QT 2/28/2025 1 Cor 4:1-9, What are we really living for as Christians?

1 Corinthians 4:1–9 (ESV) —

1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

6 I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. 7 For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?

8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Without us you have become kings! And would that you did reign, so that we might share the rule with you! 9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.

 

NOTE: I think the church at Corinth was viewing life from a material point of view. The servants of Christ, Paul and others, have suffered greatly in their work for the gospel, while the Corinthians were living it up in their own eyes. They had Christ, and they were living like kings. But in reality, they were focused on the wrong things. Rather than boasting of accomplishments, they should have been humble and thankful for what God had given. But to me, the real issue here for this church and many other churches today is that our walk with God is just an extra thing in our lives. Our real goal is advancement, money, possessions, and external things. We don't see ourselves as making disciples or a part of the great commission. We give lip service to those things, but that isn't what we really want. And I think part of the reason is the shallowness of our faith. We have never really tasted God in a deep and personal way. We say we know him, but only scratch the surface of that relationship.

 

PONDER:

1. On a day-to-day basis, what am I really pursuing?
2. What are my long term goals for my life? Is God the focus of my future goals?

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray we wouldn't be playing church, but we would be fully committed disciples of yours. Don't let us settle for a second-bit life, lost in the things of the world and ineffective for the kingdom

QT 2/27/2025 1 Cor 3:14-23, Constructing on truth

1 Corinthians 3:14–23 (ESV) —

14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23 and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

 

NOTE: Continuing the theme of God's wisdom versus man's wisdom, Paul  finishes the thought of building on the right foundation, and that foundation is Jesus Christ. I would point out that in the gospel of John, it says,

 

John 1:1, 14 (ESV) — In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

Jesus is the word of God and if our foundation must be Jesus, it will be by necessity the word of God. We must build upon God's word, not on man's ideas or rules.

 

There is a lot of talk about the deconstructionist movement today, which is very dangerous, but can be good if we are reevaluating our beliefs based on the word of God. Unfortunately, some have chosen to deconstruct and then reconstruct based on human wisdom and not God's word. They find worldly arguments for homosexuality, multiple genders, marriage other than between a man and woman, the elimination of guilt and sin and shame, and many other false truths. These are all things which work to destroy the temple, which is now a believer's soul.

 

If you think you are wise because you have worldly wisdom, repent and seek God, and learn the wisdom of God found in the bible.

 

PONDER:

1. Do you have a daily intake of God's wisdom, the word of God?
2. Have you built a false foundations based on the lies of the world? Repent, re-examine your life, and rebuild it based on God's word.

 

PRAYER: Father, in these last days, the enemy has deceived many with false truths. Seeking peace and fulfillment, they have wandered into enslavement. Open our eyes to our sin, convict us of our sins, and lead us into salvation.

QT 2/26/2025 1 Cor 3:7-13, Building things that last

1 Corinthians 3:7–13 (ESV) —

7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

 

NOTE: Continuing on the theme that God's wisdom is infinitely greater than man's wisdom, it is not the person who led us to the Lord or who watered our need that saved us, but God. The important thing for us as individuals is to be building upon the foundation of Jesus Christ with things that last and not things that will burn up. The world's wisdom will NOT help you grow in Christ, and will only keep you from growing. There are only a three things in life which are eternal, most things are not. Our relationship with God is eternal. God's word is eternal. And the work we do to bring people to Christ is eternal. So, we need to stop and evaluate our life, how the activities match up against the three.

 

1) Do we make time for our relationship with God? Quiet time, prayer, and worship are important.

 

2) Do we spend time understanding the word? Bible study, scripture memory, teaching, preaching, meditating on the word, good Christian books, and spiritual conversations with other growing Christians, all help us to understand the eternal word of God and change us. (Incidentally, conversations with static Christians probably do little good for our spirit, although may help the static, backsliding person.)

 

3) Lastly, we need to be involved in the great commission, helping others come to know Christ. Giving, missionary work (short term or long term), praying for our neighbors, involvement in relief efforts as a Christian, and many other ventures whose purpose is to love others and get the gospel out to the world. All of those things are eternal.

