In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them. – Revelation 9:6

The next four chapters of Revelation describe seven judgments that will take place on the earth and in the sky. Each time one of the seven angels stands before God and blows their trumpet, another horrible event takes place. Hail and fire fall down to the earth, burning trees and grass. A mountain of fire falls into the sea, killing one-third of all things living in the sea and destroying one-third of the ships. A great star falls on one-third of the rivers and the water turns bitter. One-third of the sun, moon and stars go dark and terror spreads across the earth.

Locusts the size of horses prepare for battle, stinging all who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. The sixth trumpet blew and 200 million mounted troops were released to kill one-third of the people on the earth, breathing plagues of fire and smoke and burning sulfur.

But the people who did not die in these plagues STILL REFUSED TO REPENT of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood – idols that can neither see nor hear nor walk! And they did not repent of their murders or their witchcraft or their sexual immorality or their thefts. – Revelation 9:20-21

Just like we often see today, people experiencing difficulties and extremely hard times have a choice. They can run from God or run to Him. They can hide from Him or trust in Him. They can admit their sin or choose death. God has made it clear in His scriptures that sin is wrong and judgment is coming, yet so many people refuse to repent and accept God’s grace. Those who reject God’s grace will receive God’s judgment. It is inevitable. In the meantime, God is waiting patiently for His people to repent. He continues to extend His grace and offer forgiveness for those who will accept it.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 2 Peter 3:9

Another mighty angel came down from heaven, surrounded by a cloud with a rainbow over his head – the symbol of God’s promise. He stood with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. He said, “There will be no more delay. When the seventh angel blows his trumpet, God’s mysterious plan will be fulfilled. It will happen just as He announced it to his servants the prophets.” – Rev. 10:6b-7

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting from heaven:

Then, in heaven, the Temple of God was opened and the Ark of the Covenant could be seen inside the Temple. Lightning flashed, thunder crashed and roared, and there was an earthquake and a terrible hailstorm. – Revelation 11:15-19

There will be judgment and there will be reward. There is no need to fear the terror that is ahead when we are walking in the light of our salvation. Remember Jesus’ words:

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” – John 3:16-21

[Only 3 more days until we start a NEW YEAR and a NEW journey from Genesis to Revelation. If you are looking for a way to study the Bible from beginning to end in 2015, I would love to have you join me.]

“Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” – Revelation 5:5b

The Lamb breaks the first seal and one of the four living beings says with a voice like thunder, “Come!” Picture a white horse approaching the throne, its rider carrying a bow. A crown is placed on his head and he rides out to win many battles and gain the victory (6:1-2).

The Lamb breaks the second seal and the second living being also says, “Come!” A rider on a red horse approaches the throne carrying a mighty sword. He is given the authority to take peace from the earth and replace it with war and slaughter everywhere (6:3-4).

The Lamb breaks the third seal. “Come!” A rider on a black horse approaches carrying a pair of scales in his hand. A voice from among the four living beings says, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waster the olive oil and wine.” (6:5-6)

The Lamb breaks the fourth seal. The fourth living being says, “Come!” and a pale green horse approaches with Death and the Grave riding on its back. They are given authority of ¼ of the earth – authority to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals (6:7-8).

The Lamb breaks the fifth seal and now John sees that under the altar stand those who have been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful to their testimony. They cry out for their blood to be avenged and they are told to rest a little longer. There are more martyrs joining them (6:9-11).

The Lamb breaks the sixth seal and there was a great earthquake. The sky is transformed as the sun turns black, the moon turns red and the stars fall from the sky. The sky is rolled up like a scroll and all of the mountains and islands are moved from their places. Everyone, from the most powerful of leaders to slaves, hide from the One who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive? (6:12-17)

Four angels stand at the corners of the earth and hold back the four winds as another angel approaches carrying the seal of the living God, which is to be placed on the foreheads of God’s servants. 144,000 from the tribes of Israel were marked with the seal, but there is a tribe missing and in this I find significance as I sip on my morning coffee. Where is the tribe of Dan?

There are two passages of scripture that may reveal why the tribe of Dan is not included in the 144,000 among the tribes of Israel. In Judges 18 we learn how this tribe chose a different path than what God had for them. As the tribe was trying to find a place to settle, they came to the peaceful town of Laish. They walked into the house of Micah, stealing his idols and encouraging his priest to come and be their priest. They then walked into the peaceful town of Laish and attacked with swords, burning the town to the ground. They rebuilt the town and set up the carved images and began a long history of idol worship.

