I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Today’s passage continues the vision/prophecy that was in yesterday’s passage. Many people have attempted to take the times from this passage and tie them to specific events in order to calculate when Christ will return. However, I do not believe that the purpose of this passage is to tell us when some particular event is going to take place. Rather this passage is to remind us that a day of great anguish is coming and that those whose names are written in the book of life will be rescued when that day arrives. In that day, the wise will stand out and those who lead others to righteousness will be beacons.

     John reminds us not to believe everyone who claims to speak with the Spirit of God. The first and most important test is whether or not they acknowledge that Jesus was a real, historical person. Anyone who claims to be a prophet but does not acknowledge to truth about Christ is not from God. John then returns to his main theme of this letter, that we are to love one another. He gives us God’s example of love for us to follow. God did not love us because we loved Him. God loved us and sent His Son to die for us when we were in open rebellion against Him. Let us follow His example and love those around us, even when they hate us and treat us badly. If God could love us when we were in our sin, how can we claim that we cannot love someone because of what they have done to us? God is love and if we allow His Spirit to live in us, He will show us how to love even those who seem the most unlovable.
     If we are afraid the answer is to come to God and ask Him to fill us with love. Perhaps the reason we are afraid is because we have failed to love someone in our life in the way which God calls us to. We experience fear because we have not fully experienced God’s love for us. We cannot fully experience God’s love for us until we fully love God. We do not fully love God if we have negative feelings toward any of our fellow believers. My motivation to love is that God loved me. If God loved me, as unlovable as I can be, how can I find others unlovable? As we are filled with God’s love for one another and for God we will find that God’s love drives fear out of us.

     The proud may ridicule me and the arrogant may hold me in contempt, but I will trust in God and rely on His mercy. O Lord, let me keep my eyes focused on You, so that I may react to the smallest sign that You give me as to Your will. When You show me Your will, motivate me to eagerly do it.

     The people of a nation will prosper and thrive when its rulers are godly and just. When the rulers are wicked and corrupt the people and the nation will suffer and fall. There is a direct correlation between government policies which encourage just and moral behavior and the economic health of a country.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     In studying the writings of Jeremiah Daniel discovered that Jeremiah had prophesied that Jerusalem would remain abandoned for 70 years, at which time God would restore the people of Israel. Upon learning this, Daniel turned to God in prayer and fasting. Notice that Daniel does not turn to God and “claim” His promise to restore the people of Israel. Rather Daniel turns to God with remorse and confesses his sins and the sins of his people. He begs God to restore His people, not because they deserve it but because God is merciful. At the end of his prayer Daniel lays out the order in which God does things. God forgives, listens, and acts, in that order. A bit of thought on that tells us something about how we should approach God. Let us therefore confess our sins, repent of(turn from) our sins, and pray.

     John reminds us that we have heard that “the Antichrist” will appear sometime in the future. He tells us that the antichrist is not a singular being, rather there are many antichrists. Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ is the antichrist. It is not possible to be in communion with God if we deny His Son. On the other hand if we are in communion with the Son we are also in communion with God. John tells us that we must watch out for those who are trying to lead us astray. The Holy Spirit lives within us and will teach us the truth. We do not need anyone to teach us the truth.
     As I read this I think of those around us who argue that we should not and cannot impose our morals on others. By this they mean that we should not ask others to live according to our moral code. However, they then turn around and demand that we live by their moral code. This happens in many ways. One of the more recent examples is related to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Supporters of the Act argue that the owners of Hobby Lobby should not be allowed to force their moral opposition to abortion and contraceptives in their employees by refusing to pay for those as part of the health care coverage they provide their employees. Yet on the other hand, they claim that it is a moral duty of the owners of Hobby Lobby (and every other business) to pay for health care coverage for their employees. They are incapable of seeing the contradiction between these two positions. I hate to use such a politically charged example, but it is important to recognize that the secular world constantly attempts to impose its morals upon us while telling us that we must not even ask others to except our morals. They deny that Christ is the Son of God, then attempt to claim the moral authority of God.

     I look at the mountains in their majesty and the forests in their glory, but that is not where my help comes from. When I am in need, my help comes from God. God watches over me and will not let me stumble. What a wonderful thing to know that He is watching over me and He never sleeps, not even a short nap. This is as true for you as it is for me.

