" KEEP ON" Dear Friends, Hard to believe that this year is nearly over! So much has happened since the pages of the first month were opened back on January. Now we look forward to a new book, new chapter, and a new story. Over these past 12 months so much has happened, as I am certain you could say the same about you, your family, your friends, and your works, school, etc… For our family, we packed up, moved 1/2 way around the world, faced many obstacles and challenges, had property stolen, had to battle the legal system to claim the items of theft, had medical issues, surgery, and near life treating events. We faced the challenges of meeting new people, making new friends, trying to learn the proper customs and curtsies of our host nation… and now we even find ourselves faced with the blessing of life as God has granted us – even in the midst of all this – the blessing of the expectancy of our fifth child! What a year in review… and in all honesty, I didn’t trust God as well as I should have through it all. But HE has not given up on me, nor has HE ever failed me. Recently, He revealed to me an awesome phrase… “KEEP ON.” For those of you who receive devotional thoughts from me on occasion, you have already heard about this. Consideration is at hand to bring this theme into the ECHO e-zine. In short, instead of fading away, yielding to sinful self pity, and allow selfish motives control and guide the steps and path of life – Keep On! Stay strong in the Lord and in the power of HIS might! Keep On! So much has happened over the past 4 years, with my personal & family life, as well as wit ECHO. It is the hopes and desires that ECHO will soon be returning back to a more regular publication again, as it originally started out 10 years ago. On a second note: ECHO now has all archived issues on line and available for your review. You may view them at the (above) ECHO home page, or at a mirror sight (which hosts the .pdf files of volumes 1 – 8) http://www.freewebs.com/barnabasministry/. May this season at hand, and the New Year to come be a blessing and joy to you & yours! And may you to find strength in God’s word and KEEP ON Your servant, Daniel
Phil 1:6/ Isa 6:8 |
(1 John 4:20-5:5) LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE… If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Doctor visit’s aren’t considered fun or enjoyable. In fact, if polled, I would imagine most people would rather not visit the doctor at all if possible; however, since illnesses, diseases, and the need for medical attention and treatment occurs with our frail human bodies, a visit to the clinic can’t be avoided without consequences. But seeing the physician isn’t always a painful or bad thing… in fact, the experience can be quite the opposite, especially when the visit is short, the treatment is quick, and the results are health giving. As one with a thyroid disease, a visit to the doctor occurs regularly for me. He must ensure my medication is regulated properly to my body’s needs and requirements, then adjusts my medication intake accordingly to the test results. When picking up the medical prescription, if the doctor hasn’t placed the order, or if a written prescription with his signature isn’t available, my medication won’t be available for me to pick up and take home. The prescription MUST be filled out, and the directions for taking the medication must be followed exactly in order for the benefit to occur. Here, in the conclusion of 1 John 4, we see the Heavenly Father giving us a prescription. HE’s signed the note, and the dosage is already available in full – for eternity. The instructions are very clear and simple, and easy to take, so long as we are willing to take the proper dosage in the manner which HE has indicated for us to take. The medication can be sour for some, hard to swallow for others, maybe even be a painful shot for many, yet could be sweet and enticing for others. What’s awesome about this prescription is that no one can ever overdose – in fact, the more it’s taken, the better off we are. What is the perception and dosage? The prescription is a “commandment” from God (vs 21), and the dosage is to “love” others. But loving isn’t always so easy to do… depending on who it is, and who we are trying to love, there might be need for forgiveness, humility, or the sacrificing of personal desires involved. We just celebrated the Christmas season where we are reminded of Christ’s birth where HE gave us the ultimate example of love by leaving HIS heavenly home to partake in life as a human, then later crucified and buried, only to rise again from the grave. That was love in action, and we are to follow HIS example – that is to live unselfishly, bringing God glory and honor in what we think, say, and do. Look at verse 20 though…. “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” Wow! Being called a liar is not a pleasant thought, especially when it has to do with life according to God’s will. Recalling back to my days in grade school, when one was branded a liar they were never trusted again – sort of like the boy who cried wolf to many times. Getting others to believe you again is difficult and a long hard process. So, how do we keep from being labeled as a liar? In short, we love others, we love our Christian brethren, for by doing so, we are expressing our heavenly love for the Father as well. 1 John 5:1-5 continue with this theme… “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments” (1 Jn 5:2). Keeping HIS commandments, HIS “prescription”, is a necessary requirement to keep our spiritual health up and strong. And what are HIS commands??? Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31 cf Mat 22:36-40
Saying we love… saying we love God is easy to do. But showing it is a different story. Do we really love? Does our actions and speech reflect a loving kindness to those around us? “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar…” With the New year around the corner, and the desire many have for resolutions, I strongly urge us all (myself included) to not make a resolution, but rather a commitment… Let’s determine now to not be liars, but to be lovers… lovers of God showing and expressing HIS love towards others as HE has given us in HIS prescription. Take the daily dosage, be completely filled with HIS Spirit, an dlove others as HE has loved us! How else can one truly fulfill and keep any of God’s instructions and commands if love is not a factor in the obedience? By our actions, we prove what we truly believe and what is most important to us deep inside our heart and thoughts. If love is sincerely part of our desires it will be evident in our actions. |