In 1 Kings 12, Dan is made one of two places for people to travel to worship false gods and idols. Now they are excluded from those marked with the seal of the living God. They made their choice and now they will suffer the consequence of their decision. To put anything above God in our lives is idol worship and there are consequences to making other items or people in our lives more important than God.

“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!” – Revelation 7:10

This is the song of the redeemed, of those who choose to worship only God. Their robes have been washed in the blood of the Lamb – not leaving them with red stains but leaving them white (7:14). Now they have the privilege of standing in front of God’s throne and serving him day and night.

“…And He who sits on the throne will give them shelter.
They will never again be hungry or thirsty; they will never be scored by the heat of the sun.
For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd.
He will lead them to springs of live-giving water.
And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” – Rev. 7:16-17

I find a stark contrast as I read Revelation 6 & 7 this morning. The tribe of Dan, who consistently chose to worship idols instead of worshiping God, is missing from the list of those marked with the seal of the living God. But those who look for salvation from God are standing before His throne. They will never be hungry or thirsty or scorched by the heat of the sun. They have kept the Lamb on the throne of their lives and He is now leading them to springs of life-giving water, wiping every tear from their eyes.

God is still on the throne, whether I choose to worship Him or worship all this world has to offer. But if I live my life as if God is not on the throne, I will miss out on His life-giving water.

The Lamb broke the seventh seal and there was silence for about a half an hour (8:1).

Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on the scroll and open it?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.

Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. – Revelation 5:1-4

John wept because he realized how great the loss was if no one was able to open the seal to reveal the contents of the scroll. Even those who surrounded the throne of God were unworthy to open the seals. There were seven seals on the revelation from God but John was unable to access the promises held inside the scroll because of his sin and unworthiness. The weight of this reality fell heavy on John and he wept bitterly.

There are times when the weight of our sins falls heavy on us. We consider our sinful attitudes, bad decisions and selfish ways and we know we are unworthy of anything God could offer us. We struggle to forgive ourselves and the shame of how we have messed up lays heavy on our shoulders. We have hurt others with our words, we have chosen our own desires over His desires, and we have made a mess of what God intended to be beautiful.

“Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.” – Revelation 5:5b

Don’t miss what takes place next because it represents the salvation we have access to because Jesus was willing to die for our sins. What happens next, as revealed by John, is a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us. There is no need to carry the weight of our sins because He has already purchased them with His blood. There is no need to struggle with our past because He holds our future. TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE MESS and focus on the beauty of the Lamb, slaughtered in our place and now standing between us and the throne, interceding on our behalf.

Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incenses, which are the prayer of God’s people. And they sang a new song with these words:

And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. – Revelation 5:6-14

Take your eyes off the mess.
Stop weeping and look – He has won the victory and that victory is ours!
Stop weeping and listen – hear the song of salvation the angels are singing!
Stop weeping and worship – join in the song of praise – for we now have access to the throne through the perfect Lamb of God!

[Do you have plans for how you will position yourself to hear from God in 2015? On January 1st, I will be returning to Genesis 1 to begin another chronological journey through the Bible. This year I will blog 7 days a week and make it a goal to go from Genesis to Revelation in 365 days. Perhaps for some of you, this is where our journey goes separate ways. If so, thank you very much for taking the time to read this blog in 2014. I hope there are some of you who would choose to go back to Genesis with me – to join me in daily positioning ourselves at the feet of Jesus while we share in His Word and a cup of my morning coffee.]

Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. – Revelation 4:1-2

We find a wonderful truth in these first two verses of chapter four. John looked and saw a door standing open in heaven. A voice said, “Come up here…” and INSTANTLY he was in the Spirit. In the moment when John was seeking and God was calling, John was ushered into the presence of God through the Spirit.

Two other verses come to mind this morning as I soak in these two verses in Revelation – a powerful truth spoken by Jesus during his sermon on the mount.

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” – Matthew 7:7-8

When John looked, he saw. There was an open door to the presence of God and all he had to do was look toward God to see the opportunity to enter into the glorious presence of His Creator. A door exists for us as well. Just as John looked toward God, we can seek God. We can respond to this access by “knocking” and the door will be open.

But that’s not all. We are not the only one knocking on the door to a place where we can commune with God. Just as we knock in hopes of entering into the presence of the God who loves us – just as we seek Him out – He also draws us to Himself by knocking on the door.

