From Glory to Glory

1 Peter: Lesson Seven

2009-08-06T10:24:00.000-07:00

"But why do you judge your brother?
Or why do you show contempt
for your brother?
For we shall all stand before the judgment
seat of Christ. For it is written:

As I live, says the LORD,
Every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall
confess to God."

Romans 14:10-11

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Let's begin with prayer.......

"Father God, our Lord and Savior, please speak to us through Your word. Please convict us of sin and make us holy as You are holy.

I seek forgiveness of my sins. I pray, Lord, that You will wash me clean of all my iniquities...even the hidden secret sins of my heart. Search me, purge me, and make me whole again so that I can serve You this day. Help me to hold every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

I lift up to you each person reading this post. I pray, Lord, that You will lift them up and encourage them through Your word. I pray that You will set their feet on the path of righteousness for Your name's sake. In Jesus' name, amen."

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Living Before God Our Father

In our last lesson, we studied how Peter encouraged early Christians to be sober and vigilant and to rest their hope fully on the "grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" instead of resting on the things of this world. We learned that we are to live soberly....to be holy because God is holy.

In this lesson, we will look further into what it means to live before a holy God.....

1 Peter 1:17-19

"And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by traditions of your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

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As Christians, sometimes we live our lives as though we have escaped judgment because we have been saved from the wrath of God. But we are told time and time again in Scripture that we will be judged....not for our sins, which have already been forgiven, but for our works.

"And if you call upon the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's works..."

Please read:

Acts 10:34-35

Peter begins his sermon to fellow believers by explaining to them that God no longer shows any partiality. That, with Christ, all who fear Him and are obedient to Him can approach Him and be accepted because of the most excellent works of Christ.

Peter's vision helped him to see that God accepts Gentiles as well as Jews when it comes to the gospel message.

But that doesn't mean we are "off the hook" so to speak. There are works for us to do while we are here on earth.....works given to us by God.

Romans 14:10-12
1 Cor 3:12-15

Our works must be built on God's foundation and not our own. Our works will be tested...and if they pass the test we will be rewarded.

1 Cor 9:24-25

We run a race for the prize..but not a temporary perishable prize like a crown of olive leaves, or a medal made of gold or silver. NO! We run the race for an eternal prize...an "imperishable crown" that we can place at the feet of our Savior.

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"Conduct yourselves throughout your stay here with fear..."

Peter reminds us that we are to remain in fear of the Lord. Everything we do and say will be brought before us for judgment. Peter says to live in this fear of God...what does that mean exactly??

Peter presents God as both Father and Judge over all. He encourages us never to forget this. To do our work in the fear of the Lord...reverence and respect:

Ps 34:8-11

Why?

"...knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers....."

Because we are not of the finite things of this earth. We are not here to fear men and their religious traditions like some organized religions teach today. Attending church, praying at an altar, confessing to priests, lighting candles, vowing oaths, sacrificing to animals, etc. mean nothing to God because these are all corruptible and temporary.

Jesus came to end all this and show us The Way to God: through Him.

"...but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot."

Ex 12:5-11

Peter is wise to remind his readers of the Passover event....a most important feast in the Jewish religion. He reminds them that Jesus was the last Passover lamb given as a sacrifice to God once and for all.

Heb 9: 26-28

So, to wrap up Peter's lesson for his fellow believers.....we are here for a purpose. Not a purpose of men, because then it would be flawed. But a purpose of God: to do His works in fear of Him because of the works of Christ Jesus.

This is how we are to live before a holy God. In reverence and respect .....in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Do your good works with this in mind. Everything you do or do not do will be judged before a holy God.

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Life Application

Judging others is a sin I struggle with all the time. I was brought up in a very critical home where both my parents criticized others daily. So, as an adult, it is hard for me to break that old habit of talking about others and judging them.

One way the Lord breaks me of this is to bring me to my knees from time to time in fear. He also has a way of just stopping me in my tracks by letting me see a glimpse of what another person has gone through in their life.

While in Slovakia, one of my teammates stood up to give a partial testimony to some of the Slovakian women at a Bible study. I had been critical of this lady before this moment because she was different than I am. How dare she! I know, I know, how dare I be so shallow. Anyway, after she told us of her horrible childhood experience with parents who were mentally ill, I felt so ashamed of my thoughts against her. I had no idea she had survived so much! I began to see her in an entirely different way.

Later on, I had a chance to give my testimony and afterward was told that my words had a great affect on the women. My fellow teammates were astonished that I had been through so much in my life as well.

You see? You just never know about someone's past and it is better to stop judging a fellow believer and see them the way Jesus sees them: with love and as His child.

I have learned not to be so darn critical of others and stop judging them so much because after
all, we do not know their story. We have no idea what it is the Lord has brought them through!

Take time today to meditate on all you have learned today from God's word. He greatly used Peter to edify and encourage us in our Christian walk. Thank the Lord for giving us the book of 1 Peter.

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"The consideration of our redemption ought to be a constant and powerful inducement to holiness, and the fear of God. God expects that a Christian should live answerable to what he knows. Neither silver nor gold, nor any of the corruptible things of this world, can redeem so much as one soul."

-Matthew Henry (Commentaries, pg. 1941, 1961)

Blessings,
Ruth

1 Peter: Lesson Six

2009-08-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

"And do not be conformed
to this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that
you may prove what
is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God."
Romans 12:2

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Let us begin with prayer....

Lord, I pray and ask You to remind us today what it means to serve You. I pray that You will speak to us through Your word this day and set our hearts right.

Please forgive me of my sins and cleanse me with Your precious blood. I pray that You will wash me and put in me a clean pure heart like Yours. Teach me to hold every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

I pray for each person reading this lesson. I pray that Your words will lift them up and give them strength to get through each day. I pray that You will speak to their hearts and deal with them by renewing their minds in Christ Jesus.

In Jesus' name.....amen."

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Living Before God Our Father

In our last lesson, Peter told us of how the prophets of old searched diligently, as a miner dug deep into the rock for the ore he sought, for the meaning of the salvation of our souls. He told us of how even the angels are so desiring to know of this salvation.

We were reminded of how the prophets wrote their messages for us...future believers...that we would know of the grace that would come to us.

Today we will look into what it means to be a Christian...saved by grace....living before a holy and just God whom the prophets spoke of in the Scriptures.

1 Peter 1:13-16 "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts as in your ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written,"Be holy, for I am holy."

Fasten Your Belts!

Peter is telling believers that there is work to be done...and we need to be sober and vigilant in our work!

When I prepared to leave on my mission trip to Slovakia, I was in the word everyday and praying diligently everyday. But yet I was still unprepared for the spiritual attacks that hit me from all sides!

I had been warned by friends who had experienced the same thing, and yet I was not ready for the attacks. I knew the Lord was allowing Satan to attack me and that gave me comfort to know that the Lord thought I was ready to handle it. But yet it still hurt!

One thing I know for certain is this: the Lord never left me during any of those attacks from the devil. HE was always there when I called out to Him or searched for Him in the Bible.

Peter wants us to remember that grace that saved us and the grace that will be "brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" so we are not despondent. No! Never! Peter wants us to remember that hope that is within us.

Please read:
Romans 5: 1-5 Matt 5:11-12 James 1:3

Hope does not disappoint! I know that for sure! I have put that verse to the test for meaning and it passed that test with flying colors, as we like to say.

I was attacked financially, spiritually, emotionally, and even endured my marriage being attacked. The only thing the Lord spared was my health....blessedly! I was shocked at the intensity of the attacks on all facets of my heart, but not surprised with how merciful the Lord was when I passed those tests and made it to Slovakia with the others.

I was sober and vigilant in that I knew the attacks were coming....but even then I was shocked at the hurt. Just imagine what the early Christians had to endure with the enemy in the world!

1 Peter 1:8-9

Peter's words of encouragement must have meant the world to those early believers.

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"as obedient children..."

Peter wants us to remember who we were before Christ saved our souls...but he doesn't want us to dwell on it. He doesn't want us to remember the "former lusts" that held us captive to the bondage of sin.

Instead, we are to be as obedient children of God who are now transformed through the renewing of our minds by the word of God.

That means our conduct must mirror His.

Matt 4:1-11
Jesus survived Satan's attacks through the word of God. He used Scripture to fight off the attacks of the devil!

Hebrews 4:12 Eph 6:16

Jesus was prepared to do the works of the Father who sent Him because He was getting His strength from above. He girded His loins and prepared for battle!
Matt 9:35-38

But He did it with love and compassion...for He was God in the flesh.

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Life Application

"Be holy, for I am holy."

Complete holiness should be the desire of all Christians. To be like Christ is the final vision for us all. Jesus came to leave us an example to follow. The apostles left us an example to follow as well: suffering for Christ.

Peter reminds us that our whole conduct must be pleasing to God in order to be used by God. I went through a period of "cleansing" during those spiritual attacks before my trip. I tried to see it that way even though I was almost broken. I read the Scriptures, cried out to fellow believers to lift me up in prayer, fasted and prayed all in preparation for the mission.

And I reaped the rewards from the Lord for all that I had endured. He took care of me and all of the team while were were away. I had deep dreaded fears that the students wouldn't like me, but the Lord calmed my fears and gave me wonderful children who made me smile daily.

I know now what it takes to serve the Lord: die to the flesh and live for Christ.

Peter wants us to know and understand this point, that serving the Lord isn't easy. It could cost us our lives or the lives of those we love.

But we were left with a perfect example of that perfect obedience and will of God in Christ Jesus when He walked this earth. We must be holy as God is holy. We must imitate Him though we will never equal Him. Just considering how holy God is should bring us to our knees in praise and worship.

We were taken to a very beautiful mountain range in Slovakia for a day of rest and recuperation. As I stood on that mountain top and watched the clouds part and reveal the sun, I began to worship the Living God of all creation. I knew He was giving me a gift for serving Him. It was not money or material wealth...fame or fortune....no, it was a most precious gift He knew I wanted and needed to see: His beautiful creation.

You see, God is an artist and from one artist to the other....He knew I needed to see beauty all around me. I saw the Master Artist show me one of His many masterpieces that day! I cherished it as I stood there on that cool mountaintop. I thanked Him for that gift. It made all the suffering of spiritual warfare worth it all just to be that close to Him if only for a few moments.

We serve a holy God who loves us and knows us personally. We serve an awesome God!

Take time out today to praise Him and worship where you are.

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"It is a great favor to be called effectually by divine grace into the possession of all the blessings of the new covenant; and great favors are strong obligations; they enable as well as oblige to be holy." -Matthew Henry (Commentaries, 1961, p. 1941)

Blessings,
Ruth

1 Peter: Lesson Five

2009-07-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

"For prophecy never came

by will of man,but

holy men of God spoke

as they were moved

by the Holy

Spirit."

2 Peter 1:21

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Let us begin with prayer....

"Father God in heaven, thank You for giving us this study today so we may learn more abot You and Your salvation given to us. Thank You for bestowing upon us the righteousness of heaven that we might be called children of God.

We seek forgiveness of our sins knowing that our sin keeps us from true fellowship with You. Cleanse us this day and place inside us a clean pure heart. Help us to hold each thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus.

I pray for each person reading this study that You might change them through the reading and studying of Your word. Encourage them, edify them, and lift them up where they are so that they might do the good works of Christ to the glory of God the Father. Amen."

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A Heavenly Inheritance

It has been awhile since I have written in this study of Peter. Mostly because I took time off from writing in order to serve the Lord in Slovakia at an English Camp for children there as part of the International Needs missionary network.

I felt called to go and teach God's word to the children and some adults there 2 years ago, but the Lord said not yet. I was pleased that He finally said, "Go!" this year and so I went. As hard as it was to leave family behind, I was that much more blessed to be there serving the Lord. But more on that later....

Now it is time to rejoin Peter as he writes to fellow believers dispersed throughout Asia minor to encourage them through their various trials and tribulations.

1 Peter 1:10-11-

"Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow."

In our last study, we learned about suffering through trials and the rewards of following Christ leading to our salvation. We learned that suffering is a part of being a Christian: for if Christ suffered, why would we think we are exempt from suffering?

Peter taught us about having blind faith....faith in a Christ we have never seen! He seems to be amazed at how so many people believed in a Jesus they had never seen. Jesus called us blessed! Praise God.

Today we will look further at that reward of the salvation of our souls.

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Prophecy

Peter presents before us the authority of what he writes: the authority of the Prophets who wrote beforehand of salvation that was to come. He wants his readers to remember that salvation through Jesus was no new doctrine as unbelievers would want them to believe and question.

NO! Peter tells us that the prophets searched carefully, or "diligently" which in the Greek alluded to minors digging into the earth breaking through rock and continued digging until they reached the ore they were looking for (Matthew Henry's Commentary, 1961). With those words, we get a mental picture of how hard the prophets sought understanding of this salvation the Holy Spirit laid upon their hearts.

How hard do we seek to know God's word? Do we search diligently for understanding?

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Jesus Christ became the main subject of their searching and understanding. Is He the main subject of our search? Do we diligently seek Him daily?

"Searching what or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow."

The sufferings of Jesus were foretold in the Scriptures. Therefore, the Jewish leaders, who claimed to be such scholars of the Scriptures, knew about these prophecies when they stood face-to-face with their Messiah:

Please read:

Psalm 22:1-21

Isaiah 53: 1-12

If they truly were scholars of the Scriptures, then they would have remembered these verses and realized who Jesus was: The Messiah.

Moses wrote of the coming Christ:

Deut 18:18-19

In their ignorance, the High Priests did not see Jesus. In their sin, they missed Him. In their arrogance, they killed the Messiah of Scriptures.....but by God's grace this pleased Him because it fulfilled the Scriptures that the Christ was to suffer.

And His obedience would mean His glorification....

John 7: 37-39

How was Jesus glorified?

John 12:16

Rom 5:19

Phil 2:8

Jesus desires our obedience to God's word more than anything....

Luke 8:21

Just as God desires our obedience over our sacrifices....

1 Sam 15:22

Jesus and God are ONE.

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Life Application

Do you seek the Holy One? Do you search diligently for Him in the hard rock of this world? Is He ever present in your mind? Doyou have toruble taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ?

I know I do.

When I think of the prophets of old dilgently searching for God....searching for what the salvation of our souls was, I am humbled. I know I take it for granted that I received salvation. But when I stop and truly think about those who came before us who were given inspiration by the Spirit of Christ to desire this grace I am inspired to tell others about that grace that I have received. Even the angels are amazed by the gift of salvation! We will look at that in future lessons.

Take time today to really meditate on the gift of your salvation from God's perfect wrath. It is His grace and mercy that has set you free from that eternal damnation known as hell. Take time to diligently seek Him in His word today. Read about that free gift of salvation and truly be humbled by it.....and know that it was all because of the obedience of Christ that you live today.

In Jesus name....

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"The doctrine of man's salvation by Jesus Christ has been the study and admiration of the greatest and wisest of men. Those who would be acquainted with this great salvation, and the grace that shines therein, must enquire and search diligently into it."

-Matthew Henry Commentaries, 1961

1 Peter: Lesson Four

2009-02-12T07:09:00.000-08:00

"For our light affliction

which is but for a moment, is working for us a

far more exceeding and eternal weight

of glory..."

2 Cor 4:17

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Let's seek the Lord this day.....

"Holy Father God, thank You for leaving us Your word that we may know more about You and how to serve You. For You alone are worthy of our praise and adoration.

Forgive us our sins, this day, Lord and search us for the hidden secret sins in our hearts that we may not even know about. Purge us with Your hyssop and cleanse us with Your blood. Fill our hearts with Your Holy Spirit to overflowing that others may see You in us.

Guard our speech and keep us from causing harm to those around us with our spoken and written words. Teach us Your precept...for Your precepts are perfect and complete. Lead us in Your ways, Lord, and set us apart from this world that is perishing.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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1 Peter

Faith in Trials

In today's passage, we notice how Peter encourages the reader to prevail through the hard times that are in the future for each believer. Peter exhorts his readers by revealing how amazed he is that these people did not see Jesus walk the earth and yet the love Him and are faithful to Him. He encourages the reader by reminding them of the reward that awaits them for their enduring faith: the salvation of their souls.

1 Peter 1:6-9

"(6)In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, (7)that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, (8)whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, (9)receiving the end of your faith- the salvation of your souls."

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Various Trials

One of the main themes of Peter's first epistle is that Christians will suffer for their faith in Christ. But he never leaves the reader without the hope that is given to us by the Holy Spirit.

When reading and studying the epistles of Paul, Peter, and John....one can't help but notice the common themes running through each letter: hope endures through suffering.

Paul, Peter, and John all suffered for their faith. But because they were like-minded, intent on one purpose, they constantly write about the reward of enduring through trials because they experienced it time and time again. Each man encountered the hatred that comes with persecution and yet each man endured to the end. The Lord was faithful to them in their suffering. He will be faithful to us as well....

Please read:

Matt 5:11-12

2 Cor 4:17

James 1:2-4

Those trials produce something. With God, there is never any waste. He always has a plan...a perfect plan. Those trials will produce faith...and that "testing of our faith" will produce patience, and patience will lead to completion or perfection. That is the example that Christ gave us...

John 19:28-30

John 17:4

Jesus completed all the works His Father had for Him here on earth. Now we must complete the works God has planned out for us.

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The Purpose of Trials

Here Peter gives us the reason for the trials we face: that our works may be found praiseworthy.

Again, God never does anything without a perfect plan because He is perfect and complete. Therefore, a perfect and complete being will do everything perfectly and complete. So, our lives here weren't by accident. Nothing happens here within the limits of time by accident. It is all under God's control...He is sovereign.

There is great hope and peace in knowing this attribute of God. We can endure the persecutions that will arise against us in the coming years knowing that it is all happening for a perfect and complete reason: that we may stand before God and be praiseworthy before Him.

This is another theme that runs through all the epistles of Paul, Peter, and John. They want believers to be able to stand boldly (in confidence) before the Lord rather than cower in shame from sin like Adam and Eve did.

No, Peter wants us to endure the testing by fire of our souls so that we "may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ". That is our final goal.

Rom 2:7

Rom 5:3-5

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Blind Faith

Imagine Peter's amazement as he writes to his fellow believers about their faith in a Savior they had never met. He must have been awe struck by these people.

Peter had walked with Jesus for 3 years. He had witnessed the miracles of Christ as he, too, even performed some. He denied Jesus then saw Him resurrected before his very eyes. So we can see how Peter's faith would be strong since he went through so much with Jesus and heard the Great Commission straight from His own mouth!

But these believers dispersed throughout the Mediterranean had never seen Jesus during His earthly ministry. They had never seen the miracles nor the crucifixion. They did not meet Jesus personally nor hear His words. Yet they believed! They believed so strongly, that they were willing to suffer and perhaps die for Jesus, whom they had never seen. Peter must have been so encouraged by this! I know I am....

1 John 4:20

John 20:29

John 17:20-21

How amazing that we have Peter's words echoing Jesus's words! We can clearly see how these men of God (Paul, Peter, and John) truly were moved by their experiences and changed dramatically by their faith in Christ. They treasured Jesus' words. We should do the same. For by these words we will be transformed and held when we suffer.

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Rewards

And as we have seen before, all this suffering is for a reason: Salvation

If Jesus suffered, and He was perfect, then why are we so surprised by our suffering from both natural and moral evil?

Natural evil, or the evil that happens from natural disasters or disease, etc. happens to believers regularly. But moral evil, (murder, hatred, rape, etc.)rarely happens to a believer in this country. We Christians rarely face persecution for our faith in America. I believe that will soon change.

