He Speaks to Me

I John 3:1-3 B ehold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us (me) , that we (I) should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us (me) , because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we (I) shall be, but we (I) know that when He is revealed, we (I) shall be like Him, for we (I) shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Everyday that I've pondered the words of I John, I have been amazed. Every passage I've personalized has reinforced my salvation. Over and over, I see how much He loves me. Little, nothing me who struggles day by day to get by. I've started to see how Satan is able to belittle me and the hope I have in Christ. Everyday Scripture is what reassures me, and bolsters my confidence that even though I am imperfect, God sees me worthy to spend eternity with Him. That is an humbling, but wonderful thought. I am

I John 2:28-29 28 And now, little children (me and you who are Christians) , abide in Him, that when He appears, we (all Christians) may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you (I) know that He is righteous, you (I) know that everyone who practices righteousness (true Christians) is born of Him. I love these verses. They are filled with so much hope and encouragement. At least, if you abide in Him you do. I'm sure when I stand before Him in that day, I will feel unworthy, but my heart swells as I think of the hope I have. That hope rests on the shoulders of my savior Jesus Christ. Therefore, I am filled with God's peace and joy. I pray you are filled with that same hope, peace and joy. God bless and have a great day.

24 Therefore let that abide in you (me) which you (I) heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you (me) , you (I) also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us (not just me, but everyone) --eternal life. 26 These things I have written to you (me) concerning those who try to deceive you (me) . 27 But the anointing (Holy Spirit) which you (I) have received from Him abides in you (me) , and you (I) do not need that anyone teach you (me) ; but as the same anointing teaches you (me) concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you (me ), you (I) will abide in Him. I John 2:24-27 is a great message of encouragement. To me, it confirms my salvation. I know some of you may disagree, but I believe once saved--always saved. these verses reinforce that for me. Because I have been 'anointed.' The Spirit abides in me and I abide in Him. Life can'

Do you know anyone who is a good person? We all know law abiding, highly moralistic people whose standards are uncompromising and they seek justice for everyone. But, of these, how many can you say for certain are Christians? These are the ones who hold God's standards above human standards, actively participate in a relationship with Him, and they rest in His mercy instead of counting on earthly justice. Odds are, there is a big discrepancy between the amount of good people you know, and the ones you are certain are Christians. Before I go any farther, I must say that a person's spiritual condition is between them and God. I would never tell a person they are not saved, but only point out they are not acting like a Christian. By all means, I do not hold the keys to heaven. The above thoughts are what popped into my mind this morning as I read I John 2:18-23 . John is addressing the false prophets. 18 Little children (this includes me and you) , it is the last hour; and as y

Everything is temporary. That sums up the verses in I John 2:15-17 . As a Christian this verse gives me the hope of eternal life, but this morning, God revealed more meaning in this passage. 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone (me) loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he (me) who does the will of God abides forever. Everything in life is fleeting, including temptation. I thought of my kids as I read this. They see something on television and immediately say, "I want that." My automatic response is, "No," because I know that the next set of commercials will bring something else that is better. The insatiable cycle of wants never ends and is always a heavier burden than needs. But kids aren't the only ones who face t

I John 2:12-14 (NKJV) 12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. When I first read I John 2:12-14 , the Scriptures appeared a bit cryptic. While they explained why John was writing the letter, it seemed unnecessary for the repetitive nature. So, I went to other translations for more insight. I found only more of the same. Finally, I asked myself, "God, what are you trying to say to me?" All of a sudden, a light bulb went on inside my head. This passage is for encouragement. It not only expl

Vacations are great times. Everyone is excited. The hotel has fluffy, feather beds and pillows, a coffee maker and microwave is within reach, even the rowdy kids next aren't bothering you. Relaxation is wrapped tightly around you forcing daily worries from your mind as you settle into bed for the night. Several hours later, you awaken to choking smoke. The sirens in the hallway are blaring as your nose and eyes tingle. Panic sets in and your heart races. You fall to your knees and begin a frantic search for the door. The roaring fire in the next room makes the cries in the hallway seem like distant moans. You crawl towards the voices, but slam into a wall. You change direction and encounter what you believe to be the dresser. Heading another way, you smack into a chair. At this point, you wonder if you'll ever get out, and wish you had noted the escape route on your way up. I know this is a tough illustration. It was difficult for me to write. This is what came to mind when I r

I John 2:1-2 (NKJ) My little children (that includes me and you) , these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we (I) have an Advocate (lawyer) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation (payment) for our (my) sins, and not for ours (mine) only but also for the whole world (that means you) . I love how this translation refers to Jesus as my "Advocate." Advocate is another term for lawyer. Someone who will defend you to the end. He stands before the Heavenly Father and pleads my case, even though He and I know I'm not worthy. God even handed down a punishment for my sins. That includes a jail cell in hell. Jesus felt me worthy to pay my penalty so that I could spend eternity with Him. That's why He went to the cross. I challenge you to find an earthly lawyer who would do that for you. I'm sure glad Jesus is on my side. :) He was willing to do anything necessary to keep me out of the prison

These scriptures in 1 John give doctrinal proof that we are all born with sin and must ask God's forgiveness before we fellowship with Him. This is the basis of true Christian faith. This also flies in the face of those who believe we all have good in us, we just have to find it. As I read these Scriptures, goodness doesn't automatically reside in us, but we must invite it in. 1 John 1:5-10(NLT) 5 This is the message he (Christ) has given us to announce to you (that includes me) : God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we (me/us) are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, h

Today I started reading I John. One thing I learned is that he was a first cousin of Jesus. I didn't realize his mother and Mary were sisters. He knew Jesus his entire life. He played with Jesus as a child. I just think that is awesome. Here are the verses I want to focus on today: I John 1:1-4 (NLT) The one (Jesus) who existed from the beginning is the one (Jesus) we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is Jesus Christ, the Word of life. 2 This one who is life from God was shown to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and announce to you (that also means me) that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was shown to us. 3 We are telling you (Rhonda) about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard, so that you (Rhonda) may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy will be complete. Can&#

Believe it or not, He does. God wants to commune with His people--His children. He loves us and adores us. Just imagine what a day would be like if you didn't get that special hug or kiss from your child. That's how God feels when we distance ourselves from Him. He wants us to share laughter, tears, hurts & triumphs with us. That is why He made us. Sometimes, I have trouble communing with God. Since He's not physically here to give me those hugs and kisses my children give me, it's easy to put Him aside for the here and now. God isn't one of those 'in your face' God's either. He waits for me to seek Him out--no matter how painful it is for Him to not get that attention. That is why I started this blog. I want to physically send time with God. I to hear what He has to say. I want Him to speak to me. The best way I know for Him to speak to me is by studying God word, the Bible, but I am going to take that one step further. I want to personalize the Bib