Devotionary

Latest Episodes:

Ep 202 – 1 John 2:18-27 PT 6 Jul 11, 2017

Show notes

This is episode six on 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27. It's entitled, "Staying Power" because that is exactly what John's audience needed. They were struggling. They were under attack and suffering persecution for their faith. They had even had a split in their fellowship, with some of their so-called brothers and sisters leaving in a far-from-understanding manner. Questions were flying. Doubts were growing. Their new-found faith had started to hit some major road blocks and John worried that they would throw in the towel. Coming to faith is easy. Staying committed to the faith in the face of daily opposition is another thing. So, John is going to provide them with some very timely words of encouragement and exhortation. He wanted them to stay strong. He wanted them to rest in the assurance of their salvation and the truth of the gospel message they had received. They were not to give up or give in. Regardless of what happened to them or around them.

Ep 201 – 1 John 2:18-27 PT 5 Jul 10, 2017

Show notes

In this fifth episode on 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27, we'll be looking at the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. John wants us to know that we have a capacity to know truth and to live in the knowledge of that truth. And it's all due to the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God. As Christians living in the midst of a fallen world, we are surrounded by lies and half-truths. Satan, under whose influence the majority of people in the world are held captive, wants to contradict and confuse the truth of God. He wants to dilute the message of the gospel and refute the promises of God. He offers us counterfeit gospels and feasible-sounding solutions to our problems. But they are all lies. And the only way we can spot the lies is with the help of the Spirit of God. That's why I've called this episode, "Our Spiritual Lie Detector." The Holy Spirit is an invaluable resource when it comes to knowing the truth of God and spotting the lies of the enemy. Between the Spirit of God and the Word of God, we can know the truth.

Ep 200 – 1 John 2:18-27 PT 4 Jul 09, 2017

Show notes

This is our fourth episode on 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27. I've entitled it "When Christians Become Anti-Christ." That title may surprise you a bit. But John would have us know that it's not only possible, it is probable, if and when we refuse to keep our hope focused on the gospel of Jesus and the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ for not only our salvation, but our sanctification. It is far easier than we might realize to become anti-Christ. When we stand against His will for us or refuse to allow Him to work through us, we end up opposed to Him. When we begin to think that we can handle our lives without Him or achieve some level of holiness apart from Him, we end up standing in opposition to Him. When Satan attempted to get Adam and Eve to disobey God and eat from the forbidden tree, he simply said, "Surely God has not said." He got them to doubt God's word. He led them to question God's motives. And as soon as they ate, they became anti-God. And it's still a risk we all face today.

Ep 199 - 1 John 2:18-27 PT 3 Jul 08, 2017

Show notes

This is episode three on 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27. I've entitled it "The Last Hour." In it, we will find John giving his best effort to warn his readers about the spirit of the antichrist. This term is one that most of us associate with the end times, a time period somewhere out in the distant future that we hope to avoid at all costs. But John was under the impression, the divinely-inspired impression, that he was living in the last times. And so are we. They began the day Jesus ascended into heaven and sent His Spirit to dwell among us and within us. So, for more than 2,000 years, we have been living within a period of time that is moving steadily closer to a point of culmination. John told his readers that they were living in the last hour. But Peter would have us remember, "A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day." (2 Peter 3:8 NLT). We don't know God's schedule, but we do know that we are living in the last days because of the growing antipathy and animosity toward Christ.

Ep 198 – 1 John 2:18-27 PT 2 Jul 07, 2017

Show notes

This is the second of seven episodes on 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27. It's entitled, "Truth Is Not Relative" and is going to deal with the common misconception that truth is highly subjective. In John's day, just as in ours, there were a lot of people who rejected Jesus' claim to be the truth, the only truth. There were more than enough people who were willing to admit that Jesus lived and died. They might even admit that He was sent by God. But as far as being the Messiah and the God-Man who died on the cross for the sins of mankind, that was another matter. Jesus' claim to be the way, the truth and the life has always had its detractors and deniers. The exclusivity of that claim has always left some shaking their head in disbelief. It comes across to them as arrogant and intolerant. They can't imagine a god who offer something so significant as eternal life and then be so unjust as to offer only one way of attaining it. But John wants us to know that anyone who claims a truth other than Christ is not only mistaken, they're a liar.

