Steps to a Successful Life

 

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense- Jesus Christ, the righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world.  We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.  The old command is the message you have heard.” I John 2:1-7

Jesus came into the world not to abolish the law, but rather to fulfill it.  Every principle in the 10 Commandments was righteously fulfilled in Christ.  But not only those, but all commands in the Old Testament and New Testament were fulfilled in Jesus.  Additionally, all prophecies about the coming Messiah were wholly fulfilled in Him.  Jesus is the beginning and ending of all things.

Thus, the command to walk as Jesus did in verse six is not a new command.  If we walk as he walked, then we will not sin against any other command given in the Word of God.  If we walk as he did, we won’t have to add anything extra to our way of living.  We will be wholly pleasing in the eyes of God.

I love the beauty and totality of the Bible.  Anything foreshadowed in the Old Testament is fulfilled (in Christ) in the New Testament.  It is a breath-taking tapestry beautifully and intricately interwoven throughout time.  The theme of his love, his holiness, his purpose for us and his desire to see us reconciled unto him, all of it is shown in Jesus’ life and in the Word.

I challenge you to begin to purpose in your heart to do it the way Jesus did.  No excuses, no rationalizations.  Just living in his steps. Recently, my husband and I were walking through dense woods with hidden holes, vines and thorns hanging everywhere.  My six-foot-four husband walked in front of me, navigating the landscape, holding the briars and pulling the vines off the path.  As long as I walked right in his footsteps, I was not likely to be harmed.  If we just put our steps trustingly into the larger footprints that he left, we will finish this life knowing we will one day here the much-coveted words “Well done my good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joys of the Lord.

Jesus, help me to pattern my life after you.  Help me to be a true follower of yours, and not in name only.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

How do You Relate?

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense- Jesus Christ, the righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world.  We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. ” I John 2:1-6

One of the great mysteries in the Word of God to me is our position in Christ.  When we come to salvation, Jesus comes to live in our hearts.  As a Christian we become a part of the body of Christ.  (All Christians make up that body, with Christ as the head.)  When we receive Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of us.  When we ask Jesus us to, he baptizes us in the Holy Spirit.  So to recap, we are in Jesus and he is in us.  We are in the Spirit and he is in us.

So having said all of that, today’s verse talks about how we can know we are in him.  If we do what Jesus did, we are living in him.  When one of our sons was little, I got so tickled watching him.  My husband was outside talking to another man.  Our little guy was standing right by him.  If Daddy leaned one elbow on the truck, he leaned one elbow on the truck.  When my husband gestured with his hand, my son gestured with his pudgy little hand.  He was a mini replica of Daddy.  If we are following Jesus, we will look like it. 

Another analogy of this verse can be seen in our relationships with our friends.  I have noticed that my relationships with my friends are very individual.  We have inside jokes and terms that we use with each other that would not make sense to someone else.  Why?  Because we pick up things from each other.  They change me and I change them.  We become like those that we are around most.  You cannot hang out in the world, but act like Jesus.  You have to hang out with him.  Listen to him, talk with him and have shared experiences with him before he begins to shape your life.  If no one knows you are a Christian, you need to invest in more time spent with Jesus.

The final question is how did Jesus walk? He walked to where hurting people were, and he befriended them.  He saw people’s need and was moved to compassion.  He taught them, provided for them, delivered them, healed them and established relationships with them.  If we are to be like Jesus in this world we have to care about those who are in need.  We have to be the hands of compassion outstretched.  A Christian who is not giving of themselves, their time, their resources, is honestly no Christian at all. Because to be Christ-like means to be like Christ.  To feel like him; to act like him; and to love like him!

Lord, show me where I am failing in my life to emulate you.  Thank you for coming to live in me and to allow me to be in the Family of God.  Help me to resemble the Father. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Complete

 

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense- Jesus Christ, the righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world.  We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: …”  I John 2:1-4 

If we obey the Bible, that is the “proof in the pudding” that God’s love is in us.  It is easy to give lip service to the love of God, but much harder to walk it out.  The love of God restrains our tongue, tamps down our temper, and causes us to look beyond someone else’s faults.  The love of God enables and inspires us to put the Bible into action in our life.

