II John 5-6 “And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk […]

II John 4 “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in truth, just as the Father commanded us.” Have you ever attended a Christian camp or retreat? Those events are often mountain-top experiences, with everyone in attendance determined to live their lives for God. At least, while they are […]

II John 3 “Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.” My daughter loves getting presents that are wrapped in real wrapping paper. Though gift bags are nice, she likes the feel of the paper tearing in her hands. She […]

II John 1-2 “The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth – and not I only, but also all who know the truth – because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever.” Oooh. This introduction brings a bit of a lift to […]

I John 5:21 “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” When I was a teenager, I begged my parents for a Gucci purse. A real one. Some of my friends had them, and I wanted one. I remember shopping with my mom, and spying what looked to me like a wonderful imitation, at a much lower […]

I John 5:20 “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true – even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” One of my favorite movies […]

I John 5:19 “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” My family lives near an army base. I have, on occasion, visited that army base. While there, I’ve seen soldiers salute their ranking officers, and I’ve seen them scamper to do […]

I John 5:18 “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.” Boy. At first glance, this verse could really make me doubt my status as God’s child. I know I mess up. Often. But […]

I John 5:16-17 “If anyone sees a brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. […]

I John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him.” Wow. This sounds like God is issuing a […]