Revelation 8-9 These two chapters give a vivid description of the terrible judgement upon the earth.  Six trumpets are sounded and at each one there is destruction and death thrown down on those who will not repent.

In 9:4 there is a little ray of hope - those who have the "seal of God on their foreheads" are protected from the painful sting of the demonic locusts.   But, otherwise it appears that there is terror upon terror released upon mankind.

Verses 20-21 are solemn.. " And the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts." 


Why would anyone not fall on their faces and call out to God in the midst of all this devastation?
We do not know.. but we see that there are many even now who refuse the grace of God in the midst of their own horrid situations.  Hard hearts will not bow their wills to the One who loves them.

Father in heaven, even as we read these words describing the end of this earth, our hearts break for the lost, the stubborn, the hard-hearted. If only they would repent!  Lord God, You are the One who changes hearts and calls out to the lost to "Come" and find rest and peace and salvation through Jesus Christ. Bring a revival to our land and to the nations, Lord.  Grant repentance and salvation to our loved ones who we bring before You now....
Amen.

Revelation 7 Between the 6th and 7th seals there is an interlude.   Two significant things are revealed here.

First, we are told that there will be 144,000 from the sons of Israel that will receive a special seal.  They are considered the "bondservants of our God".  In Revelation 14 we are told that this group will will stand with Jesus on Mount Zion.  Verses 3-5 explain that these were "purchased from the earth".
"These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.  These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb." 

Secondly, we are told that there is   "a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and palm branches were in their hands."  One of the elders tells John that these are "the ones who come out of the tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."  This multitude will serve God before His throne "day and night".  He covers them with "His tabernacle" and wipes the tears "from their eyes". 

This view of heaven gives us hope.  Hope for the salvation of people from every tongue, tribe, and nation, including Israel.  There is hope for those who are martyred in the time of tribulation.  There is hope for all who will turn to Jesus.. the Lamb.

 Over and over again, Jesus refers to Himself only as the Lamb. The One who was slain.. the One who's blood was shed for our sins.  The One in whom we find salvation.

Father in heaven,  Almighty God, You are Holy and worthy of every praise. "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever."
This prayer of worship from the tongues of saints and angels, recorded for us here.. is offered from our hearts too.  Help us to learn to worship before Your throne as if we are already there among them.
You are our Savior and God.  We look to You and cling to You, for we find Truth and Hope in You alone.  Praise to the Lamb, who has purchased us by His blood.  Amen.

Revelation 6 Jesus takes the scroll and begins to open it, each seal broken one by one.  Each broken seal is accompanied by a devastating judgement on the earth.
1 A conqueror on a white horse sets out to conquer the earth.
2 A warrior on a red horse is given a great sword to "take peace from the earth".
3 One on a black horse brings famine.
4 One on an ashen horse is called Death and is given authority to kill "a fourth of the earth"
5 The martyrs cry out and are given white robes and told to rest until their numbers are complete.
6 An earthquake, the blackening of the sun, the changing of the moon, and the sky is torn apart.

All those remaining on earth at that time will try to hide from the judgement of God and the "wrath of the Lamb".  They rightly admit that no one is able to stand on that great day.

The reality is that God is the Judge.  He is just and He is merciful. But, ultimately those who refuse the salvation offered through Jesus Christ, will be left behind to experience the wrath to come.

As much as we long to see Jesus and to be with Him in heaven, we dread the finality of His judgement upon the earth.. for we know many of our own families who are headed for that day of wrath unless the Lord shows mercy and brings them to repentance and faith in Christ.

I hear the Shepherd calling us to pray..

Father in heaven,  You are the Almighty God and only Savior.  In Christ we have life and hope and salvation.  We give You thanks and praise.  Father, our loved ones are still lost.  We know You love them and do not want them to perish but to have life in Jesus.  Once again we bring our requests to You, in the name of the Lamb, that You would bring them to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior too.
Thank You Lord.  We praise You, the God of Love and Grace. Amen.