There are so many levels in the Lord.  When we first become a Christian, we start out just like newborn babies, but in the Spirit.  But as we mature, learn more of his Word, and grow in the knowledge of God, we become increasingly grown-up in Christ.  After a season of growth, he calls us to go deeper still.  The Bible speaks of us going from “glory to glory.”  It must be our goal to allow Jesus to be “truly made complete in us.” I do not want there to be 3% Jesus and 97% me.  I want him to be the primary influence in my life.  I want to be hidden in Christ.  But, oh, that is work!  Dying to self, putting on the character of Christ, interacting with people following the “what would Jesus do?” pattern is attainable.  We just have to want it more than we want our own way.

Obedience is a skill that becomes easier as we put it into practice.  A mature Christian does not ask himself/herself whether they feel like doing what the Bible says. They just look at the Bible like a soldier would a military superior.  It is an order to be followed.

I was disciplining our youngest the other day, and he kept pleading his case with me the whole time I was talking.  After a while I said to him, “When I get on to you, the only thing I want to hear from you is: “Yes, Ma’am.”  That means that he does not try to persuade me that I am wrong or get his way.  He just acknowledges what I am saying and agrees to comply.  That is really what the Lord expects from us.  We see in his Word what he requires and we say “Yes, sir.”  No argument, no negotiation.  Just enough humility to know he is always right and should be respected and obeyed.

Lord, help me to be quick to obey.  I truly desire for your love to be made complete in me.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Liar, Liar!

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense- Jesus Christ, the righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world.  We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.  The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”  I John 2:1-4 

I well remember being a little girl and my Grandma hearing me say someone was a liar.  She scolded me strongly about it, explaining it was ugly to call someone a liar.  She talked in terms of “telling stories.”  I remember too as a young mother telling one of my little ones not to lie.  Once again, Grandma reminded me it was ugly to call someone a liar.  I remember that day telling her (respectfully) that lying was a sin, not confronting a lie.  A truth she had to agree to. 

Here the Word of God is rather strong.  But it really is a right or wrong scenario.  Either you do what he says, or you don’t really know him.  You can know he is God. You can know historical facts about his son, Jesus.  But you cannot really “know” him until you know him as Lord.  That means that you exalt him to his rightful place in your life and allow him to call the shots.  You know him when you cannot stand the idea of breaking his heart by rebelling against his Word.  You know him when you recognize his holiness to the point you have a right amount of reverential fear and awe of the Righteous Judge.

Friday we discussed how we know we know him if we obey his commands.  Today’s verse is just the flip side to that verse.  Don’t you just love how the Bible is so well-balanced?  We can know him and obey, or we can not obey and realize we do not know him at all.  That is the two choices laid out before us in Scripture.  But to not obey, and claim to know him?  That just make you a hypocrite (an actor/actress) and a liar.  The trademark of any true believer is a love for Jesus, his Word, and a desire to please him. 

Where are your affections today?  Are they on pleasing God or pleasing yourself?  Do you know him?  Do you love him?  Find out what the Bible says and do it.  Do you claim Jesus, but live however you see fit?  Repent!  He wants you to know him and be in close relation with him.

Dear Jesus, help me not to just be a hearer of your Word, but a doer of it. I want to know you, Lord.  Remove the mixture in me.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

You are a What?

 

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense- Jesus Christ, the righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world.  We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.”  I John 2:1-3

There are verses in the Bible that are so comforting that they are like a hug.  Other verses are “ouchy”, more like a pinch.  This is one of those “ouchy” verses.  You say you love the Lord…prove it!  Does your life show that you know him and love him?  Are you doing what he says do?  If not, then you must not know him well.  That’s the Bible, not my opinion.

I have been to funerals before for people that I was sure were not Christians because I had never seen Christ-like behavior from them.  Only to be amazed when the pastor preached them right into heaven because of their belief in Christ.  Friend, the people around us should not have a doubt in their minds of whether or not we are a believer!

