We Have Hope in the Word of Life

Life can be hard.  It seems like every day I have some burden to bring before God.  Just when I feel I am gaining understanding in one area of concern, another struggle appears.

Raising kids, managing your home, and connecting with your spouse all come with daily challenges.  Throw in financial worries, stress at work, issues with friends and extended family and the list of concerns grow. Now, add loving your neighbor, serving those in need, and praying for your enemy and the daily stress of life seems daunting.

God does not want us to look at life’s struggles without hope, and he definitely does not want us to feel alone in them.

I guess that’s why James writes, “Consider it PURE JOY when you face trials of many kind…” he knew we would struggle.  He knew the world would try and steal our joy.

Jesus even says to us in the gospel of John, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world.”

Struggles are going to come, but we have to remember that;

1) Because of Jesus, our life has meaning.

2)  Because of Jesus, we have eternal life.

Our scripture passage today comes from 1 John 5:13-21.  I want to highlight verse 13 for you. “

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

The book of 1 John is one of encouragement. John starts off in chapter 1 verse 1 reassuring the reader that he was an eyewitness to Jesus.  I just love that.  He is reminding us that he was there when Jesus walked the earth.  He saw him.  Jesus is real!

John writes, “…—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us…”  He refers to Jesus as the Word of Life and eternal life.

Jesus brings hope in the midst of our trouble, but most of all he brings life.  He makes our life here have purpose, and one day when our life here on earth is over, the struggle will not have the final word. 

The Word of Life – Walking in the Light

1 John 1-10

If it makes us happy, we want to share it! When it fills our heart with joy, we want to share it! When it gives us hope, we want to share it! When it brings us such love and peace we can handle anything, we have to share it!

John shared the message of the Lord because as he stated in 1 John 1:4; “We write this to make our joy complete.”

As John and many others of that time did, we have not seen, touched or heard Jesus in person, so we cannot truly fathom how a man with such greatness could walk this earth in genuine humility. It’s a beautiful story, yet quite difficult to comprehend.

Getting this account straight from those who experienced it first hand is exciting! “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the father and has appeared to us.” 1 John 1:2

John continues by telling us; "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:9

Walking in the light is an expression used to give us an honest look at ourselves. In the light all of our flaws are revealed. Standing strong in the Lord, admitting our wrongs and asking for forgiveness is walking in the light WITH the Lord. Pretending we have no sin is walking in darkness, and we cannot walk with God in that place, for he is not there.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, the blood of Jesus, his Son purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1: 7

I love the lyric; "The more broke we are the more the light gets through." in a song by
Jason Gray called Glow in the Dark. This dark world needs his light! 

Walking in the light with our God keeps us light hearted, as we are not weighted down by earthly things. As Ken Davis says at the end of his daily radio segment:

“Lighten up, and live!” 

Read/Listen to 1 John 1:1-10

1 John 5: 13-21

Assurance of Eternal Life

 John is the ultimate encourager. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have 

ETERNAL LIFE.”

Me? Really? Forever? Though we have heard and read time and again John 3:16 (Whoever believes in me will not perish but have eternal life) we continue to doubt ourselves, and hope for the miracle of salvation to happen to US. We feel as though these promises are for others, but may not hold true in our situation. Why is it we view ourselves as unworthy? What makes us doubt the word of our 

GOD?

John assures us that whoever is born of God, though he may fall into sin, will not

 commit the unpardonable sin. We should never cease to pray for our brothers and

 sisters in Christ, especially when we know of their sin. No Christian is beyond the

 reach of our prayers, and no one born of God will ever fall from grace but will be

 kept safe in the name of  

CHRIST JESUS.

Sinless perfection is beyond our reach for the time being because our old nature has

 not yet been wiped away, yet the cross has 

SET US FREE.

Being a true believer means a lifestyle change has taken place. Sin does not dominate

 us any longer. By faith, self-control, and obeying the Word, sin has become the lesser

 influence on us. 

ALLELUIA!

May we trust in the words of John breathed by our Lord and Savior and set our hearts

to rest on the lovely promise of 

ETERNITY! 

Read/Listen to 1 John 5:13-21

1 John 3:11-24

Confidence Before God

The world is fallen and broken, walking in darkness, and ever hostile to God’s will and God’s way. It was that way in the beginning, it will be that way in the end. It was that way for Jesus, it will be that way for us. Knowing this, how do we carry on?

                                                    1 John 3:11 “We should love one another.” 

                                                     

1 John 16: This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

John tells us not to love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth in 1 John 18.

         A true heart for God feels and behaves differently than a heart of the world.

