2 John

Watch Out!! {2 John}

9:00 AM

Today's Scripture Passage: 2 John

I have to admit, often when writing lately I've been failing to first discover God's message to me, and focusing more on pulling out a message for you, but this one verse jumped off the page this week and I knew immediately this message was for me! And perhaps, for you too! This book may be small, but it still packs a punch!

2 John 8
  The Book of 2 John is written to "the chosen lady and her children." This could have been a woman of high standing in the church, or it could have been a code which refers to the local church and its congregation, for in those days, when Christians were being severely persecuted, such codes were often used. 

In any case, John's main concern is that true believers be aware that there are false teachers and teachings out there and we should have nothing to do with them. Notice,
"Be on guard, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who runs on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting." (2 John 8-10)
I also think it's important to note that before John gives us his warning, he gives us a definition of love,
 And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it." (2 John 5-6)
I believe John reminds us of what Jesus had told them, and John had previously recorded for us in John 14:14-16 so that in whatever we do, it would always be motivated by our love for God and our desire to please Him. 

 It was the term, "runs on ahead" that caused me to think of another passage in Isaiah 58:13-14a that I'd like to share before I get to the message God has given to me. 
 “If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable, and honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure and speaking your own word, Then you will take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; 
Isaiah speaks of turning our foot away from seeking our own "pleasure", and John speaks of running ahead of God. In both passages I believe they are cautioning us to follow after God and not run ahead of Him believing we have the wisdom and answers already, or veer off God's path choosing another plan. And in each passage it's important to note that following after God and His plan should be motivated by love.  

 False teaching can be as subtle as failing to measure up our beliefs to God's Word, which was exactly what I was doing!! And it was so subtle I didn't realize it until verse eight leaped off the page and hit me squarely between the eyes!! 

 You see girls, my guy is close to retiring, and we are SO EXCITED about this next chapter in our lives, for we will finally be able to choose how we want to spend all the years of our retirement!! The possibilities are limitless; from volunteering in ministries (who can always use help) to daily sunbathing on a tropical beach somewhere. One extreme offers our service to God and His people and the other offers total rest and doing all the things we enjoy most! 

 I know what you're think... the choice seems pretty simple, doesn't it? BUT not when the world keeps telling us we "deserve a break today" because we're "worth it". I've been allowing my thoughts to wander to all the wonderful places to visit and things to do, and never bothered to include The Lord in all these thoughts. Never once did I ask Him what He would like us to do in this next chapter. That is until I read verse 8 and from there God took me back to Isaiah...

 I wanted to confess all of this to you to prove John's point here-- we need to constantly be on guard and constantly in His Word, so that we don't loose what we've worked so hard for. Not our salvation- never that, but the reward that is waiting for us in heaven. The reward that won't even be able to compare to the tropical beaches here!

 Blessings, 

 sue

baton

Passing the Baton {Hebrew 12-13}

12:00 AM



Both my husband and son ran track in high school, and I’ve always loved to watch them run! I especially loved watching the relay races at the end of the meets, when each team would take the top four runners to compete. This was a team effort and not so much an individual one, for even then, the fastest runners weren’t guaranteed a victory if one failed to pass off the baton correctly.

As much as I love track, I never noticed that chapters 11 and 12 in the book of Hebrews was likened to a relay where one generation is passing the baton to the next. Notice,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. — Hebrews 12:1-2
There are 3 Keys to running a great race found in these two verses!
1.) We get our start in the race of life by remembering that we’re not alone:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…” -Hebrews 12:1a

Does it comfort you to know we’re not the only ones to take this journey? Others have traveled this way before, as Hebrews 11 talks about. Their example gives us encouragement, but what really encourages me is to know that not one of those named in the “hall of faith” ran a perfect race, and neither will we.

We'll find runners today in our local churches that we’re meant to take this journey with, and we’re much stronger when we do, for seeing such courageous examples around us can give us the courage we need to charge ahead. Paul knew that when he wrote to the church in Corinth,

“For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” -1 Corinthians 4:17

We may also be called upon to be that "Timothy" in other's lives!

2.) The second key is to “… let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” - Hebrews 12:1b

Runners today wear as light of clothing as possible. I know my boys wouldn’t even wear socks in their running shoes and one of the runners on my son’s team didn’t even like to wear shoes!

Our race isn’t much different. We can’t run very well if we’re carrying lots of baggage. Those things that seem so satisfying in the moment can take our eyes off the prize. It’s best to let go of all the excess baggage as we set off, or as soon as you realize you’re carrying it along!

Jesus told us in John 14, “If you love Me you’ll keep My commands…” knowing He didn’t give us those commands to trap us, but to free us to run a great race. Which brings us to our third and final key found in these verses

3.) Look to Jesus,  
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” -Hebrews 12:2

We may glance at the witnesses around us at time and be careful to get rid of the things that weigh us down, but the best encouragement is in the prize that’s waiting for all of us who choose this journey (race).

Paul also wrote about this journey, and the prize that is waiting for all those who choose this course, to the Philippian church. In it, he shared his greatest desire which also happens to be my life verse, “My determined purpose is this, that I may know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him even in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” -Philippians 3:10–11

The great news for us today is, it doesn’t matter where you are, or how far along you are in your race, you can start right where you are! Notice,

 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (emphasis mine)

Does it comfort you to know that even at this time in Paul’s life he was still pressing forward to gain the prize? It does me.  As each of us run and keep our eyes on Jesus, God will continue His works in us, making us more and more like His Son; until He bring us to our long-awaited reward.

My prayer for you today is:
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in [you] what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. — Hebrews 13:20-21

Blessings! 
sue