Working in the secular realm I am constantly surprised at people who one second talk about their strong belief in prayer and in the next breath speak profanity.  I have been in public with Christians and have them be so rude and inconsiderate until I was sure no one would suspect them of Christianity.  And can I be real?  Sometimes the “supposed to be a Christian” one was me.  I have been impatient with cashiers, waitresses or people in traffic.  Can we all be honest enough to say that if someone was doing surveillance on our lives they may find conflicting “proof” about our salvation?

I have heard Joyce Meyer, both live and on TV, exhorting the people who attend her meeting to act like Christians in the community.  She said that once she put on a conference in her home town and heard people in the community say that they dreaded conference time because Christians were some of the stingiest and rudest people their business had encountered.  What a shame!

I do not go to a hair stylist with bad hair!  I go see someone who looks as good as I would like to look.  I do not buy beauty products from someone whose skin looks like leather.  I buy it from someone who looks younger than their age.  This same logic applies to church and Christianity.  I only want to go to a church where there are people who act like I want to act.  Who show me what serving God looks like.  I want to be a person that others can follow me all the way to Jesus!  Paul said “Follow me as I follow Christ.”  If someone followed you, would it lead them to or from Christ?

Lord, show me the commandments that I have failed you in.  Help me to be someone whose life points back to you.  Forgive me where I have failed you.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Mine All Mine?

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense- Jesus Christ, the righteous One.  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but for the sins of the whole world.”  I John 2:1-2

 

Jesus provided the one sacrifice that was needed to reconcile me (and you) to himself.  His one act of sacrifice upon the cross washed away all the sins I (or you) ever committed or ever will commit.  What a personal Savior!  But what is greater is that he is the Savior of my family, neighbors, community and world.  He is both personal and global.  Does that boggle your mind?

Because he paid that price for me, I too, have to find a way to get beyond myself and see the needs of those around me.  Every person we will see today needs to know that he is the Savior of the whole world.  Every person alive needs to understand the depth of his love and commitment, verified by his precious blood that was shed for each one of them.  How on earth can the whole world know of his sacrifice?  Only if we tell, will they hear.

Some statistics I read recently indicated most Christians do not lead even one person to Christ a year.  Can I speak candidly with you for a moment?  When a man and wife are actively married in the physical sense, fruitfulness and reproduction will occur.  (Unless efforts are made to prevent it or unless one or the other has physical conditions that prohibit reproduction.)  A healthy relationship is supposed to reproduce.  If our love relationship with Christ is all that it is supposed to be, we should expect to see spiritual offspring coming from that union.  If we are not bringing forth spiritual babes, we must inspect ourselves to determine what is rendering us spiritually barren.

I encourage you today to begin to pray about the people in your life everyday that you can tell about Jesus.  Don’t try to memorize Christianese (Christian jargon) and spout it where you go.  No!  Just talk to others about the Love of Your Life.  Tell them who Jesus is to you.  Share yourself with others and it will naturally lead to opportunities to share.  He is yours!  But he belongs to the world as well.

Lord, I am humbled by your sacrifice; amazed by your love; and baffled by your ability to be so personal and so global all at once.  Help me to share your vision of the world.  Help me to be fruitful.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

The Best Advice

 

“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense- Jesus Christ, the righteous One.”  I John 2:1

 

Is there a more beautiful verse of Scripture written anywhere?  When I think of Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, who never sinned at all, defending me, I am humbled beyond measure!  This passage is such a beautiful illustration of parenting.  “Johnny, get down out of that tree before you fall!”  (Johnny hurtles to the ground, breaking his arm.)  Mama or Daddy runs to him at break-neck speed, grabs him up with loving consolation and rushes him to the ER.  This is that type of thing, only times infinity!