Revelation 5  John witnesses an amazing event in his visit to heaven.  The One on the throne has a scroll in His hands and the angel calls for the One who is worthy to open it.  It is clear that no one on earth or in heaven is considered worthy, except for the Lamb...He takes the book  and all begin to worship and sing:

 " Worthy art Thou to take the book and to break its seals;

 For Thou wast slain and didst purchase for God with Thy blood

 men from every tongue and people and nation. 

 And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom

 and priest to our God; 

and they will reign upon the earth."

All the elders, all the angels, and all the living creatures worship the Lamb that was slain.  All of creation "in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them.."  will worship.. "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." 

This book, that is about to be opened, contains judgements.. fierce and terrible judgements that will be poured out upon the earth.  As the seals are opened there will be war and famine and death... It is a mystery to me that John would weep for the book to be opened....  Yet it is the worthiness of the Lamb that is emphasized here.  He is the heir of all things.  He is the One who upholds all things.  His sacrifice purchased us and He has made us His own. The judgements that He unleashes will wipe away all that is false and evil.  Then the righteous alone will be with Him forever.  Ultimately it is a wonderful thing.. for we long for that day when we will be with Him forever... we wait and watch for His coming.  Yet, it is  His coming that will bring final judgement on all who do not bow before Him, all those who will not believe and will not repent.  He alone is worthy to bring this final chapter to be completed. 

Father in heaven,  we put our trust in Your Beloved Son, the Lamb who was slain so that we might receive forgiveness for our sins.  Blessing and honor and glory and dominion to You forever and ever. 

Father we pray for those who are still walking the path to judgement.. Change their hearts, Lord, bring them to faith in Jesus Christ.    You are merciful and patient. Thank You .  Worthy is the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen. 

Revelation 4   John is invited to visit heaven.  To do so, he leaves his body behind and goes through an open door "in the spirit".  The description that John writes is similar to that of Ezekiel.  His testimony of this shows that heaven is a real place; it is completely different than earth; it contains real things and real creatures; and it is filled with real worship centered around the "One sitting on the throne".  

I can't begin to grasp the significance of all that John sees.  I won't even try.  I'm interested in hearing the voice of the Shepherd through these revealed truths.

There are two songs recorded for us in this chapter.  The first is the song of the four living creatures:

"Holy, holy, holy,

is the Lord God, 

the Almighty, 

who was and who is and who is to come." 

( v8)

We are told that this song is song without ceasing.  It is a song to give "glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever." 

The second song is from the 24 elders:

"Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, 

To receive glory and honor and power;

For Thou didst create all things, 

and because of Thy will they

existed and were created." 

( v11)

This song is delivered as the elders fall before Him worshiping and casting their crowns before the throne. 

John's description of heaven gives us a mental picture of a place beyond anything we can imagine.  The words of the songs he records for us give us a true picture of what it means to worship... 

We can learn from this... worship is about the holiness and worthiness of the One and only God.  It is about His sovereignty, His glory, His power, His will, and His eternal existence.  

It is not about us... 

Father in heaven, Eternal, Almighty God, You alone are worthy of praise and honor and thanksgiving. 

We are so ignorant of Your Majesty and Greatness.. it is unsearchable and far above our comprehension.  May we learn to worship in spirit and in truth. May we truly honor You for who You are and not our small and pitiful thoughts about You.. Forgive us and help us we pray.  In Jesus' name. amen. 

Revelation 3:14-22  The letter to Laodicea.  

Jesus describes Himself here as "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God..."  The Amen- the trustworthy and true;  the faithful - trustworthy;  the true Witness - the One who speaks truth... Three expressions with one point - He is Truth.. and we can trust Him fully.   He is also the Beginning - the chief, the first; the foremost.  As written in Hebrews 1 - Jesus is the One THROUGH whom all things are made and FOR whom all things are made.  He is the heir of all things and the One who upholds all things by the word of His power.   This is who is speaking to the churches.. and what He says is vital.

Once again, Jesus points out that He knows the deeds of the church....
Their deeds were "lukewarm"... neither cold nor hot.. and Jesus was ready to spit them out.
What exactly was the problem?  Well, they were rich and thought they needed nothing else, not realizing that they were spiritually "wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked. "
They needed to come to Jesus...  they needed to receive from Him what they really needed - " gold refined by fire... white garments.. eye salve.. " They needed to humble themselves and  repent.  