 

PONDER:

1. How do I spend my life? What activities truly have eternal value?
2. What am I building upon the foundation of Christ? Will it last? Or am I wasting my life on things with no eternal value?

 

PRAYER: Father, it is never too late to evaluate or reevaluate our lives. Help me to see what I need to do more and what I need to do less. Continue to change me through the power of your Holy Spirit who lives within me.

QT 2/25/2025 1 Cor 3:1-6, Rather than boasting, we need to focus on the fact we are loved

1 Corinthians 3:1–6 (ESV) —

1 But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

 

NOTE: This continues the discussion of God's wisdom and man's wisdom. In the latter, competition through comparison and boasting are signs of human wisdom which is almost always characterized by pride. Men feel they need to prove themselves better than others. They boast about the school they attended or their number of degrees or their position or their title or their knowledge. Men are always boasting, either directly or subtly through a type of virtue signaling. Why is it so hard for us to just shut up and not boast of ourselves when questioned about our background or accomplishments? Why can't we be comfortable in who we are and what God thinks of us?

 

1 John 3:1a (ESV) — See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV) — I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 

In the message Sunday, the pastor reminded us of how much we (believers in Christ) are loved by God. We are not just called children of God (as 1 John 3:1a affirms -- we really are children of God -- which is in contrast to the world whom Jesus calls children of Satan, the Father of lies.

 

The other verse is a favorite of mine. Paul writes that Jesus loved him and died for him. All believers can say the same thing. Jesus loves me (say it out loud and emphasize the me) and Jesus gave himself (died) for me. That is so amazing and I am so unworthy.

 

PONDER:

1. As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, do you realize the tremendous love God has for you?
2. If you are not a believer in Jesus, while you are created by God and his creation, the bible does not say you are a child of God. Do you realize that the Jesus calls someone who does not believe in Christ, a child of Satan?

 

PRAYER: Father, I am undeserving of the great kindness you have shown to me. We are all your creation, but only a few are your children. It was nothing I did. You offered the gift of salvation, the only thing I did was to accept your gift. I pray others would realize you simple salvation is.

QT 2/24/2025 1 Cor 2:6-16, The bible will change your life

1 Corinthians 2:6–16 (ESV) —

6 Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. 7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But, as it is written,

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,

nor the heart of man imagined,

what God has prepared for those who love him”—

10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

 

NOTE: The wisdom of God that we impart is the truth from the scriptures. This is a secret and hidden wisdom of God. How can I say that? The scriptures are out there but they are not understood without the Spirit of God. Reading the bible and understanding the literal words does not seem hard. But apparently it is. It could be that men's (referring to mankind) mind are blinded to spiritual truth. They consider it folly so that they won't even try to understand it. I have people challenge me on a so-called contradictions in the bible. In every case to date, I have found simple explanations. I started to wonder why it was so hard to see logical explanations when the subject was the bible. The problem is that the atheist and person who does not believe in God begins with the assumption that the bible is wrong and contradictory, and then he precedes to find contradictory statements. But they really aren't, the person is blinded by his assumptions. If you assume it is true, you see the logical explanations. For example, one gospel mentions two demoniacs and another one demoniac in a story. The person who believes the bible is false says, "see a contradiction." I have a friend who was a military crime investigator -- He told me that when he heard two exact stories, it usually meant someone was lying. Two people in one story and one in another doesn't contradict. First, one is included in the number two. Second, one person may have been the dominant talker and mentioning the other didn't add anything to the story. These are all things we do when we write literal stories. If anything, slight differences don't contradict but rather validate the historical truth of the event, especially when written at the same time.

 

PONDER:

1. How do I approach the scriptures?
2. Do I believe the bible is true or do I believe it is false? My assumptions will influence my understanding.

 

PRAYER: Father, your word is literally life changing. It exposes our inner heart, revealing things about ourselves we never knew. It changes us from the inside out. It is, by far, the greatest self-help book that exists if people would only read it. Open our eyes to truth. Fill us with your spirit to understand its truth.

