Intentional | Fuel For The Weekend

God has been telling me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. I wanted to do it. I thought about it. I tried to come up with ideas on my own, but I just came up short, so I put the idea toward the back of my mind, but the Holy Spirit continued to nudge me in this direction.

So I prayed about it. I asked God what He was wanting me to share. What did it mean to post fuel for the weekend? What was the topics He wanted me to cover? In my spirit, I heard the word "intentional." So I looked up the definition of intentional. I know my definition but I thought I would look up an official definition to see what it said and a quick google search defined intentional as "done on purpose, deliberate."

My husband and I started brainstorming. I mean, I could talk about intentional parenting, intentional use of time, intentional management of money, or intentional time spent with God. So Paul found something online that spoke to him and he shared it with me in hopes I would get some ideas on what direction to go in. He read a scripture and I immediately knew that I had to share this scripture and I knew exactly what to share today. Let's look at the text first.

1 Corinthians 10:31

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

This scripture could be the power verse for the word intentional. Whatever you do, do it all for God's glory. The words we speak, the thoughts we think, the books we read, the time we spend, the things we watch, the music we hear, the food we eat, the beverages we consume, let it all be intentional in honoring God.

This post is going up on Friday and it is my desire that what I share today will get you through the weekend. Maybe this post will help you and me deliberately live out our faith in such a way that everything we do honors God. Instead of waiting to see what happens this weekend, and hopefully we will give God some of our time, why not do it on purpose? Intentionally seek out things that will glorify God. If you have been meaning to send out note cards to people you care about, spend a few minutes and just do it. Have you wanted to go visit a friend or loved one, but you just can't seem to work out the schedules and you kind of put it off another week? Why not go this weekend? Have you wanted to ask someone to go to church, or introduce them to Christ, but you don't want to seem pushy or offensive? Ask them for coffee, or grab some lunch, or meet at the park and take a walk. Make it happen!

The truth is time marches on and does not wait for anyone. We are all given the same 24 hours in the day. We all have to sleep a certain number of hours, we spend some time doing necessary things like going to work or school, or spending time being responsible, and then we all have a certain amount of free time. We may use it on social media, mindless channel-surfing, binge-watching movies, shopping, or something else, but could we just carve out some time to do something for God; something that has eternal consequences?

On December 29, 2013, my daughter had been 12 for two days, and this was the day of her birthday party to be celebrated with family. We went to my dad's music studio that had been converted into a makeshift church and we sang to God, prayed, and did all the church things like we did each week. We were in prayer for my dad who was too sick to walk the short distance to the building from the house. The stage 4 colon cancer had spread throughout his whole body and the doctor did not give him any hope. We hurried up to the house where we were going to eat and celebrate my beautiful daughter. What a gift she is! My dad and I had prayed that God would open my womb and He blessed me with two beautiful children.

On that particular day in December, after the celebration, we all said goodbyes and kissed and hugged my dad. My sister, my brother-in-law, and my niece had left right around the time that my husband, our son, and I left. My nephew and my daughter stayed to spend some extra time with their uncle, their Nana, and Papaw Huey. My dad never told people "bye" because he always said it sounded so final. He would always say "see ya later!" That day he hugged and kissed us and we said we loved each other and when we said "bye," no one caught it at the time, but my dad said, "Bye!" to my sister and her family and to me and mine.

A few short hours later I got a call on my cell phone from the birthday girl! She was crying and sobbing and said, "Mom! Papaw's not breathing!" I immediately sat forward in the truck. We were on our way to pick her up anyway, but now we had to get there quick! 

"What do you mean he's not breathing? Is it hard for him to get air again?" He had just had 2 Liters of fluid taken from his lungs. I thought he was having trouble moving air.

"I don't know Mom. I think he's gone!"

"Nooooooooooooooooooo! Nooooooooooo! He can't be! I'm not ready! Are you sure?"

I called an ambulance, hoping she was wrong, hoping that he just needed another trip to the hospital to get it all taken care of. I knew in my soul that he was gone though and I did not like that feeling at all. I burst into tears and my son started crying. Paul got us safely to my mom and dad's though I felt like we were driving as slow as a snail. I hurried inside. There was my precious daddy, leaned back in the recliner, still warm, and I prayed he would still be alive. I was so sad. I cannot describe to you the grief that I felt as I took my daddy in my arms for the last time and cried on his chest like I had a thousand times before as a child, and this time I said, "Noooo! Please God! I wasn't ready!"

After Dad's funeral, I had to go back to the university where I was studying to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. I cannot count the times I picked up the phone to call my dad and tell him something, and then I remembered I could not do that anymore. I would drive by a restaurant he liked and I would think about getting him something to eat, and then I remembered I could not do that anymore. I would hear a song on the radio that I knew he would like, and I would start to remind myself to tell him about it when I saw him next, but then I remembered I could not do that anymore. I would walk to the bedroom when I walked into their house, to greet my daddy, but then in the kitchen just before I walked through the door of his room, I remembered I could not do that anymore.

Friends, life is short! The Bible says in James 4:14, Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. I don't care if you are 60 years old like my sweet daddy, or 16 years old like my sweet cousin who was killed in a drunk driving accident, life is short. Death is certain. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. 

Do not think you have a lot of time left to do the things you want, because even if you survive another day, week, or year; your loved ones might not. Don't think you can always get that recipe from your grandmother, or you can always tell your mom you're sorry, or you'll have more time to forgive that person that hurt you. Your friend might not be here tomorrow. What difference can it make if you visit that person in the nursing home, or in jail, or in the hospital? Maybe it won't seem like a big deal to you, just a few minutes of your time, but it can mean so much to the person you are spending that time on.

Time is a precious commodity. Don't waste it, friends. Let's be intentional this weekend about listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Who can you encourage? What is the best way you can spend your time? Do that thing you keep putting off until you get more time. The time is now! Be mindful of the time you are given and use it wisely, before it runs out! I want to give you strength for your journey and light for your way this weekend!

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 100 | Thankful Thursday

Welcome to my Thankful Thursday blog post! The LORD was impressing on my heart to carve out a section on my blog to share what I am thankful for. I have started it today and will call this my Thankful Thursday blog posts. I think it is fitting, since here in the USA we celebrate Thanksgiving this month. I will continue to share what I am thankful for, each week, so be sure to come back to my blog and we can count our blessings together.

As I was thinking of what I would like to start off thanking God for, my mind immediately went to Psalm 100. When I was growing up in the church we would actually sing this psalm. It is a great song! Let's read it together.

PSALM 100

1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before His presence with singing.

3 Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.

5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.