Jesus will reprove and discipline His church to bring them to repentance.
"Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to  him and will dine with him, and he with Me." We need to open the door!

The seven letters to the seven churches are for all who have "an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  We are the church and we need to listen to the voice of our Shepherd.  These passages can help us to pray for our own community of faith as well as the church universal..

Let us pray that our church will persevere and not grow weary, that we will do the deeds of passionate love for our Savior who walks among us.
Let us pray that we will not fear suffering but be faithful unto death because we have a living Savior who is the first and the last.
Let us pray that we will never deny His name but hold fast to the Truth - His Word.
Let us pray that we will recognize and remove all false teachers, remaining pure and unstained by the lies of this world, for our Lord "searches the minds and hearts".  And He will "give to each one of you according to your deeds." 
Let us pray that we will be alive, that we will wake up and complete the deeds that God has called us to do.
Let us pray for open doors for the Word that "no one can shut", remembering that the keys are His!
And let us remember that He is coming quickly.. and we need to hold fast to all He has given us.
Let us pray that we will not be lukewarm, but be refined as gold, covered by His garments, and healed of our blindness.. by the One who is Trustworthy and True.

Father in heaven, You are our God and we are Your people . Your Word is Truth and we seek to know You and to do all these things by the power of Your Spirit in us, through Christ Jesus, our Lord and King. It is in His name that we come before You and ask.. Your will be done. Amen.

Revelation 3:7-13  The letter to Philadelphia.

Jesus introduces Himself here as the One "who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens.. "   Jesus, the Son of David, is the fulfillment of God's promises to David.  The Kingdom belongs to Him.  He has the key.  It is interesting that the Hebrew word used in Isaiah 22:22 about this key means to open.. to break forth, let go free, loose. While the Greek word kleis primarily speaks of shutting a lock.   Both aspects of the key of David are under the authority of Jesus Christ.   In Matthew 16:19  Jesus tells Peter that He will  give him "the keys of the kingdom of heaven;".   These keys allow things on earth to be bound or loosed with a corresponding result in heaven.

 Jesus tells the church that He is opening a door for them and no one can shut it.  He knows that they have kept His Word and they have not denied His name.  He is going to humble their enemy.  He is going to come for them.  He has a crown for them that none can take away.

Oh the glory of a church that perseveres and overcomes!  Jesus says He will make them "a pillar in the temple of My God".  They will have the name of God written on them.. "and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name." 

There is a future that we can't even begin to imagine, awaiting the day when Christ returns.  That day is coming and we must be like the church in Philadelphia.. faithful, true, holy, and keeping His Word.

Father, we look to You, for this is Your Word and You will fulfill it completely.  All praise and glory and thanksgiving we bring to You.  May Your great Kingdom come!  May Your will be done. May Your Name be lifted up in all the earth.  May Christ be glorified! Amen.

Revelation 3:1-6  The letter to Sardis.  

Jesus is introduced here as "He who has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars.. "  The seven stars have been explained.. they are the angels or pastors of the seven churches to whom these letters are addressed.  The seven Spirits are "before His throne" (1:4) .  
Jesus ends each letter with the admonition, " He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  

The church at Sardis was in trouble.  Jesus says that they are dead, even though they think they are alive. Their deeds are incomplete. They needed to repent.  They needed to "wake up"!  They were "soiled" - defiled, except for a few of the faithful.  ( Truths that are relevant in our world today)

Verse 5 " He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels."   This implies that those who do not repent will not overcome.. they will not wear white garments.. and their names will be erased from the book of life... does it not?

 In Matthew 10:32-33 Jesus says, " Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But, whoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. "  Here Jesus says He will confess the name of these who overcome.. those who "remember" what they have heard and "keep it and repent".   Partial obedience is not acceptable in the sight of our God.  He calls us to completion.
Complete obedience. Complete surrender.

Father in heaven, You are holy and we hallow Your name.  We desire to walk a worthy walk of trusting and obeying our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  May we be alert and awake.. may we have ears to hear.. and may we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, for Jesus Christ is Lord.   We seek Your help, to live for You completely.  Amen.

