Saturday, March 29, 2025
I John 1:7
Saturday, March 29, 2025 |
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
For further study - I John 1:1-7
The apostle John was entrusted by God to be the writer of five books of the New Testament, the one for our devotional reading today, the epistles of II and III John, the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation. There are unique messages in each of John's books but I John has a multi-faceted theme.
John writes about knowledge of great spiritual truths, what true love is and where it comes from and how to have true fellowship. Verse 3 relates to us how to have true fellowship. I am not speaking of a pleasant conversation or a surface relationship, God tells us how to have Biblical fellowship.
True fellowship is found in our relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. When that relationship is right, then, and only then, can we have that same type of relationship with our fellow man.
Then John gets real practical in his thoughts. John adds that God is light – there is no darkness in Him at all, verse 6. The fellowship and relationship, we say we have with God, will be manifested by our walk in light - in God who is light. We cannot walk in darkness and have fellowship with God or others.
For those of us who have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, we are the ones who walk in the light as He is in the light. Thus, we can have fellowship one with another and with Him. At this point in history, our fellowship is with others in human kind. But one day, when we enter His presence, we will have the same fellowship with Him we experience with others.
John, when writing of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21 and 22, mentioned that in eternity future there will be a "tree of life" in the midst of the New Jerusalem which we will eat from, forever, Revelation 22:2.
Stop and consider for a moment. We will eat forever of the "tree of life". When you think of fellowship, what do you think of? Food! Food and fellowship are synonymous terms. What a great thought. We will fellowship together forever - that means fellowship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
But it also means believers in Christ, not only of today, but from all of history. That includes all of the Biblical characters as well. I can hardly wait to talk to people like Noah, Jonah, Daniel, Joshua and so many others. By the way, if we are going to fellowship forever with believers, why don't we start practicing that today.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me Lord, to walk in the light so that I can have fellowship one with another and with You.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Help me Lord, to walk in the light so that I can have fellowship one with another and with You.
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
II Peter 3:8-9
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 |
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
For further study - II Peter 3:1-12
I believe a knowledge of God’s prophetic plan for the future will enhance our prospects for being successful in our adventure to serve Him each and every day of the year.
Our extended devotional reading for today speaks to some issues that must direct our path through the year, and in fact through all the days that the Lord allows us to have on this earth.
In the mind of Jesus it's only been several days, verse 8, since He promised to return to set up His kingdom, on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
There is only one reason that Jesus has not returned to gather us to Himself with His shout, the shout of the archangel and with the sound of the trump of God, calling us to join Him in the heavenlies. At which time we'll be "caught up" to be with Him forever.
There is only one reason He hasn't called for us to join Him and that is because our Lord and Saviour is not willing that any should perish, but wants all of humankind to come to Him as their Saviour, verse 9.
Let me draw your attention to several other truths that this passage presents for us to "remember". Verse 4 speaks of those in the last days who will question the "coming of the Lord back to the earth".
The previous verse, verse 3, tells us why they will doubt that the Lord will come again to be among us, because they will be "scoffers, walking after their own lusts". This statement is referring to both lost people as well as those who may be Christians, not in good fellowship with the Lord.
Verse 5 says they will be "willfully ignorant" of the fact that Jesus created all things, Colossians 1:16. In other words, they will be "dumb on purpose" of the Lord’s work. Verse 6 states that they will deny the "world-wide flood" and verse 7 reveals their denial of a "coming judgment day".
These thoughts must be in our memory as we see current events in today’s world setting the stage for all of Bible prophecy to be fulfilled, we must understand that Jesus is only delaying His return because of the lost that He wants to get saved.
When that last one that Jesus knows will get saved, when that one receives Him, then the shout will come for us to join Him in the air. That could happen at any moment. In fact, the truth be known, each of us could hasten the coming of Jesus Christ.
In the context of verse 12, if we are winning people to Jesus Christ, that will hasten His return. What a great goal for this year, winning people to Jesus and at the same time hastening His return.
Remember - everything else we do will be burned up one day, verses 10 and 11, so let's work to hasten His return.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Dear Lord, please help me to remember the things I should as I eagerly await Your shout for me to join you in the heavenlies and help me to win lost people to You.
Monday, March 3, 2025
II Peter 2:9
Monday, March 03, 2025 |
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
For further study - II Peter 2:1-9
Peter is near the end of his many years of ministry when he writes II Peter and is working to "stir up" our memories, II Peter 1:5, and also our "pure minds", II Peter 3:1. In chapter 1, Peter calls for us to remember that we have a "sure word of prophecy", verse 19. In chapter 3, Peter "stirs up our pure minds" as we remember the truths of Bible prophecy, verse 2.
In chapter 2 and especially the portion of the chapter for our extended reading, we are "warned about false teachers". In many locations in the New Testament we are warned about false teachers. My concern for believers today is that they do not heed these warnings and they remain under the teachings of these false teachers.
Dear friend, you stay under false teaching and false teachers to your own peril. Do not judge a church by the "personality of the pastor", but instead by the "doctrine of the deacons". The main ministry of the local church is to protect its people from false teaching.
Peter then gives us a warning about "judgment to come". The Lord will judge the angels, those in the abyss, the tartaros. He will also judge the whole world as He did in the days of Noah and Lot, verses 5-6. As we wade through these waves of deception and destruction, we walk ashore on deliverance.
Praise the Lord. He knows how to deliver us and will do so. He will deliver all of those made godly by His work on the cross and His resurrection. Our Lord will keep us from the temptation, the testing that is ahead.
During the 7-year Tribulation period of testing here on the earth, we will be celebrating a "marriage" in the heavenlies. We, as the "bride of Christ", will be married to the bridegroom, Jesus himself.
There is a parallel passage to Peter's message, written by John, a longtime friend. John says in Revelation 3:10 that the Lord will "keep us from" not take us "out of" the testing of the judgment ahead.
Of course, the process of deliverance from this coming testing is the Rapture of the Church. This Rapture of the Church could happen at any time, even today, so keep looking up until that does happen. Even so come Lord Jesus.
PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank you, dear Lord, for your promise of deliverance from the terrible Tribulation Period yet to come.
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