I have so much to thank God for. I have been blessed beyond measure. I cannot count all the times He has healed my body, touched my mind, got me back on the right path, and forgiven me for so many mistakes. He is long-suffering and He loves me with an everlasting love. I could stop right there and just praise Him for years for that much! But there is so many hardships, difficulties, challenges, setbacks, disappointments, and tough times He has brought me through. I just cannot thank Him enough.

The Psalmist says to make a joyful noise to the LORD. Everyone is supposed to do this. God is worthy of our praise and if we are thanking Him, then it is a joyful noise! It says to serve the LORD with gladness. It should be our privilege and our joy to serve God. We are to come into His presence with singing. We should have a praise on our lips at all time as we magnify His great name! The LORD is God! He made us. We did not create ourselves. We belong to Him. He is the Good Shepherd and we are His sheep. We are in His care in His pasture. So when we see that He is taking care of us and helping us, blessing us, and giving us His favor, we should enter His gates with a thankful heart. We need to enter His courts with our hands lifted and voices praising the great God of our salvation. We must be thankful and bless His name. Why? Because He is good. Her mercy has no end. It will never run dry. It will never cease to be. His mercy is everlasting. That's not all, though. His truth keeps going through each and every generation. It is not tarnished. It does not fade. It does not change. It is consistent and good.

I thank God for the memories of singing that little psalm in church. My family is musically inclined and my uncles, cousins, grandparents, parents, brother, sisters, and aunts would get together, playing and singing. It was such a fun song and we would rejoice in the great things God was doing for us. We sang it straight out of the Bible so I had memorized it long ago. It's just a great song to remember we must be thankful and it perfectly lays out the way in which we are to approach God.

We are God's children. He delights in us and sings over us. He has written our names in the palms of His hands. He sent Jesus, His only begotten Son to die for us so that we could have eternal fellowship with Him. What a wonderful, loving, merciful, gracious God we serve. He is worthy of all the praise.

Last month, I confess that I worried more than I should. I questioned God about why He was not answering our prayers as quickly as we thought He should. He met all of our needs last month. We did not go hungry. All of our bills were paid. We have a great place to live. We had lots of family time to spend together. He remained faithful, even though I let my eyes drift away from the Master and onto the raging sea around me. I began to be swept away with the current as I looked at how big the waves were and how deep the sea was. I forgot to look at how big my God is!

This month, I am doing better. I refuse to let my eyes focus on anything other than the Savior. I know God is doing great things for us. He has blessed us so much. I made a new friend and she prayed with me and encouraged me and it was such a wonderful gift from the LORD. We have delicious food to eat. We have a refrigerator that is working and it holds our foods and keeps it cold. We were without a refrigerator for a month and had to use a cooler with ice and a deep freeze. (Not fun, but we managed.) We're thankful for home cooked meals that can be refrigerated and warmed up again.

This month I refuse to worry about the bills. My husband and I have been looking for jobs since we moved to Alabama, August 1, and we have no jobs still, but I know the bills will be paid for again this month, because God is faithful and the money just comes! God truly supplies our every need! I am so very thankful that God allowed me to get everything done and paid for so my endorsement for my nursing license could come through, and it happened quicker than I was expecting, and cheaper! That is God's favor!

This month, I am counting my blessings and I am rejoicing in the big and small things. I am accepting victory over our circumstances. I know God has a big plan and a big purpose for bringing us to Mobile, Alabama, even if we do not see it now. I have seen the hand of God over us and on us and all around us ever since we moved here.

This month I am going to be thankful for the things I have and grateful for the God I serve. He is my Jehovah Jireh, God my provider. He is my Jehovah Rapha, God my healer. He is the Great I Am. He is with me. He is for me. He is not against me. He has great plans for me. He is in control. He is writing my story and this month I am leaving the pen in His hand. It's already a much better month and it's only been one week. 

What are some of the things you are thankful for? I am sure I will have no trouble finding more to thank God for next week. May God continue to bless you and keep you!

~Bridgett Owens

Malachi Chapter One Bible Study

We are in our third consecutive month of weekly Bible studies. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have. Ruth was exciting to watch the love story unfold between Ruth and Boaz, we watched the hand of God provide for Ruth and Naomi, as they faced hardship, grief, and loss. First John was a great book to study on the heels of Ruth because First John was all about demonstrating God as love, light, and life. We were warned about sin, discord, and idolatry. I enjoyed seeing the multi-facets of God's love, grace, mercy, and goodness.

This month, I want to study the book of Malachi. This is the very last book in the Old Testament. Once God stops speaking four short chapters later, He is silent for 400 years! I want to dig into God's Word and find out what God wanted to say in the final chapters of the Old Testament, gain insight on what made God stop talking to His people, and hopefully gain a better understanding of the scriptures. Whether you do this study alone, or with a small group, please let me know in the comments below, or via email if this is something you enjoy on my blog. If you have a particular request of a book or topic to study, please let me know and I will prayerfully consider including it.

As with other studies, I like to include the introduction my Bible has for the book we are studying. Here is the introduction to The Book of Malachi:

MALACHI, a prophet in the days of Nehemiah, directs his message of judgment to a people plagued with corrupt priests, wicked practices, and a false sense of security in their privileged relationship with God. Using the question-and-answer method, Malachi probes deeply into their problems of hypocrisy, infidelity, mixed marriages, divorce, false worship, and arrogance. So sinful has the the nation become that God's words to the people no longer have any impact. For four hundred years after Malachi's ringing condemnations, God remains silent. Only with the coming of John the Baptist (prophesied in 3:1) does God again communicate to His people through a prophet's voice.

The meaning of the name Mal'aki ("My Messenger") is probably a shortened form of Mal'akya, "Messenger of Yahweh," and it is appropriate to the book which speaks of the coming of the "messenger of the covenant" )"messenger is mentioned three times in 2:7; 3:1). The Septuagint used the title Malachias even though it also translated it "by the hand of the messenger." The Latin title is Maleachi.

Read through the first chapter of Malachi. It is only 14 verses. Grab a notebook or journal, pen or pencil, and keep your Bible open as we break the bread together. I will be asking questions throughout today's study. Record your answers in your book. If you are participating in this study with friends or a small group, use the questions for talking points. The purpose of this study is to dig deeper into the Word of God and to apply the lessons to our own lives. Feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Verses 1-5 God's Great Love For Israel
Malachi has a message from God for the people of Israel. The message is a serious one and God is very clear that He is displeased with His people. The very ones He set apart for Himself have dishonored Him and He addresses it in the first chapter.

When the Bible says that Jacob was loved and Esau was hated, this is not a literal love and hate as we use the terms commonly today. Rather God was showing a comparison with how He loved Jacob (Israel) more than Esau (Edom). He favored Jacob with more honor and blessings than Esau. When Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed everything they had, Jacob was able to rebuild, but Esau never was.