But the purpose of evil...(and yes, there is a purpose.... Remember God is perfect and therefore everything in His plan is perfect?) .....is to bring His children closer to Him or push non-believers farther away from Him. We can see that when we read through Christ's ministry and the ministry of His apostles.

That is how we are to react to any suffering in our lives: come closer to God.

Acts 12:17

Here Peter gives glory to God for bringing him out of prison. Peter's suffering drew him closer to his Lord and not farther away. How many of us can say that being thrown in prison would draw us closer to God?? I would like to think I would be faithful....but I have never been in that situation.

Acts 5:41

Here the apostles with Peter glorified God that they were able to suffer for His name. They had endured beatings and council hearings warning them not to preach in Christ's name...and yet they were not deterred from their mission. Instead, the moral evil drew them closer to Christ.

We are always to remember that everything we endure will be rewarded with the salvation of our souls. So, when we suffer...and we will suffer....we must rely on these words in the Bible. For they have been tested by martyrs who came before us. And these words have held true.

Always rely on the word of God.

Matt 24:13

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Next time we will look deeper into what suffering for Christ is about.....

Blessings,

Ruth

1 Peter: Lesson Three

2009-02-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

"The Spirit Himself bears witness

with our spirit that we are children of God,

and if children, then heirs-heirs of God

and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him

that we may also be glorified together."

Romans 8:16-17

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1 Peter

Hello! Let's begin our time together with prayer....

"Holy Father God in heaven, we praise Your holy name which is above all names. You are worthy of our worship and honor and paise.

I pray that You will seek me for hidden sins and purge me of my iniquities against You. I know that with sin in my heart, my prayers are an abomination to You. Please purge me, cleanse me, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

I pray that today You will speak to all who read this study through Your word. I pray that You will teach us new and exciting precepts that we will take with us this day.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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A Heavenly Inheritance

In the book of 1 Peter, we have looked at the opening verses where Peter explains to whom he is writing and why he is writing this letter. So far we have seen the importance of what God's mercy has done for us: given us that living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is through Him we receive our inheritance.

Today we will look further into what that inheritance is and why it is important for every Christian to understand this concept of inheritance.

1 Peter 1:4-5

"..to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

When you read through the book of 1 Peter, you should have noticed some key words-words repeated over and over- that jumped out at you. Here are some of those key words:

salvation

submission

suffering

grace

word

love

faith

In these key words we almost see a story....the story of Christ. Peter is trying to tell his readers something in this letter. Remember his purpose: to exhort and to testify.

Peter was there with Jesus as He walked the earth. Peter prayed with Him, broke bread with Him, watched as He performed many miracles. But mostly, Peter saw...witnessed....the suffering of Jesus.

Peter heard the words of Christ, but didn't truly know what they meant until after Jesus rose again and breathed the Holy Spirit onto him. Only then were his eyes opened to the reality before him:

He, too, would suffer, submit, experience true grace and faith, preach the word, and love others as Christ did.

This, my friend, is what we have been called to as well.

This inheritance we have is reserved for us in heaven. It is waiting there for us as a reward for the suffering we will experience here on this earth. Peter wanted to encourage those new believers out among the pagan worshipers of the Mediterranean region. He wants to encourage you as well.

Please read:

Rom 8:16 & 17

Heb 1:14

Obviously, when we become Children of God we receive something special: an incorruptible inheritance, Spiritual guidance, ministering spirits, protection by the power of God, faith, and finally a revelation at the last times.

Once our eyes are opened, we finally see the things God has done for us.

Ps 103:20-22

Dan 7:9-10

Isn't it amazing that we can see all these wonderful things in God's word now that our eyes have been opened? We now have these gifts that were given to Christ. God has now given us that inheritance along with Jesus.

When we have trouble, we are ministered too by spirits. When we die, we have a place waiting for us in heaven. When we suffer, we receive glory as Christ did when He suffered.

All this for us.......not because of anything we did, but because of everything Jesus did for us.

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I want you to take some time to look up verses regarding God's "chosen". It is important for us to see what it means....

1 Pet 2:9

Col 3:12

Rom 8:33

1 Tim 2:10

Titus 1:1

Rev 17:14

Eph 1:3-4

After you read these, take time to summarize what you learned. We will look further into what it means to be chosen of God later. Peter wants us to truly understand that we are no accident of nature. We did not come as a suprise to God. No, He knew us beforehand and has a plan for us.

We will look into what that plan is in the coming lessons.....

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Blessings,

Ruth

1 Peter: Lesson Two

2009-01-29T06:19:00.000-08:00

"Blessed be the God and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ, who

has blessed us with every spiritual blessing

in the heavenly places in Christ."

Ephesians 1:3

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1 Peter

Good morning! Let's begin our time together with prayer...

"Yes, Father, You are blessed. You alone are worthy of our adoration and praise. We thank You for all that You have done for us. Praise be Your matchless name.

We seek the forgiveness of our sins, Lord, because we know that our iniquities separate us from You and we do not want to be without You, Lord.

Speak to us this day through Your words. Teach us new and exciting things in this wonderful book by Peter. Walk with us today and show us Your love.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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Redemption in Christ

1 Peter 1:3

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Today we will look into the main idea that Peter is trying to convey throughout this entire book:

Hope through our salvation

"...according to His abundant mercy..."

Here we read that our salvation wasn't based on good works that we do. It wasn't based on anything that God needed to do. Our salvation was and always will be based on His abundant mercy. Peter reminds us of this in verse three.

Please read:

Gal 6:16

Now that we are able to walk according to this rule, we will be partakers of this mercy of the Lord. His love was what initiated our salvation....our redemption. We must never forget that.

"...has begotten us to a living hope..."

I recently was able to substitute teach a class about Hinduism and Buddhism in their history class. As we read about these two religions, we came to the conclusion that both have reincarnation in common. In reincarnation, the soul of a living person lives on in the form of another living thing whether it is animal or human.

As I was explaining this, I told the students how this differs from what we learn from Christianity. I told them that our souls have only 2 destinations: heaven or hell. One Indian girl, who is a Hindu, told me that in Hinduism they have the concept of heaven and hell as well. We then went on to discuss how it is that a person can enter into their heaven or hell and she said it was by Karma.

Good Karma= heaven

Bad Karma= hell

I couldn't go further into the Gospel message due to time issues, but in my mind I thought that this concept leaves the person with no amount of hope since they will not know at death where their soul is headed. They believe it can just keep reincarnating forever. Since the human "essence" isn't passed on from living form to living form, there is no evidence of that person's past existence. How sad. There is no way for a person to know what to do in order to reincarnate "up" or know how to do things correct in order not to reincarnate "down". Buddhism requires that one follow the teachings of Siddhartha, the first Buddha, in order to reach the final stage: Enlightenment.

Nirvana is the Buddhist's heaven, but it is essentially ceasing to exist and becoming "one" with the universe. Where is the hope in that? The universe changes constantly. Why would I want to be a part of something that changes constantly? I already have that here on earth. I have moved 13 times in my life and hate it. To finally be settled somewhere is what all people desire.

I want to be with the One who never changes. He is consistently the same. Forever. To me, being with God represents peace and rest.

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We believers in Christ were given a living hope when Jesus conquered the cross for us.

"..through the resurrection of Jesus Christ..."

He gave us that living hope that yes we will be with Him in paradise as He told the thief on the cross.

John 1:12 & 13

John 3:3-8

Titus 3:5

James 1:18

God has begotten us again to that living hope through the resurrection of Jesus as our Lord and savior. That theme of hope through our salvation will reverberate throughout this book. Look for it and treasure it deep within your heart. Peter is talking to you and about you since you belong to Jesus.

We have that hope that other religions do not possess. We do not rely on our good deeds nor fear our bad deeds regarding our eternal salvation. We have been saved from that hopeless path that leads to nowhere. Our truth lies in what Christ did for us once and for all. Take time today to really think about that and praise His glorious name. He alone is worthy.

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Next time we will look at 1 Peter 1:4-5

Blessings,

Ruth

1 Peter: Lesson One

2009-01-27T06:59:00.000-08:00

"And just as He chose us
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love."

Ephesians 1:4

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Hello! Welcome to our first lesson of the wonderful book in the Bible. I am excited to begin studying this letter written by Peter. But first, let's begin with prayer as we seek the Lord:

"Heavenly Father, I pray that you would bless all who are reading this study and speak to our hearts this day. I praise You and Your holy name above all names.
I pray for the forgiveness of my sins for I know my sins separate me from You. I long to hear from You this morning.

In Jesus' name, amen."

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1 Peter

I hope you were able to read through 1 Peter in its entirety before beginning this study in order to understand the main theme and key words of this book. If not, you may want to do that now. Keep in mind what words are constantly repeated by the author and what message is he conveying to the reader.

1 Peter 1:1-3

"Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappodocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father in sanctification of the Spirit for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Here we read Peter's greeting to the recipients of his letter. This letter has a true purpose: exhortation and testimony.

Who are the recipients? The elect, the believers of Christ dispersed throughout many regions of the Mediterranean north of Israel. Peter, writing from Rome, calls them "elect pilgrims" to remind them...and us.... that they are in a foreign land for a brief time as they await Christ to take them home.

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Exhortation

"..according to the foreknowledge of God the Father..."

To exhort someone is to urge them to continue or pursue a course of conduct or to admonish them or instruct them. Peter exhorts by reminding his readers that they were chosen for a purpose long before the world was created.

Please read:

Roman 8:29-30

Eph 1:5 & 11

2 Tim 2:19

Peter reminds these believers that God the Father knows them, and has known them since before time.

But how are believers separated from unbelievers by their Good Shepherd?

"...in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

2 Thess 2:13

Rom 1:5

Heb 10:22

In Peter's first few words we are given a picture of the trinity: God the Father, Spirit, and Jesus Christ.

Peter mentions that our redemption and our sanctification was done of the Holy Spirit. We are now sanctified, or "set apart", from sin by the work of the Holy Spirit placed in us at the time of our redemption. Peter reminds us of this fact that our initial act of obedience was faith in Christ Jesus.

John 6:28 & 29

To continue in that faith is our ultimate act of obedience.

Sprinkling of the Blood

Peter mentions the Old Testament custom of sprinkling the blood of the sacrificed animal by the priests in the Holy of Holies.

The appearance of the blood signified the death of the animal....or sacrifice made. In the case of Abel, his blood "cried out from the ground" to God.

Gen 4:10

But Jesus' blood cried out for forgiveness for God's people.

Luke 23:34

Heb 12:24

Through the blood of Christ, we have been redeemed. In the Old Testament ritual of sacrifice, the priest sprinkled the blood of the dead animal onto the participants of the covenant. The death of the sacrifice established the covenant between man and God. The blood on the participants was a sign that they now obtained all rights and privileges and responsibilities of that covenant. They were publicly liable (Geneva Study Bible Commentary, 1995).

Ex 24:8

Now that we have the blood of Christ on us, we are participants of that covenant between man and God. We are now liable. Peter reminds us of this in his opening verses.

Isn't it amazing how much there is in just these first 2 verses alone?? You have been given much to ponder in this first lesson. We will stop here for now. But please read through the entire book one more time keeping in mind what you learned today as you read. You will begin to see Peter's purposes in writing this letter.

We'll continue with 1 Peter 1:3 in our next study......

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Blessings,

Ruth

INTRODUCTION: 1 Peter

2009-01-21T07:04:00.000-08:00

"And we know all things work together

for good to those who love God,

to those who are called according to

His purpose."

Romans 8:28

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Good morning! Welcome to this study of 1 Peter. I pray that you will find this study rewarding and fulfilling as we go verse by verse into this wonderful letter written by one of Christ's greatest servants.

I will be using some of Kay Arthur's Precept study on 1 Peter throughout the following weeks, but mostly we will be looking at each verse and cross-referencing the verses through Scripture.

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In this Introduction, I would like to introduce myself. As it says in my profile to the right of your screen, I am a Christian, wife, mother, artist, and friend. I enjoy writing Bible studies because it keeps me in God's word. Otherwise, I might let several days pass without reading the Bible and that is a most dangerous thing! So this study is more for me than for any of you reading it.

But my prayer is that we all take something away from this book about how to endure suffering for Christ. This world is changing and becoming more and more hostile to believers. I feel it is important that we read and learn how to endure through hard times as they are certainly coming.

Let's look a little bit into the context of this book:

Our Author, Peter, was in Babylon when he wrote this letter (5:13) and many scholars believe this as a reference to Rome which was seen as the "Babylon" in Revelation 17:5 &9 (New Geneva Study Bible, 1 Peter Commentary, 1995).

If written in Rome, scholars place the date of the writing at A.D. 60 or 68. Some say that he was crucified upside down in A.D. 68 and this letter was one of his last before his death. But we really do not have an exact date as to when it was written. Better to focus on what was written instead!

Purpose

Peter's letter has a very specific purpose: to encourage persecuted and bewildered Christians and to exhort them to stand fast in their faith through various trials (5:12). How does he do this? By repeatedly reminding Christians that their inheritance awaits them if they endure:

1 Pet 1:3-13

As you read, you can clearly see how Peter was changed by Christ's death and resurrection. Read here and be reminded of how he was when he walked with Jesus and how he was afterwards:

Luke 22:54-62

Acts 2:32-39

You can see the stark difference when you read these two passages. Peter was changed by the events that unfolded after Jesus rose again. Now, in 1 Peter, he wants to use his knowledge and love to encourage those who might be doubting or under persecution for their faith.

How does this apply to your life?

(1 Peter, Precept Ministries, 1990)

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1 Peter

For this first day's assignment, please read through the whole book of 1 Peter. As you read, make note of your impressions of the book. List your insights and answer the following questions?

Who is the author and recipient of this book?

What can we learn from this book? What is Peter trying to say to his readers?

Where are the recipients of this letter? What are their circumstances?

Now, read through the book once again and list any key words you may have discovered. A Key Word is any that may be repeated as they give you clues to the general subject being taught.

What is the main theme of this book?

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After doing this exercise, you are ready to begin studying this book in its proper context!

I am excited to begin! Next time we will look at 1 Peter 1:1-2

Blessings,

Ruth

Jehovah Raah- Lesson Eight

2008-12-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever."

Psalm 136:1

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In this, our final lesson already, we will look at the Lord's mercy toward His people...His flock...and how our participation in His presence is the ultimate gift He gave us.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD

Forever."

Psalm 23:6

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We have looked at God as our Good Shepherd these past lessons. We have seen just how He provides for His flock, He protects His flock, and He dwells with His flock as an example of what shepherds of His people should be and do.

Please read:

Ez 34:22-24

God tells us that it is He who shall save us and judge us according to His perfect righteousness. We are no longer prey subject to destruction by the beasts of the field. No, He took care of that for us.

He appointed David as the earthly shepherd who was a foreshadowing of the Messiah to come. But David did fail because he was a man afterall. That is why we do not pray in the name of David.

So, God Himself condescended toward man by walking the earth to leave us with an example to follow. An example of perfect submission and obedience, Christ Jesus conquered death once and for all that we, His flock, might live with Him forever.

David knew of this peace. He sang of it and wrote of it long ago.

Psalm 100

Psalm 101

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Seeking God's mercy and goodness should be the goal of every Christian walking the earth today.

But we should also long for the day when we shall be in His presence forever.

John 14:23

Ez 34:25-26

Showers of blessing. Can you just smell the clean rain that will fall all around us? That fresh clean smell that comes with the clean rain will surround us....except there will be showers of blessings all around us.

Psalm 145:8-9, 15, 16

Rom 2:4

His supreme goodness and kindness was shown when He forgave us sinners while we were still in sin....still in rebellion against Him. We were His enemies and yet He forgave us.

Rom 5:5-8

Rom 8:32-39

Eph 2:1-10

People, like David, will let us down. We will fail those around us. People lie, cheat, steal and kill.

But our God is faithful to the end. His promises endure forever.

Lam 3:22-23

Psalm 36:5

Psalm 89:1-2, 14, 24, 33

Just think of the despair of the disciples when they watched Jesus die. All their hopes went with Him into that tomb. But then they saw Him again...the risen Christ, just as He said He would come!

We have that hope. His faithfulness endures forever. King David knew he would dwell with the Lord forever. That was his hope. It should be our hope as well.

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We have that Good Shepherd who puts all earthly shepherds to shame. He is perfection. In Him alone should we rely.

But our earthly shepherds need our prayers. We should lift them up to the Lord daily not because we hope they won't fail us....but that when they do we will love them support them as they do when we fail.

Pray for your shepherd that he might be strong and courageous in times of battle. But also that he would be responsible for his flock and provide for them.

One day we will see our Good Shepherd as He is. And we shall be like Him. What a glorious day that will be when all striving ceases and that covenant of peace will be complete.

Thank you for joining me on this short journey through Scripture where we see God as our Good Shepherd.....our Jehovah-Raah.

I pray you have been encouraged through the reading of God's word. Take it with you and share what you have learned with other believers who may not know that they have a Holy Shepherd who loves them, protects them, watches over them and longs to dwell with them in peace.

Blessings,

Ruth

Jehovah Raah- Lesson Seven

2008-12-01T06:59:00.000-08:00

"Bless the LORD,

O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits;

Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,

Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your mouth is renewed like the eagle's."

Psalm 103:1-5

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Jehovah Raah

The Lord My Shepherd

Good morning! As we read and study God's word today, take time to pray and ask Him to speak to you. I want you to glean all that you can from today's lesson.

In our last lesson we looked at how the Lord protects us with His discipline. It can be hard to take, but we know His discipline is perfect because He is perfect. So, David wrote that the Lord's discipline and guidance is a comfort to him. It should be to us as well.

Today we will look at Psalm 23:5-

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over."

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You Prepare a Table Before Me

We can see in this verse how the Lord God treats David as an honored guest at His table. All the provisions have been placed there by the Lord. The psalmist takes no credit, nor should we for any of the blessings bestowed upon us by God.

Please read:

Ps 104:14-18

Acts 14:17

1 Tim 4:3-4

God warns us that if we obey Him we will have blessings....but if we disobey:

Deut 11:12-17

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In the Presence of My Enemies

It is important that we see how David tells us that not only is the table provided by the Lord and he is the honored guest, but that this is a victory table because the battle is won. This table has been set before the enemies of David.

We know that it is the Lord who scatters the enemies away from His people:

Num 10:35

Ps 3:3

Ps 5:12

Ps 18:48-49

Ps 27:6

Ps 68:1-2

Notice how the psalmist describes the Lord. He is our shield that protects us from the enemy. He lifts us up above those who attack us. He is the intense heat that melts the enemy like wax!

Praise God!

Our enemies have been conquered once and for all by the Lord who conquered death for us when He rose again. Take time today to really thank the Lord for fighting the battle for us.

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You Anoint My Head With Oil

As the honored guest at the table, it was the Jewish custom to anoint him with oil as a way of setting them apart, or sanctifying them, from other guests. Here we read how it is David whose head is anointed at the table provided by the Lord.

Ps 92:10-11

Notice how Jesus was treated when He was a guest at a Jewish table...

Luke 7:36-50

Compare the two. Jesus should have been treated as the honored guest by the Jewish leaders. He was their Messiah. He was there to sacrifice Himself that they would be reconciled to God.

Yet it was the woman with great sin who saw Jesus as the honored guest. She not only anoint his head, but His feet as well and with the oil of great price too.

Have we taken time to anoint our Lord as our honored guest? Is He welcome at our table? Would He feel welcome in our homes? Take time to meditate on what you have learned here today.

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My Cup Runs Over

We have seen how the Lord scattered away the enemies of His people. As humans, we desire justice from our enemies:

Ps 27:1-3

But how does God speak of our enemies?

Ex 23:4

Luke 6:27-36

Matt 5:44-45

Here we read what God says about enemies. He shows mercy and grace and tells us to do likewise.