QT 2/21/2025 1 Cor 2:1-5, We only need to speak truth

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 (ESV) —

1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

 

NOTE: Paul continues on with his argument that the gospel is not based on human wisdom. Paul was quite brilliant and his arguments and speech can be lofty. But Paul specifically says that he did not present the gospel in that way. He did not impose himself upon them in a tower of great intelligence and human power. Instead, he came in weakness, fearful, and a little scared. He didn't use human arguments (although he could, and many people make apologetic arguments using science and philosophy), no -- he spoke as the Spirit of God led him. I imagine that he quoted Old Testament scripture to these Greek Gentiles. A favorite verse of mine illustrates this idea perfectly:

 

Isaiah 55:10–11 (ESV) —

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

 

God's word is powerful. You don't have to have all the answers. You really only need a few scriptures.

 

Hebrews 9:27 (ESV) — And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Romans 3:23 (ESV) — for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 (ESV) — For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 10:10 (ESV) — The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 3:16 (ESV) — For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Revelation 3:20 (ESV) — Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

 

Don't try to tell me that the last verse  was written to a church and does not apply to an individual. Read it in context and you will see that the last church were not believers -- they were blind (God opens the eyes of believers); they were naked (God clothes believers in righteousness); they were poor (they thought they were rich but God says they were poor, but God gives believers an inheritance). The reason they were wretched is because they thought they were saved but weren't. They needed a relationship with the savior. Each one needed to open the door and let him Jesus in.

 

PONDER:

1. Am I wretched? Do I truly know Jesus?
2. Am I trying to answer all the questions or do I just tell people what I have seen and heard using a few bible verses? That's all that Jesus asks.

 

PRAYER: Father, the level of our faith is so stinking low. It is hard to believe that so many are actually Christians. If there were as many Christians in this country as their claim to be, this country would look so much different. Forgive us and open our eyes to real truth.

QT 2/20/2025 1 Cor 1:22-31, Choosing real wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:22–31 (ESV) —

22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

 

NOTE: You actually see verses 26-28 working out in real life. I used to work in a Fortune 100 company as well as one of the top think tanks in the world (although they hated to be called a think tank). In the offices I work or led, more than half of the employees were PhD's and almost everyone else had Masters. There was a disdain for the Christian or Christian views. They are what we would call the "elite" in society and they saw Christians as uneducated and foolish. I was the outlier which was hard for them to explain, because I had an advanced degree, and I could defend my positions. They live isolated in their circles and echo chambers, such that it does not occur to them that there are quite a few educated people (Paul writes "not many" meaning some) who do believe in the gospel. But even if there weren't any, the "elite" will be shamed by the simple faith of those who were called and responded to the gospel. And the absolute scary thing is that these people, the "elite," will stand before God, and think they are ready to "stun" God with their questions. In reality, they will stand before God stunned and unable to open their mouth. They will find that the gospels are true, there is a creator, and they rebelled against God in order to become their own gods.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I listen to the educated voices or do I listen to the God whose "foolishness" is wiser than men's wisdom?
2. Do I try to mix the world's wisdom into God's word, or do I trust the wisdom of God over the wisdom of men?

 

PRAYER: Father, I want to know you and the power of your son's life in my life. I want to focus on the word, the bible, because it has the real answers to life. I want to teach truth, the word only.

QT 2/19/2025 1 Cor 1:18-22, Comparing the mind of man to God is like comparing an anthill to Mt Everest

1 Corinthians 1:18–22 (ESV) —

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom,

 

NOTE: The message of the cross, which during the time of the letter, would have been to the Greek "a cruel and disgusting penalty" (Cicero), and to the Jew a "curse." The message of the free gift of eternal life goes against human wisdom. We say the same thing all the time, "nothing is truly free," or "it's too good to be true." But salvation was never free, it cost God a lot. Only an incredible love, such as a man laying down his life for a friend or his children can explain it.