In verse four, God said, "They shall build, but I will throw down." He says that not only will he tear down whatever they hope to build, but people would label them as "The border of wickedness," and "The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever." What a serious statement. God's not only going to destroy any effort they make, but others are going to point their finger and say they line up along the wicked and these are the ones that God is angry with for ever. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be in that category.

God says that not only will He do these things, but Israel would see it and magnify His Holy name. God is not merely threatening His people, He says they will see it come to pass for themselves. This is a really tough message to receive.

Questions: Is it difficult to see this side of God, an angry God? Do you view God as One who is waiting to destroy everything you are building up? Do you see God as a loving Heavenly Father? How do these verses change your viewpoint on who God really is? 

Verses 6-14 The Priests Dishonor God
God is very specific in His law that the priests were to make sacrifices for the people. They were to offer perfect sacrifices without spot or blemish and then make their requests known. The priests know this. They are not ignorant of the law. They choose to dishonor God by offering animal sacrifices that are marred in some way. They have diseases, are blind, cannot walk, or are sick. These sacrifices would not be good enough for dignitaries on earth, so why would they be considered good enough for the most Holy and High God?

Not only are they offering defective sacrifices to God, they have the audacity to request He grant them favor. Their sloppy shortcuts and irresponsible behavior has caused God to become angry. He is so displeased with the priests that He tells them, "I have no pleasure in you, neither will I accept an offering at your hand." Why do they even think God would want to do anything for them? They have not surrendered their heart to Him. They are just giving Him whatever they want and expecting God to accept it.

Why even open the doors of the temple, take the time and effort to sacrifice feeble offerings, and ask God for anything, if they are not going to have pure motives? The Bible says in verse eleven that people from other nations will honor the name of God and worship Him purely.

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto My name, and a pure offering: for My name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

The last verse of chapter one, God curses the deceiver. He said, For I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and My name is dreadful among the heathen. Even the enemies of God knew how powerful and mighty He was and is. They feared God. They did not revere Him, but they feared what He could do.

The priests should have feared God and revered His great name.

Questions: What are some things you are not giving God your best? How much time do you spend with Him compared to the time you spend on your phone or doing something you love? What sacrifices are you making for God in hopes He will give you His favor? What ways can you grow in your relationship with God? What areas can you give better sacrifices?

Additional Readings:
Proverbs 15:8 talks about the sacrifice of the wicked and the prayer of the upright.
Isaiah 1:10-21 speaks of the sacrifices and ritualistic behavior not uncommon in our society in America today.
Amos 5:21-23 is God's rejection of sacrifices and songs from the impure in heart.
Romans 14:23 speaks about sin.
Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to please God and why.
Romans 11:11-12 explains that the fall of God's people was a benefit to the Gentiles and discusses the effects of the fall on God's people.

I am guilty of not giving God my very best. He deserves my time and attention. He deserves my uninterrupted praise and worship and adoration. He deserves for me to brag on Him and His goodness. I repent of the times I pushed back my prayer time until bedtime and then fall asleep mid-prayer. I repent of the times I rushed through my day, not giving Him much thought, as I hurried from task to task and errand to errand, then wondered why I felt such worry and anxiety. I felt so rushed and hurried when I had not first given my day to Him to bless and my steps to order. Let's end chapter one's study today with reflection and repentance. Let's turn our hearts back to our Heavenly Father and show Him the adoration He longs to receive and so deserves. Let's lavish Him with love and honor as we go about our day and as we take our pilgrim's journey through this world.

Friends, I hope you have been encouraged and enlightened with this week's Bible Study. It is not a book I have delved into before at any great lengths but I am looking forward to breaking the bread with you again next week as we look at chapter two.

May something I shared today give you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

1 John Chapter 5 Bible Study

Welcome to my blog! I hope you have been joining in on the weekly Wednesday Bible studies! We had a great time studying Ruth last month. This month we are in the New Testament studying 1 John, which is sandwiched between 2 Peter and 2 John. The book of 1 John is toward the back, not to be confused with the fourth book in the New Testament, St. John.

My Bible has a beautiful description of The First Epistle of John and I will include that here:

God is light; God is love; and God is life. John is enjoying a delightful fellowship with that God of light, love, and life, and he desperately desires that his spiritual children enjoy the same fellowship.

God is light. Therefore, to engage in fellowship with Him we must walk in light and not in darkness. As we walk in the light, we will regularly confess our sins, allowing the blood of Christ to continually cleanse us. Two major roadblocks to hinder this walk will be falling in love with the world and falling for the alluring lies of false teachers.

God is love. Since we are His children we must walk in love. In fact, John says that if we do not love, we do not know God. Love is more than just words; it is actions. Love is giving, not getting. Biblical love is unconditional in its nature. Christ's love fulfilled those qualities and when that brand of love characterizes us, we will be free of self-condemnation and experience confidence before God.

God is life. Those who fellowship with Him must possess His quality of life. Spiritual life begins with spiritual birth which occurs through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ infuses us with God's life -- eternal life.

Although the apostle John's name is not found in this book, it was given the title Ioannou A, the "First of John."

I am so glad you are here today! First of all, read through the fifth and final chapter of 1 John. It is only 21 verses. Grab a notebook or journal, pen or pencil, and keep your Bible open as we break the bread together. I will be asking questions throughout today's study. Record your answers in your book. If you are participating in this study with friends or a small group, use the questions for talking points. The purpose of this study is to dig deeper into the Word of God and to apply the lessons to our own lives. Feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Verses 1-3 Love God and Jesus
In continuing fashion, John reminds us in the first three verses of the final chapter of First John that we know who belongs to God and who doesn't based on who loves Him. If we believe Jesus is the Christ, God's own Son, and we love God who begat Jesus, and we love Jesus, God's Son, then we belong to Him. We are also to keep His commandments. These are not hard things to do because if we love Him, we will want to please Him and do as He says to do.

Questions: What commandments do you find hard to keep? Are there things about God's Word that you find challenging to do? Are you able to love others like God tells us to do? What commandments do you find easy to do?

Verses 4-5 Overcomers
When we place our faith in Jesus, we are made overcomers because Jesus overcame the world. His work on the cross completed the battle we have against evil. Good already won! Satan does not want us to believe this, or to live a life of victory, so he constantly distracts us with what things we lack, or things we think we need but do not have, and reminds us of how big the problems and concerns we have in our life. He does not want us to remember that we can do all things through Jesus Christ as He strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)

Remember what Jesus said in John 16:33? Jesus said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world."

Second Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. If you are living for God, in a way to please Him, you will suffer persecution. The devil will not like what you are doing and he will do whatever he can to stop you. Do not let him! Jesus causes us to triumph!

Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. That means through Jesus we are more than a conqueror. We are not just making it through, we are excelling!

Questions: Do you struggle with feeling like your problems are bigger than the solution? Do you feel discouraged and defeated? Have you meditated on what the Bible says about your victory through Jesus? Because He lived a perfect, sinless life, He was worthy to lay down His life for us and with His precious blood we are saved and free. Do you believe this? Do you sometimes get off course with looking at your circumstances instead of what God has said about it? Whose report will you believe?

Verses 6-8 Trinity
We are told there are three that bear record in heaven, these are God the Father, Jesus the Word, and the Holy Ghost. There are not three separate entities. These three persons are one. They fellowship together. They agree together. There is a purpose, an order, and a flow. On the earth, the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood agree. This is the order God has put in motion.

Questions: Do you have a hard time understanding the Trinity? Do these scriptures help you to see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one? How have you experienced God the Father? How have you encountered Jesus, God's Son? How have you been ministered to and comforted by the Spirit of Truth?

Verses 9-13 Witness
A witness is a person who sees an event take place; evidence or proof.

Verse 9 says if we believe the witness of men, we should believe more the witness of God. The Bible says that if someone does not believe God's witness is true of Jesus, His Son, that person makes God a liar. Verse 11 says the testimony God gave us is that we will be given eternal life through His Son Jesus. Verse 12 makes it very clear, if you belong to God, you get eternal life; if you do not belong to God, you do not get eternal life. There is no need for a debate or argument about the goodness of God, or the fact that He is loving. If you do not love Him and desire to live in a way that pleases Him, lined out in the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, then you will not live with Him forever.

Verse 13 tells us we have assurance of this. John said the purpose he is writing this letter is so that we may know that we have eternal life because we believe in Jesus! That is a verse of power and hope!

Questions: Have you struggled with being sure of your salvation? Do you know that you have assurance of eternal life when you give your life to Jesus Christ and serve Him? Do you know others who have thought they should go to heaven based on works or good behavior? What does this scripture reveal to you about God's plan for those who do not love and serve Him by accepting His Son Jesus?

Verses 14-15 Precious Promises
These two verses are underlined in my Bible. If you are praying about something really big right now, and you are not sure how it can all work out, study these two verses and lean not on your own understanding. Stand on these verses and believe it.

Verse 14 says this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us. As long as we are praying for things that line up to the will of God, that will bring glory to His name, that will honor Jesus, we can trust that He hears us. He will listen to us. He does not ignore our requests. He does not turn us away.

Verse 15 continues with assurance. If we know He hears us, whatever we ask for, we know He will give us what we are praying for. He will do it. He will honor our request. If we are seeking selfish gain, or want something to put the glory and honor on ourselves, God will not give us those things, because it does not line up with His will. He is a jealous God and He wants all the glory. He deserves it. He is God. He is Abba Father. All honor and glory are due His great name.

Questions: Do you ask for something from God and then expect not to get it? Do you think He wants to withhold good things from you? Do you think He will turn you away? What are you believing God for? What are you praying about and expecting? Do these scriptures encourage you?

Verses 16-19 Sin
Sin is not a popular topic. It is not something most pastors in many churches in America today want to discuss. It is so important to discuss sin and the impact it has. Sin is serious. It separates us from God. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. You pay for sin by dying and going to hell. But Jesus came to this earth, became a man, and lived a perfect, sinless life so we could go free. He paid the penalty of our sin, so we do not have to. We can now go to God and ask Him to forgive us for our sins, but we should be careful to not sin. Sin is so serious it cost Jesus His life.

In verse 16 we are instructed that if anyone sees their brother or sister sin a sin "which is not unto death," or in other words, a sin for which forgiveness is possible, we are to encourage our brothers and sisters to go to God and repent. We do not want anyone to be separated from God. But there is a sin that we have to watch out for. The sin that can never be forgiven, which is to completely denounce Christ, to fully walk away from the Truth, and deny Jesus is the Son of God.

John is not saying in verse 18 that Christians never sin. Rather, he is saying that when we sin, we can come in our sorrow and repentant heart to God and ask forgiveness through the blood Jesus shed on Calvary. This blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

Verse 19 is the perfect statement of the world's status today. The whole world lies in wickedness. The deception of this world, including Christians, baffles me and saddens me to my core. When will people wake up and see the Truth? The Holy Spirit warns us, if we are listening, to not follow the world and the things of this world. If you look like the world, act like the world, and love what the world loves, how can you be a part of God's family? The world is the enemy of God.

Questions: Do you see the consequences of sin in the world around you? Can you see the effects of sin in your school, your neighborhood, your church? Why do you think preachers are so afraid to talk about sin? Do you have unconfessed sin in your heart? Do you find yourself compromising what the world wants from you instead of giving yourself completely to what pleases God? What ways do you see the deception in our society?

Verse 20 Assurance
We know, we have assurance, we have confidence that Jesus has given us information to open our understanding about who He is and who He is that sent Jesus. We know that He is true. He is honest. He is the true God and He wants to have a relationship with us. He wants to teach us the right way to live, to think, to interact, to react, to respond, to love, and to live. He did not make us figure it out for ourselves. He left us a detailed map that has countless witnesses and encouraging stories to boost our faith, and to increase our learning. We can become like Him as we study the scriptures and seek out His truth.

Questions: How does verse 20 make you feel? Are you encouraged about your faith journey? Do you have a better understanding of what God wants and expects from you? In a world full of lies, isn't this verse refreshing in the truth?

Verse 21 Warning!
John ends chapter 5 and this book of First John with seven words of a warning. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. Does that seem an odd way to end the book? I kind of expect to see a few more verses as he expounds on this topic. Yet, we can infer a few things here.

What is an idol? We know in the Old Testament, when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, He said in Exodus 20, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God. The children of Israel made idols, fell down before them and worshiped them, time and time again. This caused God to become angry and His wrath was poured out on them over and over. God was very clear that He does not want His people to do this.

An idol is defined as an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship. If you have a statue, an image, or something you worship, you have an idol. Most of us, do not have anything like that. We do not pray to statues or worship them. But that is not the only definition of an idol.

An idol can also be a person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, or revered. You can make an idol out of a person. You can love someone so much that you turn them into your god. We must be careful to never say things like, "You are the reason I breathe. You have my whole heart. I can't live without you." Those statements should be spoken to God alone. He wants your whole heart. He is the reason you breathe. He is the one you truly cannot live without.

Sometimes a career, a child, a relationship, a hobby, or an automobile becomes an idol. You put this thing before God. You put it before any prayer time, any praise and worship, and miss out on time with God because your time is spent on your idol. We must be so careful, brothers and sisters, to keep ourselves away from that kind of thing.

