Day 344: Revelation 2:1-17

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” - Revelation 2:4

First loves tend to fade with time. Do you remember the first time you held hands with your first love? The nerves, the sweaty palms, the excitement. Yet, what do we do after it's been 45 years? The same is true when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. If we don't intentionally remind ourselves why we fell in love initially, we are certain to forget what it was like.

I am reminded of a verse we read not too long ago in our reading plan: "But grow in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." - 2 Peter 3:18

We are not saved to settle. We are saved to seek.

You may be asking how it turned out for this church in Ephesus that was in danger of losing its lampstand. How did they respond to Jesus' challenge? Unfortunately, the word of warning has come to fruition, as there is no church in Ephesus today. It is predominately Muslim.

Yet, they weren't always that way, losing focus on their first love. Their elders were the ones who Paul requested to come and pray with him, and he gave them a personal message of encouragement (see Acts 20:17-38).

Don't let your love for Jesus fade. Consistently seek His face today and every day. Surround yourself with like-minded Christians who will help protect that same love.

“Forsaken (aphēkes) is a strong term; they had completely abandoned their first fine flush of enthusiastic love. They had yielded to the temptation, ever present to Christians, to put all their emphasis on sound teaching. In the process they lost love, without which all else is nothing.”
- Morris, L. (1987). Revelation: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 20, p. 65)

Day 343: Revelation 1:1-20

“and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.” - Revelation 1:5 ESV

This opening chapter of the Revelation to John, for the seven churches in Asia Minor, seems to be attempting to give us a better view of Jesus from every possible vantage point. When you first take a look at Jesus, you may see a first-century Jewish man from northern Israel. Yet as we see how he lived, died, rose, and ascended, we start to see so much more.

We don't have time here to run through all of the descriptions of our Savior given in this chapter, but here are a 13 that John records:

Faithful witness >> shows us what God is like

Firstborn of the dead >> first to defeat death

Ruler of kings >> all authority is on loan (see Daniel 2:21)

One who loves us and frees us by his blood >> this is our redemption by His atonement

Long robe >> longer the garment, the more honored

Gold sash wearer >> frees His arms for serving

White head/hair >> pure, glorious, beautiful

Fire-eyes >> He sees to the depths of who we are

Bright feet >> victorious over enemies

Thundering voice >> His voice rises above all others if we'll just listen

Commander of angels >> one angel for each church here

Sword-mouth >> this was a short, deadly Roman sword; shows divine judgment/justice

Sun-face >> those with unredeemed sin cannot see it

This is just a glimpse of the tapestry found in Revelation, showing us just how incredible our Lord Jesus Christ really is. Doesn’t it make you excited to read on tomorrow?

”There is a sense in which Jesus may be observed here in his three ministries as prophet (faithful witness), priest (conquering for man the wage of sin exacted against man through his victory over death), and king (ruling all other kings).” - Paige Patterson

Day 342: Jude 1:1-25

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.” - Jude 1:20-23 ESV

Have you ever looked at someone who has followed Jesus for 60 or 70 years and wonder, "How am I going to be able to stay that faithful to Jesus for that long?" I mean, temptation seems to grow stronger every day. The greatest temptation seems to be for us to go our "own way," and if we really want it, God will "hand us over" to that kind of life.

Jude is not what I would call a "soft preacher." The man (who was probably another one of Jesus' brothers) got right to the heart of the matter. He didn't need multiple chapters and verses to bring his point across. His advice to us:

1. Keep yourself in the love of God >> If not, we will lose ourselves in sin and shame.

2. Be patient for Jesus' return >> This is what we long for.

3. Show mercy to the doubters >> Thomas wasn't the only one to struggle with doubt. All of us have.

4. Fire-snatch >> We are helping people avoid an eternal hell, bottom line.

5. Don't dismiss the seriousness of sin >> We are compassionate to the people, but not to the sin.

Walking in this counsel will keep us focused on what matters most in this life, giving us the best perspective possible.