Revelation 2: 18-29  The letter to Thyatira

In this letter Jesus is introduced as the "Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and His feet are like burnished bronze".  In verse 23 He reminds them that " I am He who searches the minds and hearts and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds."  In verse 27 He tells them that " I also have received authority from My Father; ". 

Fiery eyes and glowing feet... The Son of God, who searches minds and hearts, and has the authority to judge and rule. The Bible Knowledge Commentary suggests that the eyes of fire and bronzed feet represent indignation and righteous judgement.  His message to the church is one of severe rebuke for their immorality which has been allowed by a Jezebel.. a false prophetess who was allowed to lead many of the church into idolatry.

Jesus calls us into purity.. " hold fast until I come".. keep "My deeds".   Each individual is judged on their own deeds, we are reminded.  But, the church leaders are held responsible for the teaching that is allowed.  Repentance is needed when corruption has made its way into the church which is the Body of Christ.  He will not allow any impurity to remain.  Judgement will come from the hand of the One who has been given all authority.

To the overcomers, Jesus promises an amazing thing.. we will rule with Him! We will be given authority over nations.. and He will give us "the morning star".  

Father in heaven,  You are light and in You there is no darkness at all.  You call us out of darkness and into the Kingdom of Your Beloved Son.  You call us to complete holiness.. purity and righteousness .
We desire nothing less than this.  Yet we are weak and vulnerable.  Keep us in Your grace. May Your refining fire purge out all impurities..   Fill us with Your Spirit.  May are hearts and minds be fixed on Jesus, our Righteous Redeemer.  In His name we pray, Amen.

Revelation 2: 12-17  The letter to Pergamum - speaks of  Jesus, "the One who has the sharp two-edged sword... "    In John's description of Jesus in chapter 1:16 he wrote.. "  and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; "  

My first observation when thinking about this sword, of course, is that it comes out of His mouth. We know from scripture that this depicts the Word of God.  Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  And Ephesians 6:17 ".. and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God." 

The second thought is that the sword of the Lord is an instrument of judgement.
Isaiah prophesied in  49:2 " And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword.. "  Ezekiel also talks about the sword of the Lord. Ezekiel 21:3  " Thus says the Lord, 'Behold I am against you; and I shall draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked.' " The Lord tells Ezekiel to " groan with breaking heart and bitter grief.. " The news that is coming will cause "every heart" to melt. All "hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will be weak as water."
The severe judgement of God is to be taken seriously.. more than seriously.. with groaning.. with grief.

This is the image that we must keep in our minds as we hear what Jesus says to the church.
It is true that they are living "where Satan's throne is.. where Satan dwells."  According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, Pergamum was the site of a temple dedicated to the Roman Emperor, Augustus.  It was also the site of an altar to Zeus. It was known for the worship of other idols also.
Jesus recognized that the church was holding fast to His name even in the persecution they faced. But, they were in danger of judgement because they were allowing false teachers to lead the believers away from the Truth.  "Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly; and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. "  Jesus will fight for the Truth.  He will destroy the liar.  He has overcome and His Word will never pass away!

The blessings that Jesus promises to those who overcome.. those who stick with the Truth.. are "hidden manna" and  "a white stone" and a "new name".   We have this hope and promise in Christ as long as we remain faithful, abiding in Him and in His Word.

Father, keep us in Your Truth, in Christ, who is the Way and the Truth and the Life.  In Him, we abide, desiring to always keep Your commandments and to walk in the Light as You have told us.  Come, Holy Spirit and fill us once again. Amen.

Revelation 2:8-11    I love how each of these 7 letters begins with Jesus... each different, specific, and deliberate..  

This letter to the church at Smyrna reminds us that Jesus is "the first and the last"; that He  "was dead and has come to life".    First - prōtôs - foremost; ( in time, place, order,  or importance) before; at the beginning, best, chief, first of all.   Last - êschatôs - farthest; final ( of place or time) ends of; last; lowest, uttermost;    From the foremost to the uttermost!   The definition ( of eschatos ) suggests the idea of "contiguity" - from contiguous - in physical contact; nearness; touching; next.. unbroken connections..   Jesus has touched and continues to touch EVERYTHING!
From before the beginning of creation until after the end of this world... Jesus is...

