1 John 5 - 2.18.25

SCRIPTURE:  1 John 5:3-5 “This is love for God: to obey His commands.  And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

OBSERVATION:  John’s concern for the believers was for them to know that keeping God’s commands is not a burden, but a blessing, EVEN while going through very difficult circumstances! The apostle Paul modeled this so well!  Even when he was afflicted, and while he was facing extraordinary persecutions, because of his commitment to God, no matter what he went through, he never lost focus on how God had shown him such incredible grace and mercy in spite of him being the worst of sinners.

He had once been a persecutor of Christians, even approving their death because of his ignorance, but when God revealed Himself to him on that Damascus road, it was God’s mercy and grace that changed Paul’s heart and motivated him to not only become a Christ follower, but to live AND die for Christ. 

It was BECAUSE of God’s grace and mercy that Paul wrote in Romans 12:1,2 that we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

APPLICATION: When I was born-again, I became free to live for God, and free to please God.  The reason I am not able to sin “comfortably” anymore is because I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind, and I am now able to discern the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. (It is to walk according to His will), AND the Holy Spirit gives me all the help I need to be able to do that as I call out, and depend on Him.

I am human, and I will fail Him from time to time, but God is willing to forgive me, and to restore me back into right relationship with Him when I turn from my sins and ask for His forgiveness, because of His great love for me.

PRAYER:  I pray God’s commands will never be a burden to me, but a great blessing!  In view of all He’s done for me, and because of the mercies He’s shown me, I pray I will always remember and be motivated by His love. What a great privilege it is to follow His commands! Amen

- Robin Orefice

1 John 4 - 2.17.25

Scripture

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

‬‬

Observation

John is writing his fellow believers here, reminding them that the core of our Christian faith is love. God, who is love, demonstrated His love for us by sending His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. And now, as believers who have Jesus living in us, we are to share God’s love with those around us. That way they can experience God and His love for them. They will know we are God’s children because of our love for them. ❤️

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”-John‬ ‭13‬:‭35‬ ‭

Application

Showing people who God is by loving them the way He loved me…and that’s unconditionally.

Some people have never been to church or even heard the gospel of Jesus before. For some of them, it’s hard for them to believe in a God that they cannot see, hear, or touch. Well, that is where we as Christians must step in. We may be the closest thing these people will get to going to church, hearing the gospel, and experiencing God. That is why John in this passage is stressing the importance of loving one another. If we are truly Christ Followers, we are supposed to have that love of God in us. We are supposed to share that love and demonstrate that love with the people around us and come in contact with. That way these people can experience God in tangible ways through  our words and our actions. It will hopefully make God more visible, more real, and more known in their lives. 😊

Prayer

Father God, thank You for loving me so much that You came to this earth and died for me. Thank You for filling me with Your love. I pray that I can share and show that love with others in a way that they can experience You in a way that makes You more real and present in their lives. May people see Your love for them through me. I pray this in Jesus name, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi

1 John 1 - 2.14.25

Happy Valentines Day

SCRIPTURE: 1 John 1:1-4

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

Observation

John was an eyewitness to Jesus who is the son of God from the beginning and came to earth as a man so we can have relationship with Jesus who is the Word of Life. John and the disciples had an amazing firsthand relationship with Jesus. They heard him, seen him, studied him and touched him. Every moment they were with Jesus they were with the Son of God. John wants us to have the same relationship with Jesus that he did.

Application

John wanted believers to have fellowship with him or “us” as other believers. People usually first encounter with God is through relationships with God’s people. People see us and how we live. It is hard to be an undercover Christian and expect people to encounter Jesus. Our lives need to reflect Jesus and our hope is to become more like him. I have great news for all you believers, in heaven we will get to see Jesus, hear Jesus, study Jesus, touch Jesus and have a banquet with Jesus. 

Prayer

Jesus Son of God, thank you for coming here so we can have a relationship with you and the Father. Help us as we encounter others that we reflect you Jesus. We want more of you and less of us. Help us grow in our relationships with each other. Jesus make our joy complete. In Jesus name Amen.

- Robert Oberg