Greetings in the name of Jesus to all the Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The writer of 1 John draws an interesting connection between our present reality as children of God and what we might come to expect in the further revealing of Jesus. He writes, "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is" (3:2).

To know that here-and-now we are God's beloved children should come to us with a strong degree of comfort and joy. We are already in God's sight and benevolent vision; we are the recipients of God's love and care, a parental concern for raising up a people of faith and hope. The writer of 1 John shares the encouragement that was promoted by the writer of the Gospel of John: "the word of God abides in us." In the language of the New Testament period, the word "abide" drew upon several meanings, "dwelling with", "dwelling among", "residing with", "present to and for". The word's usage in 1 John and the Gospel of John draws from all these images, sharing an understanding that God, our Father and our Lord Jesus, is presently with us, providing the guidance and the direction we need to recognize and to live as God's children in faith, hope, and love.

But God is not simply content to be with us in the present; God's guidance leads us into a future of God's will and choosing that is intimately related to the nature of God as Father and Son, a relationship that continues to unfold with new blessing and vision upon the faithful. We are not able to fully describe what we are yet to be in our future relationship with God the Father and the Son, but we have the assurance that it will be fully revealed and we will be able to "see" in ways that are not fully disclosed in the here-and-now. And this "seeing' will be connected to our "being": "When he is revealed, we will be like him" (3:2).

God's parental influence comes to us in the immeasurable love shown in the gift of Jesus. The writer of 1 John asserts: "God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (4:9-10). The love expressed in the relationship of the Father and the Son is now passed to all the children of God "who believe that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments" (5:1-2).

Whatever may come our way today, we are assured that God abides with us and we abide with God, Father and Son, through the Spirit that will guide us each and every day to "see" more fully the plan and purpose God has for each of us and to be able to love as god loves us.

Blessings and peace to all!  Pastor John

Greetings in the name of Jesus to all the Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The writer of 1 John draws an interesting connection between our present reality as children of God and what we might come to expect in the further revealing of Jesus. He writes, "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is" (3:2).

To know that here-and-now we are God's beloved children should come to us with a strong degree of comfort and joy. We are already in God's sight and benevolent vision; we are the recipients of God's love and care, a parental concern for raising up a people of faith and hope. The writer of 1 John shares the encouragement that was promoted by the writer of the Gospel of John: "the word of God abides in us." In the language of the New Testament period, the word "abide" drew upon several meanings, "dwelling with", "dwelling among", "residing with", "present to and for". The word's usage in 1 John and the Gospel of John draws from all these images, sharing an understanding that God, our Father and our Lord Jesus, is presently with us, providing the guidance and the direction we need to recognize and to live as God's children in faith, hope, and love.

But God is not simply content to be with us in the present; God's guidance leads us into a future of God's will and choosing that is intimately related to the nature of God as Father and Son, a relationship that continues to unfold with new blessing and vision upon the faithful. We are not able to fully describe what we are yet to be in our future relationship with God the Father and the Son, but we have the assurance that it will be fully revealed and we will be able to "see" in ways that are not fully disclosed in the here-and-now. And this "seeing' will be connected to our "being": "When he is revealed, we will be like him" (3:2).

God's parental influence comes to us in the immeasurable love shown in the gift of Jesus. The writer of 1 John asserts: "God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (4:9-10). The love expressed in the relationship of the Father and the Son is now passed to all the children of God "who believe that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments" (5:1-2).

Whatever may come our way today, we are assured that God abides with us and we abide with God, Father and Son, through the Spirit that will guide us each and every day to "see" more fully the plan and purpose God has for each of us and to be able to love as god loves us.

Blessings and peace to all!  Pastor John

Greetings in the name of Jesus to all the Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The writer of 1 John draws an interesting connection between our present reality as children of God and what we might come to expect in the further revealing of Jesus. He writes, "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is" (3:2).

To know that here-and-now we are God's beloved children should come to us with a strong degree of comfort and joy. We are already in God's sight and benevolent vision; we are the recipients of God's love and care, a parental concern for raising up a people of faith and hope. The writer of 1 John shares the encouragement that was promoted by the writer of the Gospel of John: "the word of God abides in us." In the language of the New Testament period, the word "abide" drew upon several meanings, "dwelling with", "dwelling among", "residing with", "present to and for". The word's usage in 1 John and the Gospel of John draws from all these images, sharing an understanding that God, our Father and our Lord Jesus, is presently with us, providing the guidance and the direction we need to recognize and to live as God's children in faith, hope, and love.

But God is not simply content to be with us in the present; God's guidance leads us into a future of God's will and choosing that is intimately related to the nature of God as Father and Son, a relationship that continues to unfold with new blessing and vision upon the faithful. We are not able to fully describe what we are yet to be in our future relationship with God the Father and the Son, but we have the assurance that it will be fully revealed and we will be able to "see" in ways that are not fully disclosed in the here-and-now. And this "seeing' will be connected to our "being": "When he is revealed, we will be like him" (3:2).

God's parental influence comes to us in the immeasurable love shown in the gift of Jesus. The writer of 1 John asserts: "God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (4:9-10). The love expressed in the relationship of the Father and the Son is now passed to all the children of God "who believe that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments" (5:1-2).

Whatever may come our way today, we are assured that God abides with us and we abide with God, Father and Son, through the Spirit that will guide us each and every day to "see" more fully the plan and purpose God has for each of us and to be able to love as god loves us.

Blessings and peace to all!  Pastor John