“You will do well to support them on their trip in a way that proves you belong to God. After all, they went on their trip to serve the one named Christ, and they didn’t accept any help from the people to whom they went. We must support believers who go on trips like this so that we can work together with them in spreading the truth.” 3 John 6-8 GW

          This short letter of John’s is written to Gaius, who is an overseer of a church. It is a letter of encouragement and warning. Gaius is affirmed for his faith and walking in the truth. Walking in the truth is a theme in both 2 John and 3 John.

          The verses above refer to visiting ministers who have stopped to see Gaius and some fellow believers during their journeys to share the gospel. These few verses contain key points about supporting those who share the gospel.

1. Generosity in supporting missionaries is a characteristic of God’s people.

Those who belong to God are committed to fulfilling the great commission. This means sharing the gospel and supporting those who go to various places to share the gospel. Generosity characterizes God’s people because we see Christ’s generosity to us in giving His life to redeem us from sin.

• Missionaries don’t expect support from those to whom they share the gospel. This was especially important in the first century because many false teachers and ministers were taking advantage of others and viewed godliness as a way to gain financially. Even when the Apostle Paul first ministered among those in Corinth, he was supported by others. People of faith should not expect greater generosity from others who don’t know Christ than what they are willing to share themselves.

• Supporting missionaries is a way to share in their work. This is the New Testament concept of giving to those who go to share the gospel. We see Paul reference this important principle. There are spiritual rewards for those who go and share the gospel and for those who enable those individuals to follow God’s call. When reports are given, there is a shared joy in the partnership of the gospel.

           However, there are those who attempt to styme the work of the gospel. John points this out and calls a man named Diotrephes by name. In this church this man who loved to be in charge, would not allow the church to receive a letter from John. This is the reason that John sends a personal letter to Gaius. Instead of welcoming guests sent by John and sharing in their work, Diotrephes will not accept them and hinders those who do and attempts to throw them out of the church.

          John is prepared to deal with this person when he arrives. In the meantime, he warns those who walk in the truth to, “never imitate evil, but imitate good. The person who does good is from God. The person who does evil has never seen God.” v.11 Jesus told His followers, “By their fruit you will know them.” (Matt 7:16)

          John points to Demetrius (who was probably the visiting minister) as one who was commended by others, himself, and the truth of his own life that he is a faithful and trustworthy minister.

          Supporting the work of the gospel is not something we “have” to do; it is something that we “get” to do. That spirit of generosity says more about a person than what many realize. It is not always known to others, but it is known to the person themselves.

Nothing unclean will ever enter the city. No one who does shameful things or tells lies will ever enter the city. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter the city. Revelation 21:27 ERV

            When God created the heavens and the earth, He placed the first man and woman in a garden paradise. However, sin entered, and the place that the Lord intended to be the home of the righteous became a place of desolation. Adam and Eve were cursed and expelled from this place of perfection where God lived among them.

            We usually see heaven as the final restoration of that which God intended from the beginning. Revelation 21:3 ESV “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling placeof God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

            From Genesis, we see the Lord beginning the process of redeeming people to that condition and place that He desires for them. He calls Abraham and then Jacob and his twelve sons and then the tribe of Judah and then David and then Christ to bring us back to God to live one day in His presence in the place He has prepared for all those who “love Him and long for His appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8)

            Until that time, God is bringing a new people, those called by His name and forgiven by His love and grace. Today, they are called Christians or followers of Christ. Those who live with confidence in a personal relationship with Christ.

            But humanity is still flawed. Therefore, we need continual forgiveness that allows us to live in right relationship with Jesus Christ. The cross provided that through God’s forgiveness and grace and our continual repentance when convicted of our sin.

            But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away. (1 John 1:7 CEV) John speaks to this ongoing forgiveness in his first letter. Christ forgives and continues to forgive by the provision of the cross.

            Now consider God’s people in the Promised Land. As the Lord called a nation out of bondage in Egypt, He brought them to the land He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This land was inhabited by idolatrous nations that the Lord was going to displace with His people. God’s plan was to have His people in this land that was devoid of idolatry. It was to be inhabited by His people who worshipped Him and had an ongoing relationship with the Lord through the sacrificial system God created through Moses.

            But God’s people failed. They allowed idolatry to remain in the land, and it led to their corruption and downfall. There were those who remained faithful to the Lord and who sought to obey the Lord and worship Him alone.

