Gaius (3 John 1-2)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 05-24-04

 

My Worship Time                                                                                          Focus:  Gaius

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  3 John 1-2

 

            Message of the verse:  “1   This letter is from John the Elder. It is written to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth.  2 Dear friend, I am praying that all is well with you and that your body is as healthy as I know your soul is.”  (NLT)

            “1 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.  2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”  (AV)

            John wrote this letter to Gaius and to the church that he is a part of, and told of some of the problems that were going on at that church.  There are three men that John writes about in this letter, and two of them are walking in the truth, and doing things that God would have them doing, but the other is not doing the Lord’s will and John deals with that.  This is the shortest letter in the Bible, at least in the Greek.

            John identifies himself the same way in this letter as in 2 John, and that is the elder, and then goes on in the first verse to identify who he is writing to and that is Gaius who is John’s dear friend and whom John loves in the truth.

             John writes about the healthiness of Gaius’ soul, and prays that his body were that healthy in verse two.  John may be saying that his health was not as good as it could have been or it may just be a type of greeting that was normally given then.  At any rate it is clear that John knew that Gaius was healthy in his soul, which is so very important. 

            There are things that a person can do in order to help to have a healthy body, and there are also things a person can do in order to have good spiritual health.  Good nutrition is essential in both physical and spiritual health.  Physical and spiritual exercise is important too.  We must keep physical and spiritual health, and we must get the proper amount of rest, and as far as that goes we need to rest in the Lord.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Gaius is a wonderful example to follow as far as how to be a good Christian.  He was walking in the truth, he was loving, and he had a healthy soul too.  These are all good qualities to have.

 

The Word of God has challenged my heart.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I must trust the Lord as to whether or not Tim will get this job, and whether or not it is the Lord’s will that I go with him.  The job part looks very inviting to me, but the location of the job does not look that wonderful to me.  I will leave all of this in the Lord’s hands as to whether or not I will get to go or not.

 

Memory verses for the week:  1Cor. 13:1,2

 

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

Personal Messages from John (2 John 12-13)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 05-22-04

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Personal Messages

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  2John 12-13

 

            Message of the verse:  “12 Having many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that your joy may be made full. 13 The children of your chosen sister greet you.”  (NASB)

           

            The thought comes to me that perhaps one of the reasons that John did not want to write was that the letter could get into the wrong hands, but I think the main reason that he did had more things to tell them but that it would be better to say it to them in person.  When things are said in person then it is less likely to get thing mixed up.

            Verse 13 could have the meaning of a relative or it could mean that John was speaking of churches, for many times the Church is referred to as being a female.

           

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Communication is being written about here, and it is good that I make good practices of communication with brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

The Word of God did bring conviction to my heart this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord with the things that are going on in my life at this time, as none of them seem to be good for us, but I must believe the promises of God.

 

Memory verses for the week:  1Corinthians 13:1

 

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

More on "Abiding in the Truth" (2 John 9-11)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 05-20-04

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Continuing on the theme of “abiding in the truth.”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  2John 9-11

 

            Message of the verse:  “9  For if you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God. But if you continue in the teaching of Christ, you will have fellowship with both the Father and the Son.  10   If someone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite him into your house or encourage him in any way.  11  Anyone who encourages him becomes a partner in his evil work.”  (NLT) 

            “9  Whosoever goes forward and abides not in the doctrine of the Christ has not God. He that abides in the doctrine, *he* has both the Father and the Son.  10   If any one come to you and bring not this doctrine, do not receive him into the house, and greet him not;  11  for he who greets him partakes in his wicked works.”  (DBY)

            John is telling his readers, in verse nine, which no one is to add to the Word of God what is not already there.  The false teachers would teach things that are not from the Bible, things like Jesus Christ was not truly the Son of God, or that He is only One of many gods.  John writes that you must have fellowship with the Son in order to have fellowship with the Father. 

            In the next two verses John tells his readers that they are not to have any fellowship with the false teachers, nor are the to even let them into there house to be hospital to them.  During the time when this letter was written it was common to have traveling teachers and preachers stay at believer’s homes because the inns at that time were not safe for believers to stay in.  John even went so far as to imply that when a false teacher came to the door of a believer that they should not even say “good-by” to them for that meant “God be with you.”  The false teachers of then, and of today are very tricky, and believers need to stay in the Word so that they can know the Truth it teaches and not be fooled by false teachers.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have made it a practice since I have become a believer not to even let the false teachers into my house, but I do not remember if I have ever said “good-by” to them.  I will make it a practice not to say good-by to them from now on. 