 

To the world, a free salvation seems like foolishness. Today, the idea of God is considered foolishness. Man has convinced himself that there were no miracles despite the eyewitnesses and biblical record. We are told these are fabrications, yet many eyewitnesses testified to the truth of the accounts. Thousands of copies were made during the time of the events. And 11 of the men who travelled with Jesus chose death or imprisonment rather than deny what they saw. Many other eyewitnesses, such as Stephen died standing up for the truth of the gospel. Martyrs who died for a cause generations after an event mean little to me. It is easy to be fooled. But martyrs who lived during the time and knew the truth, that evidence is impossible to ignore.

 

True foolishness is ignoring the evidence because it does not fit with our view of the world.

 

PONDER:

1. Have I truly examined the gospels and the claims of Christ?
2. Does the supernatural turn me off because I can't understand the science? If God created everything out of nothing, what really is impossible to God?

 

PRAYER: Father, I believe in the message that was recorded in the first century. I believe it happened just as the writers recorded it. I believe that your wisdom is not only greater than mine, but that it is infinitely greater than mine. For me, to understand your works fully, would be like me explaining a recurrent neural network to a 5 year-old child -- there are things too difficult for me to comprehend, but that doesn't make it untrue.

QT 2/18/2025 1 Cor 1:10-17, Spiritual gifts abounding but not spiritual maturity

1 Corinthians 1:10–17 (ESV) —

10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. 11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. 12 What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

 

NOTE: They are blessed with all the spiritual gifts, and, it seems, a fair amount of pride. There is no spiritual gift of humility. It is part of the fruit of the Spirit (i.e., related to patience, kindness, goodness, and gentleness, but not listed), which is a result of maturity in Christ. You can have spiritual gifts when you first come to Jesus, but you can't have fruit until you have matured in Christ. The fruit includes love as the first item. In Peter's second letter, he describes a progression of spiritual maturity, adding one quality to another (I believe it is a cyclical progression that we continue to go through at deeper and deeper levels). The last thing to add in Peter's progression is love. When you truly love, you're not worried about who is the most important or who was discipled by who. You don't quarrel, but gently instruct and pray. This Corinthian church is very immature in its faith as seen in the quarreling over things related to pride. What a sad testimony to a church!

 

PONDER:

1. Do I have a spiritual pride problem?
2. Am I always trying to make myself known for my accomplishments or teaching?

 

PRAYER: Father, I know I have a spiritual pride problem. I notice it more and more as I grow older. But I also notice an ever-growing lack of caring that people know my accomplishments -- that is good. I want to be more quiet and more interested in others. Those days of pushing myself up are fading, and that is a good thing. Continue to help me to mature in humility.

QT 2/17/2025 1 Cor 1:9, Can we overemphasize spiritual gifts?

1 Corinthians 1:1–9 (ESV) —

1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,

2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, 5 that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— 6 even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— 7 so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

NOTE: One would think that this Church, which is blessed with spiritual gifts, has no problems. Paul is thankful for the "grace" (in the form of spiritual gifts) given. They are enriched in every way (all the gifts), specifically the gifts relating to speech and knowledge. They are not lacking any gift. Wow, sounds great, except that this is the church where Paul addresses the most problems of any church. They have been blessed and they have abused the gifts. They have the knowledge but did not see or understand how they were misusing the gifts. Paul praised this church for their having all the gifts, but he did not praise their behavior.

 

How can a church be so blessed and yet get it so wrong? Was it pride in the leadership? Was it an overemphasis on the visible gifts, like speaking in tongues that created division and opportunities to sin. Were the exercise of the visible gifts more important than loving one another?

 

In my previous Quiet Times, I was amazed that at the end of his life, how John had only two messages, truth and love. Truth is found in Jesus alone. Love is the duty of believers for whom Christ died. The Corinthian church had the spiritual gift of knowledge, but apparently weren't actually using it, or maybe, they were finding other sources of so-called "truth" to mix in. And I Corinthians 13 suggests that "love" was not a strength.

