Promised Eternal Life

1Jn 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
1Jn 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
1Jn 2:26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

The truth has forever been in the beginning.
Our Savior brought the truth with Him, He was and is the truth.
Salvation in Him is our only hope and this is the gospel of the kingdom which Jesus came to preach to us.
We continue forever in the Son and in the Father with we continue in the truth given to us at the beginning.
Eternal life is the promise given in truth and we can never forget it.
We are NOT promised anything here and now.
We are not promised good health, great wealth, love from others, intelligence. We are NOT promised these things in fact of ALL the many followers, the many believers of our Savior - as the Messiah to come and the Messiah having come- very few have been given all those things- VERY FEW. The majority are the average, humble people who have nothing of great prestige upon earth. We are PROMISED only eternal life through our Savior and what an amazing gift that is.
Often we lose sight of the big picture because we are so caught up in the little one- our life here and now. We think our life here and now is the big picture but it's not, not if we believe- truly believe and have faith in our Savior and His promise.

The promise is ETERNAL LIFE, not a good life now.

And those that would seduce us want us to believe that this life here and now is all that matters and if we are not given great rewards now but rather made to live a life of poverty, of illness, of mental and emotional trauma, that we are somehow disappointing God and He is punishing us now.

It's not unheard of that God works in our lives and we have the Bible, His word telling us how He's worked in the past and with that in mind we know His hand guides all we do. Some of us are meant to fill the role of the needy, and it's not because God hates us. God wants to save us all and He will do, and has done all He can for us. We have to trust Him fully, not ourselves and not other people, but GOD.

We have to keep what we hear from the beginning.
We have to keep the truth we heard from the start.
We have to keep the gospel of the kingdom in our lives as it first rang out in our hearts, giving us a new birth, a spiritual birth, a new life in Christ our SAVIOR!

All in HIM!

Always!

Satan's words are in our mouths every single time we lie!

1Jn 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
1Jn 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

No LIE is of the truth.

No lie.

Not ONE single lie has truth in it.

Is it any wonder that LYING is of the devil? Seriously.

Truth and lies.

God and Satan.

The Father of Truth and the Father of Lies.

We cannot lie and not be speaking Satan's words- that is truth!

Satan's words are in our mouths every single time we lie!

No lie is of the truth.

No lie is of our God.

Liars need to ask for forgiveness every bit as much as any other sinner, you cannot lie and not repent of it if you are seeking truth in God.

Lairs put themselves in the place of Christ. Seriously. When we lie we are pushing Christ out, we are pushing the truth away and setting ourselves up in place of Christ by trying to make our lies truth.

That's what a lie is, right? A lie is someone trying to make a falsehood truth, trying to get others to believe that their lies are really truth.

We have to see things for what they REALLY are and not what we want them to be. LIES are so incredibly insidious. That saying- oh what tangled webs we weave when at first we practice to deceive- is true. Webs of deceit, webs of lies that will most certainly entangle us.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

This is TRUTH!

Liars deny the truth of JESUS CHRIST.
Liars put themselves in place of the truth as it is found in our Savior.
Liars do not know and cannot be known by the Father and the Son.

You cannot say you know God and not know Jesus Christ, the Son.
You cannot say you know Jesus Christ and not know God, the Father.

If you know One you know the Other.

If you deny One- you deny Both.

These words are TRUTH!

We must hold to the truth!

We must hold to our SAVIOR!

Please Lord, please help us to stay and live in You, in the TRUTH!

Let us NEVER put ourselves in Your place, never!

Please Lord, all by Your love, Your grace!

All in YOU!

Are you living in place of Christ?

1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

It is the last time.

The last time. It makes sense doesn't it, seriously, it does- WHEN we look at the BIG picture and not the small one.

The big picture- 4000 some years passing with the promise of a Messiah.
The promise finally realized.
The Messiah realized.
And NO longer could Satan strive to keep the Promised One from coming to save mankind.
Salvation was REALIZED, it was a REALITY for all who would seek it, and all who WILL seek it.
What is left but the LAST of time?

Seriously, the time left with us remaining here on earth before our Savior returns for us is the last of time. Once our Lord returns time will be NO MORE. The PROMISE is realized and what is left is for us to accept what has been promised. We no longer wait for Salvation, we no longer wait for a Savior, we have salvation and an amazing Savior!

We have lived in the last time from the moment our Savior died for us and rose again, giving to us eternal life through HIM.

The antichrist --

This is the true meaning of Antichrist. In the Greek, anti means, "in place of" rather than as in English, "against."

In place of Christ.

We have heard that antichrists would come and even now are many that live in PLACE OF Christ. They've put themselves in the place of our true God. Anyone who puts themselves in the place where Christ alone belongs- is an antichrist.

