Daily Inspirations

   Good morning. This is the promise which He Himself made to us; eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. He mentioned earlier those who went out from them, but were not really of them – who were trying to deceive them. As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. [My Bible says that John is not ruling out human teachers. At the time when he wrote, however, gnostic teachers were insisting that the teaching of the apostles was to be supplemented with the “higher knowledge“ that they the Gnostics claimed to possess.] When someone is not grounded in the Bible, he or she can easily be deceived by a bunch of “righteous” sounding words to believe things that are not true. The anointing of the Holy Spirit will either confirm or ref...

   Good morning. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. (here comes another litmus test) Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; The one who confesses the Son has the Father also. There are numerous religious groups who say they believe in God, but they deny that Jesus was the Son of God. They say that there is more than one way to God. As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. Father help us to abide in what we have heard in Your Word.

   Good morning. If you invest your life in the things of the world – the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. Investing your life in the temporary things of the world results in temporary satisfaction. It is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist (The one and only) is coming, even though many antichrists (ones who oppose Christ) have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. It is one of the signs of the end times. They went out from us (they were a part of the church), but they were not really of us (seems to imply that they were not true believers); for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. Too many people say that they belong to a particular church, but they’re not really believers. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. With the anointing of the Holy Spirit within us, we sh...

  Good morning. A very important admonition – do not love (agape, not phileo) the world nor the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Of course John is not talking about the people of the world, but rather the world system and all of the things that the people of the world go crazy over having. And why not? For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The things of the world generate sinful desires. If you go back to where the devil tempted Jesus after His 40 days in the wilderness, you will find that the three temptations fit these three things that John just listed - lust of the flesh (turn these stones to bread), lust of the eyes (I will give You all these kingdoms of the world), and the boastful pride of life (God will not allow His Son to suffer harm). Jesus also faced the same three temptations on the cross. Father...

   Good morning. The one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness… the darkness has blinded his eyes. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one (just like in the “Lord’s prayer“, it literally says in Greek the evil). I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. … have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Father thank You that Your Word abides in us, and we have overcome the evil one!

   Good morning. The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old one which you have had from the beginning. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you (in the gospel of John, he records that Jesus said, “a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you; by this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another), which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The way we act reveals how we truly believe. So, how do we know we are in the Light? The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. Father help us to walk in the Light, loving our fellow believers.

   Good morning. By this we know that we have come to know Him (want to know how you can tell if you have come to know Jesus – John is about to tell you), if we keep His commandments. I bet you weren’t expecting that. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,“ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. That is the litmus test. But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him. If you know Jesus and have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, you should be keeping God’s word. If we truly love someone, we want to do things that please them - why not God? Father help us to keep Your word and show that Your love has truly been perfected in us.

   Good morning. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. The following lengthy comment is from my Bible. [Propitiation refers to turning away God‘s wrath. God‘s holiness demands punishment for man’s sin. God therefore out of love sent His Son to make substitutionary atonement for the believer’s sin. In this way the Father’s wrath is propitiated (satisfied or appeased).] The mercy seat on the ark of the covenant was also known as the propitiatory. Once a year the high priest on the day of atonement applied the blood of an animal sacrificed to the mercy seat to make atonement for the sins of the people. The Father did it for us once for all time (made propitiation) through the blood of Jesus. Father thank You that You did that for us, and we don’t have to sacrifice animals continually to make atonement for our sins.

   Good morning. If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves (not those around us) and the truth is not in us. Liar, liar – pants on fire! If we confess our sins (agree with God that we did wrong), He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins (not just forgive) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin (sometimes we need guidance from another person). And if anyone sins (in Greek conditional statements have different levels of probability of happening, and I don’t know which one this is. It could be to the level of: if anyone sins, and I know for certain you will,…), we have an Advocate (it refers to someone who speaks in court in behalf of a defendant) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Father we confess all our sins and ask that You send Jesus Christ the righteous to be our Advocate.

   Good morning. This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light (in his gospel, John talked about Jesus being the Light), and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. And now a very important statement: if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another (you cannot have this kind of fellowship with someone, if one of you is in the dark), and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. That’s an incredible statement. If we walk in the Light, not only do we have fellowship (which is more than just having a good old party time) with one another, Jesus’ blood cleanses us from all (not just a few) sin. Father help us to walk in the Light as You are in the Light,

   Good morning.… Word of Life - And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life (Jesus), which was with the Father, and was manifested to us – what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also (we didn’t hear about it from someone), so that you too may have fellowship (koinonia) with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. You don’t just get one – Father or Son - you get both. And then John tells them why he wrote the letter – so that our joy may be made complete (joy is made complete when you share it with someone). Father thank You that we don’t get just One but both You and Jesus.

