Author: Ron Moore

The revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave Him to show His slaves what must quickly take place. He sent it and signified it through His angel to His slave John, who testified to God’s word and to the testimony about Jesus Christ, in all he saw. Revelation 1:1-2 HCSB

I was fortunate that I did not have to wear glasses until I was about 40 years old. I went from wearing no glasses to wearing bifocals. Even now I can still see fairly well without my glasses, but my glasses help clear everything up. I especially need them when I am reading small print.

The word for “revelation” is the Greek word “apokalypsis,” the derivative of our English word “apocalypse” which means to reveal, to make known, or to unveil something that was formerly hidden. Just as my glasses help me see more clearly, the book of Revelation was given to unveil and reveal Jesus Christ’s full identity, God’s plan for His return, and His victory over evil so the Christians in the early church could be encouraged. The Christians at the time of the apostle John’s writing would have been under extreme persecution from Emperor Domitian. The early church needed to clearly see for whom they were suffering and understand there was hope for the future.

Challenge: If you live your life for Jesus you may face persecution just as those in the early church. A clear vision of Jesus and His will for your life will help you face difficult times. John’s message can be an encouragement to you as you deal with persecution and trials.

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:11-12 HCSB

There have been times when I was driving and using a GPS system to guide me with instructions. I followed each direction and turn but when the GPS said, “You have arrived,” I was not close to my destination. The GPS had led me down the wrong path. I thought I was going the right way, but in the end I was in the wrong location.

There are people in our world who believe if they are good enough they will make it to heaven and enjoy eternal life. The Bible is clear that there will be “good” people who will face the final judgment before Christ and will not be given eternal life because they never trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

The Bible gives us clear directions on how we can know we have eternal life. This verse in 1 John is often memorized and used to assure people that they have eternal life. It does not say that the one who has perfect attendance at church or gives a tithe or lives a good life will have life everlasting. It is only through Jesus Christ the Son of God that we can experience eternal life. Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6). Jesus is on the one and only way to have the assurance of eternal life.

Challenge: Do you have the Son? Do you want eternal life? It is as simple as A-B-C. Admit you are a sinner. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins, rose from the dead and lives today. Confess Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.

If we accept the testimony of men, God’s testimony is greater, because it is God’s testimony that He has given about His Son. 1 John 5:9 HCSB

God has blessed me with four children. I have two sons and two daughters. God is using each of them to accomplish His will in their lives. I proudly call them my sons and daughters and would gladly testify that they are my children. Others who know me could testify that they are my children, but my own personal testimony would have more influence.

My daughter was a counselor at a high school in which some of her students were told they were on their own because their parents did not want to deal with them any longer. It is hard for me to imagine that any parent would want nothing to do with his or her own child.

God has proclaimed that Jesus is His Son on two occasions in the Bible. The first was when Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:16-17) and the second was at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:5). Some of the false teachers were actually disputing that Jesus was the Son of God. John states in this verse that not only have men testified that Jesus is the Son of God but God Himself has testified that Jesus is His Son.

Challenge: Believe the testimony of God and believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. Love and forgive your children regardless of what they do. They are a gift from God. Thank God that He loves you unconditionally and forgives you regardless of what you do.

Jesus Christ – He is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood – and these three are in agreement. 1 John 5:6-8 HCSB

In college I wrote a paper for one of my classes that was titled: “Jesus as God and Man”. My paper pointed to the fact that Jesus was both God and Man. He was God’s Son and was divine in every aspect, but He was also fully human and experienced human feelings and emotions. He was tempted just as we are, yet He did not sin. Jesus had to be human to be able to pay the penalty for our sins. He was the perfect sacrifice for man’s sins. Jesus was also fully God and was able to heal people, bring people back to life, and even calm the winds and sea.

In John’s day there were false teachers who taught that Jesus became divine at His baptism when the Holy Spirit came upon Him and that the Holy Spirit left Him just before His death. The “Water” in these verses refers to Jesus’ baptism and the “Blood” refers to His death. John’s point is that Jesus is God’s Son, has always been God’s Son, and did not become God’s Son at some point in history. The Holy Spirit was with Jesus and dwells within every believer testifying to the truth about Jesus Christ; that He is the Son of God, came and lived a perfect life, and died on the cross so our sins can be forgiven and we can have a restored relationship with the living God of the universe.

Challenge: Thank God that Jesus was fully human and that He paid the penalty for your sins when He died on the cross. As a believer, the Holy Spirit lives within you to testify to the truth about Jesus and to help you know what you should and should not do.

For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden, because whatever has been born of God conquers the world. This is victory that has conquered the world: our faith. 1 John 5:1-2 HCSB

When I was in college I played on the college golf team and played a fairly good game. Now I am much older and even though I have the head knowledge of how to play golf, it is hard to make my body move and do what it did when I was younger. I occasionally hit some good shots but also hit some bad shots which result in very inconsistent scores.