 

PONDER:

1. What is more important to me, the exercise of spiritual gifts (maybe so others can see my spirituality) or a commitment to truth and love?
2. Am I full of knowledge and gifts of speech, but live a poor example of Christ to others?

 

PRAYER: Father, I don't want to be a Pharisee. I don't want to be a person with "all the knowledge," but does not care for others. I don't need to be seen, I need to quietly serve and love others.

QT 2/14/2025 3 John 5-15, The danger of straying from the word

3 John 5–15 (ESV) —

5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.

13 I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.

 

NOTE: Churches can be wrong. John wrote something to this church that was apparently intercepted by Diotrephes and was squashed. Diotrephes is what I would call a bird, one of the ones that nestle in the large tree (parable of the mustard seed), and take away the word from those who might hear (parable of the 4 soils). I am probably stretching those parables a bit, but every church has false teachers and some rise pretty high, as is the case at this Gaius' church.

 

What do you do if you have a false teacher in the church? First, take any concern to the elders. Second, do not gossip, leave it to God, pray. Third, if you do not see any action taking place, it is not wrong to seek another place of worship.

 

A more difficult question is, how do I know that I am not the false teacher? I can't give a good answer except to say that if you are in the word of God every day and are memorizing scripture, reading the bible, and studying the bible, my opinion is that God will protect you from becoming a false teacher.

 

PONDER:

Where do I get my source of information about God and life? If not from the bible, there is an exceedingly great danger that I am a false teacher (and an antichrist).

 

PRAYER: Father, I pray for your protection so that I am not lured into false doctrine or teach things that are opposed to the truth. Continue to fill me with the word of God, the only standard of truth that mankind knows or has.

QT 2/13/2025 3 Jn 1-4, The importance of the word of God in protecting you from evil

 

3 John 1–4 (ESV) —

1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

 

NOTE: John opens up his short personal letter to Gaius with a prayer. It is certainly a prayer for him physically and spiritually. In some versions, the word prosper is used, but I don't think it is a prayer for financial success (as some want to interpret it). The root words that make up eudoo are eu and hodos. The root word eu means well or well done. The root word hodos means way or journey (referring to a traveler). John was praying that in his journey in life as a believer, things would go well. It is not that God is against financial success; Abraham, Job, Joseph, David, Solomon, and others are examples of very wealthy men. But Jesus makes it clear, that for most people, money can become a god, and you cannot serve two masters. So, God provides what we need, usually not what we want.

 

I agree that there are few joys in life that compare to seeing people you have helped spiritually grow deep in their faith. It is one of the most satisfying feelings one can experience in life. One the other hand, it is quite discouraging to hear of people you have helped spiritually abandon God's word for an idol (God made into an image of what they want to believe rather than what the scripture teaches). This latter group believe they are still following God, but they are not.

 

Many are falling into the "deconstructionist" movement today. If you are not going to the word of God for answers, you are being deceived by Satan. You must walk in truth. Our culture is controlled by the evil one and he is laying traps to pull you away from the faith. Don't fall for his lies! He promises freedom but you will ultimately only experience captivity to sin.

 

PONDER:

1. Are you in a "deconstructionist" phase of your faith? Leave it now if it doesn't focus on God's word. You are in great danger.
2. Have you ever experienced the joy of seeing someone come to the faith and grow in faith? Why or why not? Maybe your faith is not worth following.

 

PRAYER: Father, bring us back to the word of God. We may not like all that it says, but it is truth. Your word will always be more true than anything else I can believe. Protect from the evil one's schemes, he has been a liar from the beginning.

QT 2/12/2025 2 John 4-11, Seeing the true Jesus

2 John 4–11 (ESV) —

4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. 5 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. 9 Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

 

NOTE: This is quite a warning in verse 9. If a person does not continue in the teaching of Christ, he does not have God. Outwardly, this would seem to support a works-continuation salvation, which is the same as a person who believes his good works save him. Since all the authors have clearly made it known that Jesus did all the work on the cross, we know that the author had a different idea in mind when he wrote verse 9. One thing that can be said about John is that perseverance in the faith is a sign of possession (that the person really knows Jesus and has the Holy Spirit if he continues in truth). The passage seems to suggest that going off the rails is an indication that the person never came to salvation -- maybe their salvation was emotional, but never truly involved their will or intellect. My personal feeling is that true salvation involves all three essential aspects of our being: intellectual, emotional, and volitional; or mind, heart, and will.