After our Savior's death many of His followers banded together into groups, and many left those groups that followed our Savior's truths. Many created falsehoods, teaching their own doctrines for the commandments of God. They put their own spin on things and began to teach their OWN way, NOT Christ's way.

1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

As more and more people put themselves in the place of our God and His truths, we know it is closer to the return of our LORD.

Those who LEAVE the truth of God in favor of their own truths were NEVER really committed to our God, never. Those who leave the truth reveal their true selves, and those selves are NOT those who belong to God.

Way too many people believe they follow the Lord when they do NOT follow His truths, but their own. They are DECEIVED!

God's truth this is what matters more than anything!
God's truth is ALL that matters.
Our Savior had told us that more and more will seek their OWN ways to take the PLACE of Christ, and in our day and age this is so incredibly true!

Look around us, look around and see the truth before our eyes, the truth that many feel NO need of following our Lord's truths, as if they don't matter at all.

IN PLACE OF CHRIST.

Do you live in place of Christ? Do you? Ask yourself WHOSE truths you are following, your own or God's?

If you cannot answer- God's, then you are an antichrist even if you don't want to believe that you are- you are, plain and simple!

It's not enough to just believe-

Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

We have to do more than believe! We have to live God's truths! We have to LIVE God's truths. We have to follow our LORD'S truths, whether we like them or not. Whether the truths are convenient to us or not. Whether or not we enjoy the truths. The TRUTHS will war with our flesh nature because they are SPIRITUAL. We must keep the spiritual truths ALIVE! If we do not keep the spiritual truths alive then we are dead to them and we are NOT Christ's.

The TRUTH or nothing! God's truth or nothing!

We cannot put ourselves in PLACE of Christ! We just cannot!

By the grace of God we must live in Him and ONLY HIM.

Please Lord, help us! Please! We would be YOURS.

Love Much

Luk 7:47 -

Wherefore I say unto thee
Her sins
which are many
are forgiven
for she loved much
but to whom little is forgiven
the same loveth little

Remember this verse-

1Jn 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

The more we LOVE, genuinely love, the more we KNOW God.
The more we LOVE, genuinely love, the more our sins are forgiven us.

LOVE truly is the real answer.

I know we hear that formerly popular song- 'All you need is love, love is all you need.' And in truth it really is all we need because GOD is LOVE. So in essence we are saying all we need is God, God is all we need, and THIS is truth!

What gets in our way of being able to love? Our selfishness, our self-centeredness, our self-admiration.

Is there any wonder Jesus said this--

Mat 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

How many people out there believe they are more important than others? Aren't we being taught from a very young age that we have to put ourselves first because others will only walk all over us if we don't? How many people that you know ASPIRE to be servants to others?

Luk 9:48 ... he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

Servant- least among us- these are NOT things we are taught to desire. We are taught that the last one chosen, the least desired is the outcast, the worst of the worst. How many people are thrilled not to be that LAST person chosen when others are picking sides? We are taught NOT to want to be the least, the last, the servant, that these are the things we are to despise not desire.

When we are treated like servants we become appalled and disgruntled, even upset and angry, we want to lash out at those treating us like servants, we want to tell them to do it themselves whatever it is, we don't like to be unappreciated which is what we are taught servants are. Even then something inside us rebels at having to do for others what we believe they can do themselves, or should do themselves. We pride ourselves at being able to tell others we're not going to do whatever it is, that they should just do it themselves, we are not their slaves. Yet the truth of the matter is… the REAL HONEST truth is… it is a BLESSING on us to be able to serve- yes, to be able to serve even those who could in all reality very well do for themselves. Every time we serve we are given an opportunity to receive a blessing. I say given an opportunity because we can destroy that opportunity by not RECEIVING it, but rejecting it and letting a spirit of discord rise up in us wiping away any blessing.

I was raised to believe that there were things I had to do- chores and such, whether I liked it or not. I wasn't raised to believe I received a blessing in doing those sorts of things. I, very unfortunately did NOT raise my children to believe in the blessing of serving even in the most minor of things. I taught that they owe the family something- and had to contribute to the over all well being of a semi-well ordered household. They did things because they OWE a debt, they are being well cared for and in exchange for that they should pull their own weight. And now that they're older children I've switched from that to the- you ought to help out because you're an adult and legally you are capable of being out on your own- of having to take care of yourself. Because you're living here and not paying any rent/bills etc you ought to do the things you are told. Again, I haven't really stressed the blessing they can get from serving. Would it make a difference? Would it change the fact they still have to do things they'd rather not, that they have to pull themselves away from their own activities? No. It wouldn't change that.