Man wants justice taken out on his enemies by God:

Ps 55

Vengeance- That is the human reaction.

My son, Nathan, read this Psalm and said it shows a contradiction in Scripture in that Jesus was saying that we should love our enemies, but David asks God for vengeance upon the heads of his enemies.

I ask you, is this a contradiction in Scripture?

I asked my son, "Who is speaking in Luke, Matthew, and Exodus?" He answered, "God." Then I asked him, "Who is speaking in Psalm 55?"

And he answered, "David."

I was able to show him that man's desires for his enemies are far different that God's. Therefore, there is no contradiction. Had God been speaking in Psalm 55, then we would have a clear contradiction. But instead we see how man desires vengeance on those who have wronged him.

How does God respond to those who have wronged Him?

Luke 23:34

Luke 23:39-43

And why is this important to point out?

How did God see us before He saved us?

Ro 5:9-11

We were the enemies of God before the blood of Christ reconciled us to God! Now can you see why God tells us to love our enemies and pray for them? He tells us to lend to them and not to sue them. Why? Because that is what He has done for us.

And that is why our cups run over with all the blessings that the Lord has given us! Praise Him today with all your heart and soul.

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Covenant

So what is the greatest provision that the Lord bestowed upon us?

Salvation from His wrath and judgment. We are now reconciled to a holy God because He Himself became the propitiation for our sins. He Himself, knowing that only a perfect sacrifice would do, came down and became that spotless Lamb of the Passover for us.

Jesus overcame death for us. It was Jesus who conquered our enemies once and for all.

Luke 1:67-71

That's how much He loves us.

Now that's a Good Shepherd!

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"Loyalty is essential to leadership. The wise leader cultivates loyalty by being loyal- loyal to the Lord, loyal to the truth, and loyal to the people he leads. Nothing is more destructive of leadership that the leader who compromises his own loyalty."

-John MacArthur (The Book on Leadership, 2004, p. 70)

Blessings,

Ruth

Jehovah Raah: Lesson Six

2008-11-26T07:15:00.000-08:00

"The rod and rebuke
give wisdom,
But a child left to himself
brings shame to his mother."

Proverbs 29:15

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In our last lesson, we looked at how believers in Christ are not to fear the world nor man simply because Christ has already conquered death for us. We learned that it is wisdom to fear the LORD God of Israel rather than man because it is God who has all the power and sovereignty.

Today we will look at the last half of Psalm 23:4

"For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

King David was a shepherd at heart. He knew what it meant to be alone with the sheep in the wilderness. He knew what it meant to protect them, provide for them, and be with them at all times. He also knew the dangers of leaving the flock alone without protection.

We have read about the irresponsible shepherds in Ezekiel...

Please read:

Ez 34:1-10

These selfish shepherds worried more about feeding themselves than the flock. They abandoned the flock and allowed the beasts of the field to devour them. They were scattered.

As a result, the LORD became the shepherd of His people and gathered them together.

Now, as a result of Christ's New Covenant with man, we are part of that flock. We are being led by a benevolent shepherd who loves us because He died for us.

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Your rod and Your staff

When we think of the rod and staff, we tend to think of the harsh discipline of the Lord. But to the shepherd, the rod and staff were used for very specific things.

For Jacob, the staff helped him cross the Jordan:

Gen 32:10

For Moses, he took the rod of God into his hand when he went to Egypt:

Ex 4:20

And during the first Passover, Moses was commanded to take leave in haste with God's people with staff in hand in order to properly direct God's people.....His flock:

Ex 12:11

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We read in Scripture that the rod was used for discipline and fighting off attackers, and the staff for leading and directing the flock. Remember, sheep are not driven from behind, but they are led by the shepherd who walks in front of the sheep using his staff to direct them.

The flock looks to the staff for leadership of the shepherd. He could quickly use the rod to defend the flock against the beasts, and the rod was used to discipline stray sheep back into the fold.

2 Sam 7:14

We see that though discipline comes from the Lord, He never removes His love from those in the covenant. He always loved David.

Jer 48:17

It is the LORD God who can break the staff of the wicked and take over as shepherd.

1 Cor 4:21

Here Paul warns of discipline by the rod.

Our Messiah will rule with the rod:

Ps 2:8

Rev 2:27

So, in Scripture we read how the rod and staff truly are comforting to the believer and complete fear and dread to the non-believer. The Lord will break the staff and rod of the wicked who mislead and rule the flock with cruelty:

Ez 34:4

King David in all his wisdom, understood that once in awhile the shepherd has to use the staff to re-direct the flock back into the fold and use rod to fight off attackers for the flock.

Therefore, he found much comfort in the LORD's discipline and guidance. He knew the LORD personally. They had a very close relationship. God knew David's heart because he had the heart of a shepherd.

Part of our covenant with the Lord is His protection (rod) and presence (staff) in our lives. Both of these promises should bring us great comfort each day as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

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"Leadership is all about motivating people to follow. Therefore everything in leadership hinges on the leader's relationship to his people. It is possible to motivate people simply by sheer force, but that is not real leadership; it's dictatorship. And it never really achieves the goals of leadership. That can be accomplished only by a loving loyalty."

-John MacArthur (The Book on Leadership, 2004, p. 70)

Blessings,

Ruth

Jehovah Raah: Lesson Five

2008-11-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

"I called on the LORD in distress;
The LORD answered me
and set me in a broad place.
The LORD is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?"

Psalm 118:5-6

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Jehovah Raah
The Lord My Shepherd

In these often troubling times, fear is all around us. Many fear for losing their jobs, careers, or homes. Many have fears regarding health issues or insurance issues. No doubt about it, there is an abundance of fear all around us today in America.

With so much talk of "hope" lately, we see very little comfort in the news on television or in newspapers no matter who resides in the White House or when.

One thing is for sure, the Scriptures have always told us not to rely on man for comfort or safety simply because man is finite. Man is a temporary presence here on this planet. We would be foolish to place all our hopes on man.

Please read:

James 4:14

Instead, we are told to place all our hopes on the LORD God who lives and reigns today as He did yesterday.

Psalm 118:8-9

The psalmists knew of what they wrote. They had lived through many rulers of men only to see the LORD God come through in the end for His people. Therefore, it is no real surprise what King David wrote:

"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

-Psalm 23:4

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The Valley of the Shadow of Death

King David knew of which he wrote. He had to live in fear for his life for many months when he became King. He hid out in caves hoping that King Saul would not kill him.

While in those caves, David wrote many beautiful songs to the Lord:

Ps 7
Ps 9
Ps 17

Ps 18

These are just some of the wonderful works of David as he acknowledged God's faithfulness toward His anointed.

How can we acknowledge God's faithfulness toward us during times of uncertainty?

We can turn our eyes upon Him and give Him all the glory:

Ps 115:1

Ps 116:3-9

Ps 27:1

It is far better for us to fear the Lord than to fear death.

Ps 115:13

Ps 18:28

We live in a world where men fear the end of the earth. They try in vain to stop the earth from coming to an end thinking that we can have any influence on its demise.

But we would be wise to fear the LORD who created the earth, sun, and moon. We would be wise to fear Him who allows the sun to shine upon us without destroying us:

Ps 84:11

God is both giver and protector. He allows our sun to shine on us because He knows we need its light. Yet it is He who protects us from its heat. It is He who holds the world in His hands. Yes, it is wise to fear Him rather than the earth.

Is 60:19-20

Micah 7:8

He is our everlasting light! Fear the One who can turn out that light and end our lives. What can death do to a Christian who fears the LORD?

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For You are With Me

Remember the covenant promises:

Provisions
Protection
Presence

Here King David reminds us that the LORD God is with those who fear Him. We have the promise of His presence in our lives. Praise God for that!

Ex 15:2

Ps 62:7

Ps 118:14

Is 12:2

The LORD God is our strength and song.

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Well, that's it for today. I've given you alot of Scripture to look up and read. Carefully and prayerfully read each verse and meditate on them. You have a protector to get you through any difficult time in life.

You have that shield to protect you in any battle.

It is the LORD God who is there to help you in any situation. Call upon His name to be saved from your enemies. He is faithful and true.

He is the Good Shepherd.

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"After reading Scripture, we must ask God for light to scrutinize our hearts and lives, then meditate upon the Word. Disciplined meditation on Scripture helps us focus on God. Meditation helps us view our worship as a discipline. It involves our mind and understanding as well as our heart and affections. It works Scripture through the texture of the soul...pray without ceasing."

-Dr. Joel Beeke (as cited in "Feed My Sheep", 2002, p. 117)

Next time we will look at what the Rod & Staff mean to the Christian.

Blessings,
Ruth

Jehovah Raah: Lesson Four

2008-11-18T07:12:00.000-08:00

"But as for me, I will come
into Your house in the multitude
of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward
Your holy temple.
Lead me, O LORD, in Your
righteousness because of my
enemies; Make Your
way straight before my face."

Psalm 5:7-8

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Jehovah Raah

When we read the psalms of David, we can easily see how well he knew the Lord God. We read how close their relationship truly was. The psalm above was set to music for flutes. When I think of the music of David and how heartfelt the lyrics were, I like to imagine what his music will be like in the New Jerusalem when there is no more sin nor sadness.

Just imagine the words to his songs of praise then!

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A Prayer for Guidance

"He restores my soul;
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for His name's sake." Psalm 23:3

Today we will look at how God restores us and how He guides us as our Good Shepherd.

Please read:

Ez 34:13-15

Here we read about how the Good Shepherd will bring His sheep out from among the peoples and gather them from other countries to their own land.

How this must have been music to His people's ears!

We in America know nothing about wandering without a land. We know nothing about living among our enemies where we are hated and despised. But our time is coming. We would be wise to heed the words of our LORD written here in Ezekiel so that we can remember that these promises apply to us now.

We have the Good Shepherd to lead us, bring us, feed us, and take care of us.

Remember what covenant means:

Provide
Protect
Presence

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Please read:

Jer 23:3-8

The LORD God did provide for us an earthly shepherd who suffered temptations and passed every test so that we can have a perfect example of how to be good servants here on earth.

Jesus Christ called Himself the Good Shepherd as He made Himself equal to God.

John 5:18

We do not have two Good Shepherds, but One.

John 10:11 & 14

Is 40:11

Our Shepherd gently holds us in His arms where we are safest.

Picture that in your mind. Try and feel the arms of Your Lord and Savior around you carrying you through the hardest of times.

Ps 51:12-13

Ask Him to restore the joy of Your salvation within you today!

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"He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."

The paths of righteousness. What are those paths?

1 John 1:6-7

John tells us to walk in the light as He is in the light so that we may have fellowship with Jesus and be cleansed.

We have read so far that the Lord provides for us so that we want for nothing. He makes us lie down and rest and restores our souls.

We have also learned that He guides us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. His name is the ark of the covenant (2 Sam 6:2-3), His name is written on our hearts. We are His temple now.

What's in a name?

Prov 18:10

Deut 28:10

Deut 28:58

Is 42:8

Matt 6:9

John 10:3

Acts 4:12

Phil 2:9

Rev 2:13

So, He leads us down paths of righteousness that we may be cleansed....and then His covenant is cleansed. His very name is cleansed.

Ps 25:4-5

Yes, show us Your ways, LORD. For our ways are foolish. Lead us in Your truth, for we know no truth apart from You.

Be the God of our salvation this day.

Restore our souls with the joy of that salvation.

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Next time we will look at what it means to have the LORD protect us from our enemies and what it means to be punished by a holy God.

"Paul is an example of a loving leader who labored in prayer. Compelled to pray not only for the saved but also for the lost, he burned with love for Israel and prayed for her salvation...Paul's companion Epaphras is another inspiring example of a loving leader who fervently prayed for those he loved...How blessed the believers in Colassae were to have such a faithful, loving shepherd."

-Alexander Strauch (Leading with Love, 2006, p. 118-119)

Blessings,

Ruth

Jehovah Raah- Lesson Three

2008-11-13T06:09:00.000-08:00

"You visit the earth and water it,

You greatly enrich it;

The river of God is full of water;

You provide their grain,

For so You have prepared it.

You water its ridges abundantly,

You settle its furrows;

You make it soft with showers,

You bless its growth."

Psalm 65:9-10

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Jehovah-Raah

"He makes me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the quiet waters." Ps. 23:2

As we learn more about the covenant we are in with our holy God, we begin to realize just how merciful and gracious He is to His own. As the Good Shepherd to His flock, he not only provides for us so that we want for nothing, but He leads us to those green pastures and quiet waters where we are fulfilled and rested.

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Please read:

Ez 34:12-13

Here we see that the Lord will be good to His people after their earthly shepherds used and abused them. The Lord will bring them out of bondage and provide for them their own land. There He will feed them throughout the land.

"Pastures of tender grass..."

The phrase "green pastures" is translated as "pastures of tender grass"

When the land is in obedience to God, He blesses it. When the land continually sins against God- He curses it.

Think for a moment how our country has sinned against the Lord God. We have allowed 40 million babies to be aborted while we lived in comfort worrying about our houses, children, jobs, materialism, and pleasures of the flesh and eyes.

We have allowed the gospel message to be twisted and misused to exalt man and not Christ.

We have allowed marriage to be made a mockery, not by the homosexuals, but by Christians who have married and divorced over and over again.

We have put more time into our homes and our material things surrounding us than with God Himself.

Ez 14:12-23

The Lord did not withhold his Hand from His own people and His own land. Who are we to think He won't judge this land?

But for those who repent of their sin, cry out to the Lord, and seek His face: mercy is given.

Ez 16:8

Ps 23:2

It is of the Lord that we live and have provisions at all.

Think of it....He will make us lie down in pastures of tender grass. Ahhh, doesn't that sound nice? After walking, working, striving all day. The Lord promises us that He will make us lie down and rest. I picture fields of green tender grass that feels soft and cool on my feet.

Funny how we have to be "made to" lie down and rest at times! We work and work until finally we have to rest. Here we read that the Lord Himself will make us lie down and rest.

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"He leads me beside the quiet waters."

The phrase "quiet waters" is translated as "waters of rest."

Doesn't that sound lovely? Not only will our Lord make us lie down in pastures of tender grass, but He will lead us beside waters of rest.

Why do sheep need to be led to those waters of rest?

Could it be that they are so dumb that they could enter into rushing waters and be led astray by their desires to quench their thirst? Could be.

We, as the Lord's flock, tend to do things like that. We tend to foolishly walk away from our Shepherd and seek our own comfort without realizing how much danger we are in. That is why we need a Shepherd to lead us. It is God who searches out those quiet still waters for His sheep. The sheep do not have to search on their own, for to do so would bring great danger as there are many predators out there looking for them!

It is the same for us. When we leave the safety and comfort of our Shepherd and our earthly shepherd, we are in grave danger from the predators out there seeking to destroy is.

As wives, the Lord has provided us with earthly shepherds. Pray that yours is honoring to the Lord. Lift him up daily to the Lord that he will lead you appropriately.

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Well, today we learned a little more about how the Lord honors His covenant promises and how He will not tolerate sin in His flock. Sin must be dealt with by a holy God.

And the Lord is dealing with His people even now. These promises found in Ezekiel apply to us this day because of what the Lord did for us on that cross. He brought in those from another flock to call His own...that's us!

John 10:14-16

Satan thought he had won the war. He thought Jesus was conquered forever when he watched Him die. But Satan was wrong! Now the Lord is our Shepherd too and all the promises are made "yes" for us because of Christ. Praise God!

Take time today to truly meditate on what it is the Lord does for you daily. All the provisions He brings and all the rest He grants to us should never be taken for granted. Take time to thank Him today.

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"Little did the serpant realize that almost four thousand years later, as the nails pierced and bruised the heels of Jesus' feet, that his head would be bruised with the same act and that his power over us broken. The ruler of this world was cast out (John 12:31), yet Satan seemed the victor. The demons rejoiced because now they were sure they had been right in choosing to follow Satan! For three days it looked as if the war had been won. Then the stone was rolled away!"

-Kay Arthur (Lord, is It Warfare?, 2000, p.86)

Blessings,

Ruth

Jehovah Raah- Lesson Two

2008-11-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

"Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,

You who lead Joseph like a flock;

You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh,

Stir up Your strength,

And come and save us!"

Psalm 80:1-2

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Jehovah-Raah

During these most difficult times in our country's history, it is time for Christians to be in God's word with most earnesty. It is in God's word where we find our solace and comfort during times of uncertainty.

As His sheep, we are safest when under His watchful eye. When we stray, that is when we are in danger of the beasts of the field.

Today we will look more at how God protects us and provides for us during both good and bad times.....

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"The Lord is my shepherd....I shall not want..." Ps 23:1

Please read:

Ez 34:4-5

When our earthly shepherds (pastors, fathers, husbands....) fail to do their jobs and protect what has been given to them, we see how easy it is for the sheep to be scattered and left for death in a cruel world.

We also read here that sometimes these earthly shepherds rule over the flock with harsh cruelty.

We see that in today's world as well when we read about priests abusing children, pastors having extra-marital affairs, and when fathers abandon their children.

Comfort

Ez 34:12

In this day and age, it feels like a "cloudy and dark day". Read the newspapers, internet, or watch the news and it feels like nothing good is coming.

But when we search the Scriptures for the good news of God, He comforts us with His words!

Ps 80:3

Yes, restore us, LORD! Heal our wounds, bind up our broken hearts, gather us to Your strong able arms yet again.

Ps 18:1-2

Be our shield as we enter into battle. Be our strength when we have none. Be our fortress where we stand and watch for the enemy. Be our deliverer when we meet that enemy.

I will call upon the Lord!

Ps 18:46

Because the LORD lives!

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"I shall not want..."

Provider

As we look at the covenant promises of the Lord, we see that He provides for His flock. David understood this. When hiding from Saul, David's cries were heard by God. When Jesus was tempted in the desert by Satan, the Lord provided His words instead of bread.

It is tempting to think that the Lord will not provide for His people during our times, but we worship an eternal God.

He does not change.

If He provided for His sheep in the past, He will provide for us now.

Ps 37:25-29

King David lived a long time. Yet he never saw the righteou forsaken nor the children of God begging for bread.

Ps 37:16-20

David tells us that we who call upon the name of the Lord will not be ashamed. Meaning, God will be there for us as He has since the beginning of time. We can trust our Good Shepherd to be there to feed His flock.

He will search for those who are lost and scattered.

He will deliver them.

He will provide for them so they shall not want for anything.

Praise God!!

Take time out today to read God's words and praise Him for all He has done and will continue to do in your life until that day of completion.

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"We must show repeatedly, by both our manner and our matter, that God is truth. When our Lord says, 'I am the Way , the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me,' He is saying that God is truth. We must show our hearers repeatedly that God is truth."

-John Armstrong (Feed My Sheep, 2002, p. 175)

Blessings,

Ruth

Jehovah Raah- The Lord My Shepherd

2008-11-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

"He heard the sound of the trumpet, but

did not take warning;

his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes

warning will save his life."

Ezekiel 33:5

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The Lord My Shepherd

In studying the word of God, a recurring theme reverberates throughout: covenant.

Creation all around us reveals much about God, but not everything. He gave us Special Revelation that sets Him apart from all other beings and gods: His word.

By reading His word, our holy God...the One True God....reveals much about Himself to His children.

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In this study, we will look into what covenant means to the believer. We will look at how our God tells us in His word that He is our shepherd who lovingly watches over us and at times has appointed earthly shepherds to watch over us.

Please read:

Ezekiel 34:11

Ezekiel 34: 1-6

Here we see the clear contrast between man's attempts at shepherding God's people and what God says He will do.