We can tell who is who by the way they live. “By their fruits you shall know them” said Jesus (Matt. 7:20)

But what about the times when we do not walk in His ways? When we sin does it mean we are no longer a child of God? Will God turn away? Absolutely not!

Whenever you doubt God’s love for you, look to the Cross. Whenever you feel sin dragging you down, look to the Cross. Whenever you’ve convinced yourself that you’re not worth it, look to the Cross.

1 John 3:24 concludes with:                                           

Those who obey His commands live in Him, and He in them. And this is how we know He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us.

We all lose our way from time to time, yet knowing the Spirit is within us is all we need. The Holy Spirit was sent to give us hope and strength to fight for what is right and true and love unconditionally as Jesus did, giving us all the confidence we need before God.

Read/Listen to 1 John3:11-24

1 John 2:28-3:10

Children of God

The love of the Father is unfathomable for us, however attempting to view ourselves as children and thinking about the way we love and adore our own gives us a glimpse.

1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!

In the song Children of God, Third Day sings:                                                          

“We are the saints, we are the children.                                             We’ve been redeemed, we’ve been forgiven.                   

We are the sons and the daughters of our God.”

All Christ followers have their own style of learning scripture and gaining knowledge and insight as to who Christ is. We approach the word of God uniquely. I personally, gain great knowledge of the scripture through music.

We are free to receive the gift of Christian music through the airways, computers, CD’s, MP3’s or I-Pods. If you don’t already, I urge you to turn your radio to a local Christian station in your vehicle, at home and at work if possible. The inspiration of the talented artists who write the lyrics comes directly from the Word.

1 John 3:7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray.

Mercy Me sings these words in the song Greater:     

“Greater is the one living inside of me, than he who is living in the world.”

       

We know the world is sinful and corrupt. Focusing on the word of God rather than the things of this world puts a barrier between us and sin. Our mission is to stay strong in Him and focus on what is good and right and true!

When we humble ourselves to the status of “children” and feel the Grace and Mercy of our God, we will sense the confidence and peace that comes with being a “good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

1 John 2:28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

Read/Listen to 1 John 2:28-3:10

1 John 2:15-28

Fight the Good Fight!

We have been told not to fight, or at least not to throw the first punch, but self-defense is acceptable and condoned in most circles. The announcers of a boxing match can be heard using the term “good fight.”  That seems to mean strategic moves are utilized, and the participants are somewhat evenly matched in order to prolong the competition to entertain the audience.

As I read today's words about not loving the world and warning of the antichrists, I heard the words in my head from a song by the group Unspoken. 

The title is “Good Fight” and speaks directly to us from God’s perspective. The lyrics encourage  us to keep fighting and letting God's light shine. The message is that although the world is hard on us and we are under attack, God will never leave us. This fight is one worth fighting and though it is sometimes too much to bear it is a fight God wants us to take part in and win!

In 1 John 2:15-28, John's letter includes words of warning about the world, but also encouragement, support, reassurance, inspiration and hope, just as the lyrics of "Good Fight."

Please listen to the song “Good Fight”

Please read/listen to 1 John 2:15-28

1 John 1:1-2:2

               The Word of Life

With great anticipation and excitement we await the birth of our new grandson. He will be born somewhere around the 4^th of July. Another grandchild is expected to be born in December. Because I have experienced the miracle of birth first hand, and have seen the beauty of our God in those tiny hands and feet, I KNOW what joy this new infant will bring.

I also understand the challenges and heartache that accompany the commitment of being a parent yet would not discourage our children from the experience because the pleasure and love far outweigh the pain. The promise of what is to come as the baby grows and changes each day brings constant eagerness for what is next.

In the same way, Christ Followers go through periods of joy, excitement, transformation, peace, etc. as well as pain and heartbreak. 

Having never gone through child rearing before, it is impossible for new parents to wrap their head and heart around what is to come, but get them together with a another couple with their newborn and watch as the smiles grow, eyes widen, and questions flow. This impending new life has them consumed.

John's love for the Lord drove him to tell all who would listen of Jesus' life on earth and the promise of eternal life. Like a couple with a newborn sharing the sweet, innocent growth and changes in their baby, the experiences John had with Jesus were so awesome and consuming he had to share. His wish for others to feel the same joy and excitement drove John to reach out, write this book, and invite us all into fellowship with him, others, the Father and his son Jesus Christ. John knew along with this joy there would be suffering, but that is part of this meaningful journey.

Speaking of Jesus, in John 1:2-4 John writes; The life appeared; we have seen it 

and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father 

and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you

 also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his 

Son Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.”

As the new life of an infant becomes more precious when shared, John’s joy was not complete without sharing the message of God's Love and the promise of new life....eternal life. Amen!

Read/Listen to 1 John1:1-2:2