Digging Deeper

Remain Faithful

“And now, dear children, continue to live in fellowship with Christ…”

1 John 2:28

I planted a zucchini plant in my garden.  I made sure there were no weeds and it had the best possible soil.  I watered it frequently and told it how beautiful it was becoming.  I watched as its leaves grew large and its vines grew many.  Then one morning I noticed a yellow bloom!  I knew it wouldn’t be long before I would be enjoying fresh, homegrown zucchini from my very own garden.  June, July, and August past with a few zucchini blooms, but alas, there were no vegetables.  My mom felt sorry for me and gave me some of her zucchini.  She could hardly keep up with the abundance of zucchini in her garden.  Finally my mom asked me how many zucchini plants I had planted.  I had bought one little start and absolutely spoiled it with daily care.  Could it be that I needed more than one plant so the bees could pollinate the blooms, my mom questioned?  I had no idea a plant needed company to bear vegetables!  Next year I will make sure my zucchini plant is not lonely.  I’ll plant a whole zucchini choir!

I learned two things from my zucchini fiasco. 1) It is not good for one to fellowship alone, and 2) Some plants (and people) don’t bear vegetables (or fruit).  The visible proof of being a good zucchini plant is to grow at least one big, fat zucchini.  The visible proof of being a Christian is true faith which results in good “fruit” (good deeds, good behavior, doing what is right, loving others, putting others first, etc.) Our good fruits cannot produce salvation, but they are necessary proof that true faith is actually present.  I think I should start interviewing now some good zucchini candidates for my Spring garden!

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:24-29

Dear Heavenly Father, may the abundance of my good deeds spill over into every aspect of my life’s garden.

Dianna L. Brisco

Holy Spirit, Come

…for the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and all of you know the truth.

1 John 2:20

In 1 John 2:18 – 23, John is warning us to be careful of false teachers and their teachings.  He is reassuring us that as Christ followers the Holy Spirit is sent to us to be our great Helper.  The Holy Spirit helps us to distinguish between truth and falsehoods. Jesus is the Truth.  He stated this in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through Me.”   And the Holy Spirit guides believers to Jesus.  In John 16:13-15 Jesus explains, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into truth.  He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard…the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me.”

If you are having difficulties discerning what is true, call on the Holy Spirit to show you, test questionable ideas against the Holy Bible, and ask other believers to pray with you.   People who are opposed to Jesus are also opposed to His truth, and the Holy Spirit working in their lives. When we are led by the Spirit, we can stand against falsehoods. We must be faithful to confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and in so doing, we also confess God as our Father.  Have you been in a situation where the Holy Spirit revealed a truth to you?

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:18 – 23

Holy Spirit come to me and keep me from being deceived by evil.  The line between truth and lie, good and evil is becoming more and more unclear in today’s world.  Create in me the loyal, trustworthy Christ follower you want me to be.

Dianna L. Brisco

“Dear Children,… Love John”

If you do the will of God, you will live forever.

1 John 2:17

John was writing to believers of all ages, “his dear children”, who had experienced forgiveness through Jesus.  He was writing to those who were mature in the faith and others who were new Christ followers.  Each stage of the spiritual journey builds upon the other.  As believers learn about Christ, they grow in their ability to win battles over temptations.  As the spiritual journey continues, the relationship with Christ matures.  And our mature Christ followers, our spiritual mentors, have developed the wisdom needed to teach the rest of us.  The cycle of believing, learning, sharing, and challenging starts over and over again.  Has your Christian growth reached the maturity level appropriate for your stage in life?  Can you share with us something you do that challenges you to grow in your daily walk?

John also talked about how Satan tempts us using three different devious methods.  1)  the lust for physical pleasure – preoccupation with gratifying physical desires, 2)  the lust for everything we see  – craving and accumulating things, materialism, and 3)  pride in our possessions – obsession with one’s status or importance.  Satan has been using these same methods since the beginning of time starting with Eve in the garden.  Satan also used these three areas of attack when tempting Jesus in the wilderness.  Knowing that this evil world and our desires for its pleasures will end can give us courage to control our selfish behavior and to continue doing God’s will today.

