Good morning,

First John 5:11-21 is John’s encouragement to the believers. He encourages them about everlasting life, prayer, wickedness and understanding.  Today we will look at understanding.

Understanding (V 20-21)

And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. ²¹ Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: (1 John 4:2)

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, (Luke 24:45)

It was not by accident that God gave us his word, the Bible. He gave it to us to be our guide to salvation, growth, wisdom, rebuke, confession, history, and ultimately our final future. He allowed the Holy Spirit to illumine what the Scriptures say. God wanted us to understand the Bible. When we read it, obey it, the Bible will allow us to have victory over Satan and his demons.

Read your Bible, obey it, and see what God will do.

So now a conclusion to what we have studied this week. Remember John wrote this to believers. His intent was for the believers to share these truths with others. You are the others.

CONCLUSION:

We need to be able to articulate:

• Assurance of salvation
• How to pray
• The will of God
• How to pray for brothers in sin
• Sin unto death
• The wickedness of this world
• Understanding of the Scriptures

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

First John 5:11-21 is John’s encouragement to the believers. He encourages them about everlasting life, prayer, wickedness and understanding.  Today we will look at wickedness.

Wickedness (V 18-19)

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. ¹⁹ And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)

⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; ²⁹ Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, ³⁰ Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: ³² Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:28-32)

John is making the point that there is a difference between believers and the wicked.

Do our lives give evidence that we are believers in Christ? Are we walking in the Spirit of God? Do we do the things of the flesh or the things of the Spirit? Think right and act right.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

 

Good morning,

First John 5:11-21 is John’s encouragement to the believers. He encourages them about everlasting life, prayer, wickedness and understanding.  Today we will look at prayer.

Prayer (V 14-15)

 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: ¹⁵ And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

What is the will of God?

• Salvation
• Baptism
• Sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4) For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
• Giving thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18) In every thing give thanks: for this is thewill of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
• Renew you mind (Romans 12:2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,will of God.

Praying for brother in sin (V 16-17)

If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

Sin unto death (Matthew 12:31-32)

Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. ³² And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

Prayer is talking with God. He desires us to come to him with our burdens, concerns, desires, and confessions. He is there to love us, bless us, rebuke us, reprove us, and answer our prayers. His answers may not be our answers, but they will best for us.

Pray to God. Tell what is on your heart. Allow Him to direct you, as only He can do.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

First John 5:11-21 is John’s encouragement to the believers. He encourages them about everlasting life, prayer, wickedness and understanding.  Today we will look at what he had to say about everlasting life.

Eternal Security (V 11-13)

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.¹² He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.¹³ These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.       (John 3:36)

We never have to be unsure about our salvation. He says that we know that we have eternal life. Unfortunately, many believers do not have assurance of their salvation. This causes a problem. If they do not believe God can keep them saved eternally, what else might they not believe?

The answer is as simple as reading the Bible and believing it.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

Do you need some encouragement to start your week? Read this devotional from Thomas Boston. This will be the believers state when we get to Heaven.

No hissing serpent!

(Thomas Boston, “Human Nature in its Fourfold State”)

Believers shall be made completely happy in the kingdom of Heaven. They shall be fully freed from sin, which of all evils, is the worst.

They shall be free from all temptation to sin. Satan can have no access to tempt them any more, by himself, or by his agents. No hissing serpent can come into the paradise above! No snare or trap can be laid there, to catch the feet of the saints. They may walk there without fear, for they can be in no hazard in the promised land. They shall be set beyond the possibility of sinning, for they shall be confirmed in holiness.

The guilt and the reigning power of sin are then taken away. The corrupt nature will be fully removed, and no vestiges of it left in their souls. Their nature shall be altogether pure and sinless.

There shall be no darkness in their minds; but the understanding will be as a globe of pure and unmixed light.

There shall not be the least aversion to good, nor the least inclination to evil, in their wills. They will be brought to a perfect conformity to the will of God–blessed with angelic purity, and fixed therein.

Their affections shall not be liable to the least disorder or irregularity. They will get such a fixed habit of purity, as they can never lose. They will be so refined from all earthly dross, as never more to savor of anything but of Heaven.

Their graces shall then be fully perfected.
There will be no more ground for complaints . . .
of weakness of grace,
or of an evil heart,
or a corrupt nature.

And they shall be freed from all the effects of sin: “God will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever!” Revelation 21:4

In Heaven they find the completion and satisfaction of all their desires–having the full enjoyment of God, and uninterrupted communion with Him. In the heavenly Canaan, Immanuel’s land–nothing is lacking to complete the happiness of the inhabitants. This is the holy and happy country–blessed with a perpetual spring, and which yields all things for necessity, convenience, and delight!