            So, we find ourselves today like those Israelites of old. We are called to serve the Lord in the midst of a world of sin and idolatry. Idolatry not in the form of actual idols but the allegiance to false gods and ideology. Just like God’s people in the Land of Promise, there will be those who remain faithful and those who allow the ways of the world to pull at them and take them away from their pure devotion to Christ.  The Apostle Paul warned, “But I am afraid that your minds will be led away from your true and pure following of Christ.” (2 Cor. 11:3 NCV)

            There is safety and security in Christ. That is why the Cross is so important. “He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.” (Titus 2:14 NLT)

            Adam and Eve failed. The Israelites failed. But in Christ there is victory, and God’s plan for His place of perfection, where He alone is worshipped, will come to pass. Until then, we can be confident that nothing can separate us from the Lord of God in Christ Jesus. Through Him we have victory over sin and the world. And we have the hope of an eternity in His presence. God’s dwelling with His people.

“How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth…I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another.” 2 John v. 4,5 NLT

          John’s two short letters, in comparison to his other books, are postcards or notes. They are personal and focused. When you read the first few verses from the greeting to the reason he is writing this letter, we find multiple references to the words “love” and “truth.”

          The letter is pastoral and personal. It is written to “The Chosen Lady and Her Children.” Since John warns about those who would “come into her meetings,” she appears to be a leader of a house church, and “children” are members of her group.

          Characteristic of John, he states the purpose of his letter, which is to remind them to love one another. We don’t know if there was contention among this group; however, it doesn’t take too many people connected in a relationship to have disagreements or tension.

          There is a doctrinal issue that comes up: “deceivers who deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body.” In the first-century church, a doctrinal error had crept in. Just like today, when someone believes a doctrine, they want to prove they are right and everyone else is wrong.

          John is encouraged to know that he has met some of the group who are committed to the truth and wants them to remain faithful to the truth found in Christ. For John, abiding in the truth is what distinguishes true believers from deceivers and even those who are “antichrist.” Those who abide in the truth are those who are rewarded.

          Love, for John, is “doing what Christ commanded.” This is core to the truth in Christ and is based on actions. But love is not tolerating sin and those who try to deceive.

^“If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.” (v.10,11)

          In a brief letter, John addresses these two fundamental parts of the Christian life, “truth” and “love.” It reminds me of John’s gospel when he states that Jesus came full of “grace and truth.” Grace, God’s unmerited favor, is an expression of His love for us. But as Paul writes in his letters, grace is not license to sin or tolerate sin and neither is love.

          Truth without love makes a person proud and insensitive and can become a weapon. Yet love without truth can create vulnerability, confusion, and division. The protection I believe John is communicating is to love the truth and to love others by safeguarding the unity and faith of believers.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 1 John 5:13-15 ESV

            John is very purposeful in his writing. We see this both in his gospel and in his letters. It is usually found at the end of the book. Here in this letter, his purpose is found in chapter 5:13 “that you may know you have eternal life.” The preceding chapter underscores this purpose.

          In John’s gospel, his purpose is this: Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31 ESV)

          John communicated this focus by spending the majority of his gospel on the last week of Christ’s ministry. His gospel is so that people will believe. His letter is so that believers will have security of their faith and hold on to that faith in all that they confront in life.

            The assurance of salvation is based on love. But this is not sentimental love. It is love based on action. Love that is demonstrated through obedience to Christ and love toward other believers.

          These two key points provide evidence of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We can see a consistent theme that runs through this letter. There are words of caution and instruction.

          The Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:3 begins with the admonition to “be on guard.” John shows what we are to be on guard against.

          Consider the following: John begins by pointing to those who rationalize their standing before the Lord. In chapter one, he focuses on walking in the light of God’s truth. This is contrasted with what people often say. Such things as, “I have not sinned…or “I have not sin…” (v. 8,10) We either deceive ourselves or make God a liar. In contrast, if we confess our sin, we have forgiveness. (v10)

          In chapter two, the focus is on love in action. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.” (v.4-5) Regarding love towards others, he states, “Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.” (v.9)

          Next, he warns about love for the world, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.” (v. 15-16)

          John warns about deception of those who are against Christ and His truth, “Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.No one who denies the Son has the Father…” (22-23) Believers should not only be aware of “the” anti-Christ, but the spirit of anti-Christ-ism. Those who claim they know God without accepting Jesus as the Christ.

          As John moves into chapter 3 his focus is on the importance of consistency in our life and lifestyle, No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. (v.6-7) It is one thing to sin and ask for forgiveness; it is another to continue to live in sin and to excuse it.

          John again states the importance of loving those in the faith, “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. ¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” (v.14-15)

          John’s challenge is this,  ^“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” (v.16) He goes on to say that our the reassurance of right standing before the Lord is when our hearts condemn us. This is to enable us to make corrections and align our actions and attitudes with those pleasing to Christ.

          In chapter four, John warns against false prophets, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (v.1) The plumb line is what a person says about Christ. If they confess that He came in the flesh and is who He said He is will test their veracity.