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:12-17

Jesus, You already know what it is like to live in this world and be tempted by Satan.  You understand everything I am going through because You have experienced life first.  Thank You for being the Savior Who cares for each one of us so much.

Dianna L. Brisco

Step into the Light

Anyone who hates a Christian brother or sister is living in and walking in darkness.  Such a person is lost, having been blinded by darkness.

1 John 2:11

Marcus was three and wanted to be a big boy and help put away his clean laundry.  I thought this was a wonderful idea, so I piled his little arms full of clean socks.  He made trip after trip to his bedroom until all his socks were put away.  The next morning I went to his dresser and opened his sock drawer.  Empty!  Marcus came running when I called him.  He peered into the empty drawer with a confused look on his face.  “What did you do with all your socks, Marcus?”  He shrugged his little shoulders, pointed a chubby finger and declared, “I dunno.  I put ‘em right here!”  For days the missing socks remained a mystery.  One night as I was passing his room with the hallway light on, I discovered his toy chest was pushed out a little bit from the wall.  There were his socks!  He had piled them all neatly right behind the chest where the hallway light cast a sliver of light into his dark bedroom.  I brought Marcus to his room and showed him where he had put his socks.  His eyes lit up and he said proudly, “Yep, no munsterds there!”  He had been afraid to enter the darkness of his bedroom to put his socks away so he placed them in the only ray of light, beside the door and behind the toy chest!

There is something ominous and spooky about the darkness.  Jesus says that He is the Light of the World.  Love is the key to walking in the Light, because we can not grow spiritually while hating others.  Our growing relationship with God will result in growing relationships with others.  So step into the Light and get out of the darkness, away from treating others with disrespect and selfishness…away from all the scary “munsterds”!

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:7–11

Dear Father, love should be what makes me different in this world.  Love should be the unifying force and identifying mark of the Christian community.  Help me to be servant minded and treat all others with love and respect.  Use me as Your light in this dark world.

Dianna L. Brisco

Take My Life

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.

1 John 2:6

Sometimes it is difficult to forgive those who hurt us.  Just imagine how difficult it would be to forgive everyone, no matter what they had done.  That is exactly what Jesus has done.  No one, no matter what he or she has done is beyond forgiveness.  When we are feeling guilty or condemned for something we have thought, said, done, or even haven’t done, John offers reassurance.  We know we have sinned!  It eats away at us. Satan, The Great Accuser (Revelation 12:10), is telling us we deserve the death penalty.  When we feel this way, let’s not give up hope for there is Jesus!  Jesus Christ is our advocate, our defender, and the Judge’s Son.  He has already suffered in our place.  He can stand before God and plead our case.  His death has already satisfied the wrath of God against sin and paid the death penalty for our sin.  In Him, we are forgiven and purified!  Thank You, Jesus!  Have you turned from all known sin, received Christ’s forgiveness, and committed your life to Him?  This is the most important decision we can ever make in our lifetime…a decision our very life depends upon.

Bible Reading: 1 John 2:1-6

Forgive me Father for my sins.  Thank You so much for Your Son, Jesus and for giving Him to die for me.  I accept His sacrifice for my sins.  Take my life and make it pleasing to You.  Thank You, Father.

Dianna L. Brisco

Continued from yesterday… http://sridgecc.wordpress.com/2009/10/22/the-electrician-part-1/

Then one afternoon as we were all sitting around talking and sharing about all the wonderful things the Electrician had done for us. I heard a knock at my door. The Electrician had come once again. I ran to the door and opened it a crack. He held a large 500 watt light bulb in His hand. My heart screamed in silence, “Not now…No Lord…no you can’t…everyone will be watching…I don’t want any more Light today…not with everyone here…I don’t know what it will reveal.” I heard the people in my home laughing and talking in the living room behind me.

The Lord gently took my hand and led me out of the room into a dimly lit hallway with many doors. He told me to open those I would like. Cautiously, I opened the first door and was shocked as a cold evil wind rushed out of the darkened door. I quickly shut it as it took my breath away. The next door I opened blinded me with a brilliant light bulb. I saw glimpses of radiant people walking around and their laughter was like music to my soul. The light was too bright and hurt my eyes but I knew I had seen some of the Glory of the Light. The last door I came to had a 25 watt light bulb in it. I recognized it for I too had had that dimness, but I was shocked at how weak the light was. I knew I would never be satisfied with that little light again and couldn’t go back. I was beginning to understand that I had already gone too far into the Light … Then the Electrician looked at me with tender eyes of love and said, “Everyone has to make the choice of how much of the Light they want, but there is always a cost.” “Oh Lord,” I responded. “I can never turn back now even if everyone leaves me.”