I am looking forward to this.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Charles Spurgeon wrote today’s devotional.

It will make you doubly happy, even in this life!

(Charles Spurgeon, “A Good Start!”)

“Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come!” 1 Timothy 4:8

The gospel will bring you present blessings! It will give you . . .
present pardon,
present justification
present regeneration,
present adoption,
present sanctification,
present access to God,
present peace through believing,
and present help in time of trouble.
It will make you doubly happy, even in this life! It will be . . .
wisdom for your way,
strength for your conflict,
and comfort for your sorrow.

To have the love of God in the heart,
to have present and eternal peace with God,
to be able to look up to Heaven with confidence,
to talk to my Heavenly Father in childlike trustfulness
–is a present joy and comfort worth more than worlds!

Believer! You now enjoy the unchanging favor of God, so that you will go your way henceforth not to live as others do–but as the chosen of God, beloved with special love, enriched with special blessings, to rejoice every day until you are taken up to dwell where Jesus is!

“For the grace of God that brings salvation . . . teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions–and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age!” Titus 2:11-12

Hope this was an encouragement. Have a wonderful weekend.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

I have spent the last two days at two different cemeteries. We laid to rest a member of my Bible study class and the husband of another.  What they had in common was that they were buried with their wives. Today Abraham’s remaining family members are buried with him.

Isaac dies (Genesis 35:28-29, 49:30-31)

And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years. ²⁹ And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying place. ³¹ There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.

Jacob dies (Genesis 49:29-30)

And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, ³⁰ In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying place.

Three generations of family members are now buried at the cave of Machpelah. This was the norm at the time.

Church’s used to have cemeteries on their property. Generations upon generation of church members were buried in these church cemeteries. Then came the train, car, and airplane and changed everything. These modern modes of transportation caused men and women to leave their homes and never return. Families were separated and when death came, they chose to be buried in their new communities. Church’s built buildings for worship, schooling, recreation, but no longer for cemeteries to remember the dead.  Although there is a gravestone, many are never visited.

Let us not forget our loved ones who are no longer with us. Visit the gravesites of your families. Cherish the memories.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

Good morning,

Sarah lived 37 years after the birth of Isaac. Long enough to see him grow up, marry Rebekah, and probably saw the birth of Jacob and Esau. She now dies and is buried at the cave of Machpelah.

Forty-eight years later Abraham dies. He is also buried at the cave of Machpelah. Ishmael, now 89, and Isaac, now 75, buried their father.

Sarah buried at the cave of Machpelah (Genesis 23:19)

 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan.

Abraham dies (Genesis 25:7-10)

And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years. ⁸ Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. ⁹ And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;¹⁰ The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

Abraham’s and Sarah lived a long time. They had the opportunity to be buried together. What will happen to the rest of the family?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

 

Good morning,

Today when a person dies we contact a funeral home and determine a cemetery to bury the body. Abraham had a several problems. First, there were no funeral homes or cemeteries. Second, he and his family were strangers in the land. Third, they owned no property. They went where God sent them. So what was Abraham to do with the body of Sarah?

First, he requested a place to bury Sarah from the people of the land. Second, he negotiated a price for a piece of land as a place of burial.

Abraham requests a possession to bury Sarah (Verses 3-4)

And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sons of Heth, saying, ⁴ I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.

Negotiation for cave at Machpelah (Verses 5-18)

And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. ¹⁷ And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure ¹⁸ Unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. (Genesis 23:16-18)

As we read the life and times of Abraham the Bible states that he was rich and well respected. The one thing he did not have was land. The cave at Machpelah was the only property he owned.

What do we depend on in this life, our possessions, our money, wealth, social standing, or our own personal prestige? Abraham trusted God to lead him and supply for him and his family. Although he had much worldly goods, it did not draw him away from his God.

May we be willing to trust God like that.

Tomorrow the story continues.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001

 

Good morning,

When someone dies it is customary to bury them fairly soon after death. However, in Alaska, that is not possible. Since the ground is frozen during winter, burials must wait till the ground thaws. This week I will be doing one internment ceremony and attending another.

We will be looking at one family in the Bible to see how they dealt with the death of a loved one. Genesis 23 explains what Abraham did when Sarah died. Later in the week we see who else died and where they were buried.

Remember that gravesites and their gravestones are memorials. A  place to remember.

Sarah dies and Abraham mourns (Verses 1-2)

And Sarah was an hundred and seven and twenty years old: these were the years of the life of Sarah. ² And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.

This process is common when loved ones die. We mourn. We remember all they meant to us. Sarah knew Abraham all her life. Their journey took them from their home to wandering through the land of Canaan. She supported, comforted, obeyed, and loved her husband. Abraham mourned.

Tomorrow we see what Abraham does next.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001