“My dear children” here is the apostle John demonstrating a spiritual Father type of love, sent to several gentile congregations, passed around anywhere there were believers.  With great tenderness he admonishes them to not sin.  In many ways this makes me think of the “birds and the bees” talk given to our adolescent children.  “Sex is for after marriage, etc., etc.  But if you get into trouble, I want you to talk to me.  I am still going to love you and be there for you.”  We tell them what we want for them.  We tell them what is best for them.  We tell them how to avoid heartache, disaster and sickness.  But if for some reason, they do not heed our advice, we do not throw them out.  We try to lovingly restore them.

Jesus does not want us to sin.  Period.  He has given us his Spirit to guide us; a conscience through which to lead us; his Word to direct us; and his grace to empower us.  This is the sin-free power package.  But just as we recognize the humanity and propensity to fail in our little ones, he sees it is in us.  He knows our frame- the very hairs of our head are numbered.  He knows us inside and out.  What love!  What devotion!  He wants us to succeed.  He wants us to be blessed.  He wants us to walk closely with him.  But if we stumble, if we fall, he is there to bring us help.

If he were not mercy; the conversation with the Father would be so much different. It would be more like, “Father, Sherri has gotten angry and lost her temper.  I never did that when I walked this earth.  Punish her.”  He is grace.  Take a moment and thank him for his longsuffering mercy toward you.

I would not be a balanced Bible teacher, if I did not offer up a word of caution at this point.  He tells us not to sin.  We should never purposefully choose to sin and then impose on his mercy.  His mercy is not cheap.  It was purchased with the pure blood of the Lamb!  One day as I was diving into a ridiculously sinful dessert, I jested with friends, “For this sin I am about to commit, please forgive me.”  We laughed about it, because it was just dessert.  But how many Christians live their lives in the same way.  I know what I am doing is wrong; but I am going to keep doing it and get forgiveness later.  Be careful!  You are gambling with your soul.

Dear Lord, thank you for your extravagant mercy and forgiveness.  Forgive me for knowingly sinning against your mercy.  Help me to walk in purity and holiness.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Unfounded Claim

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete.  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light and in him is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”  I John 1:1-10

 

 

We are all sinners.  Ever since Adam and Eve made the choice to defy God, we have all been subject to an inherent tendency to sin.  Any religion or philosophy that tells you otherwise, stands in direct opposition to the Word of God.

We have made life such a relative thing.  But there are still absolutes in this world.  There really is a black and a white; a right and a wrong; a correct action and a sin.  Regardless of extenuating circumstances and our preferences, the truth remains. 

If we deny the absolute authority of the Bible, every choice thereafter is skewed.  God knew we needed absolute truth and he laid his will out for us in the Bible.  If we want to live righteously, and avoid making God out to be a liar, we have to hide the Word of God within our heart.  We have to read the Word, study the Word, and memorize it. That way we know what is true and what is false.  When we listen to our own advice or opinion, we are likely to fall short of the mark.

I challenge you to begin to delve more deeply into the Bible, every day.  Life, wisdom and direction are found within its pages.  If you choose to make the Bible your foundation, the enemy will not be able to lie to you and shake you, you will stand firm!

Dear Lord, give me a deeper love for your Word.  A stronger passion for righteousness.  A greater desire to walk holy before you.  Forgive me for making you out to be a liar by my actions.  I am sorry.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

Can I Make a Confession?

 

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete.  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light and in him is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  I John 1:1-9

So, if I just say I sinned he will forgive me?  Does that sound a little too easy?  That is the beauty of the grace of God.  He has made salvation so simple, a pre-schooler can do it!  He stands ready, willing and able to forgive us.  All he asks from us is that we confess our sins to him.  When we do, he unleashes forgiveness, cleansing and purifying into our lives. He washes away things that are unrighteous and restores us to righteousness.

What a gracious God we serve!  There are things I have said, done or thought in my life that make me unworthy to ever stand in his presence.  In fact, they would justifiably send me into an eternity of hell.  But when I just use my mouth, name my sin, take ownership of it, he just makes it disappear!

