The Love of God “Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made, Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, To write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky […]
The word try in our text means to test, examine, prove, or approve. God tells us to test spirits and only accept what passes God’s test. When I am pickling olives, I first approve them. I look at each one and those with bad spots I discard and the good ones I keep. God wants […]
Reflections are amazing. Reflections on a lake can be almost as clear as the landscape behind it if the water is totally calm. Spiritually, God wants us to be a clear reflection of His love. The greatest evidence that God loves us is the fact that He laid down His life for us. God’s love […]
A teacher asked her student if he had done his homework. He said, “Yes”. Looking for evidence, she asked why his homework paper was still blank. He said he that when he did his homework his pencil just never touched the paper. He lacked evidence! Transition An evidence of abiding in Christ is doing right […]
E. M. Bounds on page 53 of his book Preacher and Prayer wrote, “Prayer, to the preacher, is not simply the duty of his profession, a privilege, but it is a necessity. Air is not more necessary to the lungs than prayer is to the preacher. It is absolutely necessary for the preacher to pray. […]
After leaving Mount Horeb in the Sinai Peninsula, Elijah travelled north to Israel. The parched land was now putting on the garb of a new spring. The drought was over and the rains were softening the cracked soil. Farmers were busy plowing and planting their fields. Half way between the Dead Sea and the Sea […]
Can a Christian live without ever sinning? Some seem to think so. However, the Apostle Paul did not believe that. He said in Romans 7:19, “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” Others say that a true Christian will not live in habitual […]
Last week in 1 John 3:2, we talked briefly of our future immortal bodies. Being resurrection Sunday, I thought it would be fitting to examine facts about Christ’s resurrection body as well as other facts about our heavenly bodies to get us excited about eternity with the Lord. Transition One day believers will be like […]
First John 3 begins with a command – Behold! The word translated “behold” is eido to know factually, to see with the eyes, to inspect. The phrase “what manner of” translates a word that literally means from what country or what sort of. Love is giving and sacrificial. God’s love is unusual! God commands us […]
When I was learning carpentry, my boss used to say, “Measure twice and cut once.” That advice has given me confidence time and again. In our text this evening, John commands us to abide in Christ so that we will have confidence when the Lord returns. We must make sure we are in right fellowship […]