Please note: Posts on this site may contain affiliate links. For more information, please read my full disclosure statement.

You may find this post linked up with my awesome blogging friends at these Blog Parties. I hope you'll check out their blogs!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Overcoming, Learning to Love, and Living in Truth (Blogging Through the Bible)

How's your reading going? We have finished 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John as of today...hooray!!

Five books down and 61 more to go!

I found so much encouragement in these three small books of the Bible written by the apostle John - the disciple whom "Jesus loved" - and boy does he ever have lots to say about overcoming, learning to love, and living in Truth.

Here are my S.O.A.P.s for the Scripture verses that stood out to me in my daily reading. I hope you'll share your thoughts in the comments at the end of this post. :)


Grace-Filled-Moments



Monday, September 22, 2014

1 John 5

Scripture: 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Observations: Love this commentary from Matthew Henry: “The real Christian overcomes the world by faith; he sees, in and by the life and conduct of the Lord Jesus on earth, that this world is to be renounced and overcome. He cannot be satisfied with this world, but looks beyond it, and is still tending, striving, and pressing toward heaven. We must all, after Christ's example, overcome the world, or it will overcome us to our ruin.”

Application: This world with Satan roaming it seeking to steal, kill and destroy has been overcome by the victory of Jesus Christ on the cross. As a child of God, my faith in Jesus gives me the victory in the opposition I face in this world – namely Satan and his attacks.

The shield of faith is one of the pieces of the Armor of God that is mine as a child of God and with it I am able to extinguish the fiery darts of Satan (Ephesians 6:16).

Walk by faith, not by sight. This world and its troubles are only temporary. I am a child of God and my Heavenly home awaits me. Put on the whole Armor of God every.single.day.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the victory that is mine already as I walk by faith in the victorious name of Jesus Christ. He has already overcome Satan and this world by His death on the cross and by His resurrection from the grave. Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus as I walk through the valleys of this world. Help me to remember that this world and its struggles are only temporary. Help me to take up my shield of faith every day so that I can extinguish the fiery darts of Satan as he tries to come against me. I pray and ask this all in the victorious name of Jesus. Amen!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

2 John 1

Scripture: 2 John 1:1-3 The Elder, to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Observation: Love and truth bind Christians together. God is love (1 John 4:8) and God is truth (John 14:6; 1 John 5:6). God abides in us and will be with us forever. The Christian blessings of grace, mercy, and peace will always be with us from God and from Jesus.

Application: It is because of the Spirit of God that lives within me that I have been empowered to know the truth of God and to love others as I have been commanded to do. I have His grace (His empowering presence, divine favor and good-will), His mercy (free pardon and forgiveness), and His peace (tranquility of spirit and serenity of conscience, in an assured reconciliation with God). Since I have received these Christian blessings from God, I should willingly extend them to others in my life. This is how I should love others: with the same grace, mercy, and peace that I have received in my own life from God and from Jesus.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love, Your truth, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your peace that are all mine as Your child. Thank You for the Holy Spirit that lives inside me. Help me to surrender daily to Your power at work within me so that I can extend all these blessings in the lives of those you have placed in my life. Thank You for Your presence in my life that is with me forever. Help me to be a forever presence to those You have placed in my life so that they will feel well loved. Lord, when we love this way, we can truly show the world that we belong to You. We can shine forth Your love to people who are blindly walking in this world feeling unloved and by doing so are getting trapped in counterfeits that will only destroy them. I pray that the cycle of counterfeit loves this world offers will be stopped as Your Church steps up and truly loves others as You have called us to. In the powerful and loving name of Jesus I pray. Amen!



Wednesday, September 24, 2014

3 John 1:4

Scripture: 3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Observations: John spoke these words in verse 4 after receiving word of the faithfulness of Gaius, a fellow believer who was continuing to walk in the truth of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Gaius was living in obedience to the commandments of God to love Him and love others. This brought the apostle John great joy.

Application: I love my children and it is my great joy to know that they walk in the truth of who Jesus Christ is and that He died for the forgiveness of their sins. My prayer for them is that they would continually walk in obedience to the commandments of God to love Him and to love others as He has so lavishly loved them.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for my daughter and for my son. I pray that they would continue to walk in a close personal relationship with You all the days of their lives. I pray that they would love others as You have loved them and walk in obedience to all that is in Your Word. Help me to live a Godly example in front of them and when I mess up I pray that they will see perseverance on my part to never give up. I pray that through me they will see that they can depend on You and on Your strength and forgiveness. I ask this all in the life-changing name of Jesus. Amen!
 


***It's your turn...I would love to read your thoughts about these chapters in the comments section below! I'll see you back here on Friday!

Just as a quick reminder, here is our reading plan for the rest of this week.

Grace-Filled-Moments


To read all of my posts in this #BloggingThroughtheBible series, please click on the image below.

Walking in His Grace, 
Laurie

http://grace-filled-moments.blogspot.com/search/label/Blogging%20through%20the%20Bible



No comments:

Post a Comment