Maybe John meant to keep ourselves away from the lies, hate, and rebellion of the world. He went to great lengths to show us how loving and good and true God is, and how angry, defiant, and dishonest the world is. Let's satisfy our souls with the things found in God's Word, the messages, the meanings, the passages that tell us how good and wonderful God, our creator is. Let's immerse ourselves in the red letters of Jesus as He walked the face of the planet, preaching and teaching. Let's let the Holy Ghost, Spirit of Truth, and Comforter, lead and guide us.

Questions: Do you have an idol in your life? Have you ever had one? What do you need to get rid of that does not line up with God's plan for your life? Are there things that you think more highly of than Him? Do you have someone or something on a pedestal that you need to knock down and put God up there where He belongs? Where is God and your faith rating in your list of priorities? What do you think John's warning means for you?

Friends, it has been a great journey through First John. I really enjoyed learning so much about the love, light, and life that God brings. I hope that you have enjoyed this weekly Bible study as well. I do apologize that this week's Bible study went up a day late. I have had quite a lot of changes happen this week, good things in answer to my prayers, but it caused me to get behind on my blogging. I do apologize. Next week I am excited to start a new Bible Study series. It will be great to dive in and explore God's Word together.

As always, feel free to leave your thoughts, opinions, and ideas in the comments section below. I try to read and answer them as quickly as I can. Invite a friend to study with us, and I look forward to seeing you next post!

God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens

1 John Chapter 4 Bible Study

Welcome to my blog! I hope you have been joining in on the weekly Wednesday Bible studies! We had a great time studying Ruth last month. This month we are in the New Testament studying 1 John, which is sandwiched between 2 Peter and 2 John. The book of 1 John is toward the back, not to be confused with the fourth book in the New Testament, St. John.

My Bible has a beautiful description of The First Epistle of John and I will include that here:

God is light; God is love; and God is life. John is enjoying a delightful fellowship with that God of light, love, and life, and he desperately desires that his spiritual children enjoy the same fellowship.

God is light. Therefore, to engage in fellowship with Him we must walk in light and not in darkness. As we walk in the light, we will regularly confess our sins, allowing the blood of Christ to continually cleanse us. Two major roadblocks to hinder this walk will be falling in love with the world and falling for the alluring lies of false teachers.

God is love. Since we are His children we must walk in love. In fact, John says that if we do not love, we do not know God. Love is more than just words; it is actions. Love is giving, not getting. Biblical love is unconditional in its nature. Christ's love fulfilled those qualities and when that brand of love characterizes us, we will be free of self-condemnation and experience confidence before God.

God is life. Those who fellowship with Him must possess His quality of life. Spiritual life begins with spiritual birth which occurs through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ infuses us with God's life -- eternal life.

Although the apostle John's name is not found in this book, it was given the title Ioannou A, the "First of John."

I am so glad you are here today! First of all, read through the fourth chapter of 1 John. It is only 21 verses. Grab a notebook or journal, pen or pencil, and keep your Bible open as we break the bread together. I will be asking questions throughout today's study. Record your answers in your book. If you are participating in this study with friends or a small group, use the questions for talking points. The purpose of this study is to dig deeper into the Word of God and to apply the lessons to our own lives. Feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Chapter four is a quick read because it repeats some of the same principles that we have already reviewed. John reminds us to love one another and that God is love, but there is so much more to glean from these 21 verses. Let's jump right in!

Verses 1-3 Try the spirits
We are told to not believe every spirit. There are some spirits in this world that are deceiving. We must be careful to not believe everything we hear or read. We have to scrutinize everything through the lens of scripture. John said this is because there are many false prophets that are in the world now. Just like in the time John wrote this, there are many false prophets today. You may see someone with a large following, a big church, or television program, but we must be very careful what we listen to and believe.

Jesus said, For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. (Matthew 25:4) John is careful to remind us of Christ's warning so we can be aware of our surroundings, our culture, our world, and be on guard to stand against the evil deception that may come against us.

John says, in verse two, that this is how we know the Spirit of God: what are the people saying? Are they proclaiming Jesus Christ and Him crucified, or are they promoting their own agenda? Are they telling you that you have the power within yourself to make your own way in the world? Do they encourage you that you are the leader of your destiny? The Bible clearly states in verse three that every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh and He is the Son of God is not a spirit from God. Be careful to what messages you have heard and believed.

Questions: What messages have you been hearing over and over again? Have you bought into the lie that you can meditate on an idea and it will happen from your own power? Do you agree with the statement, "Create your own happiness"? How do you respond to someone that says "Do more of what makes YOU happy?" Are these things that the scripture teaches is from God, or from the world? Are you stumbling in these lies or are you embracing the Truth of God's Word?

Verses 4-6 The World vs God
John hits on this comparison again because it is so easy to be entangled with this world, especially in this technological age. Sometimes it is easy to get discouraged when we see all the evil in the world. It's so easy to lose heart and think, "How can good ever win out?" The news is full of depressing stories and terror grips the heart of those who are not looking to God as the source of their protection and provision. Verse four is full of encouragement. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. YES! That gets me excited. Greater is the God within us than the devil in the world. God has triumphed over satan and we get the victory!

The spirits that are not from God are from the world, according to verse five. They speak of the world, the customs, the desires, the goals, the perverted identities of who we are, and the world hears them. The people who are not interested in the things of God are listening to these spirits. They follow suit. They look like the world, act like the world, talk like the world, and desire to me more like the world. We are not to be like them. We are of God, according to verse six, and it says we can know the spirit of Truth and the spirit of error by who listens to us when we speak about God's Word. When you apply the principles of God's Word to your life and live out the commands of God, those who support and encourage you are operating in the spirit of Truth. If you are called a hater, persecuted for your faith, ignored or are mistreated because of the things you choose not to participate in, those individuals are operating in the spirit of error.

Questions: Are you ever criticized because of what you believe? Have you ever been excluded to a social event because you do not fit in with the others? Do you recognize the spirit of error in others who come against you for the things you believe in? Are you willing to stand firm in your faith even if you stand alone?

Verses 7-12 Love One Another
We must not hate those who are mean and cruel to us. If we are persecuted for our faith, if we are excluded from social functions, and if we are ignored because we believe the Word of God is Truth, then pray for that person, and love them, but do not become like them.

Verse eight tells us that if we do not love others, we are not a part of God. How can we be? Love is not just something God does, it is who He is. We are His children, and as the children of Love, we are to behave like our Father. He showed His love to us, according to verse 9, by sending Jesus to die for our sins in order that we might live.