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Psalm 23

This most beloved and oft quoted chapter in the the book of Psalms reveals how King David understood the covenant he had with his Lord. We should take time to study this chapter in order to learn more about our Lord and Savior. We will begin with the first verse:

"The LORD is my shepherd,

I shall not want."

Our covenant with the Lord can be broken up into three parts:

Provision
Protection
Presence

Here David begins with the first part: provision

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Jehovah Jireh- The LORD provides

In Ezekiel 34, we have seen how the shepherds were forsaking the sheep in order to feed themselves. So, God said that He Himself will search for His scattered sheep.

Ps 95: 6-7

1 Pet 2:25

Luke 15:4-7

Here we read in the verses of Scripture about how God is our Shepherd. Because He is holy and perfect, He will meet our every need. When we are saved from His wrath by His blood, we enter into that covenant. He is our provider. As He provided for His people in the desert as they wandered, He will provide for us now that He has entered into the covenant with even the Gentile nations.

Acts 20:28

He has appointed over us earthly shepherds or "pastors" who are to be there for the church. As pastors, these men are under a heavy burden not to be taken lightly. They are to "feed" the body God's word because it is perfect. Pastors are to provide for the people and make sure they are learning and understanding what God's word says.

As our opening verse clearly states, a watchman has to sound the warning to save both himself and the people. God's word is that trumpet warning. Our pastors should be preaching God's word and only God's word to the people to warn them about their sins, God's wrath, and judgment.

When a pastor fails to do this, he is not being the watchman. He is not being the shepherd. He is failing to provide for his people whom God gave to him.

Remember, the flocks given to these pastors were purchased with Christ's blood. They belong to Him and have been given away.

Ez 33:30-33

Many people come to hear the word of the LORD but are not doing the word of the LORD. Pastors need to lead by example. Attitude reflects leadership. When a pastor is meeting the needs of his people and showing them love through actions, then the people will too!

To be appointed shepherd over God's people is a heavy burden indeed. We are like sheep. Not too bright and easily led astray!

Pray for your pastors to meet the needs of God's people by feeding them His word.

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"Preaching is important as a means of grace not merely because it is used of God to bring about conversions, but also because it is used for our sanctification, that is, our growth in holiness once we are born again. If you look back in your life and ask what it is that God has most used in your life to make you grow, you will find that in that vast majority of cases it is preaching."

-James Montgomery Boice (Feed My Sheep, 2002, p. 43)

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Next time we will look more into how God provides for His sheep and also how the LORD protects His sheep.

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

2008-11-07T07:15:00.000-08:00

Friday-

Haven't run in two days due to a head cold approaching. Yuck. I hate getting sick when trying to train for a race. This happened last year as well, but all turned out ok in the end. Better to be sick now than in December!

I did run 8 miles last week for a long run and did a 5 mile run earlier this week. It was hard because I wasn't feeling well, but I completed it.

Hope to do a short run today and up the mountain tomorrow. Then will do a long run (9 miles) on Monday.

New Study: Jehovah Raah The Lord My Shepherd

2008-10-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

I have decided to do another Bible study here on this blog. It is titled: Jehovah-Raah which is Hebrew for "The Lord My Shepherd".

For many years I have been intrigued by how God calls Himself the Good Shepherd and how He called David from among the sheep to be the first King of His people. Then, of course, He came to earth as a man named Jesus who cared for His people like a shepherd.

In this study, we will look at Scripture and how God is our loving Shepherd. We will look at His covenant with us and the 3 P's:

Provision
Protection
Presence

In God's special revelation (Scripture) He tells us that He will provide for us, protect us from enemies and ourselves, and how He will be with us and bless us with His presence in our lives.

Praise God!!

He did not leave us here alone but is taking care of us like the Good Shepherd that He is.

We will look at how Psalm 23 parallels with Ezekiel 34. We will look at the many passages of scripture where Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd and how His statements parallel with Ezekiel 34 as well.

I pray you come away from this study having learned more about the Lord whom you serve and how much He has done and will do for you. In these end times, life will get harder and harder for the Christian. We may even have to endure persecution for our faith. What better time than now to read about how our shepherd will never leave us but will fight with us and contend with us.

But our covenant isn't one-way. We, too, have entered into this covenant promise with God. We, too, have pledged to protect Him, provide worship and acts of service for Him, as well as our faithful presence with Him. Now is the time to learn more about this covenant and how we must have fidelity to our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

The time may come when our faith may be tested beyond any testing we may have had so far in our Christian lives.

I hope you will join me on this journey with our Lord and our Shepherd!

Blessings,
Ruth

Running the Good Race

2008-10-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

Tuesday-

Did a 6 mile long run last Saturday. Felt great! Decided to do a 7 mile long run yesterday (Oct. 13th) and did great. May run the Phoenix 10k race in November to prepare for the half-marathon.

Need to do some weights today and some ab work. So far, training has been good.

Running the Good RAce

2008-09-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

Friday-

Have been running alot lately. Am up to 4.5 miles easily. Will do 5 tomorrow morning. Wasn't able to run today since I subbed all day then had to take artwork to the State Fair grounds.

Will run in the am and then rest on Sunday. Ran up North mountain last night and it was great. No knee pain, no toe pain.

Training this summer was much better than last. Now, barring no injuries, the New Times 10k race is in Nov. and the half-marathon in Jan. Lord willing!

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Seventy-One

2008-08-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

"Has a nation changed its gods?

Which are not gods?

But My people have changed their Glory

for what does not profit.

Be astonished, O heavens, at this,

And be horribly afraid;

Be very desolate," says the LORD.

"For my people have committed two evils:

They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,

and they have hewn for themselves cisterns-

broken cisterns that can hold no water."

Jeremiah 2:11-13

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Let's begin our time together with prayer...

"Holy Father, God in heaven above, today we will be studying about idolatry, Lord, and I pray that You will speak to me and my fellow sisters in Christ. I pray that You will be glorified as we study Your word this day. Speak to us, teach us, convict us this day so that we may be near to You.

I seek forgiveness of my sins this day, Lord. I know I am guilty of idolatry. I placed things and thoughts, and desires before You. I know this is sin and so I ask for Your forgiveness. I pray that You will cleanse me, wash me, make me whole again.

I lift up each lady reading this study today. I pray that You will speak to her and convict her of her sins of idolatry this day. I pray that You will walk with her and give her that peace about all the many things she needs to accomplish today.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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Knowing True- Rejecting False

In this, our last study about 1 John, we will look at the sin of idolatry because that is how John finishes up this little book.

Why would John end this letter with an admonition about idolatry? Let's find out...

1 John 5:21-

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."

The Greek translation of this verse is literally, "keep yourselves from the idols."

Remember to whom John is writing: a group of believers living among false teachers.

Perhaps John, out of love for his fellow believers, is trying to help them safeguard their assurance of salvation with this admonition. Remember that these last few verses are about having assurance of our salvation through prayer, knowing truth, and knowing false.

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Our pastor gave a great sermon on idolatry back in June. I took some notes that I would like to share with you here on this blog since we are studying idolatry here in 1 John. At the time John wrote his letter, many of the new Christians were living side by side with pagan worshippers. Does this differ from how we in modern times live our Christian lives?

You may be thinking that you are not a pagan worshipper of idols, so you are safe. I used to think that way, too, but the fact is we are all guilty of some sort of idol worship. John reminds us of this in this last verse of his letter.

In our opening verse, we can easily see how heartbroken God is as He admonishes His people for their idolatry. He calls Himself the "fountain of living waters" as though to remind them of how He provided life for them in the desert only to be repaid with their betrayal.

What idolatry appears to be to God, our Father, is adultery. He has entered into a covenant with His people who have sworn to be faithful to Him and forsake all others only to be met with infidelity. How heartbreaking that is.

Ps 106:13-15

His people had forgotten all that He had done for them.

1 Kings 14:22

Instead, they provoked God and worshiped idols they had made.

Ez 16:23

They built shrines for their idols and erected them on every street! Here God likens them to harlots willing to give themselves to others whom they did not vow to love. Sound familiar?

You may still be thinking, "yeah, but I do not worship idols...."

That is what I say to myself often. Yet I know it isn't true. I LOVE television. I am a child of the 70's when TV was King of the land. I watched it in the morning, when I got home from school, at the dinner table with my family, and at night before bed. We had TV's in every room when I was a kid! When I was home sick from school, the TV was my comforter because my parents had to go to work. I would lie there and watch TV all day....it was my friend.

So, today it is still very hard for me NOT to watch TV. I sometimes have it on when I am not watching it just to hear the noise in the background. How awful is that?

But with much prayer over the years, I have gotten better at turning the darn thing off. But that led me to the computer. Now I have to be on the computer at least a few hours of the day. You see how easy it is to worship something other than God? It is something I have to pray about daily because it is such a struggle for me.

Is 40:18-20

We try to make our gods as wonderful as the God of the universe. We use the best materials: fine wood, granite, gold, silver, pearl....everything we possibly can to make our idol outshine the sun. Big houses, fast shiny cars, big boats, RV's, incredible stereos, BIG TV sets, fancy computer systems, clothes, jewelry, careers, children, and the list goes on and on and on....

But how can we liken what we have in this world to the God of the universe who has always been?

1 John 2:15-17

Sometimes I want to watch TV more than do my work here at home. Sometimes I want to watch TV more than study God's word. How can this be? I know better than that.

We are told that everything in this world is passing away because the World is passing away! Yet we yearn to stay in it.

Is 44:9-20

God tells us that no matter what we may build to worship, someday soon we will be put to shame because what we build will never compare to God.

Sometimes we watch that movie, "Castaway" with Tom Hanks. He is marooned on a desert island alone. As you watch the movie, you see that everything that is man made is limited. It will only work so well. Yet everything that God made is strong and works perfectly for the man. The island itself lasts for much longer than the flashlight the man brought with him. Even the ocean and the storm conquers the mighty airplane. The movie is a great study on how God's creation is far greater than anything man could ever make.

Even our idols.

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Deut 4:15-19

Here God warns us not to even try and make Him into an image. He is God and has no "image" to contain Him. We would be foolish to even try. Yet we do. We, as people, carve statues of Christ, paint pictures of Him, even see Him in a tortilla!

God warns us in Deuteronomy simply because He knows us....and He wants us to know who He is so He tells us how to please Him and how not to.

Here He warns us not to even attempt any image because He knows we are prone to worship. That is how He made us. Had no sin entered into the world, we would be worshipping Him only...and that is how it will be in paradise with Him.....but sin did enter the world and so we worship everything BUT Him.

Take heed! God warns.....

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Heb 11:3

With His voice God made the world and everything in it. So now we know that all things seen were made by the invisible...the supernatural.

Today we see that people are taking credit for God's work. Science is now claiming that it was science that created...not a "God" of the Bible.

Rom 1:21-23

But Paul tells us that these men of science know that God is. They know, but still they refuse to be grateful and worship the creation instead of the Creator. They worship the earth and claim to be able to "save" it.

So God will give them up to those futile thoughts.

1 Pet 1:22-25

But we are called to be separate from the world. We Christians know the God whom we serve. We know that His word formed the world and saved us from His wrath. We know that His word shall endure forever even after creation ends.

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Well, ladies, this concludes our study of the book of 1 John. I hope you can see in this last verse how sincere John is in his love for fellow believers in that he calls them Little Children. he only wants what is best for them: the love of Christ.

Because he knows they are among wolves dressed in sheep's clothing, he wants them to be prepared and to KNOW for certain that they worship the One True God.

That is my wish for you reading this study: that you may know for certain that you have that eternal life and that you may continue in that assurance through Christ Jesus.

I pray that you have enjoyed studying this little book as much as I have. I learned so many new things that I never noticed before! I hope that you will always remember this book when times are hard and you wonder where God is. Turn to this book when you aren't sure if someone is a Christian or not. This book will give you the answers.

And for those days when you may have doubts, read 1 John and remember. Remember all that Christ Jesus did for you. He is your Advocate. He is there for you and wants to have that fellowship with you. Thank you for joining me and for being patient with my long posts, misspelled words, and other editing mistakes. I have truly enjoyed this study and I pray you have too.

Abide with Him: stand, remain, hold fast to His truths. And keep yourselves from idols!

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Until next time.....

Psalm 96 O sing unto the LORD a new song; sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

Sing unto the LORD, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people.

For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Blessings,

Ruth

The First Epistle of John:Lesson Seventy

2008-08-12T06:32:00.000-07:00

"And this is eternal life.

that they may know You, the only

true God, and Jesus Christ whom

You have sent."

John 17:3

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Hello again, let's begin with prayer....

"Holy Father our God and Creator, today we seek Your face again in hopes that You will give us understanding. I pray that You will show us and teach us Your precepts in Your word today. Thank You, Father, for the gift of eternal life. Thank You for the gif tof understanding that we may know Your words and hide them in our hearts that we might not sin against You.

I do seek the forgiveness of my sins this day, Lord. I pray that You will search me for the hidden sins of my heart and purge me of these sins. I pray that You will release me of the bondage of sins and set me free.

I lift up to you each lady reading this study today. I pray that You will go to her, speak to her, and give her a peace that passes all understanding. I pray that she will call on You and cast all her cares at Your feet. Walk with her, calm her spirits and fill her with Your Holy Spirit today.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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Knowing True- Rejecting the False

As we complete our look into 1 John, we see in here that John is reminding us of what we know for sure to be true. Sometimes it is so easy to turn from the light of God's word and begin to forget what is true and what is false.

The Christian faith was built on the foundation of truth. We know that the Incarnation of God is real. We know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

1 John 5:20-

"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

John yearns for believers to have that complete assurance of our faith and the foundations of our faith. Every teacher gets satisfaction when her students have mastered the skills she has taught them. John is no different. He reminds us of the foundations of our faith so that we can have that comfort in truth.

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"And we know that the Son of God has come..."

Remember how John teaches his readers to know truth from error?

1 John 4:2

Knowing who Jesus is may be the most important step of growth in a believer's life. God and Jesus are one.

John 1:1 & 14

Gal 4:4

You would be amazed at the number of professing Christians out there who do not even believe Jesus is God....let alone that He was born of a virgin. As sad as that is, it shouldn't surprise us after reading 1 John.

But to fully comprehend what it was that God did, we must realize that Jesus Christ was sent here to God's own for a purpose.

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"...and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true..."

Remember the answer to my question about why did God create?

He has no needs of His own. So we know He did not create to fulfill any needs. Why did He create?

To be known.

Luke 24:44-45

In this familiar passage of Scripture, we see the resurrected Christ walking and talking with some men. But He has not yet opened their eyes to see Himself as He really is. Can you think back on a time when you knew who Jesus was.....but He had not yet opened your eyes to who He truly is?

Now that you know Him, can you see why it was so important for Him to be known by you? Not for any need of His, but for your very existence:

John 15:1-8

Notice in verse 5 what Jesus says...

"Apart from Me you can do nothing..."

God knows that to know Him is life everlasting. Without knowing Him, we can live but for a time.

2 Cor 3:5

Our sufficiency is from God. It is He who opens our eyes to the truths of His word. Why? That we may know Him. For to know God is to know everlasting life. For our God is true.

*****************************

"...and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ."

Knowing the God who is true requires that we be in Him who is true. This is not done of our own accord. Only God can draw in His children.

Matt 16:13-17

Eph 2:8-10

God created to be known, and He made us to do His works because His works are perfect. Having the knowledge of Christ did not come from our own minds or wills. It was given to us freely through Christ Jesus and of His own will.

This is the intimacy of the relationship of God to His children. How can we boast about this relationship when it came about from no effort of our own, but out of the mercy and love of the Creator?

John works hard to remind his readers that we may have that assurance that comes from knowing Christ and being in Him.

*****************************

"This is the true God and eternal life."

Let us not forget to whom John is writing: believers amongst false teachers.

John so yearns for us to walk with Jesus as he did. He yearns for us to know Christ as he did. But most of all, he yearns for us to know who God is and that our God is not like the gods of the other religions.

We love and worship and serve the living God...the True God....the eternal.

There are so many world religions. This happened because of man's sin and arrogance. God scattered His people and gave them different languages, but in so doing, He did not remove the desire to worship something greater than ourselves.

In each human being is a desire to worship. Yet it is our sin that keeps us from worshipping or acknowledging a Holy God.

Rom 1:18-23

Instead we worship the creation....ourselves, the earth, the stars, the moon, etc. We worship the creation because there is no conviction of sin in creation. The moon does not punish us for not obeying it. The moon does not punish us for not loving it.

Although many religions teach that storms, low tides, famines do occur when creation us angered....we know these things happen because sin entered into the world. Even in Mexico today, many people will row small boats or canoes out to the ocean and drop fruit baskets and flowers in hopes of making the sea so happy it will not storm or flood the land. And these are Catholics who still have not let go of the pagan practices of the Aztec, Mayans, and Incas of centuries past!

We can see throughout the world man's attempts to create gods in his own image: flawed, imperfect, understanding, and forgiving. This way, man can do what he wants when he is equal to the god he created. We see this in Greek mythology where the gods were vain, adulterers, murderers, etc. just like the men they were ruling over!

Who wouldn't want to answer to a god like that?

But to know the God of the Bible is to know the True God.

Is 9:6

John 18:37-38

A popular TV show in the 1990's was "The X-Files". It's famous tag line was: "the truth is out there..." revealing just how important it is to people to have the truth.

God placed inside His finest creation the desire for truth. We spend so much time wanting and searching for the truth, but when we discover it, we claim there is no truth....it is all relative.

So how can we know the absolute truth?

John 14:6

John 1:14

John 8:32

To know Jesus is to know that absolute truth.

And to know that truth is to know the eternal life:

John 11:25-26

John 5:21

As we finish up here for today, we can look back on 1 John 5:20 and know that our God is the one true God and that Jesus Christ and God are One.

It feels good in a world of insecurities and lies that we can know the Truth and have comfort and peace in that knowledge.

We can walk this earth with an understanding now only because of what Jesus has done for us: opened our eyes.

Take time today to thank the Lord for giving you this understanding of the truth and the eternal. Not all people have been given this understanding. But all people have been given the knowledge of the Creator. So we are without excuse.

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse." Rom 1:20

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Life Application

When I first read the first chapter of Romans, it was in a Bible study by Dr. R.C. Sproul. He went into verses 18-24 so deeply that I walked away changed forever. I saw things in those verses that went along with what I was seeing with my eyes.

I took a philosophy course at ASU West thinking it would be atheistic in worldview since so many philospohers are, but I was wrong. The professor was a Christian who was able to teach philosophy according to Romans 1 without even having the Bible there.

He basically took us through all the religions of the world beginning with materialism (or evolution) which is a religion. I was amazed at how he showed us, through creation only, how God exists...and not just "any god" but The God of the Bible.

I sat utterly amazed at how this man was able to show me what Paul was saying in Romans 1:18-24. We are all without excuse because God has made it perfectly clear who He is in creation alone.

That class still encourages me to this day. I am grateful to have had excellent teachers in my Christian life who have shown me what scripture says and how to apply it to my life. But Jesus is the supreme teacher who opened my eyes to His words and gave me an understanding.

And for that I am eternally grateful.

**************************

Until next time....

"We have shown what this seeing of God is, and have represented in some measure how great is the blessedness of so seeing Him. And if what we have heard is believed and cordially to any instructions from the Word of God that are to point out the way to us wherein we may attain to this blessedness....we are here told of a much truer and greater blessedness that any treasure of silver, and gold, and pearls can yield; and we are also told of the way whereby we may assuredly become the possesors of it by Him who certainly knows."

-Jonathon Edwards 1703-1758 (Altogether Lovely, 1997, p. 166)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

2008-08-12T06:30:00.000-07:00

Tuesday-

Since school started up again this week, I cannot run in the early mornings any longer this summer. So, I ran 3 miles last night. It was about 109 degrees and it felt like it. Yuck!

