Revelation 1

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Devotional

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,”says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

– Revelation 1:8

From time to time we are engaged (often at our doorstep) by well meaning members of the Watchtower Society (the Jehovah’s Witnesses Church). One of their major issues (as with many of the cults) is their denial of the deity of Jesus. Here in Revelation 1 we see Jesus presented as the “Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” When speaking with Watchtower members, this is a good place to begin. And from here move over to Isaiah 41:4, or Isaiah 43:10, or Isaiah 44:6. In each of those cases God declares Himself to be the first and the last.

There can only be one first and one last. God and Jesus cannot occupy this place, unless Jesus is God!

Helpful Resources

Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik

Read the Scriptures at Bible.com

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Additional Daily Devotionals

My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers

Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon

Jude 1

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Devotional

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

– Jude 1:20-21

Our focus and goal is clear. As Christians we are to continue to strengthen our faith, pray always and maintain our place and position in the love of God. All the while we are expectantly looking for and to the mercy of our Lord.

Eternal life is our future. It’s set and secure. Now, keep yourself in the Love of God!

Helpful Resources

Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik

Read the Scriptures at Bible.com

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Additional Daily Devotionals

My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers

Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon

3 John 1

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Devotional

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

– 3 John 1:11

Paul exhorted that we be imitators of God as dear children. In like manner John here exhorts that we be imitators of what is good. For in so doing we prove that we are “of God.”

Helpful Resources

Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik

Read the Scriptures at Bible.com

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Additional Daily Devotionals

My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers

Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon

2 John 1

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Devotional

And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

– 1 John 1:5-6

Most commentators and Bible teachers agree, the “elect lady” of 1 John is likely the church. Here John reminds the church again of Christ’s all important commandment to “love one another.” And in this commandment we love God by walking according to His commandments.

So, the logic is simple … do you want to fulfill the commandment to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, mind and strength? Then fulfill the commandment to love one another, and you’ll be well on your way.

The logic is simple … the practice takes some effort.

Helpful Resources

Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik

Read the Scriptures at Bible.com

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Additional Daily Devotionals

My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers

Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon

1 John 5

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Devotional

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

– 1 John 5:12

Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Therefore, if you have trusted in Christ, you have the life that He came to give. But if you have not, you do not have life.

Helpful Resources

Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik

Read the Scriptures at Bible.com

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Additional Daily Devotionals

My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers

Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon

1 John 4

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Devotional

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

– 1 John 4:8

What a heavy notion! If you do not love God and others, then you do not know God. God is love, and the chief evidence of knowing God is the fruit of the Spirit, which is love.

Helpful Resources

Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik

Read the Scriptures at Bible.com

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Additional Daily Devotionals

My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers

Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon

1 John 3

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Devotional

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

– 1 John 3:9

This is a verse that is challenging for some. It has caused some within more charismatic expressions of the faith to say that truly born-again Christians never sin, after conversion. Such would be a wonderful reality, if it were true. But it certainly does not fit with my experience, and that of (really) every Christian.

So what does it mean “Whoever has been born of God does not sin?” It’s certainly not always the case, but here is one of those places where knowing even a little bit of the original language (Greek), or at least knowing how to use the freely available word study tools, is helpful. Helpful because the words “does not sin” in the original language (specifically the verb “to do”) is in the present, active, indicative in the Greek. This is important because that form of the verb would rightly be interpreted as indicating a person who is presently, actively and habitually continuing in sin. If you’re born-again, you won’t do that.

Helpful Resources

Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik

Read the Scriptures at Bible.com

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Additional Daily Devotionals

My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers

Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon

1 John 2

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Devotional

I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.

– 1 John 2:12

Do you have guilt for your past sins committed? Many people do. But if you are a child of God by the gracious adoption of our Lord, then your sins are forgiven and completely pardoned.

Praise God for His great and rich grace.

Helpful Resources

Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik

Read the Scriptures at Bible.com

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Additional Daily Devotionals

My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers

Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon

1 John 1

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Devotional

that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

– 1 John 1:3

We can never forget that the Scriptures we hold are not mere stories, but eyewitness accounts of glory. John heard Jesus speak and teach; he saw Jesus perform miracles, walk on water, and raise the dead. He beheld the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and his message is the account of what he saw.

Helpful Resources

Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik

Read the Scriptures at Bible.com

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Additional Daily Devotionals

My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers

Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon

2 Peter 3

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Devotional

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

– 2 Peter 3:10

“The day of the Lord will come.” We mustn’t fall into the trap of apathetic indifference saying, “Where is the sign of His coming.” He will come. We can be sure of that.

Helpful Resources

Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik

Read the Scriptures at Bible.com

Download the YouVersion Bible App

Additional Daily Devotionals

My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers

Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon