“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1) “Children born not of natural decent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God,” is what John writes in his gospel (John 1:13).

Do you get a sense of just how special you are in Christ? And there is so much more! Hoping in Jesus – hoping and longing for all that he has promised for you, now and for the future – purifies you. The question is: “How?” How does hope purify? Here are some strong statements from the first ten verses of 1 John 3:

1. “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.”
2. “No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”
3. “Anyone who does not do what is right is not born of God; nor anyone who does not love his brother.”
4. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

The victory is assured! Sin has been conquered! These are comforting thoughts – that God has provided the means for you to be purified.

Blessings!

Here are some encouraging thoughts I read this morning that I wanted to share with you. They were written by a long-time preacher, brother Kenneth Meade…

How fortunate we are to live this side of the cross and have the full benefit of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection! He set an example of high standards for us. He dwells within us and provides everything we need to live godly lives.

Socrates taught for 40 years, Plato for 50, Aristotle for 40, and Jesus for only three. Yet the influence of Christ’s three-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching from these men who were among the greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures; yet some of the finest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him. Jesus wrote no poetry; but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by Him. Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratorios they composed in His praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble carpenter of Nazareth.

Only Jesus Christ can break the enslaving chains of sin and Satan. Many people admire Christ and his teachings. Regrettably, few bow before His majesty and own Him as Lord and Redeemer.

Let Him be Lord of your life every day.

From Oswald Chambers’ devotional (My Utmost for His Highest) on July 12:

“The church ceases to be spiritual when it becomes self-seeking, only interested in the development of its own organization.”

It is surprising how easily we can be distracted from the ultimate purpose God has given us. While congregations work diligently to develop ministries and programs that can be very useful and beneficial to its members, it is not unusual to see those things become a means rather than an end.

For example, I have found myself in the past more concerned about developing a ministry or participating in a worthwhile “program” than seeking out the individuals those programs are intended to benefit – failing in the process to encourage, fellowship with, or simply listen to the needs of those people. It was, however, quite easy to develop a sense of accomplishment and self-worth by contributing some time and effort to the activities of the ministry or program.

I wouldn’t suggest that everyone falls prey to this trap; I do, however, think it is easy to be deceived by the process of creating activities for the church to participate in with the objective of simply creating participation. Programs and ministries can create a lot of activity and, proportionately, they may create a false sense of security. Again, it’s not the ministry or the program that is a bad thing – it is allowing those things to substitute for serving the needs of others in a consistent, personal, and heart-felt way.

If the objective of our congregation were to become more about developing the organization than our “faith expressing itself in love” (Galatians 5:6) as we serve our members and the community, we will have walked right into a bear trap – with a big smile on our faces.

I did not know Tim Mahaffey. But my family and I had the honor of attending a memorial service for him this past Saturday.

It was a moving service, highlighted by a slideshow looking back at Tim’s all-too-short life. As we drove home, this young man I did not know lingered in my mind and one part of him has remained with me: His smile.

As the slides rolled and Tim grew from childhood to maturity before our eyes, his smile did not change — as if it somehow stood outside of time.

Tim had one of those rare smiles, the kind that without speaking a word say volumes, hint at possibilities. Anyone on the receiving end of that smile, without knowing exactly what would happen next, would sense that anything was possible and that they had better be ready.

Regrettably, I did not know Tim Mahaffey. But it was good to join his family in honoring his life. They mourn him now, but when they next see him, I imagine he will greet them with that smile. And like it once did, it will say without words: “Be ready. Here, anything is possible.”