Good morning,
One of the most exciting parts of living in our world today is the effect that our environment will have on those of us who are genuine children of God. Those of us who have been living in our world over the last fifty or so years have had the blessing of living in a world that seemed to be moving steadily toward a more balanced approach to living in a world where peace and predictability seemed somewhere just around the corner. It has been during these years that the Lord has been reaching out with the Gospel in ways never before experienced in the history of the world. Even the most remote people groups have been identified and become prayer and ministry outreach destinations that have brought God’s Word to those who have never heard of the love of the God who created us, the Savior of all those who will put their trust in his finished work. Sadly, the stability that has allowed us to reach out so far has also become a serious problem for those who believe this wonderful Good News. Somehow those of us in the western world have overlooked the clear teaching of the Bible, that God insists on training and straining and disciplining those who have come into the family as representatives of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
The Apostle John who was an effective lover of Jesus and the people around him, began his walk with Jesus as one of the “sons of thunder.” John was chosen by the Lord to be the longest living member of those first 12 men who were the core group that would reach their world for Jesus. In his later years, John was known as the Apostle of love, but that was true because he learned what was needed to move from being a hot head to a man who reflected God’s love wherever he went. In John’s day the world was filled with chaos, pain and sacrifice that seemed to threaten the very existence of those who would follow Jesus. Fear was everywhere around this growing band of believers, but John and those around him who knew what it was like to live their lives for God and the people around them. The longer they learned to depend on God’s Holy Spirit for strength, protection and effectiveness, the less they listened to the shouts of fear all around them. They were actually learning to live with God’s inner peace that gave them confidence to face life and death as part of God’s perfect plan for each of their lives. The thought of death lost its power because they were so looking forward to seeing the loving face of their Savior. They were confident in their relationships, their calling and their destination as they faced the daily challenges of life. Dear Lord, will you help us to live that way as well. Even so come, Lord Jesus.
1 John 4:17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. - - -
Roy Wisner
