One Final Look at 3 John

“I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to write it with pen and ink. For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face. Peace be with you. Your friends here send you their greetings. Please give my personal greetings to each of our friends there.” - 3 John 13-15 New Living Translation 

            Let’s face it, there are times when it’s easier to tell someone something face to face than write all you want to say in a letter. If it is a delicate topic many prefer to write it so they can think long and hard regarding how the matter should be said. With John, he prefers the face-to-face approach so as to allow his vocal inflection and points of emphasis be known. Writing a letter can seem like a detached, uninvolved way of handling matters. It depends on the individuals and the information being disseminated.

            John wishes that the recipients of his letter be at peace in their hearts. It’s the genuine and lasting peace that only comes from Almighty God. It’s a peace that needs to permeate ones heart, soul and mind. The Holy Spirit administers such peace wherever God wills it to be administered. Peace is a wonderful attribute to exhibit. Peace of mind, peace of heart … we are at peace with ourselves and at peace with others. Just saying we are at peace without experiencing it is just fooling ourselves, because you can’t fake being at peace. It’s when we make our focus the Lord and not that which threatens to knock us off kilter that we begin to feel the peace that passes all earthly understanding.  

            This concludes our look at John’s 3 Epistles or letters to various brethren. If you enjoyed this series of postings please email me at rkeller03211955@gmail.com and let me know. If you have a suggestion for a book of the bible you would like to see covered in my devotionals let me know that as well. I would love to hear from you regarding what, if any, impact these writings are having on your life. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

LOOKING AT 3 JOHN

“Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius, as does the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him, and you know we speak the truth.”-       3 John 1:12 New Living Translation

                  In this verse John speaks of truth. Why is truth so important? Truth is linked to trust. Truth should be spoken at all times. Truth should be the root of our integrity. Without truth there can be no trust, because you will never place your trust in someone who doesn’t speak the truth. This all leads to the moral fact that one’s integrity is severely compromised when they have lost the trust of others. 

            Word of mouth promotion is important, although it ought not be sought. The verse above lifts Demetrius up based on his being a morally and ethically sound Christian man. Those that know him vouch for his integrity. John claims to know this as a fact and backs this up by saying that it is known that John and his group speak the truth. In other words, his reputation should have preceded him. 

            You cannot place a value on your integrity because it is an attribute of God, which makes it priceless in value. Too many people don’t realize the value of their own integrity and end up selling it out like Esau did with his birthright. (Genesis 25:29-34). This is serious business. We are never to disregard or discard any gift from our Lord. The truth comes from God as written in the Holy Scriptures. Embrace the truth of his word, trust it, impart it to others … be like Demetrius and not Diotrephes. Learn to be humble and selfless. That is, in part, what being like Christ is all about. 

            We will conclude our study of John’s Epistles next time as we look the final words of his third correspondence. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!  rlkeller

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

THOUGHTS FROM A RANDOM MIND

"We're just like other people: We love to sing, we love to dance, we admire beautiful women. We are human, and sometimes very human." 

            It was said by the character of Professor Siletsky in the movie "To Be or Not to Be" (1942).  It’s something we as believers in Jesus Christ could readily say on any given day.  It’s funny how we aren’t allowed to be human. Certain members of the nonbelieving world and even some rigid, judgmental brothers and sisters in Christ are the ones who try to box us in.

            As a Christian we aren’t afforded the luxury of having panic attacks or being depressed. We seemingly aren’t allowed to be sad or concerned, angry or ill. To many those are signs of weakness or a lack of faith. God forbid we reveal our tender white underbelly. Frankly, the only difference between Christians and an unbelieving world is that we stand forgiven of all our sins. Period.

            The simple truth of the matter is that in many circles we’re not allowed to be ourselves as God intended. And these are the people we are to love. It ain’t easy, but God will enable us to look past the rigid judgment and love all we encounter as we strive to see them as our Father in heaven sees them.

rlkeller

LOOKING AT 3 JOHN

            “I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.

         Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.”- 3 John 9-11 New Living Translation

            In these verses,John is taking the time to point out someone in their midst who loves to be in charge, but doesn’t wish to follow instructions laid out by someone else. Diotrephes is the example of someone others should NOT follow. He is doing the exact opposite that John had instructed them to do. He made it all about HIM and not all about God and others. 

            The apostle encourages the brethren not to let Diotrephes bad example influence them in any way. We are all called to be humble and selfless and while it isn’t always easy to do so, it should be common sense that we are to strive for it. Following in Diotrephes footsteps will only get you his results … separation from Almighty God. Those that practice evil on a regular basis do not know God. 

            Conversely, children of God are those who practice doing good. We must lead by example, acting out our faith and leaving words as supplemental to our actions. People want to SEE Christ, not just hear about him and we have been commissioned to be his representatives on this earth. 

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

Thoughts From a Random Mind

Latent - Present or potential, but not evident or active.

            I encountered the word “latency” in an email from the IT Dept. on the job a while back. I was curious as to it’s meaning so I looked it up. The root word is “latent” and the definition is listed above. It got me to thinking that some Christians fit the definition in that they have incredible potential based on God’s grace, yet it is not yet active or even evident in their lives. We all must take the time to tap into the spirit within and allow him to direct us in the way we should go. We must also allow him to bring to the forefront the God given gifts and abilities that the Lord has given to us. If fruit is ready for the picking yet is left untouched it will eventually rot on the vine. Ask God to show you your special gift(s) and then use them for the glory of God. rlkeller

LOOKING AT 3 JOHN

 “Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.”- 3 John 5-8 New Living Translation 

            This is a lesson in selfless living. Disregarding the inconvenience or expense incurred by housing an unexpected guest is what our God expects from his children. It is also a test of our faith. Will God provide for us? We budget things so carefully. Now what will we do when our resources have been depleted by a travelling teacher? The fact of the matter is that God has promised to meet your every need. One of his many names is Jehovah Jireh, “the God Who provides”. So if God provides for us that should free us up to provide for others whenever the Lord leads us to. We will never go without.

            It’s almost as if the Lord set up things with the sole purpose of rewarding the traveling teacher’s faith for seeking the hospitality of strangers, as well as the stranger who willingly offered his hospitality. And who’s to say he didn’t. Doesn’t everything happen for a reason? I believe it does. 

            When we offer what we have to another, we are pleasing the Lord. We must learn to dismiss thoughts that we are being taken advantage of. The devil will whisper that in your ear, but don’t listen to it. Brethren in general need are relying on God to meet their need. At times the need may be desperate. God wants to use us to meet our brother or sister’s need. It’s a cycle of faith with both parties getting rewarded. Now another thing we must remind ourselves of is that a reward isn’t always monetary. The reward may simply be a sense of satisfaction for aiding a brother or sister in need. In all of this we must remain humble. This isn’t all about you, it’s all about God.

            Our next writing will touch on Diotrephes and his sin. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing! rlkeller

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.  

WORD FOR THE DAY