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.” – Revelation 3:20-21

Even when we are distracted by life and in a place where we are not seeking God, He faithfully stands at the door knocking. His voice continues to say, “Come.” When we turn our hearts toward God, we find Him. He is ready to share a meal with us – a symbol of friendship and fellowship. He draws us into a covenant relationship with Him. All we have to do is respond to His invitation.

When we look to God and hear His voice calling us, we can be brought into His presence through the Spirit. When this happens, we are able to see all that He wants to show us. For John, this “meal” shared together opened up the opportunity to see an incredible moment before the throne in heaven – to see the beauty of a God worthy of Heaven’s praise. Our minds feebly attempt to picture this heavenly moment and still it is beautiful.

It makes me wonder what kind of beauty God would like to reveal to us this morning. The door is open. Are we looking? Are we willing to let the Spirit instantly take us into God’s presence this morning so that He can show us what He longs to reveal?

The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones – like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal.

“You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.” – Revelation 4:3-11

“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. But this is in our favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.” – Revelation 2:2-6

John received seven messages for seven churches, represented in his revelation as seven lampstands. This first message was for the LOYAL CHURCH in Ephesus. Each message sounds a lot like a job performance review. Do you recognize it? You are doing these things really well…Here is where there is room for improvement and where your performance is lacking…This is what the consequence will be if you do not start doing things differently…This is the reward waiting for you if you do as I have asked you to do…

“To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.” – Revelation 2:7b

There are six more messages to six more lampstand churches. Lord, show us if one of these “performance reviews” describes where we are at spiritually. Protect us from false guilt but open our hearts to the truth as revealed by Your Spirit. Amen.

Smyrna is seen as a SUFFERING CHURCH – a Church who has suffered much for God but they have done so in fear. God is guiding them – Don’t be afraid of the suffering that is ahead of you. If you remain faithful through this difficult time, I will give you a crown of life (2:8-11).

Pergamum is the COMPROMISING CHURCH. They remained loyal during times of persecution but they had also tolerated false teaching. They have a choice set before them – repent of your sin or I will come and fight the false teaching myself with the sword of my mouth. If you find victory in this area of pushing away false beliefs, I will give you manna from heaven. And, to each of you, I will give a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name no one understands except the one who receives it (2:12-17).

The Church in Thyatira has a similar problem – they have been the OVERLY TOLERANT CHURCH. God has seen their love, faith, service and patient endurance. In the presence of constant improvement, they have unfortunately allowed teaching that permits sexual sin and the eating of food offered to idols. When given the opportunity to repent, they have chosen immorality over God’s plan. To this church God is saying – I know the thoughts and intentions of every person and I will give to each of you whatever you deserve. If you choose to obey me to the very end, you will be given victory and authority (2:18-29).

The Church in Sardis has a reputation for being alive but God sees that their actions do not meet His requirements – they are the SPIRITUALLY DEAD CHURCH. They need to go back to what they believed at first and hold to it firmly. Then they will wake up and be strengthened. There were some in the church who had not “soiled their clothes” and they would walk with God in white because they were worthy of this privilege. Their names will be written in the book of Life forever (3:1-6).

To the OBEDIENT CHURCH in Philadelphia: I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, YET you obeyed my word and did not deny me…Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown (Revelation 3:8-11).

The message to the Church in Laodicea is probably the one we are most familiar with. They are the LUKEWARM and UNCOMMITTED CHURCH. They are not completely cold and dead, but neither are they on fire for God. They are like lukewarm water that God will spit out of His mouth. They are rich and think they have everything they need, but they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked.

To the lukewarm God says, “I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.” – Revelation 3:19-21

So where did you find yourself among these bad news / good news reviews? There is hope! The difference between these 7 messages and job performance reviews is found at the end of each message: “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

God is saying – I’m not asking you to perform based on your own abilities. I’m asking you to enter into my presence and allow my Spirit to fill you. Then listen to the Spirit and pray for understanding of how the Spirit is asking you to live. As we discovered yesterday, we can position ourselves to hear from God by entering into His presence to worship Him. It is in these times that we hear from Him and receive strength from Him.

God, that is exactly where we want to be – positioned to hear from you. We want to be filled with Your Spirit so that we can respond minute by minute to your leading. Lord, we confess the areas in which we have been lacking and thank you that “GRACE” is written in red all over our performance review. Thank you for coming in and sharing this morning coffee together as friends. Open our ears so we can listen to Your Spirit and understand what you are saying to us today. Amen.

Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. – Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22

This is the command given at the end of each of the messages for the seven churches. This is where I start as I begin my study of the book of Revelation and as I end this 17 month journey through the Bible. Now I find myself on my knees asking for ears to hear so that I can listen to what the Spirit wants to say to me through this final book in God’s word. I pray for understanding of what He is saying to the churches and asking Him if there is a message in this book for me today.

God blesses the one who reads the words of this prophecy to the church, and he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says, for the time is near. – Revelation 1:3

Lord, we are prepared to be blessed as we spend time in your presence studying this book of Revelation. Reveal to us your message. Reveal to us your heart. Reveal to us the good you see in us and reveal to us the bad – the areas in which we are lacking and need to make changes.

God gave Jesus a revelation, which he sent to John through an angel. The words of this book, though written down by John while imprisoned on the island of Patmos, are the words of God himself and the testimony of Jesus Christ. This letter was written to the seven churches in the province of Asia and still has a powerful message to believers in today’s churches.

Before John reveals the seven messages to the seven churches, he gives us a better understanding of where the message is coming from. He wants his readers to clearly understand that these are not his thoughts, this is not his message. He is simply a fellow believer and brother in Christ. He is a partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom. He is patiently enduring what Jesus has called him to, just as the believers in the churches were doing.

It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshipping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” – Revelation 1:10-11

Let’s not miss that this moment in which John heard from God was while he was worshipping in the Spirit. He was in God’s presence filled with the Spirit focused on worship when he experienced God like he had never experienced Him before. Because he was positioned to hear from God, he heard from God and the result was that God was able to use him to reveal His message to His people.

Almost 17 years ago I heard from God through a Nazarene pastor in Ohio, Rev. Dan Witter. The message God sent me changed my life forever but I also walked away with a deep gratitude for a man who had positioned himself to hear from God. His faithfulness to his time alone in God’s presence resulted in him hearing from God and I received God’s promise for me. The promise gave me hope. The fulfillment of that promise changed my life. But the realization that my faithfulness to entering into God’s presence daily could result in God communicating to others through me made the greatest impact of all.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look – I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” – Revelation 1:17-18

When we enter into God’s presence, we position ourselves to hear from Jesus himself – the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his own blood for us. He then makes us a Kingdom of priests for the service of God the Father (1:5-6).

It seemed to me to be bad timing to start the book of Revelation on Christmas Eve, but now it makes more sense. Perhaps it is during Christmas week that we are the most likely to be POSITIONED TO HEAR FROM GOD. Most of us have taken time off work and closed out the many distractions of our daily routines. We are planning on attending Christmas Eve services and reading the Christmas story tomorrow morning. We are worshipping to familiar Christmas carols and pondering the birth of our Savior. God has our attention. The Alpha and Omega has something to say to each of us as we end our journey through the Bible and our 2014.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One.” – Revelation 1:8

From A to Z – there is nothing outside of God’s domain. When we come to Him and sit at His feet, we are entering the presence of a God whose power and authority is all-encompassing. He is fully in control and nothing is beyond His knowledge or ability. This is the God I love, the God I serve, and the God with whom I look forward to sharing my morning coffee each day.

[Do you have plans for how you will position yourself to hear from God in 2015? On January 1st, I will be returning to Genesis 1 to begin another chronological journey through the Bible. This year I will blog 7 days a week and make it a goal to go from Genesis to Revelation in 365 days. Perhaps for some of you, this is where our journey goes separate ways. If so, thank you very much for taking the time to read this blog in 2014. I hope there are some of you who would choose to go back to Genesis with me – to join me in daily positioning ourselves at the feet of Jesus while we share in His Word and a cup of my morning coffee.]

As we eagerly anticipate the giving and receiving of Christmas gifts this week, let’s look at four different life changes or gifts that God gives us when we
1.) Remain in fellowship with Christ, and
2.) Have the Holy Spirit living within us.

The Gift of Discernment

When the Spirit lives within us, we will become more and more discerning of the truth. When we hear something that is not truth, the Spirit within us will warn us and we will experience uneasiness. The Spirit living within us is truth and is greater than the spirit who lives in this world. Because we belong to God, we listen to the Spirit and are able to discern truth from deception (1 John 4:1-6).