Will do pilates today for stretching then go up Shaw Buitte tomorrow morning.

The First Epistle of John:Lesson Sixty-Nine

2008-08-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

"Since you have purified your

souls in obeying the truth

through the Spirit in

sincere love of the brethren, love

one another fervently with

a pure heart,

having been born again,

not of corruptible seed but

incorruptible, through the

word of God

which lives and abides

forever..."

1 Peter 1:22-23

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Good day! Let's seek the Lord...

"Father God, today we will be reading about being a child of God again. Lord I pray that You will fill each reader here with the knowledge of Your will for her life. I thank You that You have promised us the eternal. I thank You that You have shown us more about Yourself in Your holy word.

I ask forgiveness of my sins, Lord, and pray that You will wash me clean and release me from the bondage of my sins, Lord. I pray for healing and cleansing this day.

I lift up each lady reading this study here today. I know she is going through her own challenges and tasks today, so I pray that You will come along side her and give her peace. I pray that You will go to her, hear her prayers, and speak to her through You word. I pray that she will earnestly seek You with all her heart.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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Knowing the True- Rejecting the False

As we begin the last portion of 1 John, we will notice that it is a basic review of all that we have learned in this little book.

John takes us on a journey of assurance in these last verses of his first epistle. He teaches us how to grow in assurance with the opening words: "we know" in each verse.

The whole purpose behind John's first letter is for Christians to have assurance and to grow in that assurance. How wonderful it is that we serve such a loving God who wants His children to grow in the knowledge of Him and His grace.

1 John 5:18-19

"We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."

Victory Over Sin

In our openeing verses, we read that obeying God keeps us, purifies us, and spreads the love of God around. These verses echo all that John has written in his epistle as well.

This theme is repeated through the New Testament letters written by the Apostles because they are writing to encourage, convict, and prosper the believer.

1 John 3:9

We already know what John says about the believer sinning or not sinning. If we are believers then we cannot habitualy live in our sin. It is impossible because the incorruptible sin lives within us. Jesus will not allow us to continue in sin.

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"..but he who has been born of God keeps himself..."

1 Thess 2:13

We "keep" ourselves through the reading and studying of God's word. Because we were given that perfect word of God, we are capable of not sinning.

One who is born of God cannot continue in the sinful lifestyle of the non-believer. The Holy Spirit now abides in the believer and will not allow the believer to continue in sin.

God sent us His Son, the keeper of the sheep: our Good Shepherd.

John 10:27-30

John 17:8

But the Bible also tells us Christians to keep ourselves....

1 Tim 5:22

James 1:27

Rom 12:2

Jude 21

It is most imperative that the Christian know that Scripture is the key to keeping ourselves pure enough to commune with a holy God.

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"And the wicked one does not touch him...."

The greatest and most effective thing the devil ever did was to convince the world he does not exist. When a Christian begins to believe that the devil has nothing to do with her anylonger, that is when the devil begins to win the battle.

We have an enemy. That enemy is real. That enemy was an eye-witness to the life of Christ as much as John was. That enemy was there when the book of 1 John was written and he is here now.

To deny this is to live in willful ignorance.

John gives is the hope that we live by: the wicked one does not touch us once we are born of God.

2 Thess 3:3

John 17:15

We are told that Satan is our enemy and that he roams around the earth waiting to devour all in his path. But for those who are in Christ, this enemy has already been defeated for us....not by us....but for us by Jesus Christ who conquered death once and for all.

So it is useless and pointless for us to dwell on the power of Satan, but rather it is best for us to remember that he exists and that he is a conquered foe because of Jesus...and he does not touch us.

The Greek word for "touch" here means "to fasten one's self to, adhere to, cling to". The only other time John uses this word is in John 20:17 when Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene after the resurrection (The Epistles of John, 2006, p. 209)

"Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father."

So, picture how Mary must have clinged to Jesus....and imagine Satan wanting to cling to you! Yet because of Jesus having been resurrected....Satan has no power over you.

Take time today to thank Jesus for being our Good Shepherd...for being our Keeper.

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"We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one."

If we know that we are born of God and we know that as a result, the wicked one does not touch us....then why do we love this world that "lies under the sway of the wicked one"?

The world was created for a purpose: for us.

God created the world and everything in it for us to enjoy and take care of. But once sin entered into the world, we became slaves to it.

It is hard for the Christian to give up the world, isn't it? There is still so much beauty in the world although it has been tainted by sin. Letting go can be hard.

1 John 2:15-17

But we must remember where our loyalty must lie: with Christ who died for us. The world never died for us nor will it ever give up anything for us. But Jesus gave it all for us.

John reminds us that to love the world and everything in it is futile since all in the world is passing away. To be prideful, boastful, in anything is vanity...or emptiness....because all is finite.

Only Christ is eternal.

John separates the believers from the non-believers in this one phrase: we are born of God, the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. Once you belong to Christ, you are separated from this world.

It is now up to us to live that way. Take time today to praise God for separating us from a world that is dying.

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Life Application

So many Christians live their lives still in bondage to sin. I know, I was one. I had completely convinced myself that I needed sin in my life and I didn't want to let it go.

As I read so many of the verses above, I am filled with the joy of knowing that I am no longer a slave to sin. I am freed from that bondage and now have a NEW and loving Master forever: Christ Jesus.

Rom 6:18

I am now a slave of righteousness! Praise God. My Master is most loving and caring. Although I am not free to do whatever I want, I know that my Master knows more than I do so I trust Him with everything.

I once felt convicted to pray and lay my son on the altar before Christ in order to completely give him over to my Master. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do! So many thoughts went through my mind:

What if God takes my little boy now? (Nathan was 3 at the time...)

What if I lose Nathan?

I had to come to the realization that my son doesn't belong to me at all, but to Christ. Just as those born into slavery belong to their master, my son belongs to God. And God can use him in anyway shape or form.

I also placed my art, dreams of college, and marriage on that altar long ago. It was so hard to give over to God the things that were most important to me, but I knew they already belonged to Him anyways!'

But we forget that we belong to God. We forget that we are slaves to righteousness and should live that way.

Rom 6:19

"...for holiness."

We must remember the higher calling of God: for holiness.

Then and only then will we receive the desires of our hearts!

*************

Until next time...

"So many people think that they are free, yet they are in bondage to the prince of darkness. But the gospel opens our eyes to know who we are in ourselves and who we are in Christ, and then we confess gloriously 'I am His and He is mine'. We look at this world with all its attractions and see it as shallow and empty. If you belong to God by faith in Jesus Christ, then take care that you do not live as those who belong to the world."

-Dr. Joel Beeke (The Epistles of John, 2006, p.211)

Blessings,

Ruth

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Sixty-Eight

2008-08-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

"Now, no chastening

seems to be joyful for the

present, but painful; nevertheless,

afterwards it yields the

peaceable fruit of

righteousness to those who

have been trained by it."

Hebrews 12:11

*****************

Good day! Let's begin out time with prayer....

"Holy Father God in heaven, today, Lord, we will look once again at sin and what it does to the believer and non-believer. I thank You, Lord, that you have given us a guide on how to please You: Your word. We bless Your holy name, Lord, and praise You because of Your gift of mercy to us.

I seek forgiveness of my sins because I know my sins have separated me from You and I do not want to be separated from You, Lord. I pray that You will wash me and cleanse me and fill me with Your Holy Spirit this day.

I lift up each woman reading this study today, Lord, and ask that You be with her. Lift her up and give her strength for each new challenge that she will most assuredly face today. Walk with her, encourage her, and fill her heart with Your Holy Spirit and give her peace.

In Jesus' name...amen."

*************************

Confidence and Compassion in Prayer

As we continue to look at the assurance of our salvation through prayer, we will look at how to pray for those believers who are in sin. All of us sin, but we are commanded to pray for one another even if we know a brother is in sin.

That precious gift of prayer is essential to the Christian life. We looked at that last time. But it is essential for the brethren to pray for each other regarding sin.

1 John 5:16-17-

"If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death."

Remember that an overview of chapter five reveals that the word "know" is mentioned 8 times in this chapter alone. "Love" is mentioned 5 times and "born of God" is mentioned 3 times. It is obvious to the reader that John wants his readers to know that they have that eternal life from God through His love for us.

To know something is to have that assurance.

How does chapter 5 relate to chapter 4?

-If we love.....we are born of God.

-If we do not love....we are not born of God.

-If we love God....we obey Him.

Sin is what keeps us from all that God has for us: namely, a life in total communion with Him. Satan's main goal is to interrupt that communion because he knows that the greatest good for humankind is to have communion with our Creator.

To interrupt that communion is what leads us to death.

Ecc 7:17

Acts 5:1-11

In these verses we learn that there is great consequences to sinning against God.

Ps 51:3-4

David acknowledge that even though he sinned against the people, Urriah, and Bathsheba...he ultimately sinned against God.

Like Nathan, sometimes God uses us to convict other believers who are in sin and bring them back to their senses....

1 Cor 5:1-13

Here Paul gives the church in Corinth precise instructions on how to handle those believers in immorality. That church was stuck in the middle of a very corrupt town much like Las Vegas...only worse. People were having sex out in the open and were even including sex acts as part of worship!

It was very difficult for these believers to be set apart...or sanctified....in the midst of all that sexual sin.

1 Cor 15:33

Paul took this saying from a popular Greek play at the time. The Christians in Corinth had been corrupted by all the false teachings around them much like the church today.

1 Tim 1:19-20

2 Tim 2:17-18

Paul warned Timothy, a young pastor, to chasten believers when they have gone astray. Likewise, we Christians are to do the same.

**************************

We learned in our last lesson the importance of asking God for things that are according to His will and in His authority. To pray in "Jesus' name" is to pray this way.

John 14:14

John 16:24

John 15:7

1 John 5:14-15

It is obvious that these verses are connected to each other and do not stand alone.

But we also learned that our sin keeps God from hearing us...not because He can't hear us, but that He doesn't hear us.

John 9:31

Prov 28:9,11

Is 59:1-8

1 Pet 3:7

1 Pet 3:12

Ps 66:18

1 John 3:21-22

We have learned the importance of talking to God and taking all our petitions before Him as long as they are in His will and in His authority.....and He hears us!

Heb 11:6

Matt 21:18-22

Our God is a loving and merciful God who takes care of His children.

*********************

Now lets look at the significance of taking our requests about other believers before the Lord in prayer:

John writes in 1 John 5:16 that those who are "committing sin" (written in the present active participles) that if we pray for such a believer, God will give this person life.

Can a true Christian live in continual habitual sin?

1 John 3:6

Can a Christian sin?

1 John 2:1

In 1 John 5:16, John is writing about "brothers" or other believers who are sinning a sin that does not lead to death ( most commentaries signify this sin leading to death as blasphemy of the Holy Spirit...).

In God's word, we are given instructions to pray for fellow believers.

Gal 5:25-26

Gal 6:1-5

And God tells us about non-believers...

Jer 7:16

Jer 14:11-12

That is why it is most important for the Christian to examine herself daily for sinful behavior. It is most important for us to ask God to examine us for sin daily.

1 Cor 11:20-34

Paul warns for us not to even approach the Lord's table without examining ourselves. If there is unforgiven sin in our lives, deal with it first before coming to the Lord's table. Is there unforgivenss in your heart toward someone? It must first be dealt with before going to the Lord's table.

Or we face great judgment from God.

*******************

After this study on prayer for brethren....what have you learned today about the power of prayer? Take all that you have learned about 1 John 5:16-17 with you today and remember that prayer is further proof of the assurance of our salvation and eternal life.

Take time to praise the Lord for all that He has done for you. And take time to thank the Lord for those who are praying for you today.

(1 John, 2001, Precept Ministries, used by permission)

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Life Application

The power of prayer is a wonderful gift of God. I know that many people have prayed for me and my family over the years. I have been blessed to see my prayers that I lifted up for fellow believers answered.

But sometimes we believers hesitate to pray for other Christians who are caught up in sin. We tend to not want to judge others or interfere. I wish someone had interferred with me when I was caught up in sexual sin!

Gal 6:1-5

Paul commanded us to restore one another in a spirit of gentleness. He commands us to bear one another's burdens to fulfill the law of Christ.

James 2:8-9

I wish now that someone had approached me in love and gentleness and convicted me of my sins. It would have spared me years of pain and emotional scarring. Now when I see other believers living in sin, I tend to speak to them about it.

As our opening verse says, no chastening feels pretty good...for awhile. But we need discipline. Everyone has been near a child who has not been disciplined by the parents. It is difficult to be near a child like that. The parents may think they are doing good for the child by never chastening them, but in the long run they are hurting that child more than they know.

But chastening brings forth that fruit of righteousness. We all have been there! It hurts to be disciplined by parents, teachers, or the Lord. But in the end we are better people for it.

So, remember that part of loving the brethren is to pray for them if they are in sin and restore them spiritually in gentleness and love. Only then can the law of Christ be fulfilled and you will be blessed....and ultimately the church will remain pure before Him.

******************************

Until next time...

"True believers want the best for each other, so if someone stumbles and falls, our hearts do not want to relinquish the possibility that the 'brother' is a true Christian. He may not be a true believer, but we are deeply grieved at that prospect. He was once a part of us but now is outside the church and outside the fellowship....the greatest blessing of intercessory prayer is that you bring glory to God when you pray for others. God wants you involved in the lives of others through intercessory prayer."

-Dr. Joel Beeke (The Epistles of John, 2006, pp. 205 & 207)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

2008-07-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Wednesday-

Ran on Monday-twice! Ran at 5:30 in the morning, 3.25 miles. Then ran 2 miles with the hubby that evening. It felt pretty good. Not too hot out.

read my running journal here on this blog from last summer. Seems I am running the same mileage that I did last year at this time. That's good!

Will run only the 1/2 marathon this January. Am able to train for that and work. Marathon training takes up way too much of my time and I don't think I could do it again!

Did weight training this morning and will run 3.5 miles tonight. Decided to run in Moon Valley this year since it is shaded in the morning and evening. Nice neighborhood. Much closer to the house than Happy Valley.

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Sixty-Seven

2008-07-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

"Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;

And attend to the voice of my supplications.

In the day of my trouble I will call upon you,

For You will answer me."

Ps 86:6

***********

Good day! Let's seek the Lord....

"Holy Father, today as we look deeper into what prayer is for the believer, I ask that You show us more about who You are. I pray that You will speak to us through Your word. Thank You, Father, for giving us the privilege of prayer. Thank You for providing Your children a way to talk to You. Thank You for making intercession for us through Christ Jesus.

I ask forgiveness of my sins this day, Lord. I know it is against You that I have sinned. I pray that You will wash me clean, renew a steadfast spirit within me, and make me whole. Release me from the bondage of sin and fill me with Your Holy Spirit.

I pray for each lady reading this study today. You know each one and all her cares. I pray that You will go to her and be with her today. I pray that she will seek You today and yearn to know more about You. Fill her with the spirit of Your wisdom and knowledge today that she may learn from Your word.

In Jesus' name...amen."

*************************

Confidence and Compassion in Prayer

Last time we looked atthe assurance of our salvation in Scripture. John's letter was written that those who believe in the name of the Son of God may know they have eternal life and may continue in that belief.

One way we can have that assurance is through the power of prayer.

Paul tells the believer to "pray without ceasing" (I Thess 5:17)because he knows that prayer is a two-way conversation with God and it is a way to stay connected with the Lord God.

As anyone who has entered into battle knows, staying in contact with the Generals back at headquarters is essential for surviving in battle. For those Generals know the layout of the battlefield and they know the positions of the enemy. Without them, the soldiers on the ground are helpless and hopeless.

1 John 5:14-15

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

Prayer is the way believers stay in contact with their God. God knows the future and believers do not. God knows the position of the enemy on this battlefield, and we are helpless without Him. To pray is to trust the Lord.

*****************

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him...."

John uses the word, confidence, here again as he did in 1 John 2:28. Remember the word confidence means "boldness" and in this case, "assurance".

John reiterates that we have that boldness now in Christ to come to God and pray. What a glorious gift given by our most Holy God and Father: the gift of talking with Him in such a personal way as His Son did....

Luke 11:1

How wonderful it must have been to see Jesus talking to God on such a personal level. Remember, there were no prophets of the Lord any longer. No one was there to tell the people what God was saying or to tell God what the people wanted. Silence.

Now here comes Jesus who gives them the perfect model of how to pray to God:

Luke 11:2-4

Matt 6:5-8

Notice how Jesus began: adoration and thankfulness. Only then does He continue on in that assurance and confidence that He is being heard.

******************

"..that if we ask anything according to His will..."

Of course, John wants us to remember that God is not come cosmic jeanie in a bottle just waiting for us to bring forth our commands to Him. Not the case at all.....we serve a Holy God who cannot even look or speak to us because of our sins.

Is 6:1-8

The seraphim could not even touch the ground that God was on nor could they look into His face. Isaiah was only heard by God after his sins were purged. Then God used him. So, how is it that our prayers are heard if we are also full of sin?

Heb 7:23-

Rom 8:34

It is only because of Christ Jesus perfection that our prayers are heard at all.

But what does it mean to pray in "His will"?

John 14:13-14

John 15:16

John 16:23-24

When we pray in the name of Jesus, we are praying in His very authority. We are praying in His likeness. So when we pray for a million dollars, fame, and material wealth....are we praying in His will since Jesus did not own anything except the clothes on His back and the sandals on His feet?

No.

To pray in His will is to pray in His like manner: in all humility.

Phil 4:6-7

Paul teaches us to pray instead of worry. He tells us not to be anxious about anything but to pray about everything. Think of all the wasted time we have spent on worrying!

I have shared here before about how I teach my son to pray about everything...from finding lost articles, to help with tests at school. I want my son to see that God is a very personal God. That is what Paul had learned through his many trials and tribulations: God cares.

2 Cor 12:7-9

But God sometimes answers, "No" and we must accept that.

*************************

"He hears us..."

What precious and hopeful words are these! John saw it with his own eyes how God heard the prayers of His Son.

John 11:41-42

The confidence that Christ had in the fact that His prayer was heard by God is the same confidence that we now have because of Christ's perfect obedience. God hears us when we pray because we have Jesus.

So, if we do not have Jesus.....does that mean our prayers cannot be heard?

Ro 3:11

Heb 11:6

Is 64:6-7

Is 1:4-6

Is 1:10-11

Nahum 1:2-3

We see in these verses that no one actively seeks after God. Sin must be dealt with before God will even hear us.

And it is not we who turn to God...but the Holy Spirit brings us to Him.

Heb 13:20-21

Ro 8:26-27

John 16:7-15

It is of the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus that we are called to pray in His will...it is not of our own will.

James 4:1-3

Is 59:1-2

Because of our sin....God does not hear our prayers. So, the prayers of unbelievers (those whom God does not know) are not heard by Him.

Matt 7:21-23

2 Tim 2:19

Prov 28:9

The prayers of the unbeliever are an abomination to God. Our prayers before we were saved were that sinful to God! Only because of the work of Christ are we heard at all. He knows those who belong to Him.

John 14:23

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"..whatever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."

John concludes the passage with the hope of Christ: now that we are His, whatever we ask is heard by God through Jesus. Now we can take all our cares, all our worries, all our hopes and dreams to Him and know that we are heard!

All because of what Jesus did.

Heb 10:19-25

"Let us draw near," Paul tells us. "With a true heart in full assurance of faith."

Praise God today for that full assurance. And if you ever struggle with your prayer life, always turn to the Psalms. They were written by great men of faith who knew how to pray to God personally because of the Holy Spirit.

