The Book of 2 John

Hello Friends!

The book of 2 John is an excellent little letter. Here are a few theological thoughts regarding John’s second epistle to consider in walking out your Christian journey…

The Book of 2 John

The phrase, "many deceivers have entered the world" describes John's day as well as our day. In light of the situation, John in this epistle – the smallest of his writings – gives us instructions for how to walk with the Lord in our day. John lifts up the "truth" which he uses to describe the "revealed truth" the "holy" Scriptures. The Bible, as the only authority and source for Truth and Devine doctrine, is our resource for the day and age we live in today – a day of great spiritual decline and rank apostasy.

In the message to all believers everywhere, John says the truth – true doctrine – is a necessity for our daily walk. Today we hear that "love" is the driving force in relationships – not doctrine. John says love is a key component in our Christian walk, but not to the exclusion of biblical doctrine – teaching. However, John brings the two – love and doctrine – Into perfect harmony.
 
Here John defines love as walking in His commandments: 

This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it – 2 John 1:6

This verse is not referring to the external moral "law" of Moses but the internal "law of Christ." God is love and when we received Christ as Savior from our sins, the divine love of God was placed in our renewed heart.
Love then is manifest in following "the law of Christ", which is to "love one another" – our fellow believers in Christ:

And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another – 2 John 1:5

Therefore, "love" and "law" – the law of Christ – are partners in our walk with Him each and every day. To me this is very practical, especially in the world we walk through today. Because we love Him we do what He wants us to do – His Will for our lives. I have found that to be the case with my dear wife Ann of 25-plus years. The longer I am with her, the more I love her and the more I want to do those things that please her. This is a simple illustration of a profound truth that John reminds us of often in his letters.

The Lord wants us to show our love by walking in His law and at the same time, He enables us to do so by the power of His Holy Spirit. The Lord also reminds us through John's letter that "reward day" is coming at the Judgment Seat of Christ for Christians and He does not want us to lose the reward He has for us:

Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward – 2 John 1:8

This verse tells us that we must do as John has instructed or we are in danger of not receiving our "full reward". Now this has nothing to do with our salvation but with the rewards we receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ. You may remember that at the "judgment seat" we will receive "crowns" that we will lay at the Lord's feet in thanksgiving for what He has done for us:

The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne… – Revelation 4:10

There are many folks today that say "doctrine divides" and it is better to "love" than to allow doctrine to divide believers. However, as we read the Scriptures, we can plainly see this view of “doctrine divides” is simply not true – for the believer. John's perspective is that true Bible doctrine will "unite" believers, not divide them. That said, as Jesus Christ promised, doctrine will divide believers from unbelievers.

Biblical Truth is the foundation of Christian love. John also gives us some directives for the last days in which we should pay close attention. John tells us about “deceivers” – many of them will enter this world at the time of the end. These “deceivers” will deny that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and has come in the flesh. John is pretty tough on these deceivers – he calls them "antichrists". Not the "antichrist" - but an “antichrist“ spirit:

For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist – 2 John 1:7

Then John reveals the method for us to deal with these “antichrist deceivers.” He says if they come and bring their false doctrine, do not allow them to enter your house – place of worship. John also says do not bid them God speed – blessings. In fact, if we do allow them into our homes and bid them God speed, we are partakers of their evil deeds. 

That said, here is a bit of clarity to this scenario which has caused much debate and confusion. The first-century church operated in smaller group/home settings and not the large “buildings” that we are accustomed to today. Therefore, I believe the reference to “house” outlined here by John is not as we understand the modern term of a living space, but rather an actual church setting – specifically the pulpit. To allow a known false teacher or heretic to speak from our church pulpits today would be a grave mistake indeed – not to mention a major lack of discernment. However, to have a doctrinal discussion with a cult member or other non-Christians at our door step or in a public setting is obviously appropriate – and Biblical.
 
Remember, it was Jude and the Apostle Peter who admonished believers to “defend the faith!”     

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints – Jude 3

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear – 1 Peter 3:15

The Apostle John is straightforward with this message warning of false doctrine and those who propagate it in this world. We must not only heed his warning, but follow his example in our own associations as well. – Amen to that!

