“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see…”

The words of this beautiful hymn came to mind this morning as I read the words of repentance from the psalmist David. I understood his words of regret and celebrated with him the joy of salvation. It is good for me to stop and consider what a great and merciful God we serve, full of grace and love. That He would send His Son, that Jesus would die for our sins, it is too big for me to completely wrap my mind around but I feel the emotion of it and I thank God for the salvation He have given me.

My guilt overwhelms me – it is a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins.
I am bent over and racked with pain.
All day long I walk around filled with grief.
A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken.
I am exhausted and completely crushed.
My groans come from an anguished heart.
You know what I long for, Lord; you hear my every sigh. – Psalm 38:4-9

Oh the joys of those who trust the Lord,
who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols.
O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them. – Psalm 40:1-5

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” – Psalm 32:8

There are times in our lives where we wonder if God is watching, if He is going to respond to what is happening around us. The psalmist felt that way at times – times when He was struggling and needed desperately to hear from God. But this same psalmist, David, introduces us through his songs to the kind of wonderful God we serve. It was nice this morning to simply sit back and relax in who He is.

The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.
He assigned the sea its boundaries and locked the oceans in vast reservoirs.
Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of him.
For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command. – Psalm 33:6-9

He is our Creator. He made us and, therefore, He understands us (33:15). He is our help and our shield, surrounding us with His unfailing love. We can trust Him. In Him alone we can put our trust (33:20-22).

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy…
In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles…
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help…
The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. – Psalm 34:4-6,15-19

This reminds me of the words of Jesus in John 16:33, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

There are so many scriptures that show us that we will experience troubles and difficult times. There is no promise that our heart will never hurt or that we will never face disappointments or persecution. But we serve a God of unfailing love who never leaves us – who is bigger than any difficulty we are facing.

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths.
You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity find shelter in the shadow of your wings.
You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink form your rive of delights.
For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see. – Psalm 36:5-9

Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.
So rejoice and be glad, all you who obey him!
Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure! – Psalm 32:10-11

The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble.
The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them, and they find shelter in him. – Psalm 37:39-40

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. – Jude v.20-21

This was Jude’s advice for the church in the midst of false teachers and those who were trying to destroy those who have faith. The followers of Christ had been warned that there would be scoffers whose purpose in life was to satisfy their own ungodly desires, creating divisions among those in the Church (v.18). In the midst of those who were trying to make their life difficult, the believers were encouraged to build each other up, pray in the power of the Spirit and wait for the mercy of Jesus to bring them to their eternal home.

Jude also urged them to defend the faith God had entrusted to his holy people. There were people in the Church saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives (v.4), but Jude was warning them not to believe this false teaching. He used several examples of how God’s people were punished for their sins:

1. After rescuing the nation of Israel from Egypt, Jesus later destroyed those who did no remain faithful (v.5).
2. The angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God had given them are being kept securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment (v.6).
3. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire for their immorality and sexual perversion (v.7).

Jude describes these people as following their own natural instincts instead of following God’s Spirit within them (v.10,19). He warns us that those among us who are remaining in sin are like “dangerous reefs” that can shipwreck us or like “shameless shepherds” who care only for themselves. They are like “clouds blowing…trees in autumn…wild waves of the sea…wandering stars” (v.12-13).

John had a similar warning for the Church in his third letter:
Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. – 3 John 11

So, I find myself asking God what He wants me to take away from these two letters. There are false teachings all around us. I sat in a service last Sunday and heard scriptures twisted. I knew in my heart that this church was following false teachings. I am thankful for the opportunity to study God’s word and for the Spirit that lives within me, teaching me and guiding me into the truth.

Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me and keeping me safe in your care. You have called me, you love me and you have given me your Spirit to keep me from falling away. Today I will follow Jude’s words of guidance and build others up, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit and await your mercy.

All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. – Jude 25

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. This was consistent with what Jesus taught as John recorded in his gospel.

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” – John 13:34-35

After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.” – John 21:15-17

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. – 1John 2:5

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 4:11-12

I know. We’ve heard all of this before. But I think it is helpful for me to study it again, to remember what true obedience to God looks like – loving others in word and deed. I can say I love everyone, 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! In Jesus’ holy name I pray, Amen.

I pray to you, O LORD, my rock.
Do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die.
Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help,
as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.
Praise the LORD!
For he has heard my cry for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
The LORD gives his people strength. – Psalm 28:1-2,6-8a

The LORD rules over the floodwaters.
The LORD reigns as king forever.
The LORD gives his people strength.
The LORD blesses them with peace. – Psalm 29:10-11

I will exalt you, LORD, for you rescued me.
You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you restored my health.
You brought me up from the grave, O LORD.
You kept me from falling into the pit of death.
Sing to the LORD, all you godly ones!
Praise his holy name…

But you heard my cry for mercy
and answered my call for help.
Love the LORD, all you godly ones!
For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him,
but he harshly punishes the arrogant.
So be strong and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the LORD! – Psalm 31

Every time I watch the news or read the headlines, it seems this world is getting more and more evil. The murders committed by Kermit Gosnell, the three teenagers kidnapped and kept in a basement for ten years, the bombing in Boston… The list goes on and on.

The current condition of our nation is evidence of the evil that our society has glorified in the media and entertainment. What used to be defined as sin is now considered socially acceptable. John addressed how we can overcome the evil in this world through our faith – faith that Jesus is the Son of God and faith that He hears us when we pray.

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

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. – 1 John 5:13-15

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

John goes on to speak of three different life changes that take place in our lives when we
1.) Remain in fellowship with Christ
2.) Have the Holy Spirit living within us

We will gain 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).

We will grow 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

We will obey out of love and not fear.

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

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 pray this morning that we would continue to gain in discernment, that our love would grow more perfect and that obedience would be our first response as we remain in fellowship with You and daily experience the Spirit-filled life. We thank You for Your expression of REAL LOVE as demonstrated on the cross. Lord, continue to strengthen our faith 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 yesterday, 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

The rest of the third chapter of John’s first letter is powerful and needs no explanation or clarification. It is a good reminder of what it looks like to respond to the Christ we are in relationship with.

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

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 3:11-24

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.

Lord, thank You for joining us this morning – for this time of fellowship with You. We choose to remain in You as our day begins, filled with your Spirit and responding to Your guidance. 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 the 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 is not 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 start 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. Amen.

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” – Psalm 27:8

My morning kind of took off without me this morning. I had a nine o’clock meeting for work and all my time before that was spent getting myself ready and my daughters out the door for school. I came back from my meeting, took care of a few details for my weekend ahead. I thought of a friend who has to have a second surgery due to cancer found in her body. I thought of a loved one who received bad news yesterday and another who is transitioning after a couple of lost roles. I physically do not feel strong today and my heart is heavy.

I told the Lord how I was feeling and He reminded me that I was starting my day without Him. I stopped and opened up my Bible to the book of Psalms, as I have started doing on Friday mornings. I read through Psalms 24-27. Psalm 25 is probably my favorite Psalm and I enjoyed reading it in the NLT for the first time. Then I came to this verse in 27:8 and my heart responded immediately. What my heart needs this morning, before I do anything more, is to stop and praise Him. I need to worship my God and Father and give Him everything. I choose to do that through the words of the Psalmist, David.

Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty;
the Lord, invincible in battle…
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies – he is the King of glory. – Psalm 24:8,10

Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love,
which you have shown from long ages past.
Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.
Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord…
My eyes are always on the Lord… – Psalm 25:1,4-7,15a

Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me.
Test my motives and my heart…

I love your sanctuary, O Lord, the place where your glorious presence dwells. – Psalm 26:2,8

The Lord is my light and my salvation – so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? – Psalm 27:1

The one thing I ask of the Lord –
the one thing I seek most –
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in His temple.
For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
He will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.

Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”

Psalm 27:4-7,10a,8