     If we give to the poor, God will provide us with all that we need. However, if we ignore the needs of the poor and turn a blind eye to their existence, curses and trouble will fall upon us. When the government is run by the wicked, everyone attempts to stay out of sight. When the wicked fall from power, those who do not attempt to exploit others will flourish.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Today’s passage clearly applies to the rise of Alexander the Great and the division of his empire into four kingdoms. It tells of the rise of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his fall. He gave himself the name Epiphanes, which means “God manifest”. Despite his successes in battle, he died of disease and with his death the Seleucid Empire entered into decline. This passage reminds us that no matter how powerful a human ruler may appear, God is in control of history and has determined the time of their power, from beginning to end.

     John wrote in order that we might not sin, but he told us that if we do sin, we have one who will intercede on our behalf with God. Those who truly know God will obey His commandments. We can show our love for God by obeying His word and living as Jesus did. The message of Christ is not exactly a new one, yet it is new. We cannot live in the light (see yesterday’s blog for the importance of living in the light) if we hate any of our fellow believers. If we are truly living in the light we will love all of our fellow believers and not do anything that will cause them to stumble.
     Just as important as loving our fellow believers is having God’s love within us. We cannot love this world and have God’s love within us. This world offers only physical pleasure and pride in our accomplishments. The things of this world will fade away and are fading away. Instead of loving this world let us love God and do what is pleasing to Him.

     I will take my troubles to the Lord. He alone will answer my prayers. I will not rely on liars and deceitful people in order to find peace. I know that only God can be trusted, only those who rely fully on God truly desire peace. I will spend my time with those who love God because that is the path to knowing and following His will for me.

     Ultimately the cause of all fighting is greed (James made the same point in his letter as well). The only path to true prosperity (which may have nothing to do with material wealth) is trusting in God. If we trust God and follow His will we will have riches beyond measure (most of which money cannot buy). It is foolish to trust solely our own understanding of a situation. If we wish to find the wise path, we will seek counsel from others.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     This passage is a difficult one to understand. I have generally been taught that the four beasts represent the same four kingdoms as those depicted in King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the statue. However, since we are in the middle of Chanukah, I think it is worth considering that the four beasts may represent the four kingdoms into which Alexander the Great’s empire splintered. In this interpretation, the fourth beast is the Seleucid Empire and the horn on its head which supplants three other horns represents Antiochus IV. Such an understanding would be consistent with Antiochus IV’s desecration of the Temple and the rise of the Maccabean Jewish state.
     Having considered this interpretation, I suspect that the traditional interpretation is probably more accurate. I have always been hesitant to connect the apocalyptic prophecies of the Bible to specific events, since to a degree I think that misses their point. The point of this prophecy is not its prediction of some specific event, although it may do that. Rather the point of this prophecy is to tell us that human rulers will rise who will set themselves up in God’s place, and for a time seem to be able to control all around them. However, in due time, such rulers will be utterly destroyed and all of their power taken from them. This world is God’s and ultimately the only kingdom which shall last is His.

     John wrote that God is light and those who wish to fellowship with God must live in the light. This means that we do not attempt to hide any of our actions in the dark, or even in the shadows. There is no darkness in God, not even shadows. If we live in the light and have fellowship with others living in the light, Jesus will cleanse us of our sins. This does not mean that we will be without sin, rather it means that we openly confess our sins both to God and to those around us. If we openly admit our sins, not bragging, but rather admitting them as failure, God will forgive us and cleanse us from all wickedness. The challenging part of this is admitting our sins, both those we admit as sins to ourselves and those we attempt to convince ourselves are not really sin. The key to overcoming sin is to be open about the sin we struggle with, as we bring it out into the open, God’s Spirit will cleanse it, just as sunlight will cleanse corruption that is opened up to it.

     If we remain faithful to God, many will persecute us and seek to bring about our downfall. However, God has promised to be our advocate. He will stand by our side, if we remain faithful to Him. He will listen to our cries and answer our prayers. We may wander away from Him, but He will seek us out like a shepherd seeks out a lost lamb. I ask of God that He keeps me from ever forgetting His commands.

     In the long run people will appreciate honest words of criticism more than dishonest flattery. Those who justify stealing from their own parents are no better than a murderer. If someone will steal from their parents without recognizing that it is wrong, they will find reason to kill another for their own advantage.