The Gift of Growing More Perfect in Love

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, OUR LOVE GROWS MORE PERFECT. – 1 John 4:7-17a

The Gift of Fearless Love

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this show that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loves us first…And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. – 1 John 4:18-5:3

The Gift of Faith that Overcomes

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. – 1 John 5:4-5

As John reminded us earlier in this first letter, we live in this evil world and love the people around us but we do this without loving the world and the things of this world (2:15). So, though surrounded by sins and encouraged daily by the unsaved around us to join in their sin, we choose instead to remain in fellowship with Jesus and give in to the urgings of the Spirit instead of the urgings of the sinful nature.

We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. – 1 John 5:18-20

Sin will not overpower us. We don’t have to be afraid that we will sin when we remain in fellowship with God. We are children of God and no evil in this world is more powerful than him. BUT, we also have to keep our hearts devoted to Him and avoid situations or temptations that could weaken our resolve to remain in relationship with Him. We need to make sure that we do not start making other things in our life more important than Him. God wants more than just first place in our lives, He wants Lordship over EVERYTHING in our lives.

John ends this first letter with great advice for us, and so I end my morning coffee pondering this verse.

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. – 1 John 5:21

Lord, thank you for the evidence we are already experiencing in our lives, evidence that you are at work and creating us into a new person. We thank you for Your expression of REAL LOVE as demonstrated in the manger and on the cross. Lord, continue to strengthen our faith in you and our love for others. Amen.

If we listen to the Holy Spirit living with us and if we remain in fellowship with Christ, as we talked about last week, it will be no problem for us to live the holy life John, Paul and Peter have been teaching about. If we try to do it on our own, we will most definitely fail. Our humanity will be stronger than our will. But God has given us the Holy Spirit to prompt us when we should not say what we are about to say, or that what we just said was wrong and we need to apologize. It becomes sin when we choose to ignore what the Spirit is saying to us or ignore what we have learned while studying God’s word and enjoying fellowship with Him. Let’s consider James’ definition of sin: Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it (James 4:17).

John goes on to explain what true fellowship with Christ looks like.

And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it show that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. – 1 John 3:5-10

These are powerful words. God’s plan is to make us into who He created us to be. His grace gives us the strength to overcome sin, not just unmerited favor that looks the other way while we continue to submit to our sinful nature (James 4:6). LOVE – this is what it looks like to respond to Christ when we are in relationship with Him; to love Him enough to obey and to demonstrate our love for Him in our actions towards others.

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should LOVE ONE ANOTHER…

And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and LOVE ONE ANOTHER, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. – 1 John 3:11, 16-24

And so we end right where we began – Our life is different when the Spirit lives in us and when we remain in fellowship with Jesus Christ. Our life produces this kind of love naturally as we live in obedience and relationship with our Savior.

I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should LOVE ONE ANOTHER. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. – 2 John 5-6

I love the circle that John creates in these verses. If we truly love God, we will obey whatever He commands. And what does he command, to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. So, if we truly love God, we will love one another. In fact, we show our love for God by loving others – demonstrated in word and action. And this verse in John’s second letter is consistent with what he wrote in his first letter:

But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. – 1 John 2:5

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love…Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. – 1 John 4:7-8,11-12

I know. We’ve heard all of this before. But I think it is helpful for me to study it again, especially during this Christmas week. To remember what true obedience to God looks like – loving others in word and deed. I can say I love everyone and that my love for God is expressed in the way I love others, but then I need to consider when I complain and speak negatively about someone else. Does this express my love for God? Do I love God well when I’m avoiding someone or focusing on how someone gets on my nerves?

Lord, forgive me for my lack of love for others. Lord, perfect YOUR love in me. I want to live a life of obedience and love. Please fill me with Your Spirit today and love through me! May your truth be evident in our actions today as we love each other just as You intended us to. Fill us with the kind of REAL LOVE John spoke of – the kind of love that would give up our lives just as Christ gave up His life for us. Amen.

Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment – to LOVE ONE ANOTHER – is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining. – 1 John 2:7-8

God’s message from generation to generation, from the Old Testament to the New, is consistent – we are to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. In fact, God teaches us that the best way for us to show our love for Him is by loving others. He does not let us get by with saying – I love you, God, but I don’t love…

If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness. – 1 John 2:9-11

Then why do we hear so often of quarrels and arguments in the church or within Christian families? Why do we hear that someone isn’t talking with someone else or that two people do not get along so they avoid each other? Why do we ignore scriptures such as John’s letter or the words of Jesus that say, “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.” – Matthew 5:23-24

Now, it is okay for us to hate sin but we must do so in a way that we do not hate the sinner. We can and should be appalled by the things that happen in the world around us, but hating the person involved does nothing to change the situation or bring that person to an understanding of God’s love for them. We may really hate the way someone has treated us or words they have used to wound us, but God’s commandment does not change – we must LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. – 1 John 2:15-17

Here’s the great part: God has equipped us for this commandment. He has given us a way to love people while hating sin, to love the world while hating the things of this world.

