Category Archives: 1John

The Active Agency of Abiding

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Pete

In John 15 Jesus said it was the secret sauce of prayer. He said it was also the key to bearing fruit. In fact, He said, do it and you’ll bear much fruit. Don’t do it and you won’t be … Continue reading →

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There Are Three . . . and I Make Four

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Pete

John presents kind of a simple argument in the first part of the fifth chapter of his first letter. Premise One: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God (5:1a). Premise Two: Everyone who has … Continue reading →

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Reading Our Vitals

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Pete

Yesterday, as I was reading in 1John, I started thinking about vital signs. Indicators that there’s life, particularly indicators of spiritual life. Yesterday I read that if we find that there’s an innate love for others who claim the name … Continue reading →

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Healthy Vital Signs

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Pete

Apparently it’s not as easy as it looks. You know, those shows where a detective comes upon a body and either grabs their wrist with two fingers, or they pull up their eyelids to check their eyes, or they lean over to … Continue reading →

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Anointed

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Pete

Anointed. The term has been hijacked somewhat. Frequently, when someone says that someone else is “anointed,” it’s meant to convey they are special. That they aren’t your average, run of the mill Christian, but they have some rare calling or … Continue reading →

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Our Fellowship

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Pete

True confession time . . . I’m kinda’ hooked on The Voice talent show. Very capable singers are given 90 seconds to audition sight unseen to secure a spot on a coach’s team. These coaches are themselves big names in … Continue reading →

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An Either/Or Matter

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Pete

Taking a hard and fast position isn’t all that popular these days . . . unless it’s a hard and fast position that asserts there shouldn’t be any hard and fast positions. Our world seems bent on replacing “either this … Continue reading →

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Behold!

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Pete

Bottom line . . . I like the word “behold” better than the word “see.” I know the word behold literally means to see but, at least in my mind, beholding something is far more than just seeing something. Beyond … Continue reading →

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Before God

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Pete

Sometimes it’s all about where you put the emphasis. Take a phrase, or a question, and place the emphasis on different words and you can have a very different phrase or question. The nuance shifts . . . the question … Continue reading →

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Test the Spirits

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Pete

I’m thinking this morning of the marketplace of ideas available to the believer.  Everything from full volume books . . . to concise and targeted blogs . . . to 140 character tweets.  Or, if reading isn’t our thing, then … Continue reading →

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