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

I was lost...but now am found!

Psalm 14:1 (NIV)
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

When David refers to fool in this text, he isn't referring to intellect. He is coming from a moral aspect, he is talking about those who reject God. Many of us can remember a time in our own lives when, looking back, we recognize our rejection of God. It is painful to know that during that season we may have been considered corrupt, but the truth often hurts.

Life Application Bible Notes says: The true atheist is either foolish or wicked--foolish because he ignores the evidence that God exists or wicked because he refuses to live by God's truths. We become atheists in practice when we rely more on ourselves than on God.

Psalm 14:2 (NIV)
The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.


King David would cry out to his God often. We can relate to the cries of David because they reflect the cries of our hearts too. David told God how he felt and so can we. The times I have been in pain, whether physical or emotional, I would bring it to God, I would write it down, I would pray it out. 

These days I have desperate prayers for my "one," the person in my life who doesn't know Jesus yet, the person who even rejects or at the very least ignores their Savior. My prayers often include asking God to remind me to pray more often for them.

Who do you know who doesn't acknowledge Jesus as LORD? Who do you want to spend eternity with who needs your prayers, your witness, and your bold and loving testimony?



Psalm 14

Oh, to be an upstart

Acts 4:1-4 (MSG) While Peter and John were addressing the people, the priests, the chief of the Temple police, and some Sadducees came up,  indignant that these upstart apostles were instructing the people and proclaiming that the resurrection from the dead had taken place in Jesus.  They arrested them and threw them in jail until morning, for by now it was late in the evening.  But many of those who listened had already believed the Message—in round numbers about five thousand!

Read the four verses above and try to determine which words God wants to speak to your heart this day. For me, the word upstart grabbed my attention. I looked it up and found one of the definitions was, a nobody. This is significant because I am now challenged to be an upstart as well.

Peter and John had just healed a man who had been crippled since birth; in the name of Jesus they healed him. They pointed to the great healer and called up His name. This act had a snowball effect on the crowd who was gathered. Those who witnessed this miracle stuck around to hear more about this man Jesus, whom they had killed.

I often ask myself what I could do to make the difference in someone's eternal life. More than likely Peter and John asked themselves the same question. But, then they would start talking it over with each other and remember the words of their mentor, Jesus, and courage and conviction would return.

How do I apply this to my life? How do I call upon Jesus to heal another's heart, to redeem their eternity? Have I been empowered to do the same thing as the apostles? It isn't magic, but prayer that changes lives. If I have faith, if I believe God is with me, I too can make a difference in this world...even an upstart like me.

Acts 4:1-4

Matthew 7:15-23

A wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Looks can be deceiving.
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Don’t believe everything you hear.
This is all good advice, but difficult to heed, as reality is often unclear. What is real and true is not necessarily obvious. We must seek it, because this world does not lend itself to God’s love and truth. It is easy to follow the phony, because that is what everyone else is doing. It makes us feel comfortable if we fit in, but think about this; our eternity is contingent upon the short life we have here on earth. The choices we make here determine our true forever! Be cautious.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothes, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, and every bad tree bears bad fruit….” “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

I urge you to view this video of Francis Chan.
View Video

Read complete passage here
Listen to complete passage here

Psalm 16 - In Your Right Hand are Pleasures Evermore

Have you heard the saying, "God is good; all the time?" I thought of it as I read Psalm 16 today. Another familiar phrase, "Hang on to what is good," also popped into my mind.

David equated God with good. He says, "apart from [God] I have no good thing." (v 2) David twice mentioned staying by his Father's side and in His presence. (v 8,11)

David trusted and depended on God for his safety. (v 1)
He received many blessings. (vs 5-6).
He praised God for guidance in his life. (vs 7,11)
David rejoiced with gladness and rested in God's care. (v 9)
David knew that just as Christ would conquer death (v 10), God would not leave him in the grave. He had joy and assurance in "eternal pleasures at [God's] right hand. (v 11).

Do you realize: When we hang on to the One we know is good all the time…as we put our trust in Him…as we develop a relationship with Him, we experience the same blessings as David.

Our days can be filled with many challenging hurdles. When we rest in God's care, hold His hand, and keep our focus on Him, we can trust Him to work out our circumstances. When we keep God by our side, He can lead us onto the right path. When we entrust ourselves into God’s care, we can live with joy. He promises us we will be resurrected to eternal life. Isn't it awesome that there is no end to what God has for us!

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