You may think that the person, or group of people, who hurt you doesn't deserve to be forgiven. Maybe you do not think you have any love to give them. Remember you were once in their spot. You were lost without God in your life and He loved you so much that He died for you. He loved you before you could ever love Him. Romans 5:8 But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

We were not good enough to die for. We did not deserve God's grace and mercy. Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Verse 11, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Questions: Do you find it difficult to love someone who has hurt you? Are you struggling with finding who knows the Truth? Is it easy to accept God's love for you? Do you have someone you can rely on to tell you the Truth?

Verses 13-15 Confidence in God
Verse 13 says this is how we can be confident that God is at work in our lives, dwelling in our hearts, and leading us, because He has given us His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. When the Holy Ghost is alive within you, you know it! There is a change! You have an encounter with God. John 14:20 Jesus said At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.

Verse 15 says if anyone that confesses Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in that person and he or she lives in God. Our life is in God through the work of Jesus on the cross. Sin separated us from God but Jesus paid for the price of our sins and now we have relationship with Jesus the Son of God and God the Heavenly Father. John 3:17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. 

Questions: Who do you know that you can share this message with? Have you ever felt the Holy Spirit? Have you ever shared your experience with the Holy Spirit with others? Has anyone ever shared their experience with you?

Verses 16-21 God Is Love
Throughout the book of First John, he wants to remind us that God is love. In a world where we hear the name of God, and His Son Jesus, be slandered and cursed, where we see blasphemy all around, it does not show a picture of a loving God. God is a God of wrath. He is a God of justice. He is a God of mercy. But never forget that God is a God of love. He is love. Love is who God is.

In verse 18, John tells us that there is no fear in love because perfect love casts out fear, or torment. In His presence there is no fear. In His presence there is peace and love and joy and all the fruits of the Spirit. There is only good and pleasant things in His presence. If you find yourself being afraid, or feeling condemnation, get alone with God and the fear will leave. The fear will go because it cannot be in the presence of our Lord.

The chapter ends as John reminds us one more time to love our brothers and sisters. He tells us that loving others, whether they love us back or not, is a sign that we belong to God. We are His children and we show it by being like Him.

Questions: Do you see God as a loving Father? When you visualize who God is and what His personality is like, do you see Him as kind and loving, or mean and ready to punish? What are you afraid of? Have you tried to get alone with God and be in His presence, away from fear and doubt and disappointment?

I pray that you experience the great goodness of God and His love. I hope this Bible study encouraged you and uplifted you. There are some great power verses in this chapter. I hope you are learning a lot as we break the Bread together. I hope something you studied this week has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. See you next Wednesday!

God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens

1 John Chapter 3 Bible Study

Welcome to my blog! I hope you have been joining in on the weekly Wednesday Bible studies! We had a great time studying Ruth last month. This month we are in the New Testament studying 1 John, which is sandwiched between 2 Peter and 2 John. The book of 1 John is toward the back, not to be confused with the fourth book in the New Testament, St. John.

My Bible has a beautiful description of The First Epistle of John and I will include that here:

God is light; God is love; and God is life. John is enjoying a delightful fellowship with that God of light, love, and life, and he desperately desires that his spiritual children enjoy the same fellowship.

God is light. Therefore, to engage in fellowship with Him we must walk in light and not in darkness. As we walk in the light, we will regularly confess our sins, allowing the blood of Christ to continually cleanse us. Two major roadblocks to hinder this walk will be falling in love with the world and falling for the alluring lies of false teachers.

God is love. Since we are His children we must walk in love. In fact, John says that if we do not love, we do not know God. Love is more than just words; it is actions. Love is giving, not getting. Biblical love is unconditional in its nature. Christ's love fulfilled those qualities and when that brand of love characterizes us, we will be free of self-condemnation and experience confidence before God.

God is life. Those who fellowship with Him must possess His quality of life. Spiritual life begins with spiritual birth which occurs through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ infuses us with God's life -- eternal life.

Although the apostle John's name is not found in this book, it was given the title Ioannou A, the "First of John."

I am so glad you are here today! First of all, read through the third chapter of 1 John. It is 24 verses. Grab a notebook or journal, pen or pencil, and keep your Bible open as we break the bread together. I will be asking questions throughout today's study. Record your answers in your book. If you are participating in this study with friends or a small group, use the questions for talking points. The purpose of this study is to dig deeper into the Word of God and to apply the lessons to our own lives. Feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Verses 1-2 Sons of God
We read in the first verse of chapter three, to look at the kind of love our Father God gave us.  This love of the Father enables us to become the sons, or joint-heirs with Jesus of all that the Father has. In John 1:12 it says But as many as have received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.

We don’t know exactly what being a son of God looks like, but verse two tells us that when we see His appearance we will be like Him and we will see Him the way He is. Romans 8:29 says For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Question: How does it feel to know you are a child of God? What benefits are yours because of your Heavenly Father? Do you view God as your Father? How do you feel when you think about how much God loves you?

Verses 3-6 Sin
When we place our hope in Jesus, we are purified through Him. Jesus took our sins away, so we will not continue to sin intentionally if we are living our life to honor Him. If we follow the example of Jesus and we go to God to help us do those things that are pleasing in His sight, we will not want to sin.

Jesus fulfilled the law so we are no longer under the law, but we are under grace. Romans 4:15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

Question: What things do you no longer want to do now that Jesus is your Lord? Do you find yourself struggling with sin? Do you go to God to help you with the temptations and desires you have?

Verses 7-10 Don’t Be Deceived
The Bible says the one who practices living upright before God is righteous like Jesus. The one who sins is operating under the influence of the devil. The devil sinned from the beginning. This is why Jesus came to this world, to destroy the works of the devil.

The seed of sin is in the hearts of the wicked, but when Jesus comes into our hearts, He throws out those bad seeds and plants seeds of love, joy, peace, goodness, and this seed remains so that we will not sin.

Verse ten says this is how we know the children of God and the children of the devil. If someone is not living a righteous life and they do not love their brother they do not belong to God.

Question: Did you realize that someone who has not put their trust in Jesus is being used by the devil? Even the ones who are “good” people? Does this make you want to share the gospel with them so they can become a child of God?

Verses 11-13 Hate
The Bible reminds us that hatred is so bad it caused Cain to kill his own brother. He was jealous of him and instead of doing the right thing so that his gift would be accepted, he murdered him. Don’t wonder why the world hates you when you begin to live righteously. Jesus told us it would be this way. John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. Jesus said in John 7:7 that He is hated because He testifies the works of the world are evil. Cain hated his brother when he realized his brother was doing the right thing but Cain refused.