            This will be taking out of contrast what has been said in verse nine, but it reminds me of not going ahead of God, but to wait patiently on Him, and this is something I have a hard time doing.

 

The Word of God was instructive to me along with challenging to my heart as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  Be patient and wait upon the Lord in the area of buying a car and also in the area of the trial of our investments.

 

 

Living in the Truth (2 John 7-8)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 05-19-04

 

My Worship Time                                                                      Focus:  Living in the truth

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                          Reference:  2John 7-8

 

            Message of the verse:  “For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.  Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.  (NASB) 

“Many deceivers have gone out into the world. They do not believe that Jesus Christ came to earth in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. Watch out, so that you do not lose the prize for which we have been working so hard. Be diligent so that you will receive your full reward.”  (NLT)

            John writes about deceivers in verse seven, and that is a person who not only has wrong doctrine, but a person who tries to pedal his poison to others around him.  The question on how we can recognize one of these deceivers is answered in verse seven.  A deceiver is one who does not acknowledge that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.  By stating that He has come in the flesh John is implying that He existed before he came to earth in the flesh.  Jesus Christ has always existed as part of the Triune God, and has always been the Son of God the Father, but He put on a human body and came to earth to accomplish the task of paying the penalty for the sins of the world by dying on the cross, being buried for three days, and then being raised from the dead, and now He sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.  The false teachers do not believe that Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh.  John goes on to call them antichrists, and that term means that they are not only against Christ, but they are instead of Him.  “They are against Christ because they deny that He is indeed God come in the flesh.  They not only deny the truth about Christ, but they give their converts a ‘substitute Christ’ who is not the Christ of the Christian faith.”

            John gives a warning to his readers in verse eight about not looking back, and by doing this it is possible to loose rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  I have heard it said of the Christian life that believers are either going forward or backwards, for there is no standing still.  It is the job of the Pastor of the local church to watch over the flock that God has entrusted them with, Peter speaks of this in his first letter.  When the believer is living for the Lord they are abiding in the Truth.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I can truly understand that if I am not going forward in my walk with the Lord then I am going backwards, and this is not what I want to be doing.  Worshiping the Lord is 24/7, and that is what I want to be doing.  I want to recognize the ways that God is working in my life and also in all things that I do have a worshipful attitude to the Lord, for He is worthy of all my praise and worship because of who He is and what He has done for me.

 

The Word of God has brought challenges into my life as I have read it this morning. 

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  Trust the Lord to give both Sandy and I the right words to say to those who will be in our group this evening at Church, and to give us wisdom as we study the material for the lesson, to trust the Lord with our investments, and also with providing a car for us.

 

Memory verse for the week:  1Corthinians 13:1

 

 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Walking in the Truth (2 John 4-6)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 05-18-04

 

My Worship Time                                                                  Focus:  Walking in the truth

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  2John 4-6

 

            Message of the verse:  “4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father.  5 And now I ask you, lady, not as writing to you a new commandment, but the one which 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, that you should walk in it.

            John said in verse four that he was glade to find some of this lady’s children walking in the faith.  It must be noted that some of her children were walking in the faith, and if this is speaking of a house church, then it is possible that some of those who attend there had been “captured” by the false teachers.  It was great joy for John to learn that some of these children were indeed walking in the truth.  John goes on to say that all of us have received the commandments from God the Father.  “The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation.”  This is from Psalm 33:11, and the last portion of it says that the plans come from the heart of God, and not just the mind of God.  This means that our obedience to Him should be out of love and not out of fear.  1 John 5:3 has this to say about love, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”

            John appeals to this “lady”, and to all of us who read his words, that we love one another and that we walk in the truth of these commandments.  Believers can love one another because of the Holy Spirit that lives within us, who enables us to do this, “For the fruit of the Spirit is love,” Gal. 522.

            I wish to give a simple definition of Agape love, treating others the way that God is treating you.  It is interesting that by doing this it does not mean that we have to like those that we love.  Agape love is not a feeling like we get when we love that special one that God has given us, of like loving our children, parents, family or close friends, Agape love is actions, and our attitudes.

            John has three themes running through this paragraph, and they are love, truth, and obedience.  When we believe the truth about Jesus Christ and that of the world we our saved, and when we are saved we will be obedient to the truth and then we can love others as John has been writing about in this section.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  To treat others the way that God is treating me, and that means that I will love them.  Jesus spoke of giving a cup of cool water to those who were in need of it in Matthew 24, and I believe that that puts loving others in perspective, for it is meeting the needs of someone who needs their needs met. 

 

The Word of God was both refreshing and also very challenging to my heart as I read it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord, that through His Holy Spirit, He would begin to transform my heart into loving others the way that He loves me.  To trust the Lord with the trial that He has allowed me to be in, trust Him that He will work out the circumstances of this trial to be good for my wife and I, and that it might also bring honor to the Lord.

 

Memory verse for the week:  1Corthians 13:1

 

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

 

Knowing, Living and Loving in the Truth (2 John 1-3)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 05-16-04

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Knowing, living and loving in the truth

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  2John 1-3

 

            Message of the verse:  “1 ¶ The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth—2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us for ever:  3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.”  (NIV)

             In verse one John describes himself as the “elder” to whom he is writing this letter.  Some scholars believe that John is writing to a local church that possibility meets in the home of this “chosen lady.”  Some think that he is just writing to this local church, and calls the church “chosen lady.” 

            John uses the word “truth” four times in these first three verses, so it must be assumed that the truth is very important to John.  In the gospel of John, he used the word truth on different occasions to describe the Lord Jesus Christ, and also the Word of God.  Another reason that John is using the word truth in this letter is to remind his readers of the truth as opposed to someone trying to teach a lie to them.  There were people going around teaching the truth in this early period of the church age, and there were people going around teaching a lie too.

            As stated above the Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, (John 14:6), and also the Word of God is the truth, (John 17:7), and also the Lord has given us the “Spirit of truth” to guide us along our path, (John 14:16-17; 16:13). 

            John said that not only he loved this “lady” in the truth, but also all who know the truth, and the reason for them loving her too is because of the truth that they have in them, and this truth will be with us forever. 

            He goes on in verse three to speak of grace, mercy, and peace, and again truth and love at the end of the verse.  It is God’s grace that has saved us.  Grace can mean God’s riches at Christ’s expense.  It also means that God has given to the believer something that he can never deserve or earn.  Mercy is God holding back what we all deserve.  Truth has been discussed before, and love is the Greek word “agape,” which is the kind of love that God loves us with, and the kind of love we can love others with as the Holy Spirit pours out this love in our hearts.  John uses the word peace in verse three also, and the way to get peace is to receive grace and mercy from God.  Romans 5:1 states, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I want to live in the “truth” today, and not only today, but also every day of my life. How am I to do that?  By spending time in the Word of God each day, by listening to those who teach the truth, and by depending upon the Holy Spirit of Truth to teach me and to lead me in the paths of righteousness.

 

The Word of God was very refreshing to my heart as I read and studied it this morning.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To live in the truth, to trust the Lord with the trial that He has seen fit to send my way, to depend upon the Spirit of God to guide and direct my path each day.

 

Memory verse for the week:  1Corthinians 13:1

 

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging symbol.

Peter Writes about Paul and Salvation (2 Peter 3:15-16)

SPIRITUAL DIARY 05-04-04

 

My Worship Time      Focus:  Peter writes about Paul and salvation

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  2Peter 3:15-16

 

            Message of the verse:  “15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him.  16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.”  (NIV)  “15 And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”  (NKJV)

            Peter seems to be picking up on what he was writing about in verse nine:  “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”  These two verses (both 9 & 15), do have much in common, for they both speak of salvation and also the patience of God.  Peter has been talking about the end times, which means judgment, while now is the time for salvation. 

            He then moves into writing about Paul, and some of the things that Paul has written about.  Peter says that some of the things that Paul has written about are hard to understand, yet he also writes that Paul’s letters are Scripture.  Peter writes about those who cannot understand the writings of Paul as those who are ignorant and unstable people, and he very well could be referring to those who are false teachers.  These false teachers tear down what Paul has been writing and not only Paul’s writings, but also other Scriptures too.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is good to be reminded that now is the hour of salvation, for God is not bringing judgment upon the whole world as He will be doing during the tribulation period, but rather it is still the time of harvest. 

 

The Word of God was refreshing to my heart and it was also very challenging to my heart too.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To demonstrate brotherly love at home, and try to understand some of the things that Sandy is going through at this time in her life.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Proverbs 3:11-12  & 1Cor. 13:1

 

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction;

For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging symbol.