But here is the hard part: pride.  Stinking pride often stands in the way of us wanting to admit we have done wrong.  I am mad with so and so because they did thus and so to me (nice analogy, huh?).  Therefore, I run them through the mud to everyone that will stand still.  Now the time comes that God has convicted me of it for the fortieth time and I know I cannot go on without his forgiveness.  The tendency is to start with, “Lord, I am sorry I said what I said, but they never should have done that to me…”  Pride makes us justify our sin rather than confess our sin.  Furthermore, sometimes in our pride we do not want to let go of our pet sin, rather we cling to it for dear life.

There are other times that we so hate ourselves for our wrongdoing that we find it difficult to admit it out loud or name it to God.  We have to work beyond all that junk if we are going to truly bring it before him in humility and repentance.

Another fan favorite is this:  “Lord, please forgive me of all my sins.  Amen.”  Ok, there is times that this type of prayer works.  But there are others times it simply will not fly.  We cannot just clump it together; gloss over it and keep going.  We need to own it if we want to be free from it.

I remember a time a number of years ago that I was feeling like my prayers were hitting the ceiling and bouncing back to me.  Ever been there?  I did not know what was wrong; I just did not feel close to God any longer.  I finally decided to start a fast because I did not know what else to do.  During my prayer time one day, I felt compelled to just start naming any sin that came to mind and asking God to forgive me of it.  You can’t over-repent, right?!  So I began praying, “Lord forgive me of lying, stealing, cheating, gossiping, murdering, committing adultery, being gluttonous, slandering, sowing seeds of division…”  If it was a sin named in the Bible I could think of, I repented.  Now obviously I hadn’t killed anyone or committed adultery, but we have to remember the holiness of God.  Jesus said if we hate, we commit murder.  If we look on someone to lust, we have committed adultery.  So I thought, who knows?  Maybe I was angry with someone without good reason, or looked at a movie star and thought, “Man, he’s fine!”  Regardless, as I began to go through and sincerely confess and repent of sin, I began to feel the weight fall off of me.  I began to feel so light and free. I had committed sin I was not even aware of on a conscious level! Before long there was no distance between me and God, only sweet communion.

In a day’s time there are so many opportunities to sin in thought, word or deed.  Lots of times we fail to practice a lifestyle of repentance and we overlook the need to confess.  As it builds up, our conscious becomes hardened and we do not even hear the convincing voice of the Holy Spirit as well.

Yep, confession is all it takes.  But we have to crucify the flesh and humble ourselves to do that.

Dear Lord, forgive me of taking you for granted.  For committing sin and failing to confess it to you.  Please wash away the grime that living in this world leaves on my spirit.  In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Sherri

I Sinned

 

 

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete.  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light and in him is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  I John 1:1-8

 

Have you ever known a person who believed that they were without sin?  If so, you probably were talking to someone impossible to witness to. Without the foundational principle of knowing there is an inherent sin nature, an individual has a hard time recognizing their need for a Savior.  As in most things in life, admitting the problem is the first step to receiving help.

I remember the first time I realized that my precious little child had chosen to purposely deceive me.  I could not believe it.  I had always told him how sweet he was, how smart he was, how very much he was loved.  I doted on him and tried to make his little world all he could hope for.  Still, naughtiness came from out of the blue.  But was it really?  Of course not; we can trace the root of sin all the way back to Adam.  And to Lucifer even before that.  When my little ones begin to display purposeful, premeditated sin, I know it is time to start talking to them about what sin is and how it separates us from God. 

We are not without sin.  Our very nature is proud, lustful and covetous.  If we will admit that, the truth is at work in our lives.  Where truth is, we find Jesus for he is truth. We have been talking about walking in the light.  The first step to that walk is to confess our sins to the Lord- one by one, and asking for forgiveness.  This occurs at salvation.  But can I tell you a secret? Even after salvation, we must constantly recognize our need for God’s cleansing, healing and restoration in our lives.  Then can we receive that purity and enjoy our day in the sun.