Jesus also reminds the church that He "was dead"  but is alive!  Death is not the end.. He IS!
Death seems near.. touching everything and everyone.. but it will not have the final word.  For Jesus is alive!

These words are vital in light of the message for Smyrna - more tribulation is coming.  He knows what they have already suffered, yet more suffering is coming.. suffering that will test them.  Suffering that leads to death.  "Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. "  He tells them..  " He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." 

Don't be afraid and don't give up your faith, even unto death... Jesus tells us.  And He is our example. He has suffered and He experienced death for us all.  We listen to Him.. because He is here.. touching it all.  He touches our suffering and understand our fear.  He knows what we are going through and He will not leave us or forsake us, for He is the Foremost and the Uttermost!

Praise to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.  Glory and honor and power and praise to our God and to our Savior, Jesus Christ who lives forever! He IS with us even now!  Amen.

Revelation 2:1-7  The letter to Ephesus.

Verse 1 is a picture of Jesus as "the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands.. " 

Jesus has already explained to John that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the lampstands are the seven churches.  Angels = messengers.. pastors.  The Lord Jesus, even now holds the pastors of His church in His hand.. in His right hand, the hand of power.  He walks in the midst of His people.  He is intimately acquainted with His people.. His bride.   He knows their victories and He knows their failures.

Jesus wants the church to know that He sees them.  He knows their deeds.. their good works.  The church in Ephesus had toiled and persevered.  They had endured persecution.  They had discerned the false teachings and removed them.  But...

".. I have this against you, that you have left your first love.." 

Matthew recorded the words of Jesus in 24:12 "And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold."   Jeremiah also  wrote about this.. the Lord said, " I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, the love of your betrothals, your following after Me in the wilderness.... but My people have changed their glory for that which does not profit.. "  Israel turned from the Lord their God, forsaking Him who had led them out of Egypt and given them the promised land.

The church in Ephesus was in danger of being removed.. "unless you repent".   "Do the deeds you did at first" the Lord tells them.  Repent - think differently, reconsider, reform.  

Perhaps the church had become fixated with their good works.  Perhaps they had become proud of their strength to persevere. We easily fall into the habits of christian life - going to church, reading the Bible, even praying and worshiping.. but if our passion for the Lord and Savior is missing... we need desperately to repent.. 

Love - John's favorite subject in his epistles,  is what our God desires more than anything else.  The greatest commandment, Jesus said, is " You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind... The second is like it , 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'".

 In II Thessalonians 3:5 Paul prays, " And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ."   This may be the most important prayer that we can pray so that we can reconsider, reform.. repent of our lack of love..

Our loving Savior,  You know us intimately and love us passionately.  You are calling us back into a love relationship with You that is more important than doing good deeds or perseverance in suffering.  Forgive us.  Change our cold hearts, reigniting our passion, our devotion, and our intimacy with You, beyond anything we have known before.  We bow before You and plead for grace, mercy, and peace, and love, multiplied to Your people, all who call You upon Your Name.  In the Name of Jesus, the One who holds us and walks among us, we pray. Amen.

Revelation 1  Verse 1 tells us that God gave this revelation to Jesus "to show His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place..." 

John's vision and faithful witness of this Revelation is at once powerful, awe-inspiring, and a bit daunting!  As I finish this final book of the Word, I want to once again focus on listening.. listening to the voice of My Shepherd.. Jesus Christ.

To read these words, to really hear what Jesus is revealing to us.. and to heed His voice.. He tells us, is to be "blessed"!  But it is also vital, because ".. the time is near".

John addresses this book to the churches..  He writes under the Name and authority of "Him who is and who was and who is to come;" - The Father ; and from the Spirit - whom He mysteriously calls the "seven Spirits who are before His throne"; and from "Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth."   The same One "who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood".   The coming One...

John's vision of Jesus, standing behind him as he was worshipping on the Lord's day.. was so terrifying that he fell on his face.. "as a dead man".    But, Jesus, the One who loved John dearly, touched him and reintroduced Himself...  Those familiar words.. " Do not be afraid..."  came from a different voice.. one that had the "sound of many waters", but must have been just as comforting..   His face was like the sun.  His hair was white like wool.  His eyes were like fire and His mouth produced a sword!   Jesus reminded His friend John that He was the same One who loved him and knew him.. " I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades." 

