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.