1. He has given us the Holy Spirit.

But you have received the Holy Spirit and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true – it is not a lie. So, just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. – 1 John 2:26-27

2. He has given us the opportunity to remain in fellowship with Christ.

And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children. – 1 John 2:28-29

In fellowship with Christ, sitting at His feet and listening to Him as I share my morning coffee with Him What a great way to start my day. What a great way to end my week! Lord, fill me with your Spirit and with your love! Reveal in me any hard feelings or hate I may have in my heart towards someone else. Show me any areas in which I need to make things right. Thank you for your fellowship and for the gift of your Spirit this Christmas Season. Amen.

We are down to our last few NT letters – all written by the apostle John, who often described himself as the disciple Jesus loved. He felt the love of Jesus so strongly and it comes out in his writings. John is believed to have been the only one of Jesus’ disciples still alive at this point and the only one to die of old age or natural causes.

The Bible does not tell us how each disciple died but information has been pieced together from other historical documents and legends. Like Paul, Peter was martyred in Rome during the reign of Nero – Paul was beheaded and Peter was crucified (upside down by his request). Andrew took the gospel to what is now the Soviet Union, Turkey, Asia Minor and Greece, where he was crucified. Thomas took the gospel to Syria and India, where the spears of four soldiers took his life. Philip took the gospel to North Africa and Asia Minor, where he was cruelly put to death by a Roman proconsul who was angry that Philip had converted his wife to Christianity.

Some say Matthew was not martyred while others say he was stabbed in Ethiopia. There are varying accounts of how Bartholomew died, all stories of his martyrdom for the gospel. James is believed to have been stoned and clubbed to death, while Simon the Zealot was killed when he refused to worship the sun god. Matthias, the disciple who replaced Judas, was burned to death. [http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/whatever-happened-to-the-twelve-apostles-11629558.html]

All of these men gave their lives for the sake of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were just common men who knew what it was to be loved by Jesus and were passionate about spreading Jesus’ message of salvation.

This morning I read through John’s first letter. His message, like the messages of Paul and Peter, speaks strongly of salvation and holiness.

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts. – 1 John 1:5-10

John is saying that God is holy – He is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. God does not sin and cannot sin because He is the definition of holy. So, we cannot say that we have fellowship with God if we willfully keep sinning because sin separates us from God. Sin in our lives is spiritual darkness and God is light.

We are all sinners. But, here’s the good news – the message the disciples were willing to die in order to spread. We do not have to continue living in sin. We have a choice. God not only forgives us of our sins, He also cleanses us from all wickedness. He does a work in our lives and in our hearts, making us into a new creation. We are no longer slaves to sin but have been given the Spirit. Instead of giving into our sinful urgings, we can give into the urgings of the Spirit. It is then that we are able to experience fellowship with God – living in the light, as God is in the light.

We have all sinned and, because we are human, we are imperfect. But, when we live by the Spirit, the Spirit speaks to us when attitudes are creeping in or when our words are not pleasing to God. We have a choice in that moment to listen to the Spirit and yield to the urgings not to continue with that attitude, or to stop speaking or apologize for what has already been said. Or we can ignore the Spirit and give into our sinful urgings. That is when we sin and that is when we choose spiritual darkness that separates us from God. God is holy and He is calling us to be holy, just as He is equipping us with His Spirit in order to live a holy life.

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. – 1 John 2:1-6

To live as Jesus did – that’s a tall order. That is what the disciples did. They lived as Jesus lived and they died as Jesus died, willingly giving their lives for the sake of the advancement of God’s Kingdom. And we are all called to live for God in obedience – whatever He asks us to do. I’m so thankful that I am not given this assignment to complete on my own.

Thank you, Jesus, for being my advocate – my truly righteous sacrifice. I love you, Jesus. My desire today is that my love for You will show in my obedience to the Spirit. My desire is to live IN You instead of living FOR me. Amen.