Jesus had a message for John to write.. and John needed to know Who he was speaking with..

Imagine what it will be like when we first set our eyes on Jesus.. if John, who knew Him so well
(in the flesh).. was struck down.. won't we also? That time is coming.. it is near.. and we need to hear what Jesus has to say in this difficult book..

Lord, God of all creation, help us to really hear, and to heed Your Words.  May we know more fully the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. May we behold His glory and the glory of our Father in heaven.  Draw me closer I pray... and give me grace to receive all You have for me to hear I pray. Amen.

Jude .. In this short letter, Jude makes a strong plea for the preservation of the church which has been invaded by false teachers.   ".. I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith.." ( v3)

The enemy had crept in.. they were ungodly men; they lived licentious lives; they denied Jesus.
These people, Jude writes, will face the same judgement that caused the unbelievers of Israel to die in the wilderness; that sent rebellious angels into the pit of darkness; and that made Sodom and Gomorrah into ash heaps.  They were arrogant sinners.. defiling the flesh, rejecting authority, and even reviling angels.. which they knew nothing about.  Jude compares these people to Cain, Balaam, and Korah.

"These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit; doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars ,for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever."   
They do ungodly deeds in ungodly ways.
 They speak ungodly words against God Himself.
They are grumblers.
They are blasphemers.
They are arrogant.
They take advantage of others.
They cause divisions.
They do not have the Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately.. these kinds of people are everywhere and are leading many into the same darkness yet today.

Jude tells the church how to "contend earnestly for the faith". 
Build "yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit" (v20)
"..keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." 
The church needs to be standing firm in the truth.. and then reach out to those who need to hear it..

".. have mercy on some who are doubting"
".. save others, snatching them out of the fire;"
.. " and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh;" 

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. amen. "

II John  - one verse stands out.. " Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." 

When we are "walking in the truth" and obeying the Lord's commandments.. that we "love one another"...  then, John says.. we will have "grace, mercy, and peace.. "

Abide in the Truth.  Abide in God the Father and in Jesus Christ His Son.
"Watch yourselves.. "  John warns, so we don't lose this.

In III John, we are reminded that not everyone who calls themselves a christian lives in the truth.
We are deceived when we allow anything to carry away from the Truth.

" Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God"

Constantly abiding.. in Him, in His truth and His love... bottom line..

Father in heaven, keep us in Your perfect peace, whose minds are fixed on You.  May Your mercies, which are new every morning, be manifested to our hearts, souls, and bodies today.  May Your grace, which is sufficient for all things.. fill us once again.  Help us to walk in truth and in love.  By the power of Your Spirit, may we do what is good, for Your glory and according to Your perfect will, Amen.

I John 5

Believe that "Jesus is the Christ".. born of God..
Love the children of God and love God.. by obeying His commandments.
Overcome the world by faith.
Believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
The Spirit is truth.. and He bears witness of Jesus.
The "water" and the "blood" bear witness in agreement with the Spirit.
Receive the witness of God .. "concerning His Son". 
Believe the witness of God.. "concerning His Son". 
Receive the witness of God in ourselves.. that He has given us eternal life in His Son.

"He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life." v12

Believe "in the name of the Son of God in order that you may know that you have eternal life." 
Have confidence to ask "anything according to His will". 
Know that He hears us.
Know that He gives us the requests that we have asked.
Know that prayer can bring life to another...
Know that Jesus keeps us from the evil one!
Know that we are of God.
Know that Jesus came to give us "understanding in order that we might know Him who is true.. "
Know that we are "in Him who is true , in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life." 

Father in heaven, You are Holy and True, Righteous and Just.  You alone are God and there is no others.  We praise You.  We bless Your name.  We give You our thanks.  We surrender all into Your hands, for You alone give life and we are Yours.  We believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came to give us salvation and forgiveness of sin.  We believe that He is our Great High Priest and Mediator.
We come in the Name of Jesus to ask for life for those of our loved ones who are lost in sin and unbelief.  Open their eyes, grant them understanding, we pray.  amen.