   Good morning. Today we start the book of first John. You will find that there are many words and phrases that are in both the epistles of John and the Gospel of John. What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life. It starts very much like the gospel of John; only now it is looking backward at it, whereas the gospel was looking at it in the present. John says that they actually touched Jesus; in other words, the Son of God was flesh and blood. This refutes the heresy of Gnosticism from the start. They said that the spirit was entirely good and matter was entirely evil. Some said that Christ only seemed to have a fleshly body, and others that the divine Christ joined the man Jesus at baptism and left Him before He died. Father thank You that Jesus came to earth in a real, fleshly body, and that He died on the cross for us.

   Good morning. Now the verse that seems to substantiate the idea that Peter was talking about the day of the Lord/God being after the millennium: but according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation (if He had come already, there would be those who would not be saved today); just as also our beloved  brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, speaking in his letters some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures (some say that this means that Peter put Paul’s writings on the same level with the rest of the Scriptures - Old Testament), to their own destruction. This is the end of second Peter. Father help us to follow Your Word and not the words of unprincipled people who sp...

   Good morning. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for (look up, your redemption is drawing nigh) and hastening the coming of the Day of God because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! This is almost an identical description that we just had for the day of the Lord; so it would seem to imply that they are the same day, not two separate days. The verse that follows seems to substantiate the idea that he was talking about the day being at the end of the millennium. If all these horrific things are going to happen to the unbelievers, surely we want to live our lives the way God tells us to. How can we hasten the coming of the day of God? We can by living our lives in a holy manner and sharing the gospel with those around us. Father thank You that we need not fear the coming of Your day, but rather joyfully anticipate it.

   Good morning. Continuing with the idea that the Lord is not slow about His promise… but the day of the Lord will come like a thief (remember that Jesus even mentioned coming like a thief), in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. There are many references in both the Old and New Testaments about the day of the Lord. Exactly what are they talking about? Are they talking about a “single moment in time“, or are they referring to a period of time which could last even 1000 years? (Remember to the Lord a thousand years is as one day.) This sounds like what happens after the millennium when the old heavens and earth pass away and the new ones come; but it also sounds like how someone 2000 years ago would describe an atomic explosion. We will continue this next time. Father help us to always be on the alert so that no matter when the day of the Lord comes, we will be ready.

   Good morning. Continuing with the thought of mockers saying everything has remained the same since the time of the fathers: but do not let this one fact escape your notice, that with the Lord one day is like 1000 years, and 1000 years like one day. (A similar statement is made in Psalm 90:4) Time is meaningless to God since He has always existed and always will. As we get older, time seems to “fly by“. To us a month may seem like no time at all; while to a young child, one month till his or her birthday is an eternity. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. It may seem like it takes forever and the end still hasn’t come, but just be thankful that it did not come the day before you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. As Einstein would say, “time is relative“. Father thank You that it is not up to us but to You as to when the end will come.

   Good morning.… All continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. When they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago (in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth) and the earth was formed out of water (and God said “let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear“) and by water (of the flood), through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. All the wicked people of the earth, along with the things of the earth and the animals were destroyed by the flood; and only Noah’s family was saved. The cataclysmic end of all things will next time be by fire from God. Father thank You that You have told us of the judgment to come. Help us to live our lives according to Your Word.

   Good morning. Now we get into some hot and heavy stuff. Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep (A term used to denote the death of believers), all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.“ This is true today also, especially from believers. “People have been saying for 2000 years that Jesus was going to return, and nothing has changed since then”. Peter reminds them about the days of Noah before the flood. Everything was going on as it always had been, and then all of a sudden – the flood came. The same will be true the day Jesus returns. It will seem like everything will continue just as it has been when all of a sudden in the twinkling of an eye, Jesus will return. Father help us to always live our lives as if Jesus could return at any instant.

   Good morning. There is disagreement as to whether or not the following verses indicate that someone can lose their salvation, or were just not really saved. For if , after they (the closest “they“ to this verse is talking about the false teachers, but it could refer to the ones they deceived) have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (that definitely sounds like they are saved), they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. This is true whether they have lost their salvation or are merely backslidden. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed to them. Anyone who did this would truly be miserable. An analogy might be someone who grew up in poverty; won the lottery; lived a rich and grand life; and then lost all of the money, and went back into poverty. It would ...

   Good morning.… They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, enticing (as a fisherman with a fishing lure) unstable souls, having a heart trained (as an athlete trains to compete, I.e. not by accident) in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray… For whom the black darkness has been reserved. That sounds like an ominous end to their actions. Remember that hell is reserved for the devil and his angels. They promise freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. The next few verses are quite lengthy, so we will leave them till next time. Father thank You that we can follow Your Word and not man.

