Daily Online Bible Study
From the Living Bible
April 10th 2009
Scripture verse of the day 1 John 5:10
All who believe this know in their hearts that it is true. I anyone doesn’t believe this, he is actually calling God a liar, because he doesn’t believe what God has said about his Son.
Scripture reading of the day 1 John 5:1-13
If you believe that Jesus is the Christ–that he is God’s Son and your Saviour—then you are a child of God. And all who love the father love his children too. So you can find out how much you love God’s children–your bothers and sisters in the Lord–by how much you love and obey God. Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really that isn’t hard at all; for every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him.
But who could possibly fight and win this battle except by believing that Jesus is truly the Son of God?
And we know he is, because God said so with a voice from heaven when Jesus was baptized, and again as he was facing death–yes, not only at his baptism but also as he faced death. And the Holy spirit, for ever truthful, says it too. So we have these 3 witnesses; the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the voice from heaven at Christ’s baptism, and the voice before he died. And they all say the same thing: that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
We believe men who witness in our courts, and so surely we can believe whatever God Declares. And God Declares that Jesus is his Son.
All who believ this know in their hearts that it is true. If anyone doesn’t believe this, he is actually calling God a Liar, becaue he doesn’t believe what God has said about his Son.
And what is it that God has said? That he has given us eternal life, and that this life is in his Son. So whoever has God’s Son has life: whoever does not have his Son, does not have life.
I have written this to you who believe in the Son of God so that you may know you have eternal life.
Sam’s Response
Many people think keeping the commandments is hard. I will tell you as the scripture above says…IT IS NOT
I will tell you what is hard. Drinking, Drugging, Abusing, Leading a double life: These are hard. These are empty: These are dark and lack love.
Many People are lead by their feelings and perceptions of what they believe in that moment. What about Christ when he was on the cross, all bloody and beaten. Do you know what perception he believe? He was looking to you, today…2000 years later, wooing you to come to him and live. He knew we were all going to sin. That is no secret. We are in a fallen and dark world that is constantly tring to pull us down.
It is really important to have a faith that is constantly being refined.
How do you do that?
Put God first…Prioritize him–Honor him—Praise him.
Now, I will not sit here and spew out that EVERY day I am jumping up and out of bed with my feet on the floor running to my computer to post on the Word of God. Somedays it slips by. But I am trying hard to NOT allow that to happen. God is most important to me. He looks beyond what we see here on earth, and instead looks at us with open arms and loving eyes. When we mess up, he is right their with grace and mercy and forgiveness.
Forgiveness is a HUGE barrier to moving your faith forward. As my pastor says, you are either moving towards God or away from God. That’s the way this journey works. I was at the Good Friday Service tonight at my church and during the 5th station God showed me an image from a LONG time ago. It was a very ugly me in that glimpse. Now I know God has forgiven me, but why the image?
Forgiveness…I have resentment in my soul towards a particular person, and it is VERY difficult to let it go. But God is asking me to let it go…and to forgive as he forgives. Who am I? I am not the judge and jury over other people nor do I want that Job.
If you have resentment towards another person, I want you to write it down and pray over this person. Work it out…and forgive.
Because God forgives unconditionally….but he also wants you moving towards him. You can be moving towards him and continue in the same sin. So get rid of it and toss it aside. And trust God!
