And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.

I have posted this scripture above to remind us that- if it is eternal life we desire from our Father, it is a requirement that we allow the Holy Spirit to build a real relationship with Him and His Son. In fact, this IS ETERNAL LIFE!. knowing things about Him won’t do.

No just going to church, they don’t instruct you much on this anyway. You can’t commit to a relationship with Him if all you hear is how to get Him to give you stuff.

In fact, Paul tells us in Romans that, being born again, we have died to the law (where we were once required to ‘earn’ our righteousness through our behavior) but now, since we are in Christ  the truth is that our righteousness is free, a gift from our Father. We are never taught to work to earn anything. The way we act or think is birthed out of our love for God which changes as our mind is renewed and we find God’s love for us in actual truth, through faith and it is no longer something we just say or pretend because we believe it’s something we must produce out of our own efforts. A huge lie that runs through today’s church.

The word ‘know’ used in John 17 by Jesus in this scripture has the power and meaning as when Adam ‘knew’ his wife. Our relationship with our Father and His Son surpasses the ‘knowing’ experienced in our sexual life.

And since we have died to the law we are now free to marry another (as Paul puts it) and it is He who rose from the dead and fulfills this in our life which life becomes eternal because of it.

This achievement is the purpose of this letter to us called 1st John. Let us continue. 

Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

It seems to me that God has to break this love of the world in all of us. As a result, often, we find ourselves in situations and circumstances that doesn’t make any sense to us. This season requires your faith to be tested beyond any previous times. You may often seem to lose but always,always trust God, He knows what He’s doing. This is so important that you stand through this dealing because if we love the world, the love that is of the Father is not in us.

For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh,

We all know what the ‘lust of the flesh’ is. It is a product of the world which is used against us. Consider TV commercials- lust of one form or another is in all of them. Many marriages based on lust happen every year that fail. It is one of the major things that is breaking up the idea of marriage altogether, and folks are just forming temporary unions instead. It is very damaging.

and the lust of the eyes,

We easily lust after the things of  the world. New cars which I’ve noticed have more of an angry look at the front end. Think of all the work we put in just because we covet all the world tells us is cool and seems to offer. Much more of the world but this is not of God.

and the pride of life,

This is very destructive. What men are willing to do to other men in order to obtain a higher, more powerful position in this life. Pure pride. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about and this certainly is not of God.

is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Even though the last days began at the cross, in God’s economy time is short and we need to start being sincere and seeking God to sort us out so we quit playing church. All this is very real, and needs to be taken, and taught to our children as being extremely truthful and important. Learning to walk in love as a family, praying constantly in all circumstances for one another, family bible time and other such things to keep all firmly grounded in the word and in love.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 

Many of them can be seen leaving in the Gospel of John Chapter Six. Worth a read.

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

Christ has been made onto us wisdom from God, and He (Christ) has given His children the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth. We will be loved and taken care of. Always trust God.

Thank you for reading this- will be continuing- God Bless you in all things-

WALKING IN THE LIGHT OF LIFE 1ST JOHN CHAPTER TWO

We were talking in first John about confessing our sin to God wither actions or thoughts, as soon as we are aware of it.

Notice the scripture below:

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Matt 25-26 KJV

As we know, Satan is our adversity, the accuser of the brethren. He may lie to us but when we feel accusation we will realize he is right about some sin we have committed, in thought or action. God is telling us to confess quickly. As I said before this is about whose righteousness you are standing on His or yours. You do not want to try to appear self righteous by trying to ignore the sin in you which was revealed. Do not make excuses! in your mind. Tell God quickly what you have done and He will forgive you. 

Back to 1st John:

1John 2:1 MY LITTLE children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God’s law and sin.

But if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father—[it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, Who conforms to the Father’s will in every purpose, thought, and action].

If we will remain transparent before God and ourselves Jesus is our advocate before the Father.

And He [ that same Jesus Himself] is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours alone but also for [the sins of] the whole world.