"One cannot fight for the faith without having the attitude of the one in whom our faith rests, the one who came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). The faithful are to do all they can in a spirit of gentleness and mercy to restore others to faith, and yet they must be cautious or they too will fall prey to temptation (Galatians 6:1–2)."
- Holloway, G. (1996). James & Jude (Jud 23)

Day 341: 3 John 1:1-15

“Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.” - ‭‭3 John‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

This letter from John is a tale of two Ds. We would do well to lean into the differences between Diotrephes and Demetrius.

Diotrephes is your typical control freak. If we’re honest, we’ve all fallen into this trap. This small way of living (and thinking) is when we refuse to listen to anyone else as an authority. We sincerely believe that we don’t need help, and we refuse to grow.

Then there is Demetrius. No matter what angle you choose to look at his life, he is approved. He has a reputation as someone who follows what is right. The church was testifying, John was giving witness, and the truth itself was also confirming. He wasn’t scheming for control; he was placing his faith in the bedrock of truth found in Jesus. Others were noticing.

So, who do you want to be? Someone who is the resident expert, without the need for help? Or a teachable person, always looking for new ways to do good. If we remain teachable, we are in reality removing the limits to our potential for growth. There is no church, business, school, or government that isn’t clamoring for someone like Demetrius.

“You can plan for control, and you can plan for growth, but you can’t plan for both.” - Rick Warren

Day 340: 2 John 1:1-13

“Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made complete.” - ‭‭2 John‬ ‭1:12‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Have you felt this same desire as history pushes forward digitally? Technology has made it harder for some to communicate when they see others in person. We send text messages, are on video calls, and use social media, but it is a far cry from face to face. In this way, our hearts are connecting with Elder John.

He writes that if and when he can see them in person, hopefully before his exile in Patmos, their joy would be complete.

John's Greek word for joy is chara, which is similar to the term used in the New Testament for grace (charis). It can also translate as delight or gladness. The same word is used of the Magi when they saw the star that would lead them to toddler Jesus (Matthew 2:10). They “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy!”

John also writes that their joy would be complete when they finally saw each other face to face. This is the word pleroo, and it also means to make full. This means that there is something that falls short until we rejoice together, face to face.

I pray that in an increasingly technological world that we will always value personal connection. It will never go out of style or lose its value.

Day 339: 1 John 5:1-21

“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life... And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.” - 1 John 5:13,20 NLT

The Apostle John didn't write in code when it came to his intentions of this 5-chapter letter. He, over and over, wrote to assure his audience of two main truths:

1) We can know for certain that we are saved. When I say "saved," I mean that we can be assured that we are among those whom God calls His children, both right now and when we step into eternity. Heaven awaits those who "have the Son." (see verse 12) This is manifested by our obedience to God and our love for those around us.

2) Jesus is, in fact, God. Our Savior proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that He was who He said he was. In verse 8, John points to three that testified of this:

The Spirit >> Jesus' birth and life (see Luke 1:35, 2:52)

The Water >> Jesus' baptism (see Matthew 3:13-16)

The Blood >> Jesus' death on the cross (see Matthew 26:28, Ephesians 1:7)

The amazing thing? Our original testifiers aren't here anymore. They've received their reward in heaven. Yet these three continue to testify, to this day, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

”The Gospel was written for unbelievers, that they might read the testimony of God to his Son, believe in him to whom the testimony pointed, and thus receive life through faith.” - John Stott

Day 338: 1 John 4:1-21

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” - 1 John 4:18 ESV

The most often quoted command in the Bible is, "Do not be afraid." Yet, we see time and time again that we are to fear the Lord. Both the Old Testament and New Testament writers are clear that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (see Proverbs 1:7, Colossians 3:22).

So, is John stepping into a contradiction on the rest of Scripture? I believe he's not.

The context of 1 John 4 is that because of God's great love for us, mainly Jesus' sacrifice, we longer have to fear punishment from God. The proof of us understanding this, of course, is reflected in how we love those around us. We are not anticipating divine wrath from God because we are trusting in Jesus.

David L. Aiken says it so well as he writes, "This deficiency of love causes one to dread the day of judgment for fear of permanent departure from the presence of God. Therefore if one fears this day, he is not being perfected in love."

At the same time, we do fear the Lord. Fear, in this sense, has to do with recognition and worship. We bow down. We lift our hands. We tremble at the magnitude of His word, it being the authority over us. We know what He is capable of, and we are thankful for His mercy.