 

PONDER:

1. What does my salvation look like? Am I continuing in truth, that is, the word of God? Or, have I substituted other truths for God's truth?
2. Am I persevering in the truth? Do I even care?

 

PRAYER: Father, if we are just going through the motions and don't really know you personally, open our eyes to see (as the writer of Hebrews says) Jesus the author and perfector of our faith.

QT 2/11/2025 2 John 1-3, Understanding our great need

2 John 1–3 (ESV) —

1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

 

NOTE: I don't know who the letter is written to, and most scholars prefer the metaphorical (the church and its members). I will go with the literal since that is consistent with my hermeneutic. It really doesn't matter much either. A lady and her children, the content will apply to any group of believers. John starts out by emphasizing love and truth. Love is a common theme in his gospel and in his first letter. Truth is also emphasized in the gospel. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), he is the word of God (John 1:1-3), and he set the example of love by dying on the cross for our sins. He loved us first, not because of anything we did. Let me write that again, he did not love us because of any good in us or special work or our religious devotion. God says he loved us first when we were sinners, opposed to him. I think it is hard for some people to get their brains wrapped around the idea that they are a sinner. Most people think of themselves as overall good people and certainly better than many people that we know. The problem is that we do not understand the distance between our level of good and God's absolute holiness. The prophet Isaiah said that his good works were like filthy rags in God's eyes. That is what we need to understand. We might measure up against people, but we fall infinitely short in measuring up to God's standard. We are moral failures, absolute moral failures. And that is why the love of God is so amazing, that he could choose to love us.

 

PONDER:

1. Do I truly understand my unworthiness to receive salvation?
2. Do I believe that God loved me first and I did not do anything to deserve that love?

 

PRAYER: Father, I cannot express my thankfulness for your love, and also I know that I do not even understand the depth of that love to be able to fully express the correct amount of thankfulness. I am unworthy. Forgive me when I fail to appreciate your incredible love and mercy that was extended to me and is still extended to me and forever will be extended to me.

QT 2/10/2025 1 Jn 5:13-21, True belief

1 John 5:13–21 (ESV) —

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

 

NOTE: What is the sin that leads to death? In Matt 12:32 (Matt 12:22 and following verses), it is a rejection of the Messiah in the flesh and calling him Beelzebub. It was committed by "this generation," a specific generation. That generation and its leaders had mostly passed by the time John wrote this letter. Possibly, it is a complete rejection of the Messiah to the point of actively encouraging sin and rebellion to God. Jesus does say something to the extant "woe to them who teach the little ones a new sin …." (my heavy paraphrase). Also, Jesus did tell his disciples to shake the dust off their feet toward communities that rejected the message of the gospel.  John is not forbidding prayer in these cases, but he does seem to be discouraging it. He is clearly not referring to believers as 1 Jn 5:11-12 makes clear. You can't have Jesus and then lose him (since you are sealed by the Holy Spirit). You can fool yourself into thinking you believe and then later reject everything you said you believed. But I don't think one who has truly repented and believed can turn their back completely on the savior.

 

PONDER:

1. Where do I truly stand with the Lord?
2. Am I faking it, going through the motions, or does Jesus Christ affect every aspect of my life?

 

PRAYER: Father, in these last days, however long they are, I pray we would be serious about our faith. I pray we would live it out each day. I pray it would be obvious to those around us.

