1 John 4
1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19We love him, because he first loved us.
20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
The POFW Daily Bible Reading 
vs 7-8 These scriptures speak so loudly about how we ought to feel about others. We can not even claim to know God if we dont love others. I want to know Him!
Vs 21 The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.
I believe as we love one another (believers) we are loving God at the same time bc God is dwelling in that brother or sister. And when we hate or don’t get along we’re not getting along with the Jesus in them.
aman…don’t hate but congratulate
5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us
You are of who you speak of.
We need to watch our mouths because it will show us who our master is.
If negative, complaining, talking down on others, and other evil speaking comes out then regardless of dress or how we act it will blow our cover.
Yet if positive, encouraging, uplifting, good speaking comes out if affirms that we are who we say we are.
James says be slow to speak, slow to wrath, and quick to listen.
I think instead of telling others to “read my lips” we should read our own.
Matthew says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Be church
Be tongue tamed
What is love?
3 Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing. 4 Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. 5 It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. 6 It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. 7 Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. 8 Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].
v 19 “We love him because he first loved us.” In other words: He loved me in my sinful state! We are mistaken if we believe that we can pick or choose who to love or not. If we truly love God we will love one another.
4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Ask God what His will is for your life. Many times I have put limitation on God. Who am I to put limits on God, because if its God’s will He can do anything in my life. I’m here right now listening to Gateway Choir singing With God Anything Is Possible.
Yesterday at work, “Head Management” was asking me to things for them. Now that might not seem much for alot of people,but this shows me that God is greater than my enemies.
Lord,I pray that Your light can shine through me today , and show people your Love. In Jesus name Amen!
PURE – God’s Love is pure; no strings attached. If we never say good morning, good day or good night. GOD loves us unconditionally. WOW what an example. This fact alone motivates me to follow, serve, and strive to be like, the one and only JESUS. I say pure because of verse 18;
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Where fear is absent, power is present! Where fear is absent, HOPE is dominant. Where fear is absent JOY is contagious.
BE Church
Love and not fear
4:12 No man hath seen God at anytime. Since our love has its source in God’s love,His love reaches full expression(is made complete) when we love fellow Christians.Thus the God whom “no one has seen” is seen in those who love,because God lives in them.
So many wise words on love written above!
How will this world know us unless we demonstrate the love of God? We cannot love like the world loves-with conditions placed on it-rather love unconditionally. This builds upon the prior chapter which states we are to love not just in words we may say, but by actions. Love through our actions and with no conditions placed on it, shows the world we are different-we are like our God.
Amplified – We are [children] of God. Whoever is learning to know God [progressively to perceive, recognize, and understand God by observation and experience, and to [e]get an ever-clearer knowledge of Him] listens to us; and he who is not of God does not listen or pay attention to us. By this we know (recognize) the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.
Lord help us to have the right frame of mind and the right spirit that we are ever learning of you. Help us not to get so self righteous that we can’t take instructions from those in authority over our lives. Many fall prey to the self righteous spirit that leads them into deception because they feel like they know it all and can’t be instructed in anything. Remembering the teachings of Pastor and Bro. Godwin …. there are many instructors but not many fathers. Help us to listen to the Fathers in the gospel and not follow some instructor who’s spirit is not in agreement with You.
I wanna be Church!
It is easy to be frightened by the wickedness we see all around us and overwhelmed by the problems we face. Evil is obviously much stronger than we are. John assures us, however, that God is even stronger. He will conquer ALL evil and his Spirit and his Word live in our hearts.
7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Love one another for God is love. Be Love, Be Church!
VS-1-3
John warns the church to test teachers who claim to give inspired teaching for that teaching source. The test is whether or not the teacher will say that JESUS CHRIST has come in the flesh. Many people have praised JESUS as a good man or a messenger from GOD. But only those who say that JESUS is GOD are telling the truth.
v 4:16 And we have known and believed the
love that God hath to us.
RSB- To live a love- filled life is to be
GOD filled.
To know and believe. The love GOD has for
us. GOD IS LOVE.
What assurance . What comfort.
4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
——–he is greater then this world
Lord, help me to deal with my flesh, in its frustrations with people. I cannot show God’s love if I do not show temperance in my own life (thank you Pastor). I want to love others as You have loved me. Thank you for the love you have shown, and the patience to make me what you want me to be.