So I invited Him into my house. Few noticed He was even there for they were so busy among themselves. He put up his ladder as usual in the middle of the room and took out the large 300 watt light bulb and screwed it in. As soon as the light came on it tripled the size of the room. There was another couch, chair and now a dining room. Just as I feared, garbage, and dirt was piled in the once darkened corners. Everyone responded in different ways.

Many of the people were shocked at the condition of the house and left. But a few stayed and began to grab brooms, shovels, and mops and began to help clean the debris. It was hard to believe that they understood , and they accepted and loved me just as I was. The Electrician came over and embraced me and said, “My child, the ones that are staying live in homes that have even greater Light than you do. They also had others help them clean their homes, and still do. That is part of the healing process. Many times things have to be cleared out that are too heavy for one person to carry out; or there will be a stain and another person will know My solution. I made you all to help heal and restore each other.”

And then I noticed that around everyone’s waist was a workman’s belt with wires and light bulbs dangling from it. As they helped to restore the room, they would put light bulbs into the mended lamps and the light grew and grew. The Electrician then said to me, “Dear one, there are still many rooms in your house that I want to bring to my Light, will you let me?” Oh yes Lord,” as my heart melted in surrender.

And then He fastened a workman’s belt around my waist and said, “You will also help to bring Light not only into your own home but also help to light others lives and hearts. You are My children of the light.”

The room was cold, dark and damp but it had become my friend for I had lived there ever since I remembered. Heavy blankets of isolation, loneliness and fear insulated and protected me from the outside world.

But one day there was a knock on the door…my heart froze…yet everything in me told me that He had come. But the darkness swallowed my muffled cries…Once again He knocked…”Oh Lord, Lord, Come in!” The door opened and there stood the Electrician.

He wore radiant white overalls and hat and around his waist was a large leather workman’s belt with various tools, wires, and light bulbs of different sizes dangling from it. He tipped his hat and with a softness in His eyes came in with a large white ladder and put it into the middle of the dark room. He then proceeded to climb up the ladder and insert a small 25 watt light bulb into the bare socket hanging from the ceiling. He came down and folded up the ladder and left.

I crawled into the middle of the soft warm light and fell asleep. The healing light began to restore and strengthen me.

Hours later I woke and began to walk around the circumference of the light. And then I noticed a shovel lying in the midst of the debris so I went over and picked it up and began to clean the area. It was a tremendous amount of work and took days, but finally it was clean. And then as the days followed I would find myself laying on my back just staring at the bare light bulb dangling from the ceiling and loving the Light. It had become my friend and comforted me.

Then one day there was a knock once again at my door, and I knew it was Him. I ran to the door and opened it and once again it was the Electrician. He smiled at me as He came in: I knew that He was pleased with what He saw. He carried in His ladder and put it in the middle of the room, walked up it, took out the smaller light and put in a larger 100 watt light bulb. Instantly the light in the room increased. And for the first time I noticed a chair and couch. I quickly began to explore my new found space as the Electrician folded up His ladder and left.

I loved the Light…I loved everything about the room…except…and then I noticed the piles of garbage and dirt hidden everywhere. And then as I began to size up the situation I saw a greasy film over everything, and piles of old books, records, and souvenirs were scattered everywhere. I had had such an insatiable appetite for things and more and more things, but it never filled me. Only the Light from the Electrician filled that void now. I knew that all of this clutter had to go so I rolled up my sleeves and over the next several months began to shovel, sweep and polish. Finally, for the first time in my life, I felt that I had a home that was mine.

How strange it was because I had looked everywhere for it and to have had it inside all along amazed me…but then I had never had the Light before.

Then one day there was a knock at the door. It sounded very similar to the Electrician but I knew it wasn’t. I opened it and people who were lovers of the Light had come to visit me. They loved my home and often came to visit.