I John 4   John continues to emphasize the bottom line... LOVE.   We need to get this right, he tells us, because otherwise we are lost, without God altogether.

John tells us some things we need to do, to make sure we are on the right path..

1. Test the spirits.. know the difference between  the Spirit of God and a false spirit.
".. every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God." ( v2) 

2. Know that .. "He who is in you" is greater than "he who is in the world".  v4

3. Know that "love is from God".

4. Know that "everyone who loves is born of God and knows God". 

5. Know that "love.. was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him". 

It is hard to skip any single verse in John's writing.. for there are deep truths that fill these pages..
Love from God, love for God, love for others.. in Jesus, through Jesus, and by the example and sacrifice of Jesus.. love flows into us..  It casts out fear.  It overcomes the world.  It gives us life.
It manifests.. or reveals to us... God Himself.

Verse 16 in particular speaks to me... " we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love and the one who abides in love abides in God and God abides in him." 

Father in heaven, perfect this love in us.. Amen.

I John 3  " Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth." 

Bottom line...  Jesus loved us and laid down His life for us.  His commandment to us is to love one another.  Love..  is the testimony of our walk with Christ.  It is what pleases the Father. It is what He produces in us when we abide with Him.

" See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called children of God; and such we are."

Father, we are Yours.  We believe in the name of Your son, Jesus Christ.  We love one another, just as You have commanded.  We forsake lawlessness and sin, choosing to obey and practice righteousness through the power of Your Spirit who lives in us.  We ask that You would increase our love..  in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I John 1:17-29  Abide- to stay ( in a given place, state, relation, or expectancy) - continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, tarry;

John calls us to abide - by doing "the will of God" ( v17)
We must let the Word abide in us, so that we can abide "in the Son and in the Father." ( v24)
If we "abide in Him" John writes, "we may confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming." 

We either abide in the Truth.. or we abide in the lies..

The enemy seeks to deceive.  He speaks lies. He denies that Jesus is the Christ.

But, we have " an anointing".  We have been given the Holy Spirit.. so that we can "know the truth". 
The Spirit teaches us all things.
We need no other to teach us, because He does, and His teaching is Truth.
The truth is God keeps His promises. ( v25)
The truth is that we have eternal life in Christ. ( v25)
The truth will keep us walking in righteousness.  ( v29)
The truth is that we must stay.. continually.. dwelling in the Word so that we can abide in Him and He in us.

Father in heaven, You are the One True God and there is no other.  You are great and greatly to be praised.  You are the Majesty on High, and we desire to abide in You.. to dwell in Your Presence always.  May we do Your will.  May we abide in Your Truth.  Abide in us, Lord God.. abide in me today.  It is in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I live,  that we pray.  Amen.

I John 1: 15-17  "Do not love the world nor the things of the world."  John writes.  This world - kosmos - this orderly arrangement, this literal or figurative decoration..  love of the world pushes out the love of the Father..  The love of the world is superficial, fleeting, and perishing.  It is evident through three ways...  "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life".  These things are "not from the Father".  

 Lust is a longing, a craving, a coveting after that which is forbidden;  it is setting your heart on those things that are "not from the Father."

The" lust of the flesh"  means to desire, crave, or set our hearts on the things that our bodies want..
Eve wanted the fruit that was forbidden.
Esau wanted the food that Jacob cooked more than the inheritance worth so much more.
David wanted Bathsheba...
We want fancy houses, clothes, cars, or wealth...and when that is not enough we want to stay distracted.. by drugs, alcohol, sex, or whatever else makes us feel good for the moment.

Jesus said, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things will be added to you." ( all the things we really need) Don't  be anxious about it.  Don't pursue it. Don't crave it.  Trust God to know what you need and allow Him to be Your provider.  "Give us this day our daily bread."  Jesus teaches us to pray.
When Satan came to the wilderness to tempt Jesus, he told Him to turn the stones into bread.. to satisfy His flesh after 40 days of fasting.  But, Jesus saw through the lie.  It wasn't bread for the body that the Father wanted Him to have.. but "the Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God".  Feed the spirit and allow God to take care of the body.