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><

Show a Little Patience

13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.  Exodus 14

Ok, so these four books of the bible are probably the most difficult for me to get through (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).  Not because of the dense subject matter of the laws, the various census takings, or the genealogy, but because they center around Moses.  He's not one of my favorite people in the Bible.  I know some of you probably find this blasphemous, "But Moses was such a great leader to the Israelites!" but that's just my opinion.  Anyways, I really try to keep an open mind when reading about Moses, in the hopes that I'll find something to sway my opinion.  Alas, this passage is not that.

The Israelites were camping by the sea, and the Egyptians had chased after them and caught up to them.  The Egyptians weren't immediately upon the Israelites, but they were close enough for the Israelites to see them and to panic.  They went to Moses and he immediately tells them to stay still and let the Lord fight for them.

"Whoa, whoa, that's not what I said to do," is basically God's reply to this.  God hadn't told Moses anything about this (at least, that we have documented), so Moses was showing faith that God will deliver them from the Egyptians.  The problem is, it was a rash promise and wasn't what God had planned.  Moses could have used a little more patience (here and in other places).

I'm working on teaching the concept of patience to my two year old (insert giggling at the futility of this endeavor here).  He's really pretty good with it, most of the time.  He'll get something stuck in his head that he wants, be it a cup of milk, a pop tart, a train, or his daddy who walked into the store, and he'll cry and whine for that item.  I very calmly remind him, "Remember that patience we talked about?  It's when you know something good is going to happen, but you have to wait for it."  Believe it or not, but it mostly works with him.  It will calm him down enough so we can start playing with something else to get his mind off of it and he soon forgets what he wanted in the first place (this isn't so easy when he's strapped to a car seat and we're waiting on daddy to come out of the store though).

We all could use a little more patience.  Sometimes God doesn't immediately answer our prayers or give us a clear direction.  We shouldn't assume to know what he wants, but should wait to hear from him.  And when we finally hear from him, even if we don't like what we're hearing - because he may be telling us to start marching toward the sea - it is a good thing to get that response and direction.

Thursday Devotional - Doubts

Have you ever doubted if something would work, but you tried it anyway?
 
Some of Jesus' disciples doubted Jesus' resurrection, but went to meet Him anyway.
Matthew 27:16-17 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

We know Thomas was as least one of the disciples that doubted at one point (John 20:24-31). I think there may have been more than just Thomas, though, because it says "some doubted." From the other Gospels it is clear that some of them doubted the report by the women (Mark 16:9-11), doubted the witness of those who had seen Jesus (Mark 16:12-14), and even doubted Jesus himself when he appeared to them personally (Luke 24:36-43).

We know they didn't stay "doubters!" Mark 16:19-20 says "After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up in to heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it."
 
Even though some disciples doubted, they still did as Jesus commanded and went to meet Him in Galilee. They took their doubts to Jesus and then He was able to give them the confirmation they needed. What if they hadn't obediently gone to Galilee? Some of them may have remained doubters.
 
We can do the same today with our doubts. We can go to God in prayer and ask our questions. We can then study and search the Bible for answers. If we have doubts, but don't go to God and His Word, then we can't expect to receive answers.
 
What doubts do you have? What doubts do those around you have?
How will you and I take those doubts and questions to God and ask for the Holy Spirit to help us know the truth as we study the Bible? Then, we can proclaim the truth with confidence, without doubts! As Kent wrote about yesterday, we can proudly claim to be followers of the resurrected Christ!

Alice

I'm Christian and I'm Proud

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:14-16

James Brown wrote a song back in 1968 when the civil rights movement was in full swing.  It stated quite simply, “Say it loud!  I’m black and I’m proud.”  Many of you might ask why on earth that would ever need to be said.  Well society back then was not always kind to African Americans.  Blessed with an incredible family, I grew up being proud of who I was even when there were subtle times society would question not only who I was but also whether I belonged.  This became my motivation and strength to persevere through those challenges.  I share this not to bring up my ethnicity.  Rather, it is bring up the conviction and strength one has when they know who they are.