Knowing and doing what we know to be right is not always easy. As believers we all know what we should do and how we should act, but we often find ourselves doing exactly the opposite. Following God and keeping His commands can be difficult at times. Because of our love for Christ, we seek to serve Him and do what would be pleasing to Him. Even though it is not easy, it is not a burden. We should find pleasure in doing what will bring honor and glory to God.

Challenge: When the load seems to be more than you can bear, have faith in Jesus to give you strength and guidance. He has promised to help you bear it and to conquer the world. Read Matthew 11:28-30 and 1 Corinthians 10:13.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. This is how we know that we love God’s children when we love God and obey His commands. 1 John 5:1-2 HCSB

I have been fortunate to welcome three new grandchildren into my family this year. In January my daughter-in-law gave birth to a beautiful girl, Evangeline. In February my youngest daughter gave birth to a little girl with strawberry blond hair, Avery. In June my oldest daughter gave birth to a big boy, Luke, who was over 9 pounds and almost 22 inches long. Each of these children are naturally a part of the Moore family line. They are part of our family and we naturally love them and would do anything for them.

In these verses John reminds us that when we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God that we become children of God and all who claim Jesus is the Messiah are also part of God’s family. We show our love for God by loving His children and obeying His commands. It is hard to imagine that God loves us more than we love our own children and grandchildren.

Challenge: Thank God that you are one of His children and that He loves you with a love that will never end or change. Ask God to help you to love your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray that He will guide you in all that you do and that you will obey His commands.

If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen. And we have this command from Him: The one who loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:20-21 HCSB

One of the songs I remember as a teenager is the song “Get Together” by the music group Youngbloods. Wikipedia reports, “The song was written in the early 1960’s by American singer-songwriter Chet Powers. The song is an appeal for peace and brotherhood, presenting the polarity of love versus fear, and the choice to be made between them. The song was originally recorded as ‘Let’s Get Together’ by The Kingston Trio in 1964 but was made popular by the Youngbloods when they released their version in 1967. A renewed interest in the Youngbloods’ version surfaced when it was used in a radio public service announcement in 1969 and peaked to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.”

John could have used a song like “Get Together” as a theme song for his messages we find in 1 John. These two verses call all believers to love those around them. It is easy to say that one loves God, but the evidence of that love is how we treat those around us, our family, friends, and work associates.

Challenge: How are you treating those who are closest to you? You cannot truly love God and neglect to love others who God created and loves as much as He loves you. Listen to the song, “Get Together” by the Youngbloods on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRAhTY3Dwl0

In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, for we are as He is in the world. There is no fear in love, instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love. 1 John 4:17-18 HCSB

One of my fears is snakes. I know that most snakes are harmless, but I never want to encounter a snake. Once I was playing golf and hit my ball into the woods. I found my ball and decided to hit it out. Just as I swung to hit the ball, a snake slithered past my right foot. It scared me and I jumped back. Fortunately, the snake seemed to be just as afraid of me and headed off into the woods as quickly as he could.

These two verses tell us that judgment day is coming when everyone will appear before Christ to give an account for his or her actions. If one has accepted Jesus as Lord, he has no reason to fear judgment day. Believers can look forward to judgment day because it will be the end of sin and the beginning of eternal life with God in heaven.

Challenge: As a believer, you can face the future with confidence. Never fear God’s judgment or eternity. Focus on God’s never-ending love and forgiveness. His love is perfect. Allow Him to use you to love others.

No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12 HCSB

There have been times in my life when I have have been deeply hurt by what someone has done or said to me. At other times there have been people who have taken advantage of me or others. I have been able to forgive these people in my heart, but I have found it hard to actually love them the way God loves them. I still struggle with bitterness and hard feelings toward some.

This is totally different from the way that God loves and forgives. He loves people with a never-ending love and He casts their sins as far away as the East is from the West and remembers them against them no more. God’s love is perfect.

This verse calls for us to love others as God loves them. The only way that I can love those who have hurt me in some way is through the power of God. It is hard to forget when we have been hurt deeply and treated unfairly. When we love and forgive those who do not deserve our love, His love is perfected in us.

Challenge: Love others as God loves them. Forgive those who have hurt you and love them as God loves them with an Agape type of love. Pray that God will use you to express His love to others. May others see and experience the love of God through you. Who do you need to forgive and love today?

God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:7-8 HCSB

One of the favorite Bible songs for children is “Jesus Loves Me”. It is a simple song that children can easily learn, but it also teaches the simple message that God loves us so much that He sent His One and Only Son into the world so our sins might be forgiven and that we might live through Him.

These verses remind us that God is love. Because of His love He cares about what happens to us. God sent His Son into the world so we might be able to have eternal life and have a relationship with Him. Because God is completely holy, nothing evil can exist in His presence. Our sinful nature prevents us from being in God’s presence. But God provided a solution to our sin problem through His Son Jesus who died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins.

Challenge: If you will trust in Christ, you will not have to bear the penalty for your sins (1 Peter 2:24). Put your trust in Christ and the love of God. You will receive eternal life because of God’s never-ending love for you.