Dear Lord, I am a helpless sinner without you.  I am so grateful that you give me the help I need to overcome sin and become righteous in your sight.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Little Sin/Big Sin

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete.  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light and in him is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”  I John 1:1-7

 

The Church, the body of Christ, is based upon the foundation of today’s verse.  Because we choose to walk as Jesus did and allow him to purify us from sin, we are granted fellowship- both with one another and with Christ.  The fellowship that we enjoy as the Church (the universal church comprised of all true believers) is more powerful than just having friends.  The corporate anointing has power to have prayers answered, evangelie the world, and strengthen us in our walk with the Lord.  I cannot overemphasie how important fellowship is to the life of a believer.  We were never meant to be lone wolves.  The Bible compares followers of Christ to sheep.  Sheep left to wander alone without the benefit of a shepherd and a flock are easy targets for animals to prey upon.  Protection is found in the flock.

Walking in light also allows to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.  We cannot walk where he walked without being in the light.  Every earthly step he ever took was in the light.  He was 100% human, but never sinned.  All of his dealings were above reproach and blameless.  We cannot go wrong walking in the path of light.

Finally, we must comment on the blood.  The precious blood of Jesus is the remedy to all that is wrong with us:  sin, healing, bondage, and low self-esteem.  I am so grateful for the blood that was shed for me sin.  This passage says it cleanses from “all sin”.  There is a human tendency to classify sin.  Murder- atrocious.  A white lie- acceptable. Stealing- wrong.  Gossip- fun conversation.  By doing this, we make some sins easier to forgive, and others unforgiveable.  The truth is all sin separates us from Christ.  There is no sin too heinous to receive forgiveness in Christ.

Yes, today’s passage is a power-packed verse.  I encourage yuou to take the time to chew on each aspect a little and allow it to sink into your spirit.  Meditate of any areas that ou are struggling in and enjoy the power of the Word to break the yoke of bondage!

Dear Lord, thank you for the Church and for allowing me to be a part of it.  Help me to be an asset to the Church and not a liability.  Thank you for the blood you shed for me and for the love that led you to the cross.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Black Out

 

 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete.  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light and in him is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  I John 1:1-5

 

Ouch.  Today’s verse is a very sobering verse.  If we name the name of Christ- say we are a Christian, we have got to be a Christian.  100%.  If we play with sin, compromise with the world, we are then liars.  This is the Bible-not my words.

Now understand that elsewhere in Scripture it is obvious that we all fail in many ways and when we do, Jesus advocates to the Father on our behalf. We will never know this side of heaven how much mercy God extended to us in our day in/day out shortcomings and failures.  I believe what this verse is talking about is what we call a hypocrite- the person who says one thing but does another.  This is the person sitting on a church pew three times per week but is having an affair with the secretary.  This is the person who claims to be a Christian, but lies on their taxes.  This is a person who smiles to your face, yet stabs you in the back.

The easiest way to describe this is to picture a split TV screen.  On the left it is pitch black with no picture.  On the right is pure blinding light.  If we are walking with Jesus, our character is only ever on the right screen, never on the left one.  All of our dealings, habits, thoughts, and words (to the best we are able) are done in the light of the truth and in accord with the way Jesus lives.  If our character is making frequent guest appearances on the screen on the left, we have a problem.  You have to pick a team.  You cannot play for two different teams.  You are either a Seminole or a Gator.  An Alabama fan or an Auburn fan.  You are for Jesus, or you are against Jesus.

Every decision we make, in essence, is voting for a team.  It is aligning ourselves with one side or the other.  That is why we cannot afford to live sloppily, readily making alliances with the enemy of our soul.

Is there any darkness in your life?  In what you watch, where you go, what you read, what you listen to, who you spend time with?  If so, step into the light in these areas today!

Dear Lord, show me where there is darkness in my life.  Help me to walk in your light and live a consistent Christian witness.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Shades of Gray

 

 

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete.  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light and in him is no darkness at all.  I John 1:1-5

 

Shades of gray. 