   Good morning.… Keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. It is not clear what Peter was talking about when he said they reviled angelic majesties. Is he talking about holy angels, or fallen ones? There are some today who make a big show in meetings of coming against powers and principalities etc. that Paul talked about in Romans. They even “command“ these angelic majesties to be cast into the pit of hell. These, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. We will finish this next time. Father continue to bring healing and blessing upon the reader and his/her family.

   Good morning. How do we know that these false teachers will get it in the end? If God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment (if God did that to angels, what will He do to these false teachers?); did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, when He brought a flood on the world of the ungodly (sometimes God punishes on earth); reduced Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes as an example to those who would live ungodly… then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation (just like in the book of Exodus, sometimes God makes a distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous when He brings judgment upon the land), and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment (no matter what God does to the ungodly here on earth, there is still the eternal punishment of judgment day). We will finish Peter’s lengthy statement next time. Father help us to not look at the “lack o...

   Good morning. So, do we believe everyone who says, “thus saith the Lord…“? False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. This, false teachers, is one of the signs of the end times. They “whisper in the ears“ of believers to get them to doubt what they have heard in church about the Word of God. Like cockroaches they do not do it in the light for fear of being revealed. Many (listeners from the church) will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned. Part of their false teaching is that it is OK to do certain sinful things. This seduces people weak in faith. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words (persuade you to give them money); their judgment from long-ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. While it may not look like...

   Good morning. So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. The prophetic word was all that you needed. Jesus fulfilled everything prophesied about the Messiah. The voice from heaven on the mount of Transfiguration merely confirmed what was true in the prophetic word. If the physical doesn’t confirm the word, don’t believe the physical. At the very end of the book of Revelation, Jesus proclaims that He is… the bright Morning Star. The reason we believe the prophetic word versus the physical is – But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. “Man” did not write the prophetic word, and man cannot interpret it. Father thank You for Your Word. Help us to pay attention to what is says ab...

   Good morning. For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. In other words, I didn’t read it in a book of fairytales. I was there; I saw it with my own eyes. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father (on the mount of Transfiguration when Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus about His soon “exodus“), such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased“ – and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. Remember that Peter really didn’t know what to think about the situation on the mountain and wanted to build three Tabernacles; one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Father even though we have not experienced anything like this, we still believe in You and in Your Son.

   Good morning. … Make certain about His calling and choosing you… therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. (“I just want to make sure”) I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling (our bodies), stirring you up by way of reminder (“I am not taking any chances”), knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling (Paul called it our earthly tent) is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. Peter is sounding just like Paul in one of his letters near the end of his life. And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure (exodus) you will be able to call these things to mind. Father help us to not be slack in reminding those around us of the things You have taught us in Your word.

   Good morning. For he who lacks these qualities… Do you lack them because you strayed, or because you were never saved in the first place? Therefore, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing (2) you (Paul talks about God choosing us before the beginning of time and then calling us at just the right moment); for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble. If you are a Christian, it should be your desire to not stumble. For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior (2) Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. Father thank You that we can be certain that You chose us and called us, abundantly supplying everything we need to enter Your kingdom.

   Good morning. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence - knowledge – self-control – perseverance – godliness – brotherly kindness – love. (all of these qualities are admirable, and a lot of people possess them without being Christians). For if these qualities are yours and are increasing (2) (you cannot sit on your laurels, if you are a Christian), they render you neither useless nor unfruitful (2) in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (they are not just a nice thing to have). For he who lacks these qualities is blind or shortsighted (2) (Peter did not say that they were not saved), having forgotten his purification from his former sins. When Christians first get saved, a lot of times they will completely change their lives, but over time their former activities creep back into their behavior. We have been purified from them; we should not return. Father help all of these qualities to be ours in abundance and to e...

   Good morning. … Seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness (2), through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence (2). There is nothing missing, He left nothing out that we would need. There are people who know a lot about Jesus, but do not know Him personally. For by these (glory and excellence) He has granted to us His precious and magnificent (2) promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. If He promised us something, you can be assured that we will obtain them. The end result – that we become partakers of His divine nature. That is so awesome! Father thank You that we can trust that You have given us everything that we need to obtain life and godliness - to partake of Your divine nature.

   Good morning. Today we start second Peter. The first chapter is almost poetical. Over and over again, things come in pairs. The first example: Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle (2) of Jesus Christ. To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours (there are not different faiths for different people; there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism), by the righteousness of our God and Savior (2), Jesus Christ. Grace and peace (2) be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord (2) (this knowledge is not just knowing about someone like some dead person in a book; it is a personal knowledge like of a friend or a relative of yours): seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything (there is nothing lacking) pertaining to life and godliness (2), through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence (2). We will continue this thought next time. Father thank You that You gave us all we would ever need to live the Chri...