Jesus has dealt with sin itself,,. ours and the whole world. In fact, when He died, the whole world died in Him. Jesus is now offering resurrected life to as many as can believe.That’s why He can say to someone, ‘You are condemned already, because you haven’t believed on Him who was sent’.

And this is how we may discern [ daily, by experience] that we are coming to know Him [to perceive, recognize, understand, and become better acquainted with Him]: if we keep (bear in mind, observe, practice) His teachings (precepts, commandments).

We need to spend quality time in the Gospels and the Word in General. They and the Holy Spirit will transform  us into the image of His Son. Which, in God, is our destiny.

Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [ of the Gospel] is not in him.

‘The truth is not in him’. Only the Word and the Holy Spirit can put the Truth in a person’s life. This, as you know, is very serious business.

But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him:

The Word brings Light and Life and God’s actual Love which births our Love for God. This is more than trying to be good. This is our answer to all our problems, and represents true eternal life.

Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.

Easy to understand but not so easy to do when we remain a baby in God.

Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

John now shows us a kind test of maturity for the saints (That’s you and I brothers and sisters).

I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

This is our first understanding The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, And we will always cling to that gift from God and His Son.   

I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning.

There will come a place in our walk where we will actually Know Jesus rather than His gifts.

I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one

Young men in the Lord, will face and learn about our adversity- and overcome.

I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

Paul puts it this way ‘Now that you know the Father, or rather, The Father knows you’-

I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning.

It is evident that they have known Him from the beginning which has brought them into maturity. Notice that no where is the words know about used.

I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

That’s actually their strength! The word abiding in their heart. All of us need that to overcome. 

More on the way- May the Love of God keep yiou-

WALKING IN THE LIGHT OF LIFE

John 17:3 And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent.

We, as born again children of God, are entitled to know and relate with our Father and His Son Christ Jesus. This is called fellowship. It is not based on any kind of pretending.  This is accomplished for us through the Holy Spirit. It is very real.

Here, in the book of first John, we will be taught on understanding this relationship. No one belonging to the world, regardless of their outward religious practices, can know this intimacy with God.

1 [WE ARE writing] about the Word of Life [ in] Him Who existed from the beginning,

Christ is the Word that was with God, and was God.

Christ is a Spirit that put on flesh and walked among us. He is Christ Jesus.

We are told in the gospel of John 1:1 that ‘in Him’ was Life and that Life is the Light of men.

Like Him we are spirits that have put on flesh.

When we became born again our spirit became ‘in’ His Spirit and His Spirit became ‘in’ our spirit.

Since we are in Him, we are in that Life which means we are also in the Light that that Life is.

That is the subject that these scriptures are talking about.

Whom we have heard, Whom we have seen with our [own] eyes, Whom we have gazed upon [for ourselves] and have touched with our [own] hands.

Of course John was one of the original disciples and traveled with Jesus through His entire ministry. He describes himself as the disciple Jesus loved. He’s not making this up. He was there and want’s to share the wonder of this man Jesus who opens the door to reality for him and everybody else who desires it. John want’s to convince his readers to believe.That includes you.

And the Life [an aspect of His being] was revealed (made manifest, demonstrated), and we saw [as eyewitnesses] and are testifying to and declare to you the Life, the eternal Life [in Him] Who already existed with the Father and Who [actually] was made visible (was revealed) to us [His followers].

Not only have they seen and touched Jesus for themselves, but the Life, which exists ‘in Him’, which is eternal, was shown to them by the Father. John wants us to realize this also and he is declaring it to us.

This is more serious than casual scripture study- this is real. Let it talk to you.

What we have seen and [ourselves] heard, we are also telling you, so that you too may realize and enjoy fellowship as partners and partakers with us. And [this] fellowship that we have [which is a distinguishing mark of Christians] is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah).  

And we are now writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be full [and your joy may be complete].  

And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you:

God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [ no, not in any way]. [So] if we say we are partakers together and enjoy fellowship with Him when we live and move and are walking about in darkness, we are [both] speaking falsely and do not live and practice the Truth [which the Gospel presents].

Do not hide your sin from Him as though you are free and perfected! Very important! 

But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

Jesus put it this way

John 8:12 Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark, but will have the Light which is Life.

Since He is in us and we are in Him, that Life is in us. We need to learn to walk in that truth.

 If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts].

The Light of Life which is now in the born again believer will illuminate the sin which dwells within us. Also,. Somewhere we’re told, ‘whatever makes manifest is light’.. So, our reactions (for instance) to life situations will show our sin if we are honest with ourselves- and we will know. This is about whose righteousness you stand on. If you chose to try to look good when the light has convicted you, you are walking on dangerous ground because you chose to try to keep yourself righteous in His eyes based on you and not Him as your answer.

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].

Satan will be there to accuse us. He is usually correct. But, if we freely (and quickly) agree that he is right and tell God- it means we must be sure of our safety in Him because of the work of His cross in our lives to be able to do it this way.. Never make excuses! Never ever try to be self righteous, it is very costly. Fess up quickly. God will keep us and cleanse us.

If we say (claim) we have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be false and a liar, and His Word is not in us [the divine message of the Gospel is not in our hearts].

Get used to humbling yourself before God and be transparent or be dealt with.

COMBAT

Blessed (enjoying enviable happiness, spiritually prosperous— with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!

Jesus has told us that He has given us His peace. Not the kind of peace we ourselves try to create by adjusting the circumstances that we find we are in. Not the kind of peace we believe we will obtain if only we can get others around us, who affect our lives, to do our will instead of what they want to do. But rather, His peace, given to us because of Jesus and His work on the cross. Because we are sons of God.

As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, we have an enemy. Not a nice being. Specially towards you because you say you love God. That really annoys him.

He loves to cause strife between people, unforgiveness, hate, in all it’s forms and just about anything that God doesn’t want in your life because of His ‘real’ love He has for you. In one way or another Satan is after our peace.

Let’s see if we are able to learn from Ephesians Six:

 In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

What we are about to hear, to be told to us in this section of scripture, is unavailable to individuals who belong to the world. This is not physiology. There is not anything ‘New Age’ about this. This is about you and God who has become your Father. You can not pull this off alone. As Jesus said ‘Without me you can do nothing’. 

Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

Our enemy is very intelligent. A lot smarter than we are. First of all, he knows where all our buttons are to push. Matter of fact, he created all of them. He is able to cause situations in our lives designed to push us into his will. He is way over our heads.

For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

When you think about it… all this is a lot stranger for us. But wrestle we must against powerful forces that we can’t even see in the natural. And, remember, the just shall live by faith! Our faith can open our eyes- and it can as we consider these things now. Things given to us from our Father.

All we can know otherwise are the dark effects of the present darkness reflected around us in this world we find ourselves in. Like the lost as we once were.

Therefore put on God’s complete armor,

He Himself is our armor, He has accomplished the combat already in His Cross- in your death and resurrection with Jesus- because you are ‘in Christ’.  His Cross was always Your Cross, waiting for your day of discovery of who you really are and what it means. Dress your heart and mind with His completeness.

that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].

He has made you able, to have His peace enough to do what is necessary, without confusion, and to stand steady because you know that you know, who you are in Christ and  nothing can change that. It is that which you stand on.

Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins

Because this is true, stand, holding this truth tighter to cover your life in Him. Stand on His life which was given for you.

and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,

His life which has become and is becoming your life loves integrity, moral rectitude and walks in the free righteousness God given because that’s who you really are- keep this close to your heart.

And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.

Your ‘Good News’ which you heard of Peace with and from your Father, which your faith in produces these things in you. King David as a boy ran to the battle.

Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].

Believe! The enemy can’t upset you if you stand in your faith. Even when things look bad. 

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.

Renew your mind and the things and attitudes it allows in to speak to you. Conform that inner conversation you constantly have with yourself to the word. Talk like a saved person. Feed yourself on the word of God.

Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.

To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).

My Mistake

If  my last post was kinda strange it was because somehow I accidentally published it before I worked on it at all. All I had were the scriptures up that I want to deal with. Please forgive me. I am working on the real thing-

Thanks,

Mafalger