As followers of Christ, we are to stand proudly on our faith.  Always!  The other day, I was putting a reminder of my Wednesday bible study in my online calendar.  I hesitated to put it there because my calendar is public to my team and peers and might be seen as politically incorrect.  Then like the lessons my family taught me, I asked myself, “Why do I need to deny who I am?”  We should neither hide nor shy away from the faith that has freed us from the bondage of our sins.  Much of who we are at work revolves around the fruits of the spirit (patience, love, honor, humility), and our coworkers and family feel secure knowing that we will do our best following the example of the God we adore and love.

As faithful Christians, who we are centers on the cross.  David said in the 27^th Psalm, “The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1a)  Our love for Christ trumps all.  Whether it is through actions or words, we should always embrace the God who gives us strength and is indeed mighty to save.  Where do you hide your faith?  How will you respond in a place where it feels uncomfortable to be a follower of Christ?  My prayer is that we like James Brown say it loud!  I’m Christian and proud!  Amen.

Tues Devo: Corrective action

Hello,

I have been thinking a lot lately about correcting mistakes. When it comes to many mistakes, we often go through a systematic (though often unconscious) process in correcting mistakes. We identify the core issue, make sure we are not just looking at symptoms, then assess the severity of the issue, outline our plan and then act on it. We know this – to correct things we cannot be afraid of the correction. But before even that…something else must happen – in order to know that we need to make a correction, we must compare what was done against what should have been done – only then will we know if we need correction.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (NASB)

Correction is part of what the Bible is there for….we should not be afraid of correction so that we can hit the target at which we are aiming. Now…we just have to read and study it…..

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

The Book of Jude

Hello Friends!

We live and serve in a culture that determines what is true by asking, "How do you feel about it?" As a result, the church is under attack for its stand on Biblical truth…

The Book of Jude

Sadly, many believers and even pastors today are ready to lay aside doctrinal differences in order to build an ecumenical Tower of Babel. Wait! Truth matters to God – and it must matter to us also! As the Scriptures declare – Jesus Christ is the Truth…

The book of Acts is known as the “Acts of the Apostles” – The book of Jude could be considered the “Acts of the Apostates” as it is the only New Testament Epistle written with the expressed purpose of exposing false teachers, their false doctrines and heresies that were leading believers away from the Biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jude's words of warning should challenge us as Christians – especially in today’s post-modern culture/church environment. He wrote:

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints – Jude 3

We must defend the Christian faith that has been passed down to us through the millennia via the Word of God! Jude encouraged his readers to “contend earnestly for the faith” and warned about immoral teachers and dangerous doctrines which were endangering the faith of the true believers.

The late Christian leader John Stott also wrote:

"Jesus was no syncretist, teaching that contradictory opinions were in reality complementary insights into the same truth. No, He held that truth and falsehood excluded one another, and that those who propagate lies in God's name are false prophets, of whom His followers must beware."

These words should awaken us to the importance of spiritual discernment and of the need to know and embrace the core doctrines of our faith. That's what the book of Jude is all about!

Outline of Jude:

• Desires of Jude (verses 1-2) 
• Declaration of War Against Apostates (verses 3-4) 
• Damnable Outcome of Apostates (verses 5-7) 
• Denunciation of Apostates (verses 8-16) 
• Defenses Against Apostates (verses 17-23) 
• Doxology of Jude (verses 24-25)

In closing: 

My prayer is that each of us will read these Scriptures with a fresh commitment to stand for the Lord Jesus, to defend the faith and to protect the church from false teaching & dangerous doctrines.

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

 

Blessings!

Shane <><

 

The Pillar is in Front

22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. Exodus 13

There are two important things to take away here.  First is the obvious: God never stopped leading his people.  He stayed in the front, day and night, and never left them.  He has that same commitment with us, although it's not as visible as a pillar of cloud or fire.  He will always lead us.

The second is something inferred: The Israelites followed the pillar.  They did not wander away, and more importantly, they didn't move in front of the pillar.  The Israelites trusted that God would lead them and stay with them.  They trusted that he had a plan for them.  They trusted that God knew more than they did about their situation.

