Tag: be more Christ-like

1 John 4:1-21 – What the World Needs Now

Read 1 John 4:1-21

John gives us quite a lesson on love after he warns us about false prophets. We’re supposed to love fellow believers and test every prophet to make sure they are in alignment with the truth about Jesus. Verse 4 has some reassuring news for us in terms of these false prophets. “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” John has a lot to say about both topics, but let’s focus on love because the world could use a reminder of what love means.

John tells us a couple of things about love that make sense to us as believers. He says that love comes from God, and that God is love. Take a moment to let that sink in just a bit. Love is a gift from God, and our ability to love has a purpose. Many people distort love into something it is not intended to be, totally missing the point of such a gift. Continue reading “1 John 4:1-21 – What the World Needs Now”

2 Peter 2:1-22 – Beware!

Read 2 Peter 2:1-22

Consider yourself warned. The evil one is lurking, using crafty people to deceive and throw us off our path toward God. I could end this reflection right now because that truth seems even more real in our day. It’s hard to imagine the corruption Peter and his contemporaries would have faced.

Today we see the division erupting in the United States. There have been differing viewpoints from the beginning of time, as well as crafty lies being spoken and believed. Remember the garden and the serpent spewing “wisdom” to Eve? It’s hard to believe we still haven’t figured out how to outsmart the evil one. Continue reading “2 Peter 2:1-22 – Beware!”

Psalm 15:1-5 – Living a Blameless Life

Read Psalm 15:1-5

God knows we will all fall short, yet we strive to attain the goals we set out for ourselves. If we limit our goals, we might miss out on what God has in mind for us. The psalmist, David, wants to achieve his goal of being in the presence of God. He asks and answers the question “Who is good enough to worship and enter into God’s presence?”

What exactly is the blameless life God hopes we live? Is there any chance we can pull it off? What sorts of things do we need to change to reach these standards? I like Google’s AI definition of a blameless life. “A blameless life is a life characterized by integrity, innocence, and a lack of wrongdoing, where actions and words are consistent, free from guilt and deceit, and aligned with God’s will.” The psalmist gives us some specifics. Continue reading “Psalm 15:1-5 – Living a Blameless Life”

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