Ps 86:11-13

Take time today to seek the Lord. Ask Him to teach you to pray to Him as Jesus did: humbly but with confidence. Take time to thank Him for the gift of prayer. Make prayer time an essential part of your day. Ask the Lord to enter into your day and make it His.

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Life Application

I will never forget one Thursday night in Feb, 2003. I was asked to teach a Bible lesson at the prison on a new night with a new group of inmates I had never met. It was a strange time, but I felt the Lord leading me to teach about the importance of prayer. The prison ministry I was involved in wanted us to "prepare the inmates for their release into the real world". I thought, what better way to prepare them than to teach them about prayer?

So, as the 12 or 13 inmates entered into the small room, I began to talk about the importance of prayer. Some were turned away reading books and ignoring me. They were just using the class as a chance to get out of their boring cells. Some were listening to me with their Bibles open. And still others were engrossed in conversations with each other.

Still, I kept teaching about prayer and showing them the fantastic prayers of Daniel and Nehemiah I had just learned about in Sunday Bible study at our church. I could see after a few minutes how the Holy Spirit was waking these women to new and exciting things they had never heard before in the Bible. After a few minutes, I had everyone's attention! They couldn't wait to learn more about the Lord in His word.

When the lesson was over, we all gathered around holding hands in a large circle. I told them that if they attended my class, they would learn about the Bible and nothing else. They praised God. They seemed so hungry to learn scripture! They were excited to come to that Thursday class again with their Bibles!

After I prayed for them, we departed. Some hugged me and thanked me and together we praised the Lord for our time in His word. Then, I boarded the bus that took me to the parking lot and I left the prison.....and I never went back. I never saw any of those ladies again.

My heart breaks and aches for them, but the Lord removed me from the prison ministry for many reasons. One most important reason was to work on my marriage which was falling apart from sin.

As I look back on that Thursday night, I praise God that He used me to teach the ladies about prayer. I thank Him that for one night I was used by Him to teach others about their sin, prayer, and the Word of God. Even if I never am allowed to return to that ministry again....that is ok because I know those ladies, whoever they are and wherever they are.....heard the Truth that night.

They were taught about God's word.

I was told many months later that the next Thursday night, about 50 womem inmates showed up with their Bibles ready to be taught God's word again. The original ladies had told their friends about the study and they came ready to learn! But I was not there. Another teacher had come, but she was only there to teach them about being released into the real world and not about the Bible. How disappointed those inmates must have been.

My heart broke then as it breaks now. Ladies, in order to be used by God we must be purged of our sins like Isaiah was purged. That purging hurts. Especially when I look back and think about all those ladies who came with their Bibles ready to learn being disappointed again.

Sometimes I ask God, "Why?" and He always answers me with His word:

Is 1:13 God cannot endure iniquity in His workers.

That answer hurts, but it is Truth and the Truth sets us free!

Pray for them. Pray for me. Pray that the Lord will use me once again to teach His word to others in new and glorious ways!

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Until next time....

"Let us learn the blessedness of bending our will to God's discovering in the process how he witholds no good thing from his children. Jesus said, 'If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?' (Matt 7:11). What assurance that brings us! We not only know that we belong to God but that God wants to bless us with goodness all the days of our lives."

-Dr. Joel Beeke (The Epistles of John, 2006, p. 205)

Blessings,

Ruth

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Sixty-Six

2008-07-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

"...but these things were

written that you may believe

that Jesus is the Christ,

The Son of God, and

that believing you may have life in His name."

John 20:31

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Good day again, let's begin our time with prayer...

"Our dear Lord and Father, I pray to You this morning to ask You to be with me this day and give me the words to write for this study. You alone are worthy of our prayer, worship, adoration, and love. You are our Bridegroom preparing a place for us. It is You who have died and defeated death for us. Now we have eternal life through Jesus Christ. I thank You, Father, for that gift of love and life.

I seek forgiveness of sins and pray that You will wash me from my sins. Please release me from the bondage of sin and cleanse me. Renew in me a steadfast spirit and a pure heart.

I lift up each lady reading today. I pray that she is seeking Your face this day. I pray that You will go to her and encourage her through her busy day. I pray that You will convict her of her sins and fill her with Your Holy Spirit this day so that she may hear from You. Walk with her, comfort her, give her strength to face all her many challenges today.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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The Certainty of God's Witness

Today, as we finish up this portion of 1 John chapter 5, we will conclude with looking at the reasons why John wrote this letter to his fellow believers.: "That you may know"

John, a loving Pastor, writes in his letter to his "little children" that they can know for sure that they have eternal life. Our loving Shepherd, Jesus, does the same for us by giving us this letter to read over and over again during good times and bad.

God wants us to know, without a doubt, that we have that life.

1 John 5:13-

"These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

Notice how similar this verses is to our opening verse above. Obviously, they were both written by the same author.

But it seems imperative to John that we have that complete assurance. As with Gen Eisenhower said when he toured the concentration camps after WWII, John seems to have the foresight that someday the life of Jesus Christ will be questioned or even denied and the fact that there were witnesses to His life may even be questioned.

I have sat in many court cases that depended solely on the credibility of the key witness' testimony. Lives have been forever changed on the testimony of one person. It is most important that we remember that.

John almost has a sense of urgency when writing to his fellow believers. He desperately wants us to know that those who believe in the name of the Son of God have eternal life.....it is certain.

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"That you may know..."

Many Christians ask, "How can we know for sure we are saved...or if anyone is saved?"

That is a question that leads to doubts. And the Gnostics of old and modern times thrive on the doubt of a Christian.

As Christians, it is imperative that we know for sure of our salvation.

John 20:31

Luke 1:4

John 19:33-36

Notice how the Gospels do not begin with , "Once upon a time..." like many myths, fables, and stories.

Instead, our faith is well grounded in scripture that is based on historical fact. Why would these men begin their testimonies with historical figures like Herod of Judea or Caesar Augustus when the story could be easily verified or disqualified? Simple: their stories were true so they would want them to be fact checked next to the historical narrative surrounding these rulers.

As Luke wrote:

"In as much as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us..."

Our gospel is based on eyewitness accounts of the men who walked with Jesus.

Rom 9:33

Rom 5:5

The Lord promises us that those who believe on Him will not be put to shame because the hope we have in us by the Holy Spirit will not disappoint us.

Ps 37:9-11

God promises us that if we wait in the Lord shall inherit the earth...we shall delight ourselves in the abundance of peace.

It is a promise that leads to life!

2 Cor 1:19-20

And the promises are YES in Christ Jesus.

2 Cor 1:21-22

And we have been established by God and anointed by God who has also sealed us and given us the Holy Spirit...that witnesses of God...in our hearts as a what?

Guarantee.

Praise God!

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"That you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God."

Not only does John leave us with utter assurance of our salvation, but he wants us to continue in that assurance until the end. Why?

Remember what Jesus said:

Matt 24:13

John himself suffered persecution for his beliefs in Christ and he knew full well that his fellow believers would also suffer. He was given the Revelation of Jesus Christ and shared it with us as he was commanded.

He saw the end times and how the believers would be martyred for their faith.

So, as an encouragement, he wants us to continue in our assurance of eternal life.

Matt 10:22

Luke 21:16-19

But Jesus left us with His words of comfort:

Matt 28:20

He will be with us always...even to the end of the age.

************************

John finishes his letter with more ways of having that assurance and we will look at them further in our next lessons.

We will look at how we can have confidence in prayer as well as safeguarding that assurance in our Christian life.

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Life Application

As we complete our study of the Certainty of God's Witness, we have addressed many things that pertain to assurance of our faith. The very fact that God puts in us that witness of Himself is a beautiful thing....a gift that we cannot hide nor deny.

Remember how John told us to walk as Jesus walked now that we have been changed.

Eph 5:8-13

And to manifest that light to the world. Once we have been changed by God, there is no hiding it. Once we have that assurance of our salvation, there is no longer reason to doubt.

Every challenge, every hardship, every conviction of sin is further proof of our salvation. We should rejoice when we are convicted of sin...we should rejoice when we are being chastised by a loving God....we should rejoice with every good and perfect gift knowing that all these things mean we belong to Him. We are His children.

Once again, remember to whom John was writing. The Jewish people went 400 years without a word from their God. They were being ruled by the Romans in their own land. They were being held down by the Jewish leaders with their man-made laws. They were burdened and tired.

John understood this when he wrote to his fellow believers. He used his letters to encourage them, remind them, and assure them of their eternal reward through Christ.

I pray that you will take these words written by John and treasure them because now you can truly KNOW that you have eternal life...and you can continue in that eternal life until the end.

It is truly a gift from the Lord.

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"Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance that continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you."

-Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892 (Morning By Morning, 2005, July 19 devotion)

Blessings,

Ruth

The First Epistle of John:Lesson Sixty-Five

2008-07-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

"He who believes in the Son

has everlasting life;

and he who does not believe

the Son shall not see life,

but the wrath of God abides

on him."

John 3:36

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Hello again! Let's begin with prayer...

"Holy Father God, our Lord and Savior, I come to you today to give thanks and praise for all that You have done and all that You do. You alone are worthy of our praise and worship for You alone have given us eternal life through Jesus Christ, Your Son. I thank You, Father, for that eternal life. I thank You that You have spared me from Your wrath and now I have life everlasting because of Jesus.

I do seek the forgiveness of my sins because I know my sins keep me from You and I do not want to be far from You. I pray for Your cleansing. I pray that You wash me clean and release me from the bondage of my sins. I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit this day and guard my speech.

I lift up each lady reading this study to You, Lord. I pray that You will go to her and comfort her as she goes through the many challenges of her day. I pray that she will earnestly seek You through You word. Walk with her, come alongside her, and give her that peace that only comes through You.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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The Certainty of God's Witness

In today's study, we will continue our look into what it means to have God's witness and what that witness is to us. John made it clear how important an earthly witness is since he himself was a witness to the many things Christ did in His earthly ministry. But John doesn't want us to rely solely on that earthly witness of men as the Gnostics did. He wants us to know and learn about God's witnesses: the Father, the Spirit, and the Word.

We were told in the last lesson that God puts His witness in us when He saves us. We have that eternal witness us ourselves when we become His own. It is that Spirit of God that opens our eyes to what the scriptures say about Jesus. And it is that witness that leads our paths down the right direction in life.

Now we will learn about the testimony of God, that testimony that "God has given of His Son"....

1 John 5:11-12

"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."

John begins by telling us what that testimony is: those who believe have life, those who do not believe do not have life.

As John the Baptist said in our opening verse, he who believes has everlasting life. He who does not believe suffers the wrath of God. It is as simple as that.

It is we Christians who forget this testimony most of all, in my opinion. When I hear of a Christian suffering from depression (as I did) or suffering from alcoholism, gambling, sexual sins, etc. all this can be traced back to the Christian forgetting that he/she has life already!

Theologian Herman Bavinck wrote:

"They seek God down below and he is above. They seek him on earth and he is in heaven. They seek him in money, property, fame, power, and in passion, and he is found in the high holy places, and with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit. They seek him, and at the same time flee from him" (As cited in The Epistles of John, 2006, p.200).

As Christians, we are at our lowest point when we forget that we already have life.

John 17:3

This is the testimony of God. We already have fellowship with Him.

1 John 1:5-7

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Consequences

It is obvious that John is reminding the believer that there are consequences to our beliefs: to know Christ is to live, to deny Christ is death.

We were dead on our trespasses and sins.

Eph 2:1-3

We once walked according to our flesh and were in death. But it is through Christ that we now live. When we forget this and go back to walking in the flesh, then death creeps in to steal away our joy. There are many things in this world that are scary: disease, wars, famine, natural disasters.

But John wants us to remember that we should fear the Holy God who created all things more than the creation itself. Without God we die spiritually as well as physically.

And because of Christ we now have life everlasting! Death no longer should bring fear to the Christian.

Ps 23:4

Is 25:8

Rom 6:8-11

We are alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord! Praise God.

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"...he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."

Notice how John writes this statement. "He who does not have the Son of God..."

To know God through Christ is taking personal possession of Him inside ourselves. It is more than an outward statement, but an inward possession. We have all seen those who raise their hands in church after the "invitation" to receive Christ as Savior is given. We have seen people walk down the aisle to pray at the nave of the church and ask God to enter their hearts.

Those people made "professions" of faith, but how many actually took possession of Christ or vice versa?

John wants us to know that if we have Christ, we have eternal life. If we do not have Christ, we are still in death and sin reigns within our mortal bodies. Remember the purpose behind this book written by John: that we may know, abide, remain, endure, have fellowship, assurance, or our salvation for those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ.

We all know those who are not believers. It hurts to see our friends or family members dying in their sins especially when we know what lies ahead for them after this life: complete and total separation from God.

As long as they walk this earth, they still have some semblance of the presence of God among them: the beauty of creation, Christians proclaiming God's truth in love, and the Church.

But once they are taken from this earth, they will no longer have any of these to rely on. Creation, Christians, and the Church have the Light of Christ. Without these there is no Light....only complete darkness. And then the Wrath of God.

When Christ comes to remove us from His creation, with us goes any semblance of morality or law.

Matt 24:9-13

During the tribulation, lawlessness will abound because all morality will be taken up with believers when Christ takes us up. Imagine the earth without laws! You think it is bad now, and yet we have laws causing some to still hesitate. When those laws are removed, no one will hesitate.

This is the wrath of God of which you have been spared. It is real. But so is God. He called you before the foundations of the world to be His. He claimed you as His own. Now you have taken possession of Him within yourself and He has taken you as His own.

This is what John wants to remind you of this day, thousands of years later, with his letter. It is the doom of every Christian when we forget!

So, take time today to meditate on all that God has spared you from today. Really think about what it is that Christ has done for you.....taken you and made you His own. Praise Him for this and truly treasure these verses of John into your heart for those days when the things of this world get you down: you are saved.

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Life Application

Why is it that if we have eternal life as our inheritance that we eat with the swine?

When I studied the parable of the Prodigal Son years ago in order to teach it at the prison, I found so many truths in this one little story Christ told that it was hard to keep my lesson down to 30 minutes. John MacArthur just wrote a whole book on the parable!

But it is so true that once we have our blessed inheritance that came at such a great cost, we toss it aside to live among the dead of this world and act as they do. Why?

Because we forget who we are in Christ.

I can easily look back on the darkest and saddest parts of my life and see that these times happened when I was farthest away from Christ. I had put down my Bible thinking I already knew all about it and set out on my own like the Prodigal Son did. I left my First Love.

That is why I love the book of First John so much. In this letter we find ways to know that we are a child of God, assurance of our salvation, who is not a believer, and how to remain in the presence of God.

How wonderful is that? How loving is our God that He provides a way to come to Him and know Him better?

And when I finally awoke in the pig slime realizing what I had done, I stood up and returned to my Father in hopes that He would at least keep me near Him as a servant if nothing else. But when I finally came back, Jesus was there waiting for me:

Luke 15:20

"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him, had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him."

When we remember who we are and what we already have, this world pales in comparison. When we concentrate on what lies ahead instead of dwelling on what is behind, we are filled with joy. It is easy to only see the things of this earth, but John longs for us to turn our "eyes upon Jesus...look full in His wonderful face....and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."

Remember who you are in Christ.

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"Man longs for truth and is false by nature. He yearns for rest, and throws himself from one diversion upon another. He pants for a permanent and eternal bliss, and seizes on the pleasures of the moment. He seeks for God and loses himself in the creature. He is born son of the house, and he feeds on the husks of the swine in a strange land. He is as a hungry man who dreams he is eating, and when he awakes, finds that his soul is empty. Science cannot explain this contradiction in man. Man is an enigma whose solution can be found only in God."

-Herman Bavinck 1854-1921 (as cited in The Epistles of John, Dr. Joel Beeke, 2006, pp. 200-201)

Blessings,

Ruth

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Sixty-four

2008-07-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

"There is another who

bears witness of Me, and I

know that the witness which

He witnesses of Me

is true."

John 5:32

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Good day! Let's begin with prayer....

"Our Lord God in heaven, we praise Your Holy name this day because this day belongs to You. I glorify Your name because You alone are worthy of our praise and adoration. Thank You, Lord, for loving Your children so much so that You gave us Your word to follow that we may be transformed from this world and live.

I seek the forgiveness of my sins and pray that You will cleanse me from my unrighteousness. I pray that You will wash me clean and fill me with Your Holy Spirit this day.

I pray for the ladies reading this study, that You will go to her and lift her up. Set her high upon Your Rock and give her strength to meet each challenge she faces this day. I pray that she will earnestly seek Your face today and glean the knowledge of Your truth from Your word.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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The Certainty of God's Witness

Last time we looked further into the notion that there are three witnesses here on earth that testify of the Son of God: the Spirit, the water, and the blood. We know that Jesus was not just a spirit who did not die a physical death....but that He was indeed a man who was baptized, received the Holy Spirit, and died a bloody death for our sins. Then, He miraculously conquered death by rising from the grave for us all.

John, a earthly witness to Christ here on earth, reminds us of these things because of the false teachers surrounding his fellow believers at the time. The Gnostics were spreading a false gospel about Jesus and many were falling away to this teaching.

The Epistles of John were written that we may know for sure whom we worship.

1 John 5:9-10

"If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son."

So as we read these verses, we can clearly see that John understands the importance of the witness of men: it is viable here on earth. John tells us that he was a witness to Christ. He was a mere man.

But then he tells us that the witness of God is greater. In John 5:31, Jesus tells us that He does not bear witness to Himself because then that witness would not be true. He is telling us what John is saying: The witness of God is greater.

Deut 17:6

Deut 19:15

Jesus agreed with the Mosaic law that there must be 2 or 3 witnesses in a court of law. So, Jesus is saying that man's witness is good.....but not enough.

John 5:32

But later Jesus states that because He is God in the flesh and knows all things....His witness is true:

John 8:14-18

Jesus adheres to the laws of man while still maintaining the will of the Lord. But since we are only humans, we must adhere to the will of God.

1 Pet 4:1-2

We must live for the will of God not the laws of man. For God's witness is greater than man's.

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"He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself..."

Now that you are a believer in Christ as the Son of God, the Holy Spirit witnesses in your soul so that you may comprehend what is written in the Scriptures. It is no longer just a book of stories.

You have that witness in yourself.

This gift of knowledge is given to the believer. Now we are united as one in Christ by that love of God's word. It should be that most important substance that unites all believers.

Deut 8:3

Ps 119:11

Ps 119:105

Prov 30:5

John 8:51

John 17:17

1 Cor 12:7-8

Phil 2:14-16

What a blessing it is to have that precious word of life within us. It was given to us so that we are not alone in our beliefs! We have that complete assurance from God.

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"He who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son."

What a condemning statement that is! John is making it perfectly clear that if one rejects the testimony of God, given through Christ, then one is calling Jesus a liar. I wouldn't want to be that person standing before a Holy God in judgment.

As I mentioned before, when we toured the Holocaust museum, I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with the notion that these poor Jews were so desperate to have a witness to what was happening to them. They wanted to make sure they would be remembered and all the evil things they endured not forgotten. Even General Eisenhower made a similar claim when he said upon entering a concentration camp:

"The things I saw beggar description...the visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were so overpowering. I made the visit deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations to propaganda. Ohrdruf April 15, 1945."

He was a wise man indeed, for he had the foresight to know that one day people wouldn't believe the Holocaust ever happened. So, Gen Eisenhower wanted to make sure that the testimonies of the survivors remained. This shows just how important a witness truly is to God's people.

We worship a God of remembrance.

Luke 22:19

1 Cor 11:24

Is 43:26

How blessed we are when our Holy God remembers us. He has put inside us His Spirit that we can see His invisible attributes not only in creation, but on His Scriptures. He has given us 3 witnesses in heaven and on earth that those who believe in Him will not be put to shame.