In my own life as I try- all by the grace and mercy of God, through the Holy Spirit- to alter the awful way I begrudgingly do things that need doing, I hope to make this 'serving is a blessing' a reality. It won't be easy, because the other way is so engrained in me- in fact from my youth.

The least the greatest?
The servant the greatest?
The one who loves most- forgiven most?
The greater sinner who loves is forgiven more than a lesser sinner who loves less?

These are TRUTHS!
These are God's truths!

Love others as GOD would want us to love them.

If we LOVE much, we will be forgiven much and I don't know about you, but there is so much I need to be forgiven for, so much.

Please LORD help me to love!
Please LORD help me to obtain a blessing through serving.

All through YOU!

Sabbath - a WEEKLY reminder of God's love for us!

Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Why?

Why bless a day?

Why make a day holy?

Did days exist before the first day?

The first day.
The second day.
The third day.
The fourth day.
The fifth day.
The sixth day.
The seventh day.

There was NO eighth day of creation- all had been created.

God stopped creating on the sixth day. When that sixth day was over creation now existed. From nothing, from a void, from an emptiness came all of creation by God's wondrous power.

God did it all in six days and added an extra day in instituting a day of rest after such an amazing act.

Could God have created everything in one day? In one hour? In one minute? One heartbeat?

Yes.

The thing is, God was creating a future with the needs of His creatures in mind. The creation process was for OUR edification, it was done as it was for US.

The creation process at our very beginning mirrors so much of life in general. You've heard all about the circle of life, God's circle of life wasn't supposed to include our deaths. Yet there was still a circle of life going on and it's mirrored in creation. That cycle, that circle was instituted in creation. God told Adam and Eve the were to eat of all the trees bearing fruit- save one tree. God told Adam he was to tend to the garden- all before sin entered our world.

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Gen 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Gen 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

What happens when you eat a piece of fruit? Does that particular piece of fruit exist any longer? No. There was to be a constant consuming of the fruit and the replenishing of that fruit through that cycle our God brought into existence. God created us with the need to eat. God created us with needs and intended all of those needs be met in all that He gave us. Living as we do in such horrific sin- we can scarcely imagine having all we need - living in a beautiful garden. We can't begin to believe that we could be happy existing in a garden without any of the trappings of our sin filled society, without modern day conveniences. We imagine it to be like camping, but even our best days of camping are still encumbered by sin and the toil that exists in being a sinner- separated from God.

We were changed when we sinned.
Instantly Adam and Eve noticed the difference. It didn't take a minute, an hour, a day for the effects to begin- they were instantaneous.
Sin altered them.
That separation was immediately felt.
Their lives were forever changed in that moment. They were soon cast out of the garden and knowing pain, heartache, shame became real to them- just as we know these things.

You know who God told our first parents to be fruitful and multiply?
Well remember when God added this part after they sinned--

Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

In SORROW would she multiply. It wasn't meant to be PAINFUL, it wasn't meant to be SORROWFUL. Being fruitful and multiplying was to be a glorious, wondrous thing, without a hint of sorrow involved.

Yes, a lot changed when sin took over.

So while we might not be able to fully imagine living happily in a garden it's because we are imagining doing so as sinners filled with all the trials and tribulations that possess sinners.

God created days and did so with a purpose.

The seven day weekly cycle is the only one that has worked and survived for humanity. God instituted that cycle.

What was begun during creation was REINFORCED when God gave His written MORAL LAW to man. A law that needed to be memorialized in stone to a people who had been held captive for four hundred years and as we all know time has a way of changing things. This was something God never, ever wanted changed not ONE jot not ONE tittle!

Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

And reinforced yet again--

Exo 16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Exo 16:16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
Exo 16:17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
Exo 16:18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
Exo 16:19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
Exo 16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
Exo 16:21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
Exo 16:22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
Exo 16:23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
Exo 16:24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
Exo 16:25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Exo 16:26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

The six day work week and the seventh day rest.

This was God's intended design from the beginning, even before sin. Adam in the garden of Eden would work six days and on the seventh day of the week he rested- GOD instituted this amazing day way back at our very beginning and it's a memorial to HIM, our CREATOR.

The cycle given at the beginning still exists for us right NOW.

Our Creator wanted us to NEVER forget our beginning. To forget is to sin because to forget is to deny God, to deny our Creator and if we deny our God, our Creator, we have no hope of being blessed by Him. We have to believe that He is first and foremost.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

What an AMAZING blessing it is to have this WEEKLY reminder of God's love for us!

