love one another – Be Still…

1 John 5:1-21 – Rewards of Faith

If you ever wondered if you could love God more, John gives us some direction. “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.” How are you doing at obeying God? It seems logical that when we love God, we should want to please Him. When we are truly devoted, we shouldn’t balk at the commandments but cherish them as a way of showing our allegiance.

Over the years, plenty of people have commented to me about all the “rules” we have to follow as Christians. Those are usually the people who are self-absorbed and have a hard time with any authority standing in their way of “fun.” When I look at God’s commandments, I see first the love of a parent wanting the best for his children. What do you see? Continue reading “1 John 5:1-21 – Rewards of Faith”

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”

John 15:1-17 – Abide

Read John 15:1-17

I love it when Jesus uses one of his “I am” statements to describe himself. What does it mean to you that Jesus is the “true grapevine”? Verse 5 sums it up for me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” I feel honored to put myself in the “branches” category.

Jesus wants us to abide and remain in Him. Do you think the disciples knew what that meant? Do we even begin to understand the depth of meaning that Jesus’ words have for our lives and how we live? When we remain in Him, we also “abide” in Him, living our lives while acknowledging his presence. There is some great stuff to ponder and reflect on in this reading. Continue reading “John 15:1-17 – Abide”

1 Peter 3:8-12 – Good Behavior

Read 1 Peter 3:8-12

This reading applies to everyone who calls themselves Christian. The behavior Peter describes is all very basic, yet we still stumble and need the reminder. It’s also affirming to see behaviors on the list we can recognize and feel good about, knowing we’re already acting in those ways. Imagine wearing a crown because you are a son or daughter to a king – is your behavior fit for a child of a king? King Jesus that is!

Of course, there are times when evil desires or influences can overtake our good intentions. We know we’re not immune to evil just because we’re followers of Christ. Even Jesus himself encountered the crafty evil one on more than one occasion! We need to stay strong like Jesus did to resist the devil. I think of James 4:7, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

1 Peter 1:13-25 – Holy Living

Read 1 Peter 1:13-25

Who said we are born without an instruction manual? Once we’re born again and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Bible is the only reference we need for life. Peter’s counsel here is brilliant to point us to the truth found in scripture when figuring out what being holy is all about.

Our reading starts with a call to action by Peter. He wants us to pay attention. The words that follow are just that important. Peter opened his letter (see our last two readings) by reminding us of our salvation and God’s sovereignty. This section shows us our response, what to do with that gift. Be holy.