Ep 197 – 1 John 2:18-27 PT 1 Jul 06, 2017

Show notes

Today we start on a new section of 1 John. For the next seven episodes, we are going to spend our time in 1 John, chapter two, verses 18-27. And this first episode is entitled, "Who Do You Say That I Am?" This was a question Jesus asked His disciples and it is still the most important question any man or woman has to answer. And ultimately, everyone WILL have to give an answer. And John wants us to realize that there is only one right answer. Jesus is the Christ. But what does that even mean? That is what we hope to answer as we unpack these 10 verses over the next seven episodes. Believing that Jesus was a man who actually lived and was crucified on a Roman cross is not the same thing as believing He was the Christ. Respecting Jesus as a great example of moral living and ethical teaching is not the same thing as recognizing Him as your Savior. Even admitting that He was the Son of God is not the same thing as confessing Him as your Lord. Knowing about Jesus is not enough. But trusting in Him is.

Ep 196 – 1 John 2:12-17 PT 7 Jul 05, 2017

Show notes

This is the seventh and final episode on 1 John chapter 2, verses 12-17. I've entitled it, "The Folly of What is Fading." In this one verse, verse 17, John is going to remind us just how ridiculous it is to love this world and the things it offers, because it and everything on it, are on their way out. They are fading, rusting, and losing their value. But he would have us remember that we are eternal creatures, complete with souls that will last forever. When we become infatuated with this present reality, we tend to take our eyes off our future eternity. We begin to live as if this is all there is. We focus all our affections on this life. We attempt to enjoy all the pleasures of life while we can. It's only natural. But John wants us to live with a heavenly mindset. This world is not our home. We are passing through on our way to some place better. The pleasures of this life are nothing to be compared with what is to come. There's only one thing on this earth that is going to last and that's people.

Ep 195 – 1 John 2:12-17 PT 6 Jul 04, 2017

Show notes

This is our sixth episode on 1 John chapter 2, verses 12-17 and our final one on verse 16. I've entitled is, "Self-glorification." So far, we've looked at the dangers of self-gratification and self-indulgence. They are both forms of self-love. And so is this third one: Self-glorification. When we love the world and the things it has to offer, it can often take the form of our worldly accomplishments and material possessions. These things make us feel special. They provide us with a sense of self-worth and a means by which to measure our status. They feed our ego and stroke our pride. Which is about as dangerous as feeding the bears in a national forest. It looks innocent enough, but it could turn out to bite you. John wants us to avoid all forms of self-glorification. It's probably one of the most insidious forms of self-love, because we don't even realize that we are making ourselves our own gods. We look at our resume or our checking accounts and begin to believe that we are self-made and self-sufficient. And rather than glorify God, we glory in ourselves.

Ep 194 – 1 John 2:12-17 PT 5 Jul 03, 2017

Show notes

This episode is entitled, "Self-indulgence" and is our fifth on 1 John chapter 2, verses 12-17. We are still looking at verse 16 and the second phrase John uses to describe our love of the world. The New Living Translation calls it "a craving for everything we see." It's an insatiable desire for all the goodies the world offers us, from fame and recognition to the latest technological devices and trendy fashions. We see it and we have to have it. And while most of the things we crave are not evil or declared off-limits by God, they still pose a danger for us. It is far too easy for us to see these things as the source of our satisfaction and sense of self-worth. They become another means by which we practice self-love. We convince ourselves that we deserve them. We rationalize that they will make us happy. And in doing so, we turn them into little gods that we fully expect to meet our needs. But they almost always prove to be impotent and incapable of delivering what they promise. They can't return our love.

Ep 193 – 1 John 2:12-17 PT 4 Jul 02, 2017

Show notes

This is episode four on 1 John chapter 2, verses 12-17. It's entitled, "Self-gratification" because that seems to be one of the main points John is trying to make. Love of the world is ultimately love of self. We don't really love the world. We simply love what we believe the world can offer us. It holds out a host of tempting allurements that it offers in return for our time, attention and affections. It is the same tactic Satan used on Jesus during His time in the wilderness. Matthew records, "Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 'I will give it all to you,' he said, 'if you will kneel down and worship me'" (Matthew 4:8-9 NLT). Satan, the prince of this world is always seeking to get us to turn our love for God on to ourselves. He wants us to make it all about us. But self-love is ultimately self-destructive. And our love affair with the world is nothing more than a not-so-subtle ploy to make life all about us.

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