Question: Did you realize hate was such a strong emotion? Did you ever feel like you hated someone? Did you know that hating someone is the same as being a murderer? Why do you think God says hatred and murder are the same?

Verses 14-16 Life
We know we have new life in us when we love the brethren. If we find ourselves 
unable to love others, we need to question if we are truly saved. If we have hatred in our hearts, the Bible says we are murderers. We will never have 
eternal life if we are filled with hatred for others.

Jesus laid His life down for us at Calvary. This example is given to us to follow. If Jesus laid down His life for everyone including those who hammered the nails in His hands and feet and crushed a crown of thorns into His head, then we can offer our bodies a living sacrifice and pray for God to fill our hearts with love for everyone.

Question: Who do you have bad feelings toward? Why should we ask God to give us love for one another? Can you imagine the sacrifice Jesus made for the very ones who mocked Him, spit on Him, and hated Him? How can you live your life to be pleasing to Jesus?

Verses 17-18 Love In Action 
Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. The Bible says if we have something in our possession that one of our brothers or sisters needs and we don’t have compassion on them, because we just can’t be bothered, the love of God doesn’t live in us. Love is a verb. It is an action word.

We are warned to not just say we love one another, but we are to show love toward one another by the things we do and the way we live according to the Truth of God’s Word.

Ezekiel 33:30-32
Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against (about) thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

We have to be so careful that we aren’t just going through the motions and speak loving words to one another, but then we go out of church and never put into practice the things we have been told.

Question: Have you ever been to church and listened to the preaching then left church and forgot what was said? Do you just go through the motions of church and then when you’re needed to help, you don’t help? Have you ever been to church where you felt like they said they cared but didn’t really show it? What did you do?

Verses 19-21
By loving out loud, in our actions, we have assurance we are walking in the Truth. 1 Corinthians 4:4-5 For I know nothing by (against) myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

We need to have confidence in God to help us see where we are falling short so we can perfectly align our lives to His.

Question: Do you feel relieved that we are not condemned now that we are in Christ Jesus? How has He convicted your heart of doing something or feeling something you shouldn’t? How did you respond?

Verses 22-24 Commandments 
Verse 22 says we will get our prayers answered if we are keeping His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. David said in Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry. This agrees with what Jesus said in John 15:7 if ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

What is His commandment? Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

And finally the conclusion of this wonderful chapter is that we know Jesus lives in us by the Holy Spirit that was given to us. John 14:17 Even the Spirit of Truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Question: Are you thankful for the Holy Spirit? How has He made Himself known to you? Are you praying for something specific? What does Psalm 34:15 and John 15:7 mean to you?

I hope that you were encouraged by today’s Bible study. First John is a great book to study because there are some hidden nuggets you must dig for to truly get a rich experience in this text. As you study, ask the Spirit of Truth to open up your spiritual ears and eyes to hear and see what God wants to reveal to you.

I look forward to breaking the bread with you again next Wednesday as we dive into chapter four. Hopefully something I said has given you strength for your journey and light for your way!

God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens 

1 John Chapter 2 Bible Study

Welcome to my blog! I hope you have been joining in on the weekly Wednesday Bible studies! We had a great time studying Ruth last month. This month we are in the New Testament studying 1 John, which is sandwiched between 2 Peter and 2 John. The book of 1 John is toward the back, not to be confused with the fourth book in the New Testament, St. John.

My Bible has a beautiful description of The First Epistle of John and I will include that here:

God is light; God is love; and God is life. John is enjoying a delightful fellowship with that God of light, love, and life, and he desperately desires that his spiritual children enjoy the same fellowship.

God is light. Therefore, to engage in fellowship with Him we must walk in light and not in darkness. As we walk in the light, we will regularly confess our sins, allowing the blood of Christ to continually cleanse us. Two major roadblocks to hinder this walk will be falling in love with the world and falling for the alluring lies of false teachers.

God is love. Since we are His children we must walk in love. In fact, John says that if we do not love, we do not know God. Love is more than just words; it is actions. Love is giving, not getting. Biblical love is unconditional in its nature. Christ's love fulfilled those qualities and when that brand of love characterizes us, we will be free of self-condemnation and experience confidence before God.

God is life. Those who fellowship with Him must possess His quality of life. Spiritual life begins with spiritual birth which occurs through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ infuses us with God's life -- eternal life.

Although the apostle John's name is not found in this book, it was given the title Ioannou A, the "First of John."

I am so glad you are here today! First of all, read through the second chapter of 1 John. It is a little more reading than last week, but is still only 29 verses. Grab a notebook or journal, pen or pencil, and keep your Bible open as we break the bread together. I will be asking questions throughout today's study. Record your answers in your book. If you are participating in this study with friends or a small group, use the questions for talking points. The purpose of this study is to dig deeper into the Word of God and to apply the lessons to our own lives. Feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Last week we saw God is Light, God is Love, and God is Life, as we explored chapter one. This week we are in chapter two where John shares how we are to live as Jesus lived, and warns us to not be deceived. The adversary is busy, but the good news is so is God!

Verses 1-2 Sin
He begins chapter two saying that he is writing the letter for us to not sin. The goal is that we will live our lives in a way that glorifies God. This should be our aim. No matter how well we try, we occasionally will do the wrong thing. We mess up and sin. The good news is that we have an advocate with the Father if Jesus Christ is our Savior. Jesus is our propitiation. That means we have sinned and made God angry, because sin separates us from the one Holy God. Jesus appeased God when He became sin even though He Himself did not sin. He paid the cost of our sin, by becoming our supreme sacrifice on the cross, and His blood atoned us. (see John 1:29) What a beautiful gift to us! Thank You, Jesus! The amazing love of Jesus is shown as He lays down His life for me and for the sins of the whole world! There is not one person Jesus did not die to save!

Have you accepted the free gift of salvation? Do you know someone in your life 
that still struggles with sin and has not been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb? What can you do to share this message of hope and love with them today?

Verses 3-6 Commandments
Jesus tells us in John 14:21&23 that we prove we love Him when we are obedient to the commandments we were given. He says when we demonstrate our love in that way, He will love us and reveal Himself to us. We grow closer in fellowship as the Father pours His love out on us because we love His Son Jesus.  The relationship we have is strengthened the more we obey His commandments and live by the Truth of His Word.

How close do you feel to Jesus? Are you obeying His commandments? What commandments are hardest for you to follow? Has Jesus revealed Himself to you? How do you strengthen your relationship? What ways do you honor God?

Verses 7-11 Light vs Darkness
John 13:34 and John 15:12 both explain the new commandment is to love each other. Like we saw last week, God is light. The true light is now shining in our hearts so we can learn what we must do to please the Father. If we say we love God but we hate our brother we are not walking in the light. We are stumbling around in darkness because God tells us to love one another. The darkness blinds our eyes to the sin in our heart. But if we love our brother, even though we disapprove of what they are doing, we are no longer stumbling in the dark. We can clearly walk in the path God is leading us on as we stay close to the Light. 

