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There is None Good, But God - 3 John 1:11-14

Posted by daddontsk8 on Sunday, March 18, 2007 9:18:42 AM

What a difference an article makes. The way this section of scripture reads in English connotes a general avoidance of all evil, but John’s letter is much more specific. Instead of “Beloved, do not imitate what is evil….” a more accurate reading might be, “Beloved, do not imitate this evil….” The evil John is warning about is that of Diotrephes’ desire for leadership. John is warning against pride, self for self.

Pride (love of self) is the sin that separates us from God. Pride is the original sin, the very basis for every sinful act. Jesus defined love for us,

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” -

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A Life of Meaning - 3 John 1:9-10

Posted by daddontsk8 on Friday, March 16, 2007 5:05:53 PM

Diotrephes, according to John, seeks preeminence among members of his local church.  He wants to be called pastor, father.  In an effort to maintain his position, he controls the information of his fellow congregants by not allowing others into his circle.  Diotrephes is trying to establish a cult of personality - his.  This is a trap that has plagued mankind from the beginning. 

Eve fell for the trap when she ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  Moses succumbed when he tapped the rock twice.  Korah sought preeminence when he rebelled against Moses and Aaron.  Saul slipped into this trap as did David and Solomon and Judas.  Whenever life is going well, and leading to the outcome we seek, the human instinct is to take credit for the good stuff.  But God doesn’t call us to work toward some future goal.

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A Fellowhelper of the Truth - 3 John 1:5-8

Posted by daddontsk8 on Friday, March 09, 2007 10:28:26 PM

It was a different world as the early church spread throughout the known world.  Travelers depended on the kindness of strangers for accomodations.  In return, the traveler brought news, tales and wisdom from faraway places.  The first evangelists faced the same circumstances, having the same thing to offer for accomodation.  But they also brought with them the most glorious news. 

The early evangelists had another aspect to their travels that we may not always realize as we read about their acts and travels: the early evangelists were typically invited by believers.  But where did these believers come from?

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Walk in Truth - 3 John 1:1-4

Posted by daddontsk8 on Wednesday, March 07, 2007 9:18:32 AM

What greater joy does a parent have than to see their children become successful, productive members of society?  The same is true in the spiritual realm.  Of course we see this played out in the sacrifice of Christ, but we also see it revealed through the writings of the apostles,

“Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” -

And so John is also overjoyed to see his children prosper.  And by prosper, he doesn’t mean become financially wealthy, Read the rest of this entry » 

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The Cure for Mental Illness - Jude 1:17-24

Posted by daddontsk8 on Monday, March 05, 2007 12:55:01 PM

A believer is a strange thing indeed. As the apostle Paul says,

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” -

And as a result, a believer will be ridiculed, mocked, shunned, persecuted and even, killed (cf. ). But Jude is not speaking of some time in the future that affects the whole world. Rather, he is speaking of the time when your repentance is complete, and the Son of Perdition is revealed.

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An Unholy Trinity - Jude 1:8-16

Posted by daddontsk8 on Sunday, March 04, 2007 10:44:58 AM

The filthy dreamers are the same certain men from verse 4. These “men” promote the idea of improving the self so that we may be acceptable to God. These same “men”, as we studied in the previous installment, have been since the beginning, and are here today as well. Jude tells us that this theology of self-improvement is defiling the flesh.

This contradicts everything that the world teaches us. It contradicts the very premise of evolution, it contradicts our perception of technological advancement. Improvement of self is the filthy dream!

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A Warning of Old - Jude 1:3-7

Posted by daddontsk8 on Saturday, March 03, 2007 3:56:50 PM

Jude is on fire!  Something has caused him to an incredible urgency of action.  The third verse is basically saying, “I dropped everything to write to you.  The salvation given through Christ is available to everyone!  So I’m writing to beg you to struggle with the faith of Christ, that was given to all those who were sanctified once and for all.” 

He’s writing to this group of believers as though their time is over.  What is so vital, from Jude’s perspective, that he opens his letter with such an urgency?

What is interesting is that Jude is not combatting some contemporary threat to the church, but rather he is reminding the church of the deception that has been since the beginning.  What Jude is telling us, is that the threat that plagues all believers today is not new.  And he begins to outline what or who this evil thing is by reminding us of what scripture teaches.

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