And He remembers us.....and asks that we remember Him.

Take time today to truly remember Him. Do you have memorials set up around you that help you remember all that He has done for you in good times and in bad? Sit and be still for a moment and think back on your life and picture the memorials set up to Him that glorify all the times He was there in those difficult times in the "wilderness" and those wonderful times in "paradise" with Him.

Really take time to praise Him for all that He has done.

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Life Application

Our "witness" is how we can minister to other believers. When we become transparent to others, we begin to allow them to see all that God has done....not all that we are.

It can be a difficult think to allow others to know what happened in your past. But when I saw all those pictures in the Holocaust museum of how the Jews suffered, I realized how important our witness really is. It can be the difference between life and death for some.

I remember when our Pastor told the story about when he was a youth minister back in Ohio. He would often tell the students about his past: rock & roll music, drugs, fornication, etc.

He would tell them about how God called him, changed him, and used him for His glory. It is a powerful testimony of how God changes a man.

Afterwards, a young girl approached him and said how she wished she had a "testimony" like his because hers was boring. Our Pastor then told her to praise God for her "boring" testimony because He had spared her alot of pain and humiliation.

Our testimonies can be powerful weapons in bringing other to Christ when we keep the focus not on what we have done, but on what Christ has done through us.

1 Cor 7:20-21

Here Paul tells us not to worry about what we were when we were called....but rather to "use it" all for the glory of God. Use your testimony to tell others about the glory of God.

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Until next time....

"The believer finds Christ so altogether lovely that he can respond, 'As the years go by and I compare Christ in the Bible, I fine that the promises are all true. Christ is even better than what can be put into words. My conscience witnesses that he is mine and I am his.' This internal witness enables believers, in turn, to be witnesses for God. As Jesus said, 'He shall testify of me; and ye also shall bear witness' (John 15:26-27). God will use your witness to reach lost sinners. Ask God to help you proclaim the truth of His Word and to be a powerful witness of his amazing Son."

-Dr. Joel Beeke (The Epistles of John, 2006, p. 199)

Blessings,

Ruth

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Sixty-Three

2008-07-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

"..that the God of

our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of

glory, may give to you

the spirit of wisdom and

revelation in the knowledge

of Him..."

Ephesians 1:17

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Let's pray together....

"Oh Father God, as I read Your words this morning, I do pray and ask for the spirit of wisdom and revelation that I may have that knowledge of You. I thank You, Lord, for that spirit that You have given us so that we are not alone here in creation. But that we may be in Your presence and know more about You. What a precious gift that is.

I do seek the forgiveness of my sins knowing that my sins are against You. I pray that You will wash me clean and fill me with Your Holy Spirit and guard my speech.

I lift up each woman reading this lesson and ask that You speak to her through Your word today. I pray that You will give her the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that she will grow in the knowledge of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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The Certainty of God's Witness

In the last lesson we looked at the three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit and how these three are one in the same.

Now we will look at how John, in hopes of convincing his readers, tells us of the three witnesses here on earth that bear witness to God as well. And we will see how these three are one in the same as well.

1 John 5:8-

"And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one."

As we looked at before, witnesses are very important. Here John reminds his readers that there are witnesses to who Christ is. He was one, but there are more physical witnesses as well.

The Spirit, the Water, and the Blood

Remember the false witnesses brought before the Sanhedrin during Christ's trial, they were liars.

Matt 26:59-68

The witnesses were false and not in agreement.....the witnesses on earth are in agreement as John reminds us, because they are one in the same.

John was there when the Spirit descended to Christ from heaven. The Gnostics taught that the Messiah came upon Jesus, the man, at that time but left Him prior to His death. They believed that death was a sign of weakness. To counter that false teaching, John reminds us that Jesus also came by blood, that is, by the cross (The Epistles of John, 2006, pp. 194-195).

Because Christ suffered and bled on the cross, He fulfilled Scripture that said the Messiah must do this to accomplish the will of God.

Luke 24:26-27

Is 53:4-6

The Prophecy of the Scriptures says that the Messiah must suffer and die. The witness of the blood fulfilled this prophecy. Next, God the Father gave signs as a witness that Jesus was the Messiah on the cross: He turned midday sunlight into darkness, he tore the temple veil in two, sent an earthquake, opened tombs and made the dead believers rise, and finally it was Jesus' resurrection from the dead that proved He was the incarnate Son of God (The Epistles of John, 2006, p. 195).

1 Cor 15:3-4

The Gnostics were twisting the Word of God around like many false teachers do today in order to make their followers deny the Gospels. They tried to make the gospel fit neatly into their human thinking just like some teachers are doing today.

John teaches in his epistles that the Gospel of Christ isn't meant to fit neatly into our ways, but it is to disturb our ways because we are evil. The Gospel divides, separates, cuts deeply, and confronts lies.

Heb 4:11-13

Matt 10:34-39

Jesus was baptized by John to fulfill Scripture that the Messiah would fulfill all righteousness.

Matt 3:13-17

By being baprized, He was fulfilling Scripture that the priests of God were sprinkled with water and ceremoniously cleansed as they were ordained into the priesthood. Jesus Christ, the eternal High Priest, also followed this ceremonial act as He was ordained into the priesthood and began His ministry.

Num 8:6-7

Christianity is a faith built on supernatural events as well as the physical world. John reminds us that there are the physical witnesses like the water and blood, but also the supernatural workings of the Spirit.

Our faith is more inward that outward. We do not rely on acts or works for our salvation, but in the working of the Holy Spirit we are given the assurance that Scripture is true, Jesus died for our sins as the Messiah promised in Scripture, and He rose again and defeated death for us as promised in the Scriptures.

1 Cor 12:3

If you understand anything written in the Bible at all it is only because of the Holy Spirit working in you. It is that gift given to you by God.

Take time today to meditate on all that you have read. Remember that Christ Jesus fulfilled all that was written of the Messiah. He is our true and faithful witness....and because of this we can rejoice always!

We had the opportunity to tour the Holocaust Museum last week. As you enter in, there is a sign carved in stone that reads, "You are My witnesses..." from Is. 43:10 as they try to convict all visitors to remember that the horrors they are about to see really happened and to never forget since some are already saying the Holocaust never happened.

But that verse is taken out of context. Ironically, that verse is one of many in Is 43 written about the Redeemer of Israel: Jesus Christ whom the Jews reject as their Messiah. I couldn't help but notice the irony.

How sad that the Jewish people rely so heavily on the witness of those who survived and all the physical evidence they have gathered there as a witness to what happened from 1933-1945. But we all know that those witnesses (humans and material things) are finite. The remaining survivors will all die one day and the material evidence will whither away. Then what will they have to testify?

We have the Spirit, the water, and the blood of Christ which is eternal and will never die nor whither away.

Praise Him for that miracle today.

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Life Application

As we toured the Holocaust museum, I was so filled with sorrow and sadness not only because of the plight of the European Jews during the Nazi regime, but because it will all happen again due to the fact that they still reject Christ as their Messiah.

One thing gave me pause: we saw an old rusted out milk keg that was found in one ghetto where the Jews were taken. One man had it in mind to hide proof of what was happening to the Jews inside that milk keg in case evidence would be needed in the future. Evidence that he and the others ever existed at all.

So, he hid newspapers, letters, photos, and other artifacts of his own and those that he collected from others inside of that milk keg for safe keeping. Then, they buried it.

Sure enough, it was found years later after the Nazis surrendered. They display some of the artifacts from the keg in the museum.

It made me stop and think about what will happen to the Jews and the Gentiles left behind after we are taken up with Jesus. Will they try and preserve evidence of their existence during the Tribulation? Or will they receive the mark of the beast and survive?

All I know is that I am glad I have The Advocate. I am saved from God's wrath. I am saved from the next Holocaust because of what Jesus did for me. The Book of Revelation says that the next Holocaust will be much worse. Praise God today that He has spared you of the horrors to come.

Rev 16:1-21

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Until next time.....

"There meet in Jesus Christ infinite highness and infinite condescension. Christ, as He is God, is infinitely great and high above all. He is higher than the kings of the earth for He is King of kings and Lord of lords. He is higher than the heavens, and higher than the highest angles of heaven. So great is He that all men, all kings and princes, are as worms of the dust before Him; all nations are as a drop of the bucket, and the light dust of the balance..."

-Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758 (Altogether Lovely, 1997, p. 19)

Blessings,

Ruth

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Sixty-Two

2008-07-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

"Now that I am no longer in the world,

but these are

in the world,

and I come to You.

Holy Father, keep through

Your name those whom

You have given Me,

that they may be one as

We are."

John 17:11

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Let's seek the Lord together....

"Holy Father in heaven above, thank You Lord for giving us Your holy word that we may know more about You. I pray and thank You for not leaving us alone, but giving us Your word. Thank You that we can have fellowship and communion with You, Lord. Thank You for giving us Your Holy Spirit and the fear of You in our hearts.

I pray and ask forgiveness of my sins. I know it is against You that I have sinned and I pray that You will wash me clean from my unholiness. I pray, Lord, that You will renew a steadfast spirit within me and give me strength.

Lord, I lift up each lady reading this study to You in prayer. I know her needs are real and they can be cumbersome. So, I pray that You will go to her and encourage her in her time of need. Show her more of who You are. Lift her up, walk alongside her and give her peace as she faces her day.

In Jesus' name....amen."

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The Three Witnesses

Last time we began to look more into the Certainty of God's Witness. We learn from the Greek word for "witness" that John meant it in a forensic way. We also remember that John is a viable witness to Christ Jesus and His life here on earth.

Witnesses are important. We rely on them for many things. The testimony of a witness can either free a person or condemn them. John wants his readers to learn that God's witness is reliable and TRUTH.

Spirit, water, and blood are what we see in these verses of 1 John. But today we will look more into the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit.

1 John 5:7-

"For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one."

Remember to whom John is writing: believers struggling with doubt and false teachings among them.

John's followers lived among the Gnostics. Remember that these people believed that Jesus was Spirit only so that He did not die for our sins. They believed that you achieve salvation through knowledge and spirituality.

The Gnostics believed that you only love one another only in words and not in deeds. They beleived that spirit was good and matter (or the material world) was evil.

So, to them Jesus was not their Savior because there is no need of a savior.

John reminds his readers that he witnessed Jesus' baptism by water where he also witnessed the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus, and he witnessed Christ's death on the cross by blood. John is a most viable witness, but God has a viable witness as well: the Holy Spirit. (First John, 2001, Precept Ministries, used by permission)

The Father

Please read:

Deut 6:4-5

Deut 10:12-14

1 Cor 8:4-6

Matt 22:37

Eph 4:6

We read in scripture that God is the One and only true God in the universe. Only 3 religions on earth worship one god: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

But only 2 religions worship the God of the Old Testament: Judaism and Christianity.

Only 1 religion worships the God of the Bible: Christianity

What separates these religions? Atonement

Judaism and Islam have no atonement for their sins. The Jews used to have atonement when they had the temple and the ark of the covenant along with the priesthood, but the Lord stripped them of these things as punishment for rejecting His Son as Messiah.

Islam uses works as a means to gaining salvation.

Only Christianity has atonement for sins: Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. These alone made reconciliation with God. Now, through Him, are we reconciled.

The Word

John 1:1

1 John 1:1

Rev 19:13

John 17:5

We read here that Jesus is the Word John writes about in these verses. These verses regarding the Word reveal the deity of Jesus Christ. In Greek philosophy, the "logos" was "reason" or "logic" as an abstract force that brought unity to the universe.

But in John's writings, we see that the Logos is the very person of Christ. It is God incarnate... God coming as man. John is telling the world that Jesus (Logos) is not only reason and logic, but God here on earth, God before time began, God always. We see here the concept of Persons within the unity of the Godhead.

Col 2:8-10

The Holy Spirit

Jesus promised that He would send a "Helper" or "Paraclete" to come along side us and help us and carry on Christ's work. A paraclete is an advocate, helper, or ally and supporter.

John 14:16-17

John 14:26

John 15:26-27

John 16:7-15

Rom 8:15

Rom 5:5

1 Cor 2:13

To see how the three witnesses in heaven work together as One, read the following verses:

Rom 8:1-11

Here is an example:

"But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you."

Let's take that verse apart so we can see how all 3 persons of God are One...

The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead= God, the Father

Jesus from the dead= Jesus Christ the Son, Logos

will give life to your mortal bodies thruogh His Spirit who dwells in you= the Holy Spirit

Here we see how all 3 work together as One: God, His Spirit, His Son.

1 Pet 1:22-25

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Now we have learned little more about the 3 witnesses of God in heaven and how these 3 are One in the same. I find it wonderful how God works. He did not create and then leave us alone. He gave of Himself to us physically and also of His Spirit to come along side us and help us.

Take time today to really pray and meditate on what it is that God has showed you today in this lesson. Perhaps He revealed to you how He is 3 in one for the first time or perhaps He reminded you of who He is. Praise Him today for the way He works in us. For no other religion on earth has what we have: a holy God who came down and lived among us, died for us, and then left behind His Spirit to guide us through life.

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Life Application

The Trinity is something in scripture that many Christians find hard to understand. I was a believer for many years before I came to understand that Jesus and God are one in the same along with the Holy Spirit.

Eph 1:13-14

In these verse we are blessed to read that we have been given the "word of truth" and that we have been sealed with the "Holy Spirit of promise" who is the "guarantee of our inheritance" forever. Praise God!

Sometimes it is easy to doubt and wonder if we are believing in truth or a lie. Can we really trust God that He will save us? Or will we face Him and be told we followed a lie?

John and Paul both faced such questions from their followers. That is why we have their letters of encouragement to read:

Rom 9:33

1 John 5:13

We have assurance that we will never be brought to shame for believing in Jesus because these things have been written to those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God that we may KNOW that we have eternal life.

How wonderful it is to have that complete assurance!

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Until next time....

"This world is a valley of tears, a world filled with sighs and groans. One groaning under some bodily pain; another is mourning and lamenting over a dear departed friend; another is crying out by reason of the arm of the oppresor. But in heaven there is no mixure of such sounds as these; there is nothing to be heard among them but the sweet and glorious melody of God's praises. Theres is a holy cheerfulness to be seen throughout that blessed society. Rev 21:4: 'And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying.' They shall never have anything more to do with sighing and crying; but their eternal work henceforth shall be praise."

-Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758 (Altogether Lovely, 1997, p. 228)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

2008-07-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Tuesday-

Ran 3 miles Sat. morning at 5:30 am. It was so cool out and quiet. I prefer running at that time on Saturdays.

Rested on Sunday.

Ran up North Mountain Monday evening. A windstorm blew threw so it wasn't as hot out. I ran up the mountain 1 and 1/2 times. Will try for 2 times next time after vacation.

Will run again tomorrow and then again on Thursday. Probably won't have time on Friday since we leave the next day for vacation.

Am hoping I can run during the vacation. Don't want to take a whole week off.

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Sixty-One

2008-06-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

"But one of the soldiers

pierced His side with a spear,

and immediately blood and water came out.

And he who has seen

has testified,

and his testimony is true;

and he knows that

he is telling the truth,

so that you may believe."

John 19:34-35

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Good day! Let's begin with prayer..

"Our God in heaven, thank You holy Lord for Your truth. Today, Lord, as we study more about who You are, I cannot help but be thankful for all that You have done for me. I thank You that Your word is truth. That You suffered for me and shed Your blood for me is all that I will ever need to know.

I seek forgiveness of my sins that put you up on that cross. I pray that You will wash me clean from the bondage of sin and release me. I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit this day. Guard my tongue, guard my speech and keep me from causing harm.

I lift up each lady reading this study today. I pray that she will be encouraged by what she reads. I pray that she will have a desire and passion to study Your word. I pray that You will speak to her through Your word and lift her spirits.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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The Certainty of God's Witness

In our opening verse, John tells us that he is a viable witness to Christ's death as he was to his life. Being a true witness is important to John because the peole in his day were relying on false teachings by people who had not witnessed Jesus' life nor death.

As we read this portion of John's letter, we will see how God, in Spirit, is the one who bears witness because His Spirit is truth.

We learned last lesson about Overcomers. Overcoming the world involves several things:

Rising above the world's thinking and habits- Having a Christian worldview can be difficult in this day and age.

Persevering in freedom in Christ, separate from the world- Staying God's word will assist us in staying strong when tempted by the world.

Rising above circumstances of this world- Paul learned to be content in whatever state he was in. Following Christ means we abide with Him no matter what is happening to us in present times.

By remembering that we are Overcomers now....it will help us to be Overcomers then when the things of this world turn against us and it gets ugly toward us in this country.

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1 John 5:6-

"This is He who came by water and blood- Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth."

We looked at our faith and how it has overcome the world. We looked at who overcomes the world: he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Now John wants us to know who this Jesus is; He who came not only by water, but by water and blood.

Many believe this verses speaks of how Jesus was born of a woman (from water) and died in His blood (John 19) at the crucifixion. and many commentators believe this verse is speaking to John 19:34 when Jesus was pierced and blood and water flowed from His side.

Remember to whom John is writing: New believers among false teachers.

The Gnostics and Docetists were misleading new Christians into thinking Jesus was only a Spirit. He was not a man who "died" physically, so He did not die for our sins.

But John, a viable witness, saw Jesus live and breath and eat like a man. He also saw Jesus bleed and die as a man dies....so he can write that Jesus came by both water and blood.

Please read:

Col 1:15-17

Col 2:9

John 1:14

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So, in learning last time that those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God are overcomers, we read here that we must truly believe that Jesus came as a man and was also God:

It is by faith that we believe this about Christ.

Heb 12:2

Gen 3:15

John 19:30

Jesus came in flesh and died a horrible death of blood on the cross for us. Now we are reconciled. John urgently wants us to remember that our Savior was both man and God and the Spirit bears witness.

The Greek word for witness is martureo meaning: one who remembers or who has knowledge of something by personal experience. It is used nine times in 1 John 5. This word is used in legal matters.

You can see how urgent John is when using this word. He calls himself a witness. Now he says it is the Spirit that bears witness to God.

Deut 6:4

In the New Testament, we read about God, Son, and Spirit:

Matt 28:19

2 Cor 13:14

Eph 1:1-14

God bore witness to His Son-

Matt 3:17

John 11:41

Rom 1:4

We will learn more about "witness" in the next lesson. But here we must remember that John bore witness to Christ here on earth, and he points out how God bore witness, as well as the Spirit, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

To believe this means we will overcome the world.

(The Epistles of John, 2006, pp.184-1992)

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Life Application

Memorials are very important to people of all religions and races. It is obvious that we were created in God's image since He Himself commanded His people to create memorials. All the books of the Bible were written as memorials, not as dictation while events were happening.

If memorials are important to God, it is because He wants us to remember things: things that He did for His people, His works, His wonders.

Ex 3:14-15

Ex 12:14

Ex 13:9

Ex 17:14

Ex 28:9-14

Josh 4:7

Matt 26:10-13

And that's just some of the verses regarding memorials! There are many more....

My family is getting ready to head to Washington DC where our country's memorials and monuments stand. I can hardly wait for our son to see these memorials and monuments because it is good for him to learn to remember.

John wrote his epistles so that Christians would remember and memorialize all the works of the Lord.

1 John 1:1-4

Why? So that our lives would be full. Nothing is better for the Christian than to know our Lord God, the Creator of the Universe. Not food, water, clothing...nothing is better for us than to know our Creator. That is why He instructed His people to build memorials...so they would remember. When times got hard, they could look at those memorials and remember how it was God who got them through the hard times. It was God who set them free. It was God who crushed their "enemies.