Some things are black and white, others are gray areas.  Is it a lie to tell someone you like their hideous new hairdo?  Is it stealing if you find and keep a wallet with no ID in it?  When you are married is it OK to “look but don’t touch” other women/men?

The world would have you to believe that there are very few absolutes in this world.  Everything is relative.  In fact, that saying has been made into a slogan of sorts.  But is everything relative?  Is it really?

This passage makes it plain that God is absolute light.  There is no darkness; no shadow; now shades of gray.  He is pure, blinding light.  He is altogether glorious, marvelous and beautiful.  As children of God we are called to become more and more like him.  Compromising with the world, adding a dab of darkness here and there, will not really cut it.

Our world is increasingly dark.  The last twenty years has shown a huge moral decline.  The last 50 years shows an even greater contrast.  At one time, sex outside of marriage was a sin and a shame.  Then, it was acceptable if you were in a committed relationship leading to marriage.  Then it was OK if you were dating.  Then it was Ok if both of you were willing, no matter what.  What a huge paradigm shift!  Meanwhile, the truth of the Word of God remains absolute.  Sex outside of marriage?  Sin.  Always has been; always will.  This is just one example, but this can be applied in so many ways.  Do you remember when a handshake and someone’s word was absolute?  Do you remember when people approached little old ladies to help them across the street, rather than to rob them?

Indeed darkness has come to America.  Can you watch a single sitcom or drama that does not display darkness in some form?  Crude and coarse joking, inappropriate dress, blasphemy, taking the Lord’s name in vain.  These things are common, everyday occurrences.  They are the social norm of 21^st Century America.

But the Great I Am- Who is and Who was and Who is to come.  He changes not.  He is absolute light.  And if we want to have fellowship with him, we will have to acknowledge and respect his holiness.

O Lord, please keep me from the darkness of this world.  Help me to be like you.  Help me never to forget who you are or to view you differently than the Bible says you are.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Sherri

Complete Joy

 

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.  We write this to make our joy complete” I John 1:1-4

 

Telling about Jesus, serving the Lord, these things are the greatest joy we will ever know.  Serving the Lord is often presented by the world as a droll, dull, existence.  But the truth of the matter is that serving God is a joy.

There is no sacrifice that we can make that we will not be blessed more than we give up.  Time spent in the Word, time spent praying, worshiping- there is no higher high.  There is no greater peace or joy.  If you have ever had a truly remarkable experience with the Lord, you know that you can never be satisfied with less again.  No matter how much of the Lord we experience, there is always more.  He is infinitely larger than we can imagine.

When the Lord gave us the command:  “Go into the world and make disciples” he said this knowing that we would find great peace and contentment in doing so.  When we begin to operate in the things of the Spirit (living as Jesus did) we begin to walk in his grace and anointing.  We find our affections changing and turning into his affections.  His love desires to flow through us to the world.

Dear Lord, thank you for the joy of serving you.  Help me to be a joyful witness.  Help me to show the world the peace and contentment found in serving you.  Forgive me for the times that I have failed to make Christianity look appealing. In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri

 

Fellowship With Us

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us.  And our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ.” I John 1:1-3

 

“So that you might have fellowship with us…”  Human beings are not created to live solitary lives.  We were created for fellowship.  Just ask the shut-in. They will tell you, being alone all the time is lonely, depressing, boring and dull.  Being a part of something bigger than ourselves, feeling loved and accepted are major needs of any human.

When the church fails to evangelize, to tell people the good news, and bring them into fellowship with us, we open the door for problems.  Why do gangs have so many members?  People crave fellowship.  Why are occults booming? Because they are reaching out to people and meeting a real need.  We, as Christians, have to do at least as good a job as gangs and occults.  Something to think about…

Sweet fellowship with the Father and his son, Jesus Christ.  There is nothing in life more fulfilling than enjoying that acceptance and closeness.  It is such a privilege and honor to fellowship with the Lord and to invite others to join us.  Ask the Lord today who you know that could use fellowship.

Thank you, Lord, for your Word.  Thank you for your friendship and the opportunity to fellowship with you and those of like precious faith.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Sherri