God Brings Wonderful Things - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 3 John 11b-12a,

“Anyone who does what is good is from God… Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.”
 
I don’t know who Demetrius was, but I know a few things about him. Just as we all come into this world, he started life as someone who had a sinful nature and indulged that sinful nature, as we all do - as slaves to it, Romans 6:17-23. He was a condemned man, subject to the judgment of God as a member of the human race, and unable to live life in any manner pleasing to God.
 
At some point in his life, some faithful brother or sister in the Lord shared with him the gospel message: as a sinner and enemy of God he could embrace Jesus Christ in faith, have his sins washed away, be forgiven of any wrong-doing and become a child of God. As a child of God he would receive eternal life, inherit all that heaven will bring us as a co-heirs of Jesus Christ, be indwelt with the Holy Spirit, be freed from slavery to his sin nature and have freedom to live a life both worthy of and pleasing to God (and did!).
 
How wonderful that faithful brother or sister was that shared the gospel with Demetrius. But how much more wonderful our loving and merciful God is that brought these things into Demetrius’ life! So much so that Demetrius will be eternally remembered, being captured in God’s word, as “one who is well spoken of”!
 
My point isn’t that Demetrius was a wonderful person, though he certainly was. He received John’s endorsement as one who was “from God”, one who did “what is good”. My point is that God is wonderful and has touched the lives of many like Demetrius over the ages, including you and me!

That we should be called someone who is “from God” and someone who does “what is good” is just astonishing and only possible by the wonderful things God has brought to our lives!
 
What a wonderful God who brings these wonderful things to us!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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"The Truth" - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 John 1,

"The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth."

In John's salutation to Gaius in this letter, he identified this man as someone he loved "in the truth."

Truth was important to the apostle John. He commended Gaius as one whom he had heard was faithful to the truth, verse 3, and that it brought him great joy that his "children" walked in truth. Possibly Gaius was one that John had led to the Lord himself.

John goes on to say that believers should work together "for the truth", verse 8, that believers ought to work in concert to that end.

There are two contrasting individuals John highlights to Gaius in this letter, Diotrephes and Demetrius. Diotrephes was apparently someone who had seized control of the fellowship John was concerned about. He had spread malicious rumors about John and his team, and refused to welcome them, considering himself the most important of all, even above apostolic authority, "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us." Verse 9. He also excommunicated members of that fellowship that wanted to welcome other believers.

In contrast, John points to a man named Demetrius. Demetrius had a good name with John and his team (and everyone), and consistent with John's focus on truth, personified truth as commending him as well. John referred to his comments about Demetrius as truthful, something Gaius would know.

In John 14:6, John quotes Jesus as saying, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." We see in Acts 9:2, 19:9, 19:23, 24:14, 24:22, that the church, the gospel enterprise, God's plan of redemption, taking the name "the Way". Here in 2 John I get the feeling that the apostle John is using "the truth" synonymously with "the Way", in a manner of, "the Truth."

How does it sound to you?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Joy Of Fellowship - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 John 12,

"I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete."

John anticipates a fullness of joy, as "the elder", in seeing "the lady chosen by God and her children", verse 1, face to face. Fellowship is like that. In God's wonderful way, he has provided us one another in this life for fellowship that we might be encouraged, strengthened and energized. Joy is to be found here.

Paul speaks to this as well, when he wrote to the believers in Rome. He says, "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith." Romans 1:11-12. Paul perceived the encouragement that comes from the fellowship of believers coming together a "spiritual gift".

The Lord has provided us so much while we are here, awaiting his return. Among these he has provided us plenty in the Scriptures, he has sent the Holy Spirit who has come to dwell within our hearts and produce wonderful spiritual fruit in our lives. The Lord has provided us an exciting hope, a future filled with all he has promised us. And, he has provided us brothers and sisters in our lives that are gifted specially by him to minister his grace in our lives. Here is where both John and Paul found joy and encouragement in their fellowship  with other believers.

How wonderful our God is, who has provided us so much!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

The Truth - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 2 John 1-2,

"The elder,
To the lady chosen by God and to 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..."

Here in John's salutation, truth is on his mind. He says he loves his readers in "the truth" along with all who know the truth. He explains that truth lives in him and his readers and that it will be that way forever.

He also says that the Father and Jesus Christ will be with them "in truth and love." He notes  that some of his readers walk in "the truth" as God commands.

In verse 7 he expresses his concern about deceivers that had gone out into the world. He warns his readers not to lose what they had worked for, presumably by abandoning the truth to follow these deceivers. He explains that those not continuing in "the teaching of Christ" do not have the Father - are not saved and are not going to receive any reward from God.

Merriam-Webster defines truth as the "body of real things, events, and facts: actuality." It goes on to explain, "the property of being in accord with fact or reality."

The fight against truth has been the essence of the devil's work, his trade, from the dawn of mankind. We see it in his effort to get Adam and Eve to question what God had told them in the garden.

Paul talks about the "lawless one" that will come before Jesus Christ's return. Notice how truth and the opposite of truth play out in this future setting: "The coming of the lawless one will be in
accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.

It certainly feels like there is a whole lot of the opposite of truth that surrounds us today. John's admonition in this short letter could not be more appropriate for our day!

The answer to the question Pilate asked of Jesus, "What is truth?" is very simple. He answered that question in his prayer to the Father, "Sanctify them [his disciples] by the truth; your word is truth." John 17:17.

The word of God: Learn it, know it, live it, love it, be loyal, strong and courageous in it!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.