1 John 2:3-14

We know God by Obeying His Commands

  

Stay out of the road!   Say please and thank you.    Use your manners!     Sit up straight.                                    Use your napkin.   Don’t hit!   Stay in bed.   Don’t play with your food!    Stop fighting!

Adults spew these and many other commands to kids constantly. Not only do they speak the words, but generally use direct and sometimes fierce intonation to get the child’s attention, to no avail. Over and over the reminders are communicated, and the results are the same. The kids continue doing exactly what they were told not to, or don’t do what they were asked to do.

Do all young people have bad memories? Are all kids testing? Are they so focused on themselves that they disregard the wishes of the adults in their lives? What is it?

In today’s passage John wrote to encourage believers, and remind them of God’s commands;

1 John2:7  “Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.”

What is John referring to? He notes a few examples, but it is all about following God’s word and knowing God by living as He calls us to. He doesn’t change his message. He never has.

Verse 4 The man who says “I know him” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Verse 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him.

Verse 9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in darkness.

Colossians 2:12-14 Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Last Sunday the message was about what God has given us-New Life.

Today let’s examine our own hearts and honestly look at the pages of our daily lives. Not the life of anyone else, just our own. Are we giving God what he has asked of us in return or are we still in need of constant reminders? If so, that's alright, we are all in various places in our faith walk.

  

1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Developing your faith is a lifelong process. What is your next step? Is God calling you to cross the threshold of faith and enter into His family? Is God calling you to grow in your understanding of who He is, or change the way you live your life? Is God calling you to step up and be a model for others?

      Read/listen to 1 John 2:3-14

Colossians 3:1-17

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ

The school year has just ended. I am a special education teacher. Sometimes I take student teachers into my classroom and work with them on honing their skills to prepare them for managing their own classroom. I finished this school year with a lovely young lady named Morgan.

Morgan entered my classroom well prepared for a regular education classroom, but not one such as mine. These students, though beautiful, have many challenges cognitively as well as behaviorally and physically. She was hesitant and uncertain at the beginning. As our time together continued, she experienced a change. Through observation, study and trial and error she evolved into a confident and passionate teacher ready to take on new challenges. I could see the love in her eyes as she worked with my students. I had the opportunity to observe an awesome transformation. She left at peace with herself and her abilities.

In a thank you card she gave me on our last day together she wrote: “In the short nine weeks we were together I learned more about myself and my faith than I would have imagined.”

As I modeled my instruction and interactions with both students and staff, I was hopeful I was instilling the importance of some of the things noted in Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” 

Times when the adults we were dealing with did not follow through as I hoped they would I attempted to demonstrate the importance of Colossians 3:13-15 “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”

I was extremely happy and humbled that she took away much more than teaching strategies and classroom management approaches. She got it!

I thank God for those opportunities. The occasions to make a difference in the lives of others are ever present. Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another...”  

Read/Listen to Colossians 3:1-7

Nehemiah 2:1-8 Prayer First

Perhaps it is best to read these 8 verses in Nehemiah, before going any further. It may sometimes seem as though we are backtracking or repeating as you read the Daily Bible Blast, however there is meaning and purpose in the progression. This link will bring you to the new BibleGateway.com. There you can read, or click the speaker button to simply listen to: Nehemiah 2: 1-8

 

With great respect to God and the king, Nehemiah made his request to go to Jerusalem. He did not immediately blurt out to King Artaxerxes the burden that was upon his heart when the king inquired. He instead "prayed to the Lord of heaven," and then replied to the king, beginning with "If it pleases the king...."

Nehemiah did not immediately flee from his responsibilities as the cup-bearer to the king, and return to Jerusalem to begin his plight as re-builder of the wall. Though he likely longed to arrive as quickly as possible to get the restructuring under way and protect his people, Nehemiah viewed all of his work as labor for the Lord as the bible calls us to do in Colossians 3:23. (NIV) “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as for the Lord….”

Nehemiah covered all of his bases so to speak. He prayed, sincerely summarized his dismay, and then requested permission to follow through with what he believed was his calling from God. “And because the gracious hand of God was upon me, the king granted my request.” Nehemiah 2:8

From there, the journey was difficult, but because Nehemiah took his time establishing a firm foundation before beginning his mission, he was able to comfortably carry on. He had the approval of the king, and the blessing of the Father.

Dear Lord, your love and grace are far beyond our understanding. We praise and worship you for being such a perfect and awesome God.Though through our imperfection we make mistakes and fall short of what we are called to be, please continue to be patient when we do not go to you first but instead attempt to change and fix things on our own. Nehemiah is an amazing example of how to prioritize and plan. May our hearts be reminded to turn to the ways of those like Nehemiah as we build and rebuild our own Jerusalem. Amen