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December 1, Sunday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Waiting in Holiness and Godliness — There are two kinds of waiting mentioned in this passage. First, God “is patient … not wishing that any should perish” (v. 9). He is waiting for people to turn to Him for salvation, and He is postponing judgment against sin. Judgment will come, however, and it will be unexpected, loud, and devastating. Unbelievers are not waiting for that because they don’t believe it will happen. We believers, however, are anticipating the same end-time event, but we wait expectantly because “we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (v. 13). Won’t it be wonderful to have leaders who are open, honest, and have the genuine interest of others at heart? That will be true in the “new earth.” So, Peter challenges us to practice now for that new kind of life, living “lives of holiness and godliness” (v. 11). We are to be symbols of the future for those around us who have not yet come to surrender to the loving King of kings. We are “hastening the coming” of Christ’s return by influencing those people to turn to Him.
While We are Waiting, Come – YouTube
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December 2, Monday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Anointed for Knowledge — There are two kinds of people in our reading for today, one kind at each end of the passage. It begins with a class of people termed, “antichrist” (v. 18), one who “denies the Father and the Son” (v. 22). These are people who were a part of local churches, but “they went out from us” (v. 19). Their doctrinal errors were exposed by the genuine Body of Christ, the Church. They represent the “exiting” person. The other people are featured in the last part of our passage, including the person who “confesses the Son … [and] has the Father also” (v. 23). This is the “abiding” person who abides in “what you heard from the beginning” (v. 24a), the original message of Christ’s saving offer, and those who “abide in the Son and in the Father” in personal relationship (v. 24b). The fact that you have committed yourself to reading God’s Word every day in our “Knowing the Spirit” series shows your interest in abiding in the truth. We also need to be abiding in our relationship with the Father and the Son throughout the day as we think about God, pray to Him, and rejoice in His loving presence.
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December 3, Tuesday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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The Abiding Spirit — Twice in this reading, it says, “by this we know” (vv. 19, 24). The first time, it tells us that we “know” God’s truth (v. 19), and the second time, that we “know” God’s presence (v. 24). The words, “by this…,” in each of these verses refers to the means of knowing, i.e., how we know. How do we know that “we are of the truth”? (v. 19). We know it when “our heart does not condemn us” (v. 21). That is talking about conviction of sin, which is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This is similar to Paul’s statement that we should “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Col. 3:15). Unless we have dulled our conscience through continued sin, the Spirit will convict us of sins we commit, and we will be aware of it and want to correct the problem through repentance. We are “of the truth” when “our heart does not condemn us.” The second thing in our reading that “we know” is God’s presence, “that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us” (v. 24). How do we know that? Hang on—it is not based on emotional feelings. Rather, it is by obedience: “Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him” (v. 23). If God’s Spirit didn’t dwell within us, we wouldn’t care that much about being obedient, and we would be content with doing what feels good to us. If our heart is condemning us with conviction, however, that is the work of the Holy Spirit to get us back on track. If our heart is confident in our relationship to God, then we are doing what pleases Him.
Sun of My Soul, Thou Savior Dear – YouTube
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December 4, Wednesday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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The Spirit Confesses Jesus — The Holy Spirit not only indwells believers, but He also empowers them to proclaim truth to others. John presents a contrast between the true message of believers and the distorted doctrines of people who call themselves believers but are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. John gives us a means by which we can “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (v. 1). When the crowd at one of the Jerusalem feasts said to Jesus, “You have a demon!” (John 7:20), He replied that they should “judge with right judgment” (v. 24). In today’s reading, John gives us a test for determining how to “know the Spirit of God” (1 John 4:2a), i.e., is the Holy Spirit really behind certain people’s messages? The test was this: Was the human Jesus really God? (“…that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (v. 2b). Some people in John’s day were teaching that Jesus was really a spirit but only appeared to have a physical body. Similar distortions are taught today. The Holy Spirit confesses that the human Jesus was also God.
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December 5, Thursday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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The Spirit of Truth — There is spiritual competition going on in our world. There is a war between truth and error, and between God (“he who is in you”) and Satan and his demons (“he who is in the world”). It is comforting to know that we, in whom the Spirit of God dwells, are on the right side of that conflict because the One in you “is greater than” the one in the world (v. 4). As John provided a test for us in yesterday’s reading, so also today he gives us a test for discerning the spiritual condition of those we talk to about Christ. The test is this: Is our message being received? “Whoever knows God listens to us” (v. 6). They recognize the truth of our message because it strikes a chord of positive response in their hearts. It doesn’t make sense to an unbeliever because he/she is immersed in a world of different values and standards. Our message is from “the Spirit of truth,” however, the One who is greater.
Greater Is He That Is in Me – YouTube
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December 6, Friday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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The Abiding, Assuring Spirit — Verse 13 is filled with important information. First, it speaks of assurance, saying, “By this we know…,” which probably refers to what John had just said, that “God abides in us and his love is perfected in us” (v. 12). The assurance is that God is present in every believer, which is the second important point in this verse, i.e., abiding. In addition to the Father’s presence, the cause for assurance probably also points forward to the statement, “because he has given us of his Spirit” (v. 13b). The Holy Spirit dwells in the believer. In addition to this assurance, it is true because God’s Word says it is true, here, and in many other NT references. We are assured both by faith and by the evidence of the Spirit of Yahweh within us. The indwelling Spirit gives us that assurance.
Breathe on Me, Breath of God – YouTube
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December 7, Saturday
An audio recording of the following reading is available below.
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Source of Sanctification — The verb for the words “sanctifies … sanctified” is featured in verse 11. It is the same root word as “holy.” To be “sanctified” is to be made “holy.” At the beginning of this verse, “he who sanctifies,” refers to Jesus because in the previous verse, it was just said that He is the one made “perfect through suffering.” Jesus died on the cross as our substitute to make it possible for us to be sanctified (or made holy). We are placed in the middle of the verse: “those who are sanctified.” At the end of the verse, we have the Father, “one source,” which literally in Greek is, “of one.” I like the way the Legacy Standard Bible puts it: “… of One.” God the Father is the source and goal of our holiness: “…be holy, for I am holy” (Lev. 11:44, 45; 1 Pet. 1:16).
The Family of God (Cagayan de Oro, Philippines) – YouTube
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