It is our doom when we forget all that God has done for us. That's when we replace His memorials with our own.

Remember not to forget.

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Until next time....

"This is the blessed promise to the saints, that they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). They who see God cannot but praise Him. He is a Being of such glory and excellence that the sight of this excellence of His will necessarily influence those who behold it to praise Him. Such a glorious sight will awaken and rouse all the powers of the soul, and will irresistably impel and draw them into acts of praise. Such a sight enlarges their souls and fills them with admiration, and with an unspeakable exultation of spirit."

-Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758 (Altogether Lovely, 1997, p. 222)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

2008-06-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

Wednesday-

Ran up North Mountain Monday evening. It was a good run. It was 110 but because the mountain is mostly in the shade, it wasn't that hot.

Tuesday night ran 3 miles at 7pm. Again, it wasn't that bad out even though it was about 110.

Rested today but will run tomorrow morning.

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Sixty

2008-06-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

"These things I have spoken

to you, that in Me you

may have peace. In the world

you will have tribulation; but

be of good cheer,

I have overcome the world."

John 16:33

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Let's begin our time with prayer...

"Heavenly Father, today as we read Your word we will look at what it means to be an overcomer. We will look at what You did for us in overcoming death and this world. Thank You, Lord, for overcoming the world for us. Thank You for the gift that is Your word so that we can have our faith strengthened when the things of this world get us down.

I seek forgiveness of my sins this day. I pray that You will search me and cleanse me of my transgressions against You. I pray that You will wash me clean and fill me this day so that I may serve You.

I lift up each lady reading this study. I pray for her needs. I pray that when she reads this study, she will eb encouraged that she can overcome this world through Christ. I pray that she will earnestly seek You today and that You will come along side her and give her peace.

In Jesus' name...amen."

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Overcomers

In today's verses, we will look at how Christ overcame the world: death. We will read more about how we can be overcomers as well because we are born of God and have Christ within us.

It is important for Christians today to remember that we have our Savior within us and that He has already conquered this world for us. Sometimes it seems as though it is us against the world...but only when we forget what Jesus did for us. When we remember Him and how He conquered death once and for all...for us....then we become empowered to do His good works.

1 John 5:4-5

"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

In this book, John took tells us that we are of God and that Jesus, who is in us, has overcome the world because He is greater than the one who is in the world.

Please read:

1 John 4:4

John 16:33

It is hard to find peace in these hectic times. The world's view of peace is far different than the Lord's view of peace. The world tells us to meditate, go to a spa, or go on vacation in order to find peace. But God tells us that true peace is in Christ.

Rom 5:1

Is 9:6

Eph 2:14-15

Jesus reminds us that in this world we will have tribulation. If He suffered, then we will suffer. Imagine a world where being a Christian is against the law. A world where you can have your citizenship revoked just by proclaiming faith in Christ. Don't think it can happen? Ask a survivor of the Holocaust if it can happen.

See, the Jewish and Muslim people will be safe because they can claim their religion is also their race. But we Christians cannot claim that. So, one day we will be persecuted for our faith just like Christians in other countries are being persecuted, tortured, and killed for their faith in Christ.

Jesus tells us that these times are coming. They must happen before He comes again just like the birth pains come before the baby.

"but be of good cheer..."

When these times happen, it can cause doubt to the believer. Nothing causes doubt more than being in a prison cell for no reason other than your love of Jesus. But Jesus knows this and tells us that our peace is in Him. Therefore, we can have good cheer when persecuted...when facing death....because He already conquered death for us.

"I have overcome the world."

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"And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith."

John reminds us that we have victory already because of our faith in Christ Jesus, who already overcame the world.

It will get ugly in this country. The people will turn away from God and He will reveal more of His wrath on this country a little at a time: floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, then the lawlessness will abound more and more, especially if America abandons Israel. Then, God will turn His back on America for the first time in its history....and we Christians will begin to suffer for our faith.

Will these hard times cause us to doubt? Will seeing our families suffer for our faith cause us to doubt Christ? We have to prepare ourselves now.

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"Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Jesus promised that if we endure to the end, we will be saved. He has kept all of His promises...and He will not forsake us now.

1 Cor 15:56-57

Our victory is through Christ Jesus. Our faith in Him is what will make us overcomers. John suffered for his faith in Christ. Now he is telling his fellow believers that soon they will too. But he encourages us to remain in that faith. To remain strong even when all things around us are crumbling. That is our calling.

For without Jesus we are nothing. We can do nothing without Him. He has given us no reason to doubt Him.

Rom 7:24-25

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Life Application

A part of me wants Barak Obama to win the presidency of this country because he is what we deserve: an irresponsible inexperienced non-believing politician with extremely Liberal views. I firmly believe that the Iranian president is hoping Obama is elected as our president simply because then he will attack Israel knowing Obama will not retaliate, but stand back and abandon Israel.

In a way, I am happy that will happen because then it means Christ is coming soon. But then again, I am saddened to think what this man and his administration will do to our country and Israel.

But it only reminds me that our time here is short. Therefore, we must be preparing ourselves daily to face that persecution for our faith. Memorize scripture, teach it to your children, pray hard and without ceasing, love the brethren, obey God....but most importantly: have faith.

Yes, it may seem scary at times, but not when we remember that Christ is victorious. And we are victorious in Christ Jesus.

Rev 22:12-13

Oh, come quickly Lord!

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Until next time....

"Let it be considered that we all hope to spend an eternity with the saints in heaven, and in the same work of praising God. There is, it may be, not one of us but who hopes to be a saint in heaven, and there continually to sing praises to God and the Lamb. But how disagreeable will it be with such a hope to live in the neglect of praising God now! We ought now to begin that work which we intend shall be the work of another world; for this life is given us on purpose that therein we might prepare for a future life."

-Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758 (Altogether Lovely, 1997, p.232)

Blessings,

Ruth

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Fifty-nine

2008-06-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

"Cast your burden on the LORD,

And He shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

Psalm 55:22

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Good day, ladies! Let's seek the Lord....

"Holy Father, as we break open Your word this day and study about Your commandments, I pray that You will speak to our hearts and convict us of any sin in our lives that we may confess it before You, repent, and be cleansed. We praise Your Holy name this day, Lord, for giving us a way to ease the burden of this world. Thank You for allowing us to cast all our cares upon You. Thank You for sustaining us when we no longer can stand.

I seek forgiveness of my sins this day, Lord, as I think about Your commands. I know there are many I have forsaken. I pray that You will wash me clean, renew me, and be the joy of my salvation once again, Lord.

I lift up each lady reading this study today. I know her cares are real and they burden her. I pray that she will cast her cares upon you and take up Your easy yoke. I pray that You will set her high upon Your Rock, lift her up and sustain her, and bless her with every spiritual blessing as she reads through Your word today.

In Jesus' name....amen."

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Obedience by Faith

As we dive deeper into chapter 5 of 1 John, we will look at the Lord's commandments and how they are not burdensome compared to the world's commands upon us.

In today's world, we are commanded to be and live a certain way. We can see the pressures of this world on our teenagers across America. They have so many pressures on them that we did not have. I saw a father of 2 boys at the library yesterday. He had taken them there, along with a friend, to pick up some books.

He looked tired from the heat and they looked bored, but they did get their books and as they walked out to the truck, I was behind them. One boy was a teenager and the other boys were in elementary school. The father's truck was a small pick-up and I wondered how they all were going to fit in it! But they did.

Unfortunately, the father was very displeased with one of the boys and he yelled at him in the parking lot. I automatically cringe when I hear parents yelling at their kids, especially in public, because it reminds me of all the yelling I experienced when I was growing up. I felt bad for all the boys who looked very uncomfortable. The father continued to belittle his son in front of his older brother and friend. I felt for the kid.

It is easy to forget that some kids out there are being raised in unloving homes without Christ, hurt by divorce, and yet we still expect these kids to be A students in school and become upstanding citizens when they are adults. What pressure!

We forget the burden we place on our children because we get so tangled up in our own burdens.

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1 John 5:2-3

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."

Today I would like to concentrate on the last part of verse 3. I feel that the Lord is laying on my heart to write about how His commands differ from the worlds.

In Jesus' time on earth, He spent alot of time admonishing the Jewish leaders around Him for the burden they had placed on the people. He called them hypocrites.

Before Christ came, remember that the people had not heard a word from God for 400 years. Many generations came and went without counsel from God. They relied upon the Jewish leaders to read the Torah and teach them about what God had done for them. Instead, the leaders wrote up new laws that they used to hold the people down.

They placed new burdens upon the Jewish people in addition to the 600 laws of God! As a result, the people either tried to keep all the laws including the new ones, or they gave up and went about their own business trying to stay out of Rome's way and the Jewish leaders' way.

When Christ began His ministry, this was the state of His people: they were wearing a very heavy yoke upon their shoulders. The Law of God became a huge and heavy burden to them instead of the source of peace and love that it was.

Please read:

Luke 11:37-54

Here we have Jesus admonishing the community leaders for all the burdens they place on the people. The Jewish leaders were more concerned for themselves than for the people.

In 1 John, he writes to fellow believers a reminder that the commandments of the Lord are not burdensome like the commands of this world.

John 15:10

John 14:15

They are the source of real Love.

Matt 11:28-30

The people placed yokes on the shoulders of animals to use them to plow fields or pull carts and wagons. The yokes kept the animals from going off the path. The yokes were made from large pieces of wood.

Here is a picture of a more modern yoke:

It doesn't look too comfortable, does it? You can see why Jesus would use this as a way to illustrate His point.

"I am gentle and lowly in heart, you will find rest for your souls..."

Imagine the people's faces when they heard that from the Lord! Rest, gentleness, lowliness...compared to the harshness of the Jewish leaders and the Romans.

Rom 2:17-19

Obey God and live. His commands give us life and peace. Works do not lead to salvation, they are the result of salvation.

John 2:23-25- the world relies on signs and wonders. We live by faith.

We know we can never earn our way into heaven, but through Jesus we can have that rest and peace even when we do the work of the Lord.

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By teaching our children that obeying the Lord's commands is not burdensome, we can take off some of those pressures the world puts on them because the world's commands are burdensome.

Ps 37:3-8

Teaching our children to trust and do good, dwell and feed on His faithfulness, delight in the Lord, commit, and rest in the Lord is the best thing we can do for them.

This world teaches our children to work, strive, compete, be the BEST they can be at all times. Always pushing forward, onward, etc. Earn more money, buy more things, strive, strive, strive!!

But what does the Lord say?

Ps 37:11

Ps 37:16-17

Ps 37:18

Though there will be tough times as a Christian, we will never be utterly cast down.

Ps 37:23-24

Earthly sorrow leads to death. We have seen that among the young in Hollywood lately. We watch them become famous, enjoy the money and fame, then become depressed and despondent, only to turn to drugs.....leading to their untimely death. The pressures of the world can be too much to handle for some.

2 Cor 7:10

The sorrow of the Lord will lead us to repent of our sins which leads to salvation. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

Paul praises the Christians in Corinth for observing their sorrow in a godly manner and it produced in them purity.

This is what John wants us to remember. We serve the Lord God of Israel. He is faithful and true. His yoke is placed upon us, but His burden is light. He is gentle and lowly. He gives us rest.

If we say we love Jesus, then we must obey His commands by faith knowing that He will remain with us through the trials of life.

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Life Application

I have a friend whose son just turned 16 and he was hired this week for his first job ever: a bag clerk at Fry's.

I was so excited for him, but at the same time a little saddened too because his childhood is officially over. He will work now for the rest of his life.

Work, like most things, is exciting at first. Earning money, saving it, using to purchase things, is a fun part of work. But we all know work can be burdensome as well.

I thank the Lord that He has blessed my family with jobs all through our marriage. We haven't always enjoyed those jobs, but the Lord always provided. I am blessed now to be able to stay home during the summer months with my son. The Lord knows a mother's heart, and so He provides for us a way for me to stay home and enjoy my time.

"Cast your burden on the LORD,

And He shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." Ps 55:22

To know that our Lord sustains us is a wonderful thing. That fact alone should give us rest and peace. To know we are not alone in this world. We were given the mighty Right Arm of the Lord to hold us up.

Rest on the Lord. Take time today to just rest on Him. Cast all your burdens upon Him then wait for that rest and peace. Make time to cease from work so you can just be with the Lord who is gently and lowly.

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Until next time....

"Jesus says that whoever loves God keeps his commandments. If we love God, we want to do as he says; we want to please him with heart, mind, and strength. We do not find his commands grievous because our soul is in the service of God. The Holy Spirit within us is our guide and helper....as David said, 'I will run in the way of thy commandments, when thouh shalt enlarge my heart' (Ps 119:32).

-Dr. Joel Beeke (The Epistles of John, 2006, p. 178)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

2008-06-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

Friday-

Decided to do pilates on Tuesday. Ran 3.5 miles Wednesday morning at 5:30am. It was so nice and cool out at that hour. I will have to continue to run that early to beat the heat.

Rested on Thurs.

Ran 3.25 miles this morning again at 5:30. It was so nice out, but got bit by mosquitoes. Will have to buy some repellant!

Will either run up North Mountain or ride bike tomorrow....not sure.

Running the Good Race

2008-06-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

Monday-

What a busy weekend! I was able to ride my bike on Thurs. for 45 min. Friday I did pilates only for stretching.

Saturday morning I ran 3.25 miles again. It was hotter than I expected, but it was nice. Sunday I rested and then this morning I ran up Shaw Butte. It was already very warm at 6:30 this morning, but the run was nice.

Will run 3.5 miles tomorrow morning.

The First Epistle of John: Lesson Fifty-Eight

2008-06-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

"Seek the LORD while

He may be found,

Call upon Him while He is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way,

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

Let him return to the LORD,

And He will have mercy on him;

And to our God,

for He will abundantly pardon."

Isaish 55:6-7

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Hello again, friends. Let's pray together...

"Holy Father God, as we study Your word again today, Lord, I pray that You will be glorified and praised. I pray and thank You for all You have given to us. I thank You for Your abundant pardon to those of us who have returned to You. I thank You for Your mercy You show to us day after day because You are faithful even when we are faithless.

I seek the pardon of my sins this day, Lord. I know that You are a holy God and my sins separate me from You. I pray that You will cleanse me, purify me, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit this day.

I lift up to You each lady reading this study with her individual needs. I pray that You will walk with her and she will earnestly seek You each morning. I pray that as she reads Your word, You will speak to her heart, convict her of sin, and renew her.

In Jesus' name....amen."

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Obedience by Faith

We have looked at chapter 5 of 1 John in the last 2 lessons in preparation for our expository study verse by verse. Now that you know a little more about this chapter, you can begin to look at the first verses.

Our author, John, is writing this letter to make sure his fellow believers know whom they believe and what it means to be a Christian. Of course, the world has its own definition of what it means to be a Christian....but most importantly we should know what Scripture says a follower of Christ is and is not.

In these last days, we have to understand that our faith will be tested in ways not seen since Christ walked the earth and since Noah built the ark. When Jesus tells us that the last days will be like Noah's time....we have to take that seriously. Man sinned continuously. All his thoughts were wicked continuously. And only Noah and his family were spared.

So, reading this book is most important to Christians. It will leave you with the utmost assurance of your salvation. And it will leave you with the utmost assurance of who is not a Christian.

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1 John 5:1-

"Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him."

The Christ

In the study of the Samaritan Woman I did here at this blog, we read how Jesus revealed Himself as The Christ to this Gentile woman for the first time in His ministry.

Please read:

John 4:21-26

John desires that his readers understand that they must believe that Jesus is The Christ whom he walked with and whom the Scriptures fortell.

Dan 9:25-27

So for a person to be a believer, they must confess (agree) that Jesus is the one and only Christ, or Messiah, mentioned in Scriptures.

Born of God

John 1:13

Then John reminds us that once we agree that Jesus is the Christ foretold in Scriptures, we are then born of God.

Those born of God will love God. Loving God requires obedience to His laws and commands. In this chapter, we will look further into this concept later on, but for now we must remember that there is an inner attribute to those who are Christians: love of God. And there is an outer attribute of Christians: obedience to God.

Without obedience to God's commands, how can we say that we truly belong to Him and love Him?

Love Him who begot

Deut 6:5

In this part of the verse it is as if John is trying to remind us that we love our parents who begot us, but is that enough? Is it enough to merely claim to love God? No, because then John reminds us what the main commandment of God is:

Love Fellow Christians

We learned about love in chapter four, so here is John reminding us once again that we are commanded to love one another as Christ loved: sacrifically.

Gal 1:3-4

Eph 5:1-2

Eph 5:25

Acts 20:28

1 Thess 4:9

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It is not enough for a person to claim to be a Christian simply because they raised their hand in church or signed a card after service and put it in the offering plate.

Just as there are outward symbols and inward symbols of change in all people, it us true of the believer as well. We, as Christians, are not left wondering whether someone we know is a believer or not. There are ways that God Himself provided for us to know for certain if someone truly is born of God or not.

Because He loves us, He gave us this truth in His word. It is this word that separates us from all other religions of the world. Think about it....of the millions of religions out there, only we have the Word of God.

It is that Word of God that guides us, convicts us, and protects us from the false teachings out there. And we know there are so many.

Deut 8:3

Ps119:11

Ps 119:105

Prov 30:5

Is 40:8

Luke 8:11

John 1:14

Phil 2:16

Col 3:16

Heb 4:12

Rev 19:13

For God is His word....so there can be no other.

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Life Application

My prayer for you is that as we complete this book you are seeing a pattern to what John has written. He repeats over and over again the mantra of the Christian:

Love God

Love His word

Love other believers

Obey His commands

This week it was announced that Pres. Bush will give the Medal of Freedom to Donna Shalala, a former member of Pres. Clinton's cabinet. She is hated by many in America for her attempts at destroying Freedom of Speech guaranteed in the Constitution. So, as you can believe, many people are angry at the Pres. for bestowing this honor to this woman.

But I see it as a way for Pres. Bush to heap burning coals onto the heads of his enemies: by being kind to those who hate him.

Luke 6:27

Rom 12:17-21

I firmly believe that this is what Pres. Bush is doing....and in so doing, he is telling other believers that he believes God's Word as truth. He is seeking to do God's will. And he is giving us an example of what to do...obey God.

In the opening verse of today's lesson, it loudly exclaims for believers...or all people....to seek the LORD while He may be found.

As I have often said here on this blog, knowing God is the greatest thing for any living creature. To know and love The One who begot us is paramount to our happiness and survival. And we should be thankful everyday that He provided The Way for us to know Him intimately: through stories, history, poetry, letters, and hymns.

I am amazed at the depth to our God's love for His people. In the midst of this crooked and perverse generation that continually belittles Him and precludes His word from going forth, God still is kind to the wicked and evil.

Luke 6:35-36

We are to obey God, seek Him while He may be found, truly live out His word and commandments for all to see.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

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Until next time....

"Do you love God? Do you love his word, his ordinances, his church, his salvation? We who are born of God, forgiven by God, adopted by God into the divine family, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, cannot help but love God. Love for God is the first fruit of saving faith."

-Dr. Joel Beeke (The Epistles of John, 2006, p. 176)

Blessings,

Ruth

Running the Good Race

2008-06-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

Wednesday-

Started my training this week for the 1/2 marathon in January. I ran on Monday in the evening, but it was way too hot: 108 degrees at 6pm. You'd think I learned from last summer about running in the evenings! But I had to learn it again...

So today I ran in the early morning and it was much cooler: 82 degrees at 6am.

What a difference! Ran 3.25 miles in 30 minutes. Back to my old pace of 6 miles an hour. Will run on Friday morning...hopefully 3.5 miles.

Then it will be 4-6 miles 4 times a week all summer.

Wish me luck!