We should be doing the same.  We need to recognize that God is always in the lead.  He is always in front, even if we can't see him.  He is there when things are bright and we can see clearly, and when we are in our darkest points, he is the light that guides us.  We also need to trust and follow God.  Sometimes, this can be hardest when things are bright.  You can see the distant horizon in every direction.  You can see where God is leading you and you don't like it.  For whatever reason, you're hesitating.  Trust that God knows more about the situation and can see even further than you can.  He knows the best path for you to take and will lead you on that path.

God's truth can be known

The lie that Jesus’ disciples stole his body while the guards were sleeping was accepted by many of the Jews and has deceived them for centuries.
 

Matthew 28:11-15      While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹² When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³ telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

 

Last week we focused on the guards and the chief priests and the difference between them and the women. This week, I wanted to think about the Jewish people. They were told a lie, and many believed it. However, they could have stopped to think about whether it made sense instead of accepting it at face value. First, they could have sent out search parties to look for the “stolen” body, questioned the disciples, and searched their homes. If the body was stolen and hidden somewhere, someone could have found it. Someone would have “leaked” the secret. Plus, if the disciples were such cowards to flee at Jesus’ arrest and not speak up at his trial, then why would they suddenly have courage enough to steal his body from a sealed and guarded tomb? 

 

Also, if the guards had really fallen asleep, the chief priests would have certainly had them killed. At a minimum, the guards would have been fired! Guards are trained to watch without sleeping. So, it wouldn’t make sense that ALL of the guards fell asleep! Why didn’t they say that the earthquake knocked them unconscious and the disciples stole the body then? Plus, it says "some" of the guards went to the chief priests, so maybe the others weren't bribed and actually circulated the truth.

 

Some of these details may have taken weeks to flesh out, but the truth could have been uncovered and known. Hundreds of people saw the resurrected Jesus and lived to tell about it. The people had to want to know the truth, ask questions, and stop and think.

 

What lies might you and I have accepted at face value?

What truth about God have others tried to discount or twist?

How will you and I stop and think, go to God with our questions, and study His truths in His Word so we aren’t deceived?

God’s truth can be known.

Alice

Remove Judgment, Insert God

When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.  John 16:8-11

One of my favorite discussions about God involved my son.  He had done something that was within his right but what most people would consider as questionable.  In his youthful exuberance, he made the statement, “No one can judge me but God.” I responded quite simply, “Yes, that is true, but having made that decision, do you believe God would be pleased with your decision?”  It opened the conversation to where I could ask how well he truly knew God.  Additionally, it showed a clear vision on how one can avoid judgment by simply focusing on God and not on one’s own opinion.

The key to avoiding being judgmental is to separate ourselves from the situation and inserting God into it. We all have a sense of what is right within us.  As Christians, we are given that sense through the Holy Spirit.  Something says, “That does not ‘feel’ right.”  This guides us in our walk of faith.  However, I have to fight my own urge to project that onto others.  I will watch someone doing something knowing it does not ‘feel’ right.  My initial reaction is to pull them out and say to them, “That is wrong!”  But if I trust God, then my goal shifts toward awakening the Holy Spirit within them and less about judging their actions.  This does not say we should avoid saying something to someone who is living in sin.  Instead, we are to guide them to find God’s light, and say, “Don’t trust what I say. Ask God yourself.”

Today’s verses reiterate that Jesus is not only without sin and righteous but also perfect in His judgment. Jesus said, “The father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.” (John 5:22)  If we trust in Christ as Lord, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will transform even the hardest of hearts and most sinful of sinners.  This is how we avoid judgment.  Where do you wrongfully judge?  How can we focus on what God places on our heart instead of our own judgment to win others over?  My prayer is that we remove judgment by inserting God.  Amen.  

Tues Devo: Growth patterns

Hello,

This week has me thinking about growth. My son turned 4, and it is crazy not just how time flies by but also how quickly physical and mental growth happen.

We tend to think about growth when we look at children and young adults – but should it stop there? As believers, our growth is to never stop. We are to continue to push forward, continue to learn and apply, continue to surrender ourselves, continue to grow.

Ephesians 4:14-16 “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.” (NASB)

Have a great day as you grow!

Will Hill