          John again focuses on love for God and love for others. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (v. 10-11)

          Because God loves us unconditionally, we are obligated to love one another. We are to love those whom God loves. This reminds me of Jesus parable of the unforgiving servant. In this parable, the master forgives an unimaginable debt when a servant begs him for time. Yet that servant goes out and tries to collect from a fellow servant who owes him a very small amount. John reminds us, “we love because He first loved us.”(v. 19)

          As John closes his letter in chapter 5, he gives assurance of our victory over the world: “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (4-5)

          John’s letter has great truths that deserve careful reading and our attention. Be sure to focus on consistent themes. See how John provides believers with assurance of their relationship with Christ and what to watch out for in their lives of faith.

          The resounding words that put forth plainly those who believe and those who don’t are these, “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (v.11-12) Relationship with Jesus gives us protection, victory over the world, and confidence before the Lord in prayer. Live in that assurance of faith today.

Bible Verse for Today:  Though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus—I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment.  Philemon 1:8-10

          Philemon is the shortest of Paul’s letters. It is written to an individual (Philemon), a friend. It is personal. It is about reconciliation and restoration. It is about a servant (Onesimus) running from one master and meeting The Master. It is about one who felt unloved but discovered God’s love and the love of the Apostle Paul.

          Onesimus was a servant to Philemon, a friend of Paul’s. He flees his master and encounters Paul in Rome, where he becomes a follower of Christ. Paul’s influence on him was great, and he became a faithful follower of Christ. Paul even sent Onesimus to the church in Colossae with another disciple of his to report on Paul’s well-being. (Colossians 4:8) Paul refers to Onesimus as a “faithful and beloved brother.”

          However, Paul knows that Onesimus needs to return to Philemon. Not as just a servant but as a beloved brother in the Lord. Paul does not make his appeal from his authority as an apostle and leader, but from an appeal to friendship and love.

          Paul tells Philemon that Onesimus was once useless but is now useful to him and the gospel. Paul closes by affirming his confidence in Philemon to do even more than what he is asking.

          We don’t know all the details in this situation, but the message is clear enough to learn the important lessons. Lessons of friendship, faithfulness, consistency of character and redemption and restoration.

          We learn that appeals based on love, not obligation, are more motivating. Paul challenges Philemon to love Onesimus and to forgive and receive him just as he has demonstrated love towards other believers.

          We observe the wonder of redemption and restoration. Onesimus becomes a believer because of Paul’s influence. Not just that, but a fellow worker with Paul. The gospel is about redemption. When people make a commitment to Christ, they are changed. Their lives take on a new meaning.

          We also observe Paul’s actions as he does what he knows is right. Paul could have allowed Onesimus to remain as a companion to him and other Christ followers. I could even see Onesimus pleading for that privilege.

          So, Paul doesn’t just send Onesimus back to Philemon; he sends him with a personal letter to vouch for the change that has taken place in Onesimus. This also speaks to the work of the gospel. A personal relationship with Christ allows us to become useful to the Lord and to others.

          This letter provides some insight into the life and ministry of Apostle Paul, and it challenges us in the lessons that are contained in it. We too can embrace Paul’s prayer for Philemon, “I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” Philemon 1:6 ESV

Bible Verse for Today “…..And you still didn’t return to me, declares the Lord.” Amos 4:6 GW “Prepare to meet your God.” Amos 4:12 GW

          What does it take for the Lord to get your attention? This is the question that the prophet confronts Israel with. However, it is stated in the first person. God is addressing His people through the prophet in a very personal way. This is not a prophet telling the people; this is the Lord confronting His people.

          Amos 4:6-11 contains statements about all the ways the Lord was trying to get the attention of His people and to bring them back to Him. His desire was for them to forsake their idols and to serve Him alone.

          Famine: no rain on the crops. One field had rain, but theirs did not. They had no water. The crops they did have were infested with mildew and eaten by locusts. The Lord sent plagues. Their young men were killed in battle. Some cities were destroyed just as Sodom and Gomorrah had been. After each of these, we find the statement, “and still you did not return to me.”

          God’s people, then, like some people now, fail to allow life’s events to turn them to the Lord. Perhaps for the first time, perhaps returning to the Lord. The Lord speaks in many ways, but one of those is through natural events. In Israel’s situation, these natural events were the consequences of their rejecting the Lord and following Him with full-hearted devotion.

          As I thought about this, I was reminded of what we see in the Book of Revelation. As the events of the tribulation take place, we find on more than one occasion verses like these,

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, ²¹ nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:20,21 ESV)

I recall in years gone by when rural areas were in a drought, community members would often gather to pray for rain. When our founding fathers were deadlocked in establishing a new nation, Benjamin Franklin stood and called them to prayer. I remember when I lay in a hospital bed, totally paralyzed by West Nile Virus, I prayed, “Lord, now that you have my attention…”

Often, life events cause people to turn away from the Lord. However, many events in life should compel us to turn to the Lord and find the security and life that are complete only in a personal relationship with Him and in complete submission to His Lordship.