Commit yourself to fear as as a way to worship God. Fear not His punishment because of Jesus' blood, spilled for you.

Day 337: 1 John 3:7-24

“Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” - 1 John 3:7-8 ESV

Habits have a good way of haunting us. The roots of the habitual run deep. They entangle our hearts, forcing us to focus on the things that we hate.

We will all make isolated mistakes. How we react after those missteps reflects for whom we are actually living. One act of sin doesn't define us, but it becomes dangerous when we let it bloom into a lifestyle. This is when the devil has his way with us.

How do we protect ourselves from these destructive lifestyles?  We refuse to stay down when we slip. We get up. We shake it off. We re-fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). We hit our knees in prayer, confessing our ignorance, defiance, and pride. We soak ourselves in God's word, letting Him re-remind us of who we are in Christ. We serve the poor and the forgotten. We stubbornly love our family, no matter how they act toward us.

“John is emphasizing this great truth because some were in danger of being led astray by the gnostic teachings that sin was not a reality. They needed to be told that forgiveness and cleansing from sin are vitally important to all of them. Paul faced this same problem, and he deals with it in Romans 6:1ff. He asked them “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” to which he answered, “By no means!””
- Marcus M. Womack

Wherever you are, stop and read the following verses from Micah 7:7-9, 18-19  (NLT):

As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
I wait confidently for God to save me,
and my God will certainly hear me.
Do not gloat over me, my enemies!
For though I fall, I will rise again.
Though I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be my light.
I will be patient as the Lord punishes me,
for I have sinned against him.
But after that, he will take up my case
and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies.
The Lord will bring me into the light,
and I will see his righteousness.

Where is another God like you,
who pardons the guilt of the remnant,
overlooking the sins of his special people?
You will not stay angry with your people forever,
because you delight in showing unfailing love.
Once again you will have compassion on us.
You will trample our sins under your feet
and throw them into the depths of the ocean!

Day 336: 1 John 2:18-29, 3:1-6

“These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.” - 1 John 2:19 NLT

If we could sum up both of our readings in 1 John today in two words, it would be: Family stays.

John uses a word here that seems to be one of His favorites. It is meno, which is translated as remain, stay, or abide. Jesus clearly loved using the word to describe what His family was to be like.

For example: Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains (meno) forever." - John 8:34-35

The Gospel (good news) of Jesus didn't need to be improved upon in the first century, and the same goes for the twenty-first century. The Apostle Paul spoke volumes when he wrote, "the summing up of all things in Christ." (Ephesians 1:10, NASB)

Our problems will not be resolved by us suddenly becoming clever or inventive when it comes to faith. We will only find what we are looking for when we stop and decide to remain in the loving care of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"The renegade and apostate was all along only nominally a Christian. Of the true Christian the declaration remains true, 'No one snatcheth them out of his hand.'” (see John 10:28)
- Spence-Jones, H. D. M., ed. (1909). 1 John (p. 27)

Day 335: 1 John 2:1-17

“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 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.” - 1 John 2:16-17 ESV

We all are so easily enamored with what we see. Whether it is 1 million followers on Instagram or 1 million dollars in our bank account, we are suckers for what the world has to offer. Why? Because it is "available" now, and it is "quick," and we can "control" it, and it is just so stinking "attractive."

Why wouldn't God want me to have all of these good things? Doesn't He love me? Doesn't He want me to be happy?

God doesn't exist in all of His power and glory to give us all that we want. He actually is more in favor of not giving us most of what we want. Though we think we are experts in knowing what will truly make us happy, we are, in reality, novices.

God, on the other hand? He knows exactly what we need to be joyful, not only now, but for all of eternity. The answer isn't found rummaging through the things of this world. It is found in willful submission to His way, the way of following His Son, Jesus Christ.

It isn't easy. It doesn't always feel good. People don't always reciprocate our love and forgiveness. Yet it is the best way to live, both now and forever, Amen.

"For that day, as well as for our own day, humanity must obey the commands of God’s choice, not its own. In our age of wanting to make our own decisions, we must carefully follow what God wants rather than what we want."
- Womack, M. M. (1998). 1, 2 & 3 John (1 Jn 2:17)