We can get caught up in the world, caught up in the cares of this life, but EVERY SABBATH our God wants us to be brought back into remembrance of who is in charge of our lives. God wants us to remember His amazing love fully realized in the sacrifice of His sinless Son, Jesus Christ. EVERY SABBATH is a chance for renewal. Honestly, God put the word REMEMBER on this commandment for a reason. It doesn't take long for the world to get it's evil clutches into our lives, not long at all. But if EVERY SABBATH we are drawn back into a renewed FAITH the world has less and less of a chance to sink it's clutches in so deep we are drawn away from our God, our Savior, and this God intended. We would forever be reminded of our origins, of our dependent status, of our being LOVED so perfectly that Satan could not keep us from HIM.

All in HIS LOVE!

This world will pass away- God's will abides forever

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 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.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

ALL that is in the world-

Lust of the flesh.
Lust of the eyes.
Pride of life.

ALL THAT IS OF THE WORLD!
All that is NOT of the FATHER.

Lust of the flesh- so much is lust of the flesh so much more than just sex.

Sex is a HUGE part of the flesh and lust. A HUGE part. You can't live in our world today and not know how overwhelmingly corrupted the WHOLE world is by sex. All the horrors of sex slavery, of pedophilia, of homosexuality, of fornication, of teen sex, of meaningless sex, of sexual diseases, of adultery, pornography, of well, you know, you have to know that sex is something that CONSUMES our world. There isn't a single society, a single country, a single place that is exempt from the horrors of the lust of the flesh in sex. In every single household- I'M NOT EXAGERATING! As much as people want to scoff and not believe it's true, it is so incredibly sad that there are very, very, very few households that haven't been touched by the horrors of the lust of the flesh.

How often we hear of the extreme horrors of the sexual perversions filling our world- and just recently I read an article where a very old man confessed to a younger man that the horrors of our perverted sexual world have existed for years- only as a former police officer of many years ago- they were NOT allowed to reveal the horrors to the public because the powers that be thought it would do more harm than good.

These perversions aren't new. We can read of ancient perversions and shake our heads but just because our day and age hides their perversions rather than exposes them, doesn't mean they don't exist, they do in numbers beyond imagining.

Sex is a powerful, powerful thing. Sex can be a good thing it really can but the potential for it to get out of control is so great that we were TOLD it is better NOT to marry, NOT to even go down that road if we can help it. But our LORD knew and knows that some wouldn't be able to contain that powerful force.

1Co 7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
1Co 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

The lusts of the flesh the obvious - sex, but there are other fleshy lusts- there is a perverted appetite, a love of filth, a warped desire to adorn the flesh outwardly, etc. there are many, many lusts of the flesh and ALL of them are not of GOD.

People might argue that we need lust- but passion and lust are two different things and we do need passion. Lust is a pervert passion.

The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes- NOT OF GOD!

The pride of life- NOT OF GOD!

We cannot LOVE this WORLD!

WE ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD!

Yet this world will do everything to suck us in and keep us all caught up in its snares, everything!

We have to recognize the FIGHT we are in, the WAR we are ALL IN. We have to believe this is a war, our lives are all caught up in this spiritual battle. Every single person! We have to choose the side we fight on. We have to choose to forsake this WORLD and it's lusts if we desire to be God's.

We choose, and it is a REAL choice we must make.

1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

All the LUSTS will pass away!
But HE that DOETH the WILL OF GOD ABIDES FOREVER!

We choose!

All by HIS GRACE AND LOVE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, OUR GOD, OUR LOVE.

He writes unto us

1Jn 2:12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
1Jn 2:13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
1Jn 2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

Little children.
Fathers.
Young men.

Little children- sins are forgiven for the for the name of Jesus.
Fathers- you have known Him from the beginning.
Young men- have overcome the wicked one.

Little children- you have known the Father.
Fathers- you have known Him from the beginning.
Young men- you are strong and have the word of God in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

The word of our Lord is being given to us all.
None of us is left out.

Those who will listen, those who LOVE GOD will be able to hear, they will be able to comprehend His LOVE.

Those who will NOT be God's, those who do not want to be God's- all the little children, all the fathers, all the young men- will NOT be God's.

We will be forgiven for HIS name's sake.
We will know HIM from the beginning.
We will overcome the wicked one.
We will have the word of God in us.
We will know Him.
We will be strong.
We will overcome.

We will be HIS.

The word of God is written for us to learn from-- we must understand that God WANTS us to read what He writes for us. This isn't a book meant for a select time- it was never intended to be. This is a book that is everlasting in it's knowledge of our God of His LOVE.

So many people want to pick it all apart and not take it as a whole.
So many people want to destroy the word of God, to make His love perverted, something to abhor.

The word of God is filled with LOVE, and a love we can truly see in all that's done.

An exacting REAL love beyond anything we can fully comprehend.

We are given His word, we HAVE to read His word and let the Holy Spirit give us the understanding we need.

All by HIS GRACE.