in your heart which is a sin according to Jesus (Matthew 5:28). So it really does not matter if you take it both ways.
So the main point is that we are to all Christians with the respect. To honor the people and try to keep from sinning by not hating fellow Christians.

1 Timothy Chapter 4 (Moved from Webpage)

This weeks Bible Study was on Chapter 4 in First Timothy. Paul starts out to Timothy that people are going to fall away from the faith. Paul write in verse 1-3,

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.

According to Paul, false prophet are preaching a gospel that forbids marriage or certain foods. My guess is what was wrote about was being taught by false teachers during Paul's ministry. But this goes along with what Christ said in Matthew 7:15-20. Matthew wrote that Christ said, "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them." These False prophets are trying to get people to join there religion making look like Christian. They make their fruit look like good fruit but it is from thorns. How do we found out if the fruit is good or bad? Well let take some advice from John in 1 John 4:1-3, "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." Test them with the word of God. If they do something thing that is considered sin in the Bible then that would not be a good religion.

My New Way of doing a Bible Study

This is going to be the new way of posting a Bible Study. I hope this will work.