As difficult as it is to realize, we have a choice to come to the Lord or be confronted by the Lord. The Lord is patient and long-suffering, but there is a day when all will stand before Him. The writer of Hebrews caution was, “do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness.” (Heb. 3:8 NIV) The Lord’s call to His people as they prepared to enter the promised land was, “Choose life.” “Choose blessing.” (Deu. 30:19)

What does it take for the Lord to get your attention? Be quick to always turn to Him and trust in Him.

Hilkiah, the high priest, said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” 2 Kings 22:8 GW

          King Josiah became king when he was eight years old. He was the son of Amon, who ruled for only two years. He was the son of Manasseh, who ruled for 55 years as an idolatrous and evil king.

          The prophet of the Lord condemns Manasseh as the most evil of all the evil kings of Judah and Israel, and even more vile than the nations that occupied the land before Israel. It must have been during the long reign of Manasseh, when the Temple lay in ruins, that the law was lost.

          Without the guidance of the law of Moses, the people of God fell into deep idolatry that became the reference point until the Babylonians took Jerusalem captive.

The Lord spoke these words through His prophet, “Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations and has done things more evil than all that the Amorites did, who were before him, and has made Judah also to sin with his idols, ¹² therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing upon Jerusalem and Judah such disaster^[b] that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.” 2 Kings 21:11,12 GW

          When the law was found, it was read to Josiah, and he realized that the nation was under God’s judgment. As a leader, Josiah took action. He had the law read to all the people and then made this commitment,

And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant. 2 Kings 23:3 GW

          Even though the Lord had pronounced the doom of Jerusalem, it did not deter Josiah from riding the land of Judah and Israel of idolatry. He even destroyed the calf idols of Israel according to the words of the prophet from hundreds of years earlier.

          The importance of God’s word, God’s Law in the Old Testament, was to be the plumb line to give God’s people purpose and guidance for their lives. Joshua was commanded to follow the law of the Lord if he wanted to be successful. The Psalms are filled with verses that speak of the value of the Law. Psalms 119, the longest of the Psalms, extols the importance of God’s laws, His instructions, and protection. It is the vision of God, the restraining force, that keeps God’s people from “running rampant” and perishing.

          When God’s people followed the law, they were successful. When it was disobeyed, they sinned and were defeated.

          God’s Word today for those who want to follow Christ is a must. It guides our path. It trains, rebukes and corrects. When we disregard and fail to follow God’s Word, we sin. We fail to understand God’s true nature. We become prey to the world around us.

          I believe it was D.L. Moody who said of the Bible, “This book will keep me from sin and sin will keep me from this book.” What place does God’s Word have in your life? Do you need to discover it or rediscover it? Do you read it? Do you obey it? It is our all-sufficient rule for faith and doctrine. That means what we believe and how we behave. Don’t allow anything to rob you of your commitment to God’s Word.

Never worship in the way that it’s being done here today, where everyone does whatever he considers right. Deu. 12:8 GW

In those days, Israel didn’t have a king. Everyone did whatever he considered right. Judges 21:25 GW

               During my morning Bible reading in Deuteronomy, I noticed this verse. Moses is giving instructions, reminders, and warnings to the generation that will enter the Promised Land. God’s people will serve as His agents of judgment on these nations that have been living idolatrous and vile lives.

               This promise to Abraham provided insight into the Lord’s patience and His holding nations and peoples accountable for their sins and actions.

Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” Gen. 15:13-16

               The Lord God is not just the God of a nation or people. He is the God of the universe and world, even if He is not recognized as such. We see this when Jonah went to Ninevah and the entire capital city of this nation repented and stayed God’s judgement at that time. Even though they were Israel’s enemies.

               Moses’ basic commands from the Lord to God’s people were, “don’t live like the nations that you will conquer and replace.” Yet we see that God’s people did not follow the Lord wholeheartedly in future generations. They were warned against idolatry, but they became idol worshipers. They were warned about the sinful behavior of the nations, but they followed that sinful behavior. In the end, the Lord expelled them from the land, just as the Lord had said He would.

               Yet in the Lord’s discipline of His people, He allowed them to return from their captivity in Babylon. This shows that the Lord is faithful to hold people accountable yet provides for restoration.

               We see the ultimate path of restoration in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  2 Cor. 5:21

               John the apostle, like Moses of old, provides a warning to us today. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:15,6 NKJV

               When we live or desire that which is of the world and act and follow the world’s priorities and practices, we are like the Children of Israel who refused to follow God’s instructions on how to live a prosperous and fulfilling life.

               This is an ongoing challenge. Yet when the Holy Spirit convicts us, we find that God is ready to forgive and restore. When we ignore those promptings, we will continue to spiral down into a miserable existence.