January 13, 2018 Saturday

“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. 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.” (1John 2:7-11 NLT)

            Some will say that the Bible contradicts itself many times but maybe the truth is that God is bigger than us and thinks at a level above us.  In our arrogance we think we know more than God and know better.  Some even believe there is no God in their attempt to walk in darkness and turning away from the Light.

            So how do we know if someone is following the Light or walking in darkness?  We are told not to judge for that is God’s job but here we can see that we will know by their fruit.  So we can be fruit inspectors and see if they love other Christians.  Do you love and pray for (not at) even those who disagree with you?  Through God can you understand their brokenness and be patient just as God has been patient with you.

            Without God we may wonder why John tells us this is not a new commandment and then say yet it is new?  That we are to love each other is an old Testament Command but in the New Testament Jesus revealed to us through His teachings and actions what it truly means to love one another.

            Jesus expressed the written Word of God as the Living Word of God!  We can know the power of love to redeem and change a person not only in our own lives but in others.  We can pray for even our enemies to experience God’s salvation and redemption and know that if they are willing to receive it then God can and will do it.

            May you allow God’s Light to open your eyes and cast out the darkness and bring you hope!

           

                Still a terrible day.  If you look at the dates on the study and the dates entered you will see that many days I am not able to complete a blog entry.  Today is a terrible day and I have spent it in bed.  But my family is such a blessing and God is my help.  At times I feel like the pain keeps my mind from working and I lose track of days and even weeks.  During my last years in the pastoral ministry I taught about the first CPR when God breathed His life into us.  From that I learned that I need God for each breath and not just from day to day.  Each breath is an opportunity to breathe in God’s Spirit to be renewed and by my prayer breathe out God’s Spirit to renew His Creation!