We need to be careful what spirits we are listening to. Our flesh will try to get us to do things that are pleasing to it and not God. Our fleshly nature must be overcome through the power of the Holy Ghost.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Very important to know that if you can’t love, you can’t know God in His most intimate form. Love is the first in the fruit of the spirit and with out it how can we be fruitful and a tree that is not baring fruit is worthless and should be cut down.
4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
So glad to know I have a god that is greater and mightier than anyone or anything! He is awesome!
12No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
God is Love, Love is God, when we love with Agape love we are truly representing HIS very essence and nature.
Jeff Arnold made a statement from a message in 2003 that when Adam fell from perfection he fell into a love deficiency and God fell into a love hurt…
So the point is this that when we worship God and love on him we are healing his hurt!
Ever thought you could heal God?
V4-6 “4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”
Being filled with the Holy Ghost means more than just goosebumps and speaking strange things. God gives us wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and insight that this world can’t grasp on it’s own. When you listen to those professing to be Christian yet who haven’t been filled with the Holy Ghost, you can usually find out after a while that despite even being learned in the Word, their thinking has not had that miraculous transformation that God brings in the life of the believer after they are born again and begin maturing in Him. Certain revelations just don’t seem to be there, certain perspectives just seem a bit off.
There’s much that can be gleaned even without the indwelling of God’s Spirit, but having the Holy Ghost just takes everything to a whole different level. With daily nourishment of God’s Word, with daily prayer, with continual maturation in Christ, we learn how to learn from God and handle His Word. The contrast between truth and error becomes greater and greater as our eyes are continually opened further to see the light of His truth. I still remember after I was baptized (I had already received the Holy Ghost) how right away I could tell a difference when reading the Bible because God would speak to me and show me things in a way that wasn’t there before being born again. It was like after I became spiritually alive, His Word became alive to me.
All this said, I think of all the amazing things being put out into this world by people who don’t have the Holy Ghost and I find myself thinking “we have Jesus inside of us, the church could do so much better, but why aren’t we? if people who aren’t even born again can do *that* then what’s going on with all of us are?” I firmly believe we have yet to see the greatest, the finest hour of the church. There are songs to be written, sermons to be preached, things to be done that will take what’s been done so far and blow it out of the water.
Being born again, we have a new nature, we are not of this world. Our lives should showcase where heaven meets earth. This world doesn’t need just a heart-warming song, ear-tickling message, and pat on the back while they keep marching right towards the fiery pit. They need Jesus. Just because He came robed in flesh didn’t mean He was limited to the flesh. He didn’t stop being God or give up His nature. The same is true today, just because He is now robed in us if you will doesn’t mean His work should be limited by our natural ability. Operating in the supernatural should be our natural. Our lives preach the gospel of His kingdom when we allow His kingdom to be manifest on this earth through us.
1 Cor 4:20 “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”
Words can say a whole lot, but a demonstration of power can say so much more. It’s not the time for small, scared, apologetic Christianity from the church. That’s not the picture of a city set on a hill, shining for all the world to see. We have the Spirit of truth within us, it’s time to shine so the whole world can see.
Be Church
This chapter speaks of Godly Love & deception. We must be careful of whom we listen to, what we listen to and where we go, the deceiver is here. We must have love for one another, which may require that we put away insignificant petty issues. We must love as God loves not as the world loves. We must simply do as the Pastor has been teaching and “Be-Church”. May the good Lord Bless you all in Jesus name, Amen
We must get a hold of perfect love so that all fear can be removed. Perfect love will cause you to do good to someone who really despises you. As God’s children, we cannot allow hatred & jealousy to get between us & our redeemer. Let us become perfect love.
vs 19 We love him, because he first loved us.
And I thank god that he loves me even when I don’t do right sometimes, im thankful that he didn’t give up on me.
Verse 1 says not to believe every spirit but see if that spirit is of God because there are so many spirits that come into the world it is easy for us to get caught up in false doctrine.
17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. (NLT)
Lets make this a goal to strive for not only us but as well to others by helping reach to them.
Verses 7-8 in the Message Version read….”My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love.” If we want to belong to God; we must love one another!
17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
With this we see that if we stand and walk as Christ did, then in the day of judgement we shall be able to stand tall and say we did all we could to mi,ister and teach His word to the lost world around us.