The "lust of the eyes"  - Proverbs 27: 20 says, " Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied."  The craving for more and more and more.. never satisfied..  That particular sin is very evident in our world today.   The rich want more riches.  The poor want more than they can afford. The advertisements are everywhere.. enticing us to want what they are selling.
If we don't have the money.. well, financing is available...
Paul wrote to Timothy, " And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content."  The writer of Hebrews wrote, " Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you.'"  ( 13:5)
Jesus told those who wanted to follow Him, " The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." ( Matt. 8:20)
Can we be content with that?
Or can we be like Jesus.  Paul said, "Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. " ( Phil. 4:11)

The third area that shows a "love of the world". .. is "the  boastful pride of life".  Jesus lists pride as one of those things that "proceeds out of the man,"  which "defiles the man."  "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deed of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."  ( Mark 7:21-23)  Pride.. arrogance.. boasting..
Proverbs 11:2 says, " When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom."  And Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before stumbling."
Jeremiah 9:23-24 " Thus says the Lord, 'Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,' declares the Lord."  
Paul wrote, " But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world."  ( Gal. 6:14)


Father in heaven, take away any love of the world that remains in our hearts. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  May we seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness only.  May we find contentment in the riches of Your grace alone.  May we boast only of the cross of Jesus and that precious blood that was shed for us.  May Your love be the only love that remains in us.  We ask this in Christ Jesus, who sits at Your right hand interceding for us. amen.

I John 2  Our faith is often tested.. questioned.. doubted.. and that is not actually a bad thing, for as Peter wrote, " In this you greatly rejoice.. that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold.. may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."  

I read a quotation recently that said, "A faith that cannot be tested is a faith that cannot be trusted."  John seems to want to make sure that we have the kind of faith that will be able to keep standing in the midst of trials, doubts, and questions...  It must be faith in the God who "is light", Who knows that we are sinners and wants us to know it, confess it, and find forgiveness for it, in Jesus Christ.. the only One who can forgive us from all sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This Advocate is ".. Himself the propitiations for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."  When we let that sink in fully.. we are overwhelmed, humbled, awestruck..so, so, so thankful..

But, John gives us more.. " And by this we know that we have come to know Him.. ."  To know that we know..  Him.. Jesus, our only Hope, our only Savior, our only Life-giver... This is really, really important.. we don't want to be fooled into thinking we are ok with the Lord.. and have Him say, "I never knew you.. " ( Matthew 7:23)  So, how do we examine ourselves so that we know that we know?

John says that if we know Him, we will keep His commandments.  
If we don't keep His commandments.. we are liars when we say that we know Him.
If we truly know Him, we will keep His Word and "the love of God" will be "perfected" in us.  
If God's love is in us, we will abide in Him and we will walk "in the same manner as He walked".  
( v3-6-)

As the Light shines in us more and more "the darkness is passing away".. John writes.  The more we walk in that light, the more we will love.  If we are still hating our brothers, then we know we are still in darkness, which means we are not obeying His commands and we don't even begin to know Him.

John does not want us to be discouraged though!  He wants us to remember that we have an Advocate.. the One who will forgive us when we ask.. .. the One who HAS forgiven us for "His name's sake"! 
John wants us to remember that we do "Know Him who has been from the beginning.." 
He wants us to remember that we have "overcome the evil one".  
He wants us to remember that we "are strong and the word of God abides in [us].. " 

Walk in the Light, in these truths, in the Word.. know that you know Him.. grow in the knowledge of God's love and allow it to be perfected.. completed in You. Walk as Jesus walked, keeping His commandment.. to love.. . this is God's will for us..

Father in Heaven, we bow before You, the King of heaven and earth, the One and only God, the Majesty on High, and we praise You. You have given us life and salvation in Jesus Christ, the Begotten Son of God, who is the propitiation for our sins.  May Your Kingdom come to earth, that the whole world will know that Jesus died for all sins.. and all who will come to Him and confess their sins, will find forgiveness in Him. You are not willing that any should perish  but that all will come to repentance.. and find true life in the Light of Your Son.  May Your will be done. Amen.