To be continued tomorrow…

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. -John 3:20

This may be a tough scripture for some to swallow. Many people, myself included, have said something similar to ”I need to get some things straightened out in my life before I can try this church thing”. Why??? God knows the darkness that surrounds us. Do we think if we can get out of it first He won’t find out? Jesus weeps for the us. He sees where we are and He wants us to reach out to Him. He will light the path that leads from the darkness. The light comes from Him, His Word and His followers. They will light the way home. We can’t do it alone.

Often times we hate the light because of the conviction we feel. We are embarrassed. Or angry at ourselves for what we have become. The darkness then fools us into believing it’s the light’s fault, that the light is judgmental. That’s just not true. The light is freeing. The light exposes the darkness for what it really is, evil. It shows us what our lives have become in the darkness. People are not evil they just get caught up in the darkness and then do evil things.

I don’t know what your darkness might be but I do know that the light of our God in heaven can shine anywhere, anytime. There is nothing He can’t lead you from. If you are walking in the darkness, even if it’s just a little shadow I urge you to step into the light. Let God reveal to you what the darkness truly is and what it has done to you. Bathe in the light, let it cleanse you and let it free you from your darkness.

Lord, forgive us of our sins. Father, shine your light on our darkness and wash it away. Light for us, the path to you and give us the strength and courage to follow it. Amen

by Rick Phillips

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

Yesterday we talked about the light shining on the darkness for others. But, another important thing the light does is it reveals the darkness in and around us.

Because of sinful nature, through out our lives we stumble, stagger, walk and sometimes flat out run in and out of darkness. But, with Jesus in our lives His light will shine on that darkness and reveal it to us. Often times though, in our stubbornness we think we can handle it without Him. “That’s ok Jesus, I got this one under control.” Don’t be fooled by that one. Our flesh is drawn to the darkness. Not always but we all have a weakness. It may be food, the computer, drinking, flirting, gossip, gambling. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying all of these things are evil but they can and do lead us into the darkness if we can’t control them and most times without the light of Christ we can’t see just how dark it is getting.

So, how do we keep that light on? Being in the Word is another great way. Life Groups or Bible studies are very important. Being with other believers is another important thing. Not just on Sunday at church but in Life Groups and social events. I’m not suggesting a “holy huddle” of only Christains but some time with other believers. Also, prayer and meditation are a great way. Talk to God about your struggles. Don’t be shy or embarrassed, He already knows about them anyway.

There are many other ways to keep that light on. Explore what works best for you. Maybe all of them will. It works for me. (I need all the light I can get sometimes)

Father Gad, we praise You and thank You Lord for lighting they way and revealing to us when we are headed into or neck deep in the darkness. Forgive us Lord for our stubborness in thinking we have it under control. Amen

by Rick Phillips

This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there’s not a trace of darkness in him. -1 John 1:5

When you were a kid were you afraid of the dark? I was. You never knew what was out there where you couldn’t see. What was lurking just out of sight in the darkness. But, the light made it all go away. The more lights you had on the better, right?

When you walk with Christ the pure light of the Father lights your way. But, you must continue to walk with Him. Believing in Him is not enough, His light will shine through your actions and His presence in you. If you choose to walk alone and ignore God and His direction in your life the darkness will creep in and can eventually overcome you. Now I’m not saying He has abandoned you. If you have accepted Jesus and the gift God gave us through Him, He will always be there but you. But as a follower of Christ we have a mission to be a conduit for the light.

Dictionary.com defines conduit as “A means by which something is transmitted.” That is what a believer and follower of Christ should be. We should not just transmit the message of Jesus but we should transmit the light and love of Jesus in everything we do. When we do that we shed light on the darkness not only for ourselves but for those around us. When we are around others that are lost or trapped in darkness the light should shine from us so they can see what is in that darkness and then see a path away from it.

So your mission this week, hopefully always, is to shine. wherever you go shine the light of Jesus Christ around you. Then watch what it does to people. Just remember it’s all from Him and to His glory.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being that light. For revealing to us what is in the darkness. Lord we open ourselves up to be a conduit of Your light and we pray that You will use us to reveal to others what is in the darkness and that they can see a path to You through that light. Amen.

by Rick Phillips