Have you ever been walking in a dark hallway or walkway? What happens when you turn on the light? What things that are hidden in the dark do you think God is wanting to shine His light on? Do you struggle with loving everyone? Did you know that hating your brother causes you to stumble in darkness?

Verses 12-14 Writing To You
I like how John addresses the people in different categories. He is writing to everyone but he says he is writing to the little children, new believers, because their sins are forgiven, and because they have come to know God as their Father. He wants to equip them with the Truth so they can grow in Christ. In verses 13 and 14 he addresses the fathers, the mature who are walking in the Truth that they received a while back. They are more seasoned in their faith, but they can still go off course. These are the mentors and leaders who are still learning how to live lives that glorify God. He says he is writing to the young men because they have overcome the wicked one. He says these young men are strong and they overcome evil because the Word of God lived in their hearts. These are the ones who have been working on their relationship for a while but things are still new and exciting. Sometimes we get so used to things as they are that we can stop striving to improve our walk with Christ. 

Who do you identify with: little children, young men, or fathers? How important is it for all of us to work on our relationship with Jesus? How can we help those who are not as strong in their faith as we are? How can we encourage those who have experienced more than we have? 

Verses 15-17 Don’t Love The World
The Bible is very clear that if we love the world and the things it offers, the love of the Father is not in us. We can get so caught up in looking like the world, celebrating the things the world values, and making great strides to be accepted by society that we begin to compromise what we believe. We begin to look at things others have and we start to get greedy. We compare ourselves to others and if we don’t think we measure up, we feel devalued and worthless. 

In verse 16 it plainly states that what we desire to make us feel good, the things we see and covet, and the belief that we make our own happiness, success, rules, or whatever and we do not need God is not from God the Father. We learn that behavior by studying the world instead of the Word!

Ecclesiastes 5:10 says He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. It’s all going to pass away. You cannot take it with you. The only thing that will last forever is the one that does God’s will.

Who do you know that has ever offered to give you half of their bank account because they thought they had too much money?  Has anyone ever told you that they felt like they had enough money and they didn’t need anymore? Do you know anyone who goes to the store and only buys the absolute necessities every single time? What does it mean to you to love the world? 

Verses 18-23 AntiChrist
So often, the title anti-Christ is misrepresented. There is an anti-Christ coming who will deceive the whole world (2 Thessalonians 2:3), but this passage talks about many anti-Christs. These are the end times. The world is exhibiting the signs Jesus gave us in the gospels. It does not take a Bible scholar to recognize that sin abounds and deception is everywhere.

I have heard of preachers who ministered to hundreds, if not thousands of people, and then one day they choose to walk away from God and all the things they once believed. They no longer believe the things they once taught. Instead they have been deceived and believe that Jesus is not the only way to get to God. Verse 22 says Who is a liar but he that denies Jesus is the Christ? This is the anti-Christ. Anyone who does not believe Jesus is the Son of God is anti-Christ according to 2 John 7. We are told this will happen in 1 Timothy 4:1.

John said that we have an unction from the Holy One and the reason he is writing to us is because we have the truth in our hearts. He does not want us to be deceived. Matthew 24:24 Jesus said For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. We have to be careful about who we listen to and who we believe.

Not every man or woman who preaches and teaches is operating in the Spirit of God. Some teachers and ministers are watering down the gospel to get bigger crowds at church, to bring in more people for their programs, and care more about getting names on their roll, instead of names in the Lamb's Book of Life. We must be careful to measure what we hear with what the Word of God says.

Do you see signs of end times around you? Why do you think John wants all believers to know that many anti-Christs are in the world? What can you do to safeguard your heart and not be deceived by lies shared on television and the internet? Have you been deceived by false teachers before?


Verses 24-29 Hold On To What You Know
We know the truth if we are reading God's Word. We can have this truth in our hearts and meditate on it day and night. As long as we have the truth in our hearts, and we filter everything we are taught through the infallible Word of God we will not be deceived. If it does not line up with scriptures then it is wrong and the Bible is right. Do not believe the lies.

Jesus said in John 14:23 If a man love Me, he shall keep My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make Our abode with him. This is so important. Jesus is the ONLY way to get to God and if anyone teaches another message, they are not preaching the truth and you need to stop listening to them. They are deceived and are trying to deceive others.

Verse 25 says this is the promise He gave us, eternal life. John 17:3 Jesus said And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent. Eternal life is us knowing God and His Son Jesus. They lead us. Their words guide us. They give us direction. The Holy Spirit teaches us and helps us discern right from wrong. This is eternal life that He promises to give us.

John said he is writing these things concerning those that try to deceive. But we have an anointing that we received from God and that will teach us what we need to know. We can trust the Holy Spirit to do the work of teaching us the truth because there is no lie in the Holy Spirit of God. We do not have to rely on people to tell us the truth. Yes, we need to be lead by Godly leaders, but we must hold everything they say and do up to the Word of God and see how it measures up. Observe everything through the lens of scripture and you will not believe a lie.

1 Corinthians 1:21 Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God. This says it is God that anoints us and enables the Holy Spirit to teach us. We must be led by the Spirit into all Truth.

John tells us to abide in Him. Abide in Jesus. Live in Him. Live in His Word. Then we will have confidence that we are ready when He comes. We will not be ashamed when He comes, but we will be watching and praying for Him to come quickly. We know that He is righteous and anyone that belongs to God is doing righteous things. We all sin and fall short. When we see one another struggle, please pray and help each other make it home. Time is so very short.

What can you do to abide in Him? Are you encouraged to hold up the messages of this world against the message of Christ? Do you feel empowered and equipped to listen to the Holy Spirit when you are being lied to? What things have you been told in society that goes against the Word of God? What popular sayings and slogans are subtle deceptions that can lead us astray if we are not watching and praying?

Wow! That is is the end of chapter two! Well done for those who endured to the end of this Bible study. It is a lot of information. I encourage you to take some time this week and dig deeper into chapter two. There are so many other scripture references I could have given, but it's important for us to break the bread together, and on our own. Some of you may not be ready to dive deeper, and others are so hungry for more. May God lead and guide you as you study His Word and continue in His love.

I will see you here next week for another Bible study as we open up the scriptures in chapter three. There are a few less verses next time, but the study will be great! I will have another blog post on Friday, Fuel For The Weekend, as we talk about intentional living. I would love to hear thoughts and comments regarding this study. My prayer is something I shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way.

God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens