II JOHN 1

WALKING IN TRUTH

G.I.J.N. WELCOME EACH ONE TO OUR SERVICE HERE THIS EVENING. LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT BROTHER CLIFTON HAS FOR US THIS EVENING.

FOR A SHORT DEVOTIONAL I WAS INSPIRED BY THE SHORT LETTER OF JOHN WE FIND IN 2 JOHN - SHORT CHAPTER - ONLY 12 VERSES BUT IT IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT FOR TRUTH - THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUTH AND THIS CHAPTER COULD BE TITLED - WALKING IN TRUTH.

I AM NOT SURE WHO JOHN WAS ADDRESSING - SINCE HE DOES NOT GIVE A NAME BUT RATHER JUST GIVES ATTENTION TO THE ELECT OR CHOSEN LADY.

WE OFTEN REFER TO THE CHURCH AS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST AND GIVE THE BODY OF CHRIST AS A FEMININE GENDER. SO WE CAN TAKE THE MESSAGE OF THESE VERSES AND APPLY THEM TO OUR LIVES HERE TODAY.

I AM GOING TO READ THESE 12 VERSES IN THE NIV.

V1. THE TRUTH - IS MENTION TWICE IN THE 1ST VERSE.

V2. THE TRUTH - WILL LIVE IN US FOREVER- AS WE THINK OF THAT GODS TRUTH WILL LIVE IN US FOREVER - THAT IS ENCOURAGING IF WE HAVE A DESIRE TO LIVE IN GODS TRUTH THEN WE CAN STRIVE TO HAVE GODS LOVE AND DO HIS COMMANDMENTS. OR IT COULD BE A SOBERING THOUGHT - THAT WHEN LIFE IS OVER - AND WE RESISTED THE TRUTH - WE WILL STILL KNOW THAT GOD IS TRUTH AND HIS WAY IS PERFECT.

V3. THIS STANDARD APOSTLE GREETING CONTAINS 5 THINGS WE GET FROM GOD THE FATHER, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF THE FATHER.

GRACE - THE EVERLASTING GIFT TO THEM WHO BELIEVE.

MERCY - GOD WAITING ON US TO LEARN AND GROW AND MATURE IN OUR WALK WITH HIM - HIS LONGSUFFERING - NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH.

PEACE - WHEN FEAR AND DOUBTS CREEP IN WE HAVE THE PROMISE THAT WE SURRENDER TO GOD HE GIVES US PEACE AND COMFORT AS WE ALLOW HIS WILL TO DIRECT OUR HEARTS.

TRUTH - THE BIBLE - THE EXAMPLE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS SHOWING US THE HEART OF GOD THE FATHER .

WHICH IS LOVE. TRUTH AND LOVE ARE TWO THEMES WE FIND IN THIS CHAPTER.

V4 -WOULD JOHN HAVE THE SAME RESPONSE IF HE WAS WRITING TO US- REJOICED TO FIND US FOLLOWING THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE FATHER AND WALKING IN TRUTH.

V5 THIS IS NOT A NEW COMMANDEMENT - TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

JESUS HAD THE SAME MESSAGE FOR THE PHARISEE IN MATTHEW 22:35-40 WHEN HE GAVE THE 1ST AND 2ND GREAT COMMANDMENTS; TO LOVE THE LORD AND YOUR NEIGHBOR. V 40 ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.

V6 HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE ARE WALKING IN THE TRUTH - IF WE ARE WALKING IN THE LOVE OF GOD AS WE HAVE BEEN COMMANDED TO DO BY GOD THE FATHER AND JESUS THE SON - AND WE KNOW THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS IN ACCORDANCE TO WHAT JESUS WANT FOR US TO DO AS A HELPER TO GUIDE US ON OUR JOURNEY.

V 7-12 GIVE US THE WARNING THAT IF DO NOT PROMOTE OR TEACH THIS DOCTRINE OF JESUS COMING TO EARTH AND DWELLING AMONG MEN AS THE SON OF GOD - AND DO NOT EMBRACE AND WALK IN THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST - THEN THIS TEACHING SHOULD NOT BE PART OF OUR LIVES OTHERWISE WE MAY LOOSE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND ALSO LOOSE OUR FULL REWARD.

THIS EVENING I WANT TO CHALLENGE US TO LIVE AND WALK IN TRUTH - HAVING THE LOVE OF GOD IN OUR HEARTS TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE WE MEET.

AS I THINK OF OUTREACH OR MISSIONS - IS THAT NOT WHAT DRIVES US TO KEEP ON - AS WE OURSELVES HAVE CHRIST LOVE IN OUR HEART - WHICH CAUSES US TO DESIRE THAT NO ONE SHOULD PERISH AND THAT ALL CAN HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE LOVE OF GOD IN THEIR HEARTS - SO WHETHER IT IS THE MISSION FIELD OF OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WE ARE RAISING AT HOME - OR THE FARAWAY WORK IN AFRICA OR IN NEPAL - OR THE WORK IN HANOVER OR BRADFORD - THE MESSAGE OF PROMOTING THE TRUTH AND LOVE OF GOD TO ALL MAN SHOULD BE OUR FOCUS.

VERSE 12 JOHNS SAYS : I HAVE MUCH TO WRITE TO YOU, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO USE PAPER AND INK. INSTEAD, I HOPE TO VISIT YOU AND TALK WITH YOU FACE TO FACE, SO THAT OUR JOY MAY BE COMPLETE.

THIS EVENING WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE A FACE TO FACE EXPLANATION OF THE WORK IN BRADFORD. SO WE CAN BE CHALLENGED AND BLESSED BY THE WORK GOING ON THERE. AND HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE WORK THAT THE DARYL SEIBEL FAMILY AND COLLIN AND CARTER HIGH WERE A PART OF OF.

PRAYER -

CLIFTON AND RHONDA TROYER - HERE TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION ON THE WORK AT BRADFORD.