QT 2/7/2025 1 John 5:6-12, We need rebirth in the blood

1 John 5:6–12 (ESV) —

6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

 

NOTE: As Akin relates, this was a passage ("the water and blood") that was clear to the readers, but is not so clear to us today. The best explanation is that Jesus's birth was by water, fully human, and the blood, his death on the cross, shows his existence was also as the son of God, for only God could die for the sins of the whole world and then rise again. Additionally, his death was known from the very beginning when the angels pronounced that he would save his people from their sins. This explanation would also be helpful in refuting false teachers who felt Jesus was only human and fell into the role as Messiah. Jesus always knew the cross was his destiny. His mission was much bigger than living a godly life by example. He was actually perfect (sinless) which ought to dismiss any ideas of "only human." At the baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon him as a witness and God the Father spoke. The two, in keeping with Jewish tradition, gave him his rabbinic authority (although by virtue of being God, he did not require the testimony of two other authorities). The Spirit did not make him God, only identified him as the son of God.

 

The last two verses contain a very important promise. If you have the Son, you have life, eternal life. Some believe you can lose eternal life, but then it would not be eternal if you could lose it. When you believe, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of your eternal life.

 

Ephesians 1:13–14 (ESV) — 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

 

What good is a guarantee if you can't keep it?

 

PONDER:

1. Have I believed in the name of Jesus, the only son of God?
2. Do I falsely believe Jesus was only a man or a good teacher?

 

PRAYER: Father, thank you again for my salvation and for the assurance you have given me of eternal life. I pray for a new great awakening in this country where people would return to you as Lord and savior, and shed the evil that has overtaken us.

QT 2/6/2025 1 Jn 5:1-5, Love God, love people

1 John 5:1–5 (ESV) —

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

 

NOTE: John repeatedly emphasizes two aspects of being a born-again child of God. (Note that the term I use, "born-again," comes from John's gospel.)

 

John 3:3–7 (ESV) — 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

 

John's emphasis is on obedience and love. Again, the gospel of John, quoting Jesus, clearly supports these two points.

 

John 14:21 (ESV) — 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

John 15:12–13 (ESV) — 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

 

So, how do we know that we are truly born again? If we obey his commandments as laid out in his teaching -- the New Testament teaching. I say New Testament because too many people want to focus on the ten commandments or some other group of the 613 commands in the Old Testament. But the New Testament is clear, we are not under the law, and Jesus redefined the Old Testament laws quite explicitly, especially in the sermon on the mount. Obedience to the law is from the heart, not some outward action. And that is why "LOVE" is so important, because it issues from the heart, not from doing external actions. If you want to sum up the law, it is quite simple, "Love God, Love People."

 

PONDER:

1. Do I focus on love or on the externalities of the law?
2. Do I really know Jesus? Have I fooled myself? Do I see change in my life that comes from the inside out?

 

PRAYER: Father, it is sad to see so many people who want to turn faith into a set of rules. The Old Testament is good and gives us many examples of people who walked by faith, struggled, and continued in faith. But Jesus is our perfect example, and he explains God because he is God.

QT 2/5/2025 1 John 4:13-21, How do we define love?

1 John 4:13–21 (ESV) —

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

 

NOTE: John writes that "we love because he first loved us." Don't miss the significance of that statement. We can't truly love until we understand what he did on the cross for each of us individually. We can't love until the Holy Spirit resides in us, which occurs upon belief in Jesus. And if we are hating our brother, then we really do not love nor know Jesus.

 

There are a lot of "love" religion people on the left side of the political spectrum (probably also on the right). They espouse love but truly hate those on the right (and again, I think it happens in both directions). I am on the right, politically, but I don't hate the left and their vitriol. I hate the policies and ideas because they destroy people. People are made in the image of God and deserve respect. When we promote people on the basis of a gender or race, and not on merit, we destroy their self-worth and others who won a job on the basis of hard work. We create more anger when we elevate people for any other reason than that they deserve it.

 

If we truly love people, we must treat all people with respect, even those who are wildly against our ideas. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly. Everyone has an infinite intrinsic value because they are made in the image of God.

 

PONDER:

1. Do my values come from the world system? Or do they come from God's word?
2. Do I hate people, or do I hate the damage people do to other people?

 

PRAYER: Father, continue to show me where my words and actions do not agree